Scooter Doll

Vita, a manufacturer of performance electric boats and electrified marine powertrains, announced its flagship model, the LION, will be manufactured in Maine by Hodgdon Yachts – the oldest shipyard in the United States. When it begins sea trials this summer, the LION will boast impressive marine propulsion specs.

In a letter to shareholders outlining its progress through Q1 of 2022, solid-state battery manufacturer QuantumScape has shared some exciting updates. These include a new 16-layer, solid-state cell – an initial proof of concept of the company’s proprietary cell format. Additionally, QuantumScape shared news of scaled manufacturing and plans for increased production capacity. There’s lots to unfold here, so let’s hop in.

Lucid Group has announced a new agreement with long-time supporter Saudi Arabia and its Ministry of Finance. Under the terms of the agreement, the Government of Saudi Arabia has committed to purchasing 50,000 EVs from Lucid Motors over the next ten years, with the option to purchase an additional 50k over that same timeframe.

Two years after launching its Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model, NIO has amended its program to allow those customers enrolled in battery swaps to opt out and purchase their EV battery. NIO states that its decision is based off feedback from consumers who regret their BaaS enrollment, but explains this group remains relatively small.

Blink Charging announced that its European subsidiary, Blink Holdings BV, has acquired Electric Blue Ltd. better known as EB Charging based in the UK. In addition to Blink’s first entry into the UK, the acquisition marks Blink’s global expansion which now includes over eighteen countries.

Commercial EV manufacturer Volta Trucks has publicly debuted two new variations of its 16-ton Volta Zero. The forthcoming 7.5- and 12-ton variants will complete a four model range Volta Zero trucks and provide smaller and more maneuverable transportation to commercial fleets compared to their larger predecessors.

Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico recently became the first North American ski resort to use a fully-electric snow groomer, by putting a PistenBully 100 E into operation. This is just one of several actions the mountain village is taking to promote sustainability and achieve its pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Autonomous driving developer Pony.ai announced it has received a license to operate its self-driving taxis in China, the first company to achieve the permit. Pony.ai will soon have 100 robotaxis in operation throughout Nansha, Guangzhou, charging riders fares alongside traditional taxis.

Hyundai Motor Group and We Drive Solar have teamed up to help create a completely bi-directional region in the Dutch development district of Cartesius in Utrecht of the Netherlands. To begin, We Drive Solar has equipped 25 Hyundai IONIQ 5 BEVs with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology to send power back to homes and businesses in the region during peak energy hours.

British automaker Bentley has shared new data outlining its progress toward becoming carbon neutral throughout its entire global supply chain. The automaker’s “Dream Factory” headquarters in Crewe, England is already carbon neutral, but Bentley’s latest numbers show how much of a decrease it has made in its overall environmental impact the past year alone.

Chinese NEV automaker GAC Aion is expanding its repertoire of EV technologies to include battery swap stations. The company announced its first station has opened in Guangzhou and can replace an EV battery in under 2.5 minutes. GAC Aion is the latest company to implement battery swap stations in China.

Following the opening of reservations in four European markets last month, XPeng Motors has shared what pricing EU customers can expect to see after they put a deposit down on a new P5. Three of the four EU countries XPeng now calls home are accepting deposits on P5 reservations, with Norway to follow later this spring.

Following a shadowy teaser video earlier this month, Lincoln has officially unveiled a new all-electric SUV concept called the Star. During the global debut event in Los Angeles this evening, Lincoln shared its future electrification plans, explaining the Star Concept represents the brand’s vision for three Lincoln EVs arriving by 2025 and a fourth in 2026. A source close to the matter also let us know some of the new EV models Lincoln has planned.

Audi has unveiled its third EV in its sphere concept series, the latest arriving as the German automaker’s largest to date. The Audi urbansphere concept offers a glimpse into a future of electric mobility in which our vehicles are more of a lounge, or “mobile office,” than a mere vessel for transportation.

Earlier this week, battery manufacturer CATL officially began operating four EVOGO battery swap stations in Xiamen, part of southeast China’s Fujian Province. With the start of battery swap services, CATL has declared Xiamen the world’s first EVOGO city, with plans for dozens more stations this year.

Solar electric vehicle (SEV) developer Lightyear has announced a partnership with The Sharing Group, whose MyWheels car sharing platform is currently the market leader in the Netherlands. As part of the agreement, Lightyear will provide 5,000 units of the Lightyear Two – its second SEV – which has yet to be revealed, in 2025. Additionally, some models of the Lightyear One SEV will join the MyWheels platform in 2023.

LG Magna ePowertrain, a recently launched joint venture between LG Electronics and Magna International, has broken ground on a new facility in Mexico, the JV’s first production footprint in North America. When completed, the 260,000-square-foot plant will produce a multitude of powertrain components to support electric vehicle production from General Motors (GM).

The $449 Raldey MT-V3 electric longboard is a worthy option for beginners venturing into electric skateboarding. While the range leaves a bit to be desired, this beginner board offers a quality ride with various speed settings you can work up to, just don’t try to take it too far off the beaten path… even with the CloudWheels I also tested.

Following two years of teasing the public, Mercedes-Benz has finally pulled the entire sheet off its EQS SUV. When it arrives at dealers toward the end of this year, the new model will be the first SUV on Mercedes’ EQ line to arrive in the US. There’s lots to unfold here, so let’s dig in.

In honor of Earth Day 2022, charging network Electrify America is offering free EV charging sessions at 740 locations across the United States. Additionally, EA is offering $50 off its HomeStation Level-2 home charger through the rest of April using the promo code below.

Tritium, a manufacturer of hardware and software for direct current fast chargers (DCFCs), announced it has entered into a multi-year contract with BP to supply EV chargers and services to its global network.

Reports out of Germany state that the country’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has proposed to gradually phase out subsidies for EV purchases through 2025 and completely eliminate any benefits to consumers purchasing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by the end of this year. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) is pushing back, arguing that PHEVs remain vital to EV adoption.

Fresh off news of its first expansion outside of China into Germany, CATL is expanding further as part of a new $6 billion dollar battery chain project in Indonesia. Through its subsidiary and an agreement with Indonesia PT AnekaTambang (ANTAM) and PT Industri Baterai Indonesia (IBI), CATL will have a majority stake in five of the six planned battery projects.

Bollinger Motors made an appearance alongside energy company Con Edison at the New York International Auto Show, displaying its ill-fated B2 pickup. However, following recent news of its pivot to commercial EVs, Bollinger shared that it will develop a Class 3 walk-in van prototype for Con Edison.