Scooter Doll

Volvo Cars has shared news that it plans to invest SEK 10 billion (~$1.09 billion) in its Torslanda manufacturing plant in Sweden, to deliver advanced production practices for its next generation of fully electric vehicles. This includes mega casting of aluminum body parts, a new battery assembly plant, and more.

Subaru of America will officially begin taking reservations today for its upcoming Solterra. For $250 down, customers can select their preferred Subaru retailer, trim, and exterior color. Additionally, the automaker shared that Solterra customers will be able to take advantage of a new partnership with EVgo, offering access to its 46,000 charging locations across the US.

Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV) startup Aptera Motors appears to have delayed some deliveries of its flagship vehicle, according to reports from multiple reservation holders. The Aptera SEV recently entered beta phase of development and was previously on track to begin first deliveries late this year. According to Aptera, it remains on track to hit this 2022 delivery target, although it’s unclear how many reservation holders will see Aptera deliveries before year’s end.

Swedish eVTOL developer Jetson AB has shared more footage of its upcoming Jetson ONE aerial vehicle flying over water. At the request of an overload of comments on its social channels, Jetson also shared footage (albeit briefly) of its ONE eVTOL taking off, to showcase how simple the process is. Following a massive demand, Jetson’s founders are already teasing additional flying vehicles to come.

A new study out of the UK has detailed the countries around the world where EVs are the cheapest and most expensive to purchase – in this particular case, a Tesla Model 3. While this particular data set pertains to one specific EV, it can offer a broader perspective on how the costs of EVs vary depending on which country you live in.

Kia America announced that unlike Tom Brady, it will return to the Super Bowl this year with a new :60 spot that promotes both love for the environment and furry friends. In addition to showcasing the Kia’s new all-electric EV6 sedan, the campaign will also help shelter animals find a forever home.

American EV automaker Fisker Inc. announced its flagship Ocean SUV will make its official debut in Europe at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The annual trade show will take place from February 28 to March 3, and will give visitors a first chance to see the Fisker Ocean up close in Europe, ahead of production this fall.

Charging network Electrify America has just announced a collaboration with BMW North America to offer free 30-minute charging sessions to new BMW drivers for two years from the date of their purchase. The complimentary charging will begin in March to kick off US sales of two new EV models from BMW – the iX and i4.

Lightning eMotors, a specialist in purpose-built commercial EVs and electric conversions, has announced a new agreement with General Motors (GM). Under the terms of the new agreement, Lightning eMotors becomes the first GM Specialty Vehicle Manufacturer (SVM) to develop 100% electric Class 3 through 6 commercial vehicles.

North American charging network JuiceBar is looking to expand its footprint of 4G EV chargers by swooping in to replace 3G models that will soon become obsolete. Through its new “Trade Up Program,” JuiceBar is looking to replace its competitors by offering a rebate and 10-year guarantee for customers who switch to its 4G chargers.

Jaguar has shared a new premium upgrade option to its I-Pace electric SUV that delivers gloss black finishes to much of its exterior, in addition to a rear spoiler and air suspension. Furthermore, Amazon Alexa voice control has now been integrated into Jaguar vehicles, beginning with the I-Pace.

We need an electric Camaro just to keep up with the news cycle over at General Motors (GM). Following its annual and Q4 earnings report, GM has shared further news about its electrification strategy which includes updates to already announced EVs, as well as hints to a new one.

Earlier this month, Electrek got an invite from ECD Automotive Design to come visit its facility in Orlando and discover how its team builds completely custom 1:1 electric Land Rovers. The company has recently begun building electric versions of its one-of-a-kind vehicles by integrating Tesla motors and battery packs. After a tour of its entire footprint and a test drive in a completely custom electric Defender, it’s fair to say that ECD Automotive Design puts the “custom,” in “customer service.”

Following customer deliveries of its flagship SOLO EV last fall, compact electric vehicle manufacturer ElectraMeccanica has shared a delivery timeline for the upcoming Cargo version of the SOLO. Later this year, both commercial and fleet customers will see the new SOLO EVs delivered with over twice the cargo capacity.

Autonomous driving technology company TuSimple announced that North American railroad Union Pacific has signed on as its first customer for autonomous freight trucking services. UP will become the first to utilize TuSimple’s technology, which will travel between an Arizona rail yard to first and last deliveries without a driver present in the vehicle and without remote human intervention.

Quantumscape has shared new data showcasing further development of its solid-state batteries, whose cells have completed 400 consecutive 15-minute fast-charge cycles, replenishing from 10% to 80% capacity while still retaining over 80% of the initial energy. As a first for this type of battery technology, Quantumscape believes it can bring EV charge times down within several minutes of gas station fill-ups, helping promote further EV adoption.

As Ford Motor Co. approaches first deliveries of its all electric F-150 Lightning this spring, it has shared new details regarding how future owners will soon be able to power their homes using the truck as a backup generator. Through a new partnership with Sunrun, F-150 Lightning customers will soon have a number of energy management solutions at their disposal through Ford or existing equipment.

Swedish EV automaker Polestar recently gave a nod to its especially cold engineering environment by developing a special version of its Polestar 2 to analyze its dynamics in the Arctic. The one-off performance-oriented Polestar 2 was tested on snow and ice to help the team develop and fine-tune future EVs from the brand… it’s also cool as hell to watch.

Previously, we’ve covered the most expensive consumer electric vehicles on the road in 2022, focused on vehicles you’re more likely to actually see on the road. Much of the feedback in the comments relayed that many of the EVs listed weren’t truly the most expensive. While we’d argue that original list pertains more to the most expensive vehicles to reach series production for consumers, we hear you. Now, you also have a list of the most expensive electric vehicles that exist on planet Earth, regardless if they’re actually available for sale. Enjoy.

Czech auto manufacturer Škoda has expanded its all-electric vehicle offerings by introducing a new Enyaq Coupé iV for Europe. The new EV was unveiled alongside a sportier Rally Sport version and can come in two different battery sizes as well as rear- or all-wheel drive.

Chinese EV automaker NIO, recently shared images of production line verification prototypes of its upcoming ET5 sedan that recently rolled out at its facility in Hefei. The ET5 will arrive this fall beginning in China, although it should eventually see other markets as well. One of those markets could be Denmark, which sits as one of several new countries NIO intends to sell its EVs in, beginning in 2022.

Following recent news of the purchase of ten electric locomotives from Wabtec, Union Pacific railroad has followed up by purchasing another ten from Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Inc. company. Union Pacific’s combined electric locomotive purchases and upgrades to its rail yard infrastructure are expected to exceed $100 million, making it the largest investment in battery-electric technology by a US Class I railroad.

Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV) startup Lightyear has updated the public on the progress of its flagship vehicle, the Lightyear One by sharing recent test footage. The tests took place at Bridgestone’s European Proving Ground (EUPG) in Aprilia, Italy, where the Lightyear One was tested in aerodynamics, tire performance, and efficiency at high speeds. The results were quite encouraging.

I recently had an exclusive opportunity to visit Lucid Motors’ powertrain manufacturing and AMP-1 facilities and test drive a Lucid Air Dream Edition (Performance). Inside and out of my detailed tours full of manic note scribbling, I had tons of time to mingle with members of the Lucid team, from manufacturing employees at AMP-1, to Lucid’s CEO himself. What I discovered was a company-wide focus on teamwork, efficiency, and the utmost quality – an ethos that is apparent when you view the Lucid Air sedan up close.

Update January 28th: Lucid Motors clearly feels strongly about the culture it has created and the talented individuals it employs, as the automaker has shared a new, five-part series showcasing five different employees. The new series, titled “Driving Ambition,” is now available to view on Lucid’s website and YouTube. You can also check out episode one below.