Scooter Doll

EV freight technology company Einride has announced its expansion into Germany, the EU’s largest transportation market. The company will bring its electrified and autonomous freight shipping technology to the country, backed by a new Einride regional office and local logistical hubs. It also has a list of German partners already in place.

As it sits mere months away from bringing its first solar EV to market, Lightyear is once again showcasing the potential of its Lightyear 0. Following a series of drag-coefficient tests in Germany under WLTP conditions, the Lightyear 0 SEV should hit the market as the most aerodynamic production car ever built. Its test numbers shatter a title held by GM’s EV1 dating back to the late ’90s.

During the North American International Auto Show today in Detroit, Michigan, mobility tech company Magna International shared its progress of a novel last-mile delivery robot designed for urban environments. The company has been piloting the fully autonomous three-wheeled robot in Detroit since March, where it has been transporting pizzas to nearby customers. The pilot program follows two additional mobility programs the contract manufacturer is already exploring.

Specialty vehicle manufacturer The Shyft Group has received its first pre-order for all-electric walk-in delivery vans under its new Blue Arc sub-brand. The initial order comes from one of the largest automotive dealer groups in the Carolinas and will consist of 2,000 Blue Arc electric delivery vans to begin.

Ford Motor Company has unveiled a new companywide strategy to its dealership network of nearly 3,000 locations. Ford dealers have been alerted that they have until October 31 to decide whether they will invest their own money into one of two “certified” EV tiers to partake in Ford’s Model e business. Only those dealers who buy in will be authorized to sell EVs from January 1, 2024, onward. There’s a lot to unfold here, so let’s get right to it.

EV conversion specialists Lightning eMotors has announced its second-generation repower program that enables large transit combustion buses that previously ran on diesel or compressed natural gas (CNG) to be converted to all-electric buses. Better yet, Lightning is helping fleet customers of these electrified conversions maximize the same federal and state funding they would receive if they were purchasing brand new electric buses.

Following the teasing of interior images of the gamma version of its upcoming solar electric vehicle (SEV) last month, Aptera officially debuted the full prototype in front of a crowd in San Diego at Fully Charged Live. The gamma version now marks Aptera’s biggest milestone as it approaches SEV production in 2023.

A Canadian EV startup called Potential Motors is working to bring a unique off-road electric RV to market in a limited volume. The company’s flagship model, called the Adventure 1, is launching this month ahead of production in 2024. It has some unique features you won’t want to miss. Check it out.

Scottish EV start-up Munro Vehicles looks to make a muddy splash with its upcoming Mark 1 all-electric off-road truck. At first glance, this 4×4 EV looks like a Humvee, a Wrangler, and a 1980s Land Rover had a three-way and the result is a 2.7-ton behemoth built to handle anything off the beaten path. Following a recently signed sales agreement, Munro intends to bring this EV to the US, if and when it reaches full production.

BMW Group has come out and publicly stated that its future success in a competitive EV market relies heavily on “powerful, innovative, and sustainably produced” battery cells. When BMW’s Neue Klasse (new class) EV architecture launches in 2025, the German automaker says the EV platforms will utilize newly developed 46-mm-diameter battery cells, the same larger design Tesla is using.

Beginning this fall when its next-generation BlueCruise 1.2 active driver assist rolls out, Ford is introducing three new features, including hands-free lane changes. The American automaker says it has bolstered its Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) team to improve BlueCruise and ActiveGuide for Ford and Lincoln drivers. That being said, current drivers will have to wait to experience these new hands-free features.

Ride-share veteran Uber Technologies has announced a long term partnership with autonomous vehicle developer Nuro, whose zero-occupant EVs will deliver food to Uber Eats customers around the US. The ten-year deal will kick off this fall in Texas and California before expanding further.

Magna Steyr – an Austrian-based contract manufacturer owned by Magna International – recently shared aspirations to enter the US market and produce vehicles in a climate-friendly facility in North America. The facility overseas currently manufactures the Jaguar I-Pace and will begin production of the Fisker Ocean in November. Based on revised terms for US federal tax credits, could a move by Magna happen?

EV start-up Mullen Automotive has announced the purchase of a controlling interest in Bollinger Motors for $148.2 million in cash and stock. As the new majority owner, Mullen has already shared intentions to use the cash to resume Bollinger’s halt to B1 and B2 electric truck production while continuing to pursue the development of class 3-6 medium-duty electric trucks.

North American EV fast-charging network Electrify America has introduced a new labeling system to more easily differentiate its charging levels for consumers. Additionally, the latest generation of Electrify America DC fast chargers will include a new “Balanced” technology in which power is evenly distributed to multiple EVs at once in order to maximize speeds and deliver at least 150 kW of “ultra-fast” charging. Could this set a new standard for all EV charging networks in North America?

General Motors has shared a slew of new information about the upcoming 2024 Chevy Equinox EV, outlining pertinent details for each of its trim levels, including range and standard features. What’s most promising about the all-electric compact SUV is that GM is still saying it will start at a price around $30,000. The company is hoping to convince a number of consumers to go all-electric.

Sono Motors is trying its damndest to stay at the top of everyone’s news feed this week. In addition to announcing it has received over 20,000 reservations for its upcoming Sion solar EV, Sono Motors has announced a new partnership for retrofit solar implementation on city buses. Additionally, car subscription platform FINN has upped its previous Sion reservation up to 12,600 units, bringing Sono’s demand for solar electric vehicles up over 32,000 units.

Kia Europe has announced a new partnership with encore Deutsche Bahn to reuse former EV batteries to create scalable energy storage systems. The prototype has already been implemented in Germany using Kia Soul EV batteries and marks the start of the automaker’s Europe-wide initiative.

Global contract manufacturer Magna International has agreed to produce and scale a fleet of autonomous delivery robots for silicon valley-based robotics company Cartken. The robots are being built at a Magna facility in Michigan and will soon offer autonomous last-mile deliveries to businesses around the world.

Although it has only explored 1% of its 55,000 acre site in Canada, carbon-conscious mining company Snow Lake Lithium believes it can enable a massive domestic supply of the chemical element to EV automakers when it begins commercial mining. The company expects its all-electric mine to source enough lithium to power up to 500,000 EVs in North America each year, which could prove vital in the US as the automotive industry shifts its supply chains domestically in order to qualify for revised federal tax credits.

Italian luxury automaker Maserati has shared the latest update in becoming an all-electric brand by taking comedian Sebastian Maniscalco for a spin in its new GranTurismo Folgore EV. Check out video footage below offering the first glimpse of this Maserati EV in action, as its designers share some of its specs before production begins next year.

Solar EV manufacturer Lightyear has welcomed another fresh round of investment capital to help get its first vehicle – the Lightyear 0 – into production this year while furthering development of its second SEV, the Lightyear 2. The €81 million (~$80M) round is led by Invest-NL, who funds businesses and projects that are working to make the Netherlands more sustainable and innovative.

After teasing a new “Camp Mode” feature earlier this week, Rivian has rolled out its latest software update to include the new function along with a bunch of cool features to try out during the long holiday weekend. Check it out footage from Rivian below.

General Motors’ self-driving rideshare service Cruise announced that it has recalled 80 of its electric robotaxis in order to update their software following an accident in June that injured two people. The NHTSA stated that the software issue caused the self-driving Cruise vehicles to “incorrectly predict” oncoming vehicle’s paths, adding risk for collisions.