Scooter Doll

As Chinese EV automaker XPeng continues its market expansion into Europe, it has already set up shop in the Netherlands with the intent to inevitably begin sales there. While XPeng determines whether to bring its P5 or P7 sedan to the Netherlands first, I got the chance to visit the country, test them both out, and give feedback. Here’s how it went.

During an online global premiere today, solar EV startup Lightyear unveiled the final production-ready design of its first vehicle, the Lightyear 0, formerly known as the Lightyear One. After six years of development, the Lightyear 0 is available for order ahead of first deliveries this fall.

As a zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV), Nikola Corporation’s Tre BEV truck has qualified for yet another state incentive program for fleet customers. The American automaker announced that the battery electric Nikola Tre is eligible for the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP). Under the statewide program, the Nikola Tre BEV can now qualify for an incentive up to $185,000… per truck.

Yes, you read that correctly. Agricultural machinery manufacturer AGCO is continuing its technical partnership with Apex.AI in order to use its Apex.OS software development kit to add autonomous capabilities to its farming robot concept. The battery-powered Xaver farming robots were developed by AGCO brand Fendt and can autonomously plant seeds on farms 24 hours a day.

Following a six-month pilot phase of its first charging hub site in Nuremberg Germany, Audi has seen a number of return customers and “overwhelmingly positive” feedback. As a result, the German automaker has announced plans to expand the charging hub model to other sites, beginning later this year.

Following public ambitions to become an entirely electric brand by 2030, Cupra has shared its first phase toward this new era, which includes a PHEV SUV and two BEV models, all set to arrive by 2025. Additionally, Cupra intends to use these electrified models to expand its vehicle deliveries into other international markets.

The Ports of Auckland in New Zealand has welcomed a new member to its maritime family. A bright green, electric tugboat named Sparky recently arrived in Auckland as “the world’s first full-sized ship-handling electric tug.” By delivering the same bollard pull as the Ports of Auckland’s strongest diesel tug, Sparky represents a future in which zero-emissions ship handling is possible around the globe.

Following months of teasing the public, Baidu’s intelligent EV startup JIDU has officially unveiled its AI powered, robotic EV, called the ROBO-01. The ROBODAY presentation took place today on Baidu’s metaverse platform and included a slew of images, video, and details of the upcoming JIDU smart EV.

Fresh off a promising annual call with shareholders yesterday, Fisker Inc. is back with additional news pertaining to its first two EV models. In addition to confirming 50,000 reservations for its flagship Ocean SUV, Fisker has shared a second image of the upcoming PEAR along with additional details.

During its 2022 annual stockholder meeting this morning, Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker shared several updates regarding the company and its progress in delivering its flagship Ocean SUV this fall. Despite supply chain constraints throughout the automotive industry, all skies look clear ahead according to Fisker, thanks in large part to a long-term agreement with contract manufacturer Magna International.

Today Lucid Motors announced a new digital financing platform called Lucid Financial Services to provide lease and loan purchase options to Air EV customers in the United States. The financing options are provided through a strategic relationship between Lucid Group and Bank of America.

Ever wondered how your electric vehicle updates itself over the air (OTA)? Is it software or firmware? Perhaps you’re wondering if the new EV you’re considering is even fit with over-the-air capabilities.

No matter the reason, we’ve put together a guide outlining how OTA updates work, plus some of their benefits looking toward the future. Furthermore, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of EV automakers, and their current status of OTA implementation.

Ahead of its world premiere in October, Polestar has publicly shared the first non-camo’d image of its upcoming Polestar 3 SUV alongside a teaser video. When it debuts, the Polestar 3 will be the first of three bespoke models for the Swedish EV brand to arrive over the next three years. Here’s what we know so far.

Mazda Motor Corporation announced plans to make all its factories around the world carbon neutral by 2035 as part of its larger goal of making its supply chain carbon neutral by 2050. Despite its commitments to carbon neutrality, the Japanese automaker currently only sells one compliance-level EV and plans to continue to sell combustion vehicles into next decade.

EV-scale solid-state battery cells have come one step closer to reality in Louisville, Colorado, where Solid Power announced it will begin pilot manufacturing of solid-state cells. The completed installation of the production pilot line will allow Solid Power to produce silicon anode, solid-state battery cells for internal testing before delivering them to automotive partners BMW and Ford to begin qualification testing.

Mercedes-Benz has shared detailed pricing and available trim levels for its upcoming EQB SUV ahead of its anticipated delivery to the US in summer of 2022. Beginning at a price of $54,500 for the base model, the EQB will arrive as the most affordable EQ model to date for US customers.

Solar electric vehicle startup Sono Motors has announced a purchase contract with European refrigerated trailer expert CHEREAU to codevelop a solar-powered version for fleet trucks and trailers. Together, the companies hope to leverage Sono’s solar technology to reduce both fuel costs and CO2 emissions. The new solar-powered refrigerated vehicle is expected to debut at IAA Transportation 2022 in September.

It is the dawn of a new era for Genesis, at least on US soil. The Korean luxury marque has delivered its first GV60 BEV in California, which also happens to be the very first all-electric Genesis vehicle delivered in the entire country. With an entire blueprint for an all-electric future, more EV deliveries from Genesis are destined to follow.

A new retro concept version of the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV has emerged in China and begs a number of questions. Will SAIC-GM-Wuling produce the retro Mini EV despite it being a third-party design? Would GM consider bringing the popular EV to the United States? And lastly, does a customer base just starting to dip its toe in the world of futuristic EVs want a retro-looking vehicle?

According to a report out of China, EV automaker NIO is hiring a number of positions related to manufacturing vehicles in the US. The recruitment descriptions suggest the Chinese automaker intends to begin planning and erecting EV production facilities on US soil that may begin with either complete knock down (CKD) or semi-knock down (SKD) assembly methods.

A Volkswagen ID.4 GTX has set a Guinness World Record for the highest altitude achieved in an all-electric passenger vehicle. The ID.4 equipped with Monroe Intelligent Suspension CVSAe technology from Tenneco was driven by international adventure driver and multiple record holder, Rainer Zietlow.

Just over a year after being founded, intelligent EV startup JIDU is on the cusp of officially unveiling the concept of its first vehicle, referred to as the “Robocar.” Following delays due to COVID-19 restrictions in China, JIDU announced the EV concept will debut at its ROBODAY event in June.

News emerged today that Lucid Motors has issued its second recall on its flagship Air sedan. According to the American EV automaker, the issue concerns a wired data connection to the instrument panel that may not have been secured properly during a given vehicle’s assembly.

Kokomo, Indiana, may not be the location the Beach Boys were singing about, but its definitely the current tune of both Stellantis and Samsung SDI, as the two announced a joint venture to build a US EV battery plant there. Together, the global automaker and battery manufacturer will invest over $2.5 billion to bring a slew of new EV jobs to Kokomo and its surrounding areas.