Scooter Doll

As its pre-production models tour Europe, Volkswagen has begun counting down the world premiere of its ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo electric vehicles. Ahead of the double premiere on March 9, Volkswagen has shared new details customers in Europe and the US can soon expect regarding the Buzz EV.

ABC Companies, a North American motorcoach seller, announced it has completed a 1,700 mile trip across the Pacific Northwest using a Van Hool CX45E all-electric bus. The electric bus was “Proterra Powered” and traveled from Newark, California to Seattle, Washington and back using only public charging stations. The trip helps showcase the potential of battery-electric bus capabilities, as well as the growing charging infrastructure to support long-distance electric vehicle travel in the US.

As Volta Trucks works toward start of production for its all-electric Zero truck later this year, it has gained the funding to get it over the finish line. The zero-emission truck manufacturer announced it has garnered an additional €230 million (~$260.6 million) in Series C funding. Furthermore, Volta Trucks’ 5,000+ soft pre-orders offer a potential revenue value of over €1.2 billion (~$1.4 billion).

ALVA Yachts has introduced the latest addition to its family of all-electric luxury sailboats and yachts with the OCEAN ECO 60 Coupé, a 60-foot electric catamaran with solar panels. The Coupé arrives as a new, sportier version of ALVA’s ECO 60 and ECO 60 Explorer electric yachts, offering a lower profile silhouette and innovative new features.

The Lion Electric Company has launched a new division called LionCapital Solutions. The new division will provide Lion Electric customers with flexible financing as they look to electrify their fleets of medium- to heavy-duty commercial vehicles such as school buses and trucks.

Electrification of school busses and fleets requires a huge upfront cost but lower total cost of ownership over the life of the vehicle. By helping spread out the purchase price of fleets over their lifetimes, Lion is allowing operators to keep in place their current financial structures.

Fisker Inc. held its fourth quarter and 2021 fiscal year financial results call yesterday, sharing an update to investors and media alike. As part of a slew of progress news from the ever optimistic Henrik Fisker, the Ocean now has over 31,000 reservations and will deliver with what the automaker is calling a ‘world leading warranty program.’

Electric hypercar manufacturer Rimac Automobili recently completed the final crash test for its upcoming Nevera EV, capping off a four-year process to achieve global approval and market access. With the completion of this final test, Rimac Automobili can move forward toward production and deliveries to those 150 fortunate people who hold reservations.

Following teaser footage of its “Prosperity I” eVTOL shared in January, AutoFlight has released a five minute video showing much more of its all-electric air-taxi in action. The newly released video features the eVTOL completing a vertical takeoff, transitioning to rear propulsion, and gliding forward before switching back to its top propellers and landing vertically.

Solar EV startup Aptera Motors posted a video that puts the beta version of its upcoming SEV against an alpha version, a Tesla Model 3, and an Audi R8 GT Spyder in a desert drag race. While it’s a very close race (for the Audi at least), the Aptera appears to just barely edge out the competition in a quarter-mile sprint.

The all-electric boat manufacturer Ingenity Electric unveiled its second model at the Discover Miami International Boat Show today. The luxury day-boat, known as the 23E, features Ingenity’s patent-pending modular “skateboard” design and joins the manufacturer’s sportier GS22E boat.

Compact EV manufacturer ElectraMeccanica has announced a new partnership with autonomous technology startup Faction Technology, Inc. Through the partnership, ElectraMeccanica will provide its SOLO EVs to a pilot program that will test Faction’s self-driving platform as it relates to autonomous food deliveries and vehicles on demand.

As Fisker Inc. continues to work toward start of production of its flagship Ocean EV, it has begun taking reservations for its second model, the PEAR – a compact, five-passenger “urban EV.” With the opening of reservations, Fisker is also claiming the PEAR will start at an MSRP below $30,000 in the US, and that’s before any incentives – a price point few automakers have been able to deliver.

President Biden and the US Department of Energy have issued multiple notices of intent to allocate $2.91 billion in support of EV battery manufacturing as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The DOE shared plans to use the funds to further battery materials refining, production plants, and battery cell manufacturing facilities in addition to battery recycling.

Ford Motor Co. shared it is considering the possibility of manufacturing EVs in India, just months after a halt to all sales and manufacturing in the Asian country. In addition to exploring EV manufacturing in India, Ford is also open to the idea of reopening its sales books in India for EVs only.

smart Automobile Co., Ltd. has officially begun its transition into an all-electric automaker by offering the latest taste of its first new EV following parent company Mercedes-Benz AG’s joint venture with Geely Holding. The 2023 crossover EV will be called the smart #1, kicking off the automaker’s new model nomenclature.

Snow Lake Resources Ltd. has outlined plans to develop over 55,000 acres in Manitoba, Canada into the world’s first all-electric lithium mine. By utilizing Manitoba’s hydroelectricity, the entire mining operation can run on 98% renewable energy, helping the company sustainably source lithium – a vital resource to EV batteries – domestically in North America. As Snow Lake Lithium works through the environmental red tape to begin mining, it is seeking an OEM to enter in a joint venture to help process the lithium into EV batteries for North America.

Following entry into the Norwegian EV market last year, XPeng Motors is expanding to the Netherlands and Sweden, opening branded retail stores. XPeng’s business model for Europe combines direct sales with an agency model, delivering branded retail locations almost immediately.

General Motor’s streak of newsworthy movements continues as we head into Super Bowl weekend. The American automaker has begun teasing this year’s big game commercial, which continues its “Everybody In” campaign to promote its EV lineup. This year however, GM’s “everybody” includes some familiar, villainous faces from the Austin Powers film franchise.

Young EV brand Polestar will be one of several automakers joining the big game this Sunday, as its first-ever Super Bowl campaign will air during the first quarter. Unlike many other brands, Polestar is not revealing its full 30-second spot before Sunday, but it has shared a 15-second teaser that tells us more about what the ad will not feature than what it will.

Southern California EV startup Faraday Future has shared news of a new partnership with South Korean automotive manufacturer Myoung Shin to produce its FF81 mass-market EV. Start of production is scheduled to begin in Korea in 2024, following Faraday Future’s production of its limited run FF91 EV in the third quarter of this year.

If you tune in to the first quarter of this year’s Super Bowl on February 13, you’ll be able to catch a new ad from BMW showcasing its iX SUV before it begins sales in the US next month. The :60 spot features Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek Pinault as Zeus and Hera as they navigate retirement from ruling the gods of Mt. Olympus. They also have a cute mini Pegasus as a pet.

New data from a South Korean research firm shows that EV battery manufacturer CATL is once against the largest in the world by installed battery capacity. The company saw growth over 165% compared to 2020 and holds the title of world’s largest battery manufacturer for the fifth year in a row.

Electric hydrofoil watercraft startup Navier announced a large round of seed funding to help its founders in their quest to democratize waterways by reducing operational costs for electric boat transportation. The funding announcement comes as Navier constructs its first of 15 N27 hulls planned for its first year of production.

DC fast charging hardware and software manufacturer Tritium outlined plans for a new manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Tennessee this morning. Furthermore, all chargers produced at the new facility are expected to comply with Buy America Act provisions. As a result, Tritium CEO Jane Hunter will meet President Biden at the White House today to discuss US EV infrastructure.