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Scooter Doll

scooterdoll

Scooter Doll is a writer, creator, and tech enthusiast born and raised in Chicago who splits time between The Windy City and western Michigan. When he’s not traveling the world offering the latest EVs reviews or insights, he’s probably rooting for his city’s beloved sports teams (just not the White Sox). Please send any tips, suggestions, or, most importantly, dog photos to him at scooter@electrek.co

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Anaheim, California, secures $2 million to purchase 5 Arrival buses

Arrival Anaheim

EV startup Arrival has announced it has been chosen as a partner by the Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) to replace Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) buses currently operating in Anaheim, California, with Arrival’s zero-emission battery-electric buses. The transition will be funded by a $2 million grant awarded to Anaheim by the US Federal Transportation Administration (FTA).

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XL Fleet partners with eNow to power electric refrigerated trailers

XL Fleet trailers

XL Fleet has announced a partnership and investment in eNow, a solar and battery power system provider, to power electrified refrigerated commercial trailers. Under the terms of the agreement, XL Fleet will supply battery and power electronics systems for the first 1,000 units of eNow’s electric Transport Refrigeration Units (eTRUs), designed for Class 8 commercial trailers.

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How to tell if your Tesla qualifies for free Supercharging

Tesla free supercharging

Whether you’re a new or veteran Tesla owner, you’re hopefully aware of how and where to charge your Tesla, especially on its ever-growing Supercharger network. Especially if you’ve had your Tesla for a few years, you have – or still do – qualify for free Supercharging from Tesla. Here are the best ways to determine whether you or your Tesla model still qualify for free charging.

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Volkswagen begins ID.6 deliveries in China, no plans for Europe

Volkswagen ID.6

After unveiling the ID.6 in Shanghai this past spring, Volkswagen has officially begun delivering the all-electric mid-size SUV to Chinese customers. The first version of the SUV to see deliveries is the Volkswagen ID.6 CROZZ, a result of a joint venture with state-owned automotive manufacturer FAW Group.

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Toyota’s Woven Planet acquires Lyft’s Level 5 self-driving division

Lyft self-driving

Toyota Motor Group Subsidiary Woven Planet has announced the completed acquisition of Level 5, the self-driving division of rideshare veteran Lyft, Inc. The completed transaction is one of several made by Toyota and its subsidiaries in 2021, specifically pertaining to autonomous software and other self-driving technologies.

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Lightyear One to be manufactured in Finland by Valmet Automotive

Lightyear One Valmet

EV startup Lightyear has announced a letter of intent with contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive as a production partner of its upcoming Lightyear One solar electric vehicle (SEV). Through this new partnership, prototypes of the Lightyear One will be built in January 2022, with an exclusive series production to follow in the summer.

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Ford unveils lower-priced Mustang Mach-E in China to qualify for subsidies

Ford Mach-E China

Over the weekend, US automaker Ford unveiled a new, long-range RWD version of its Mustang Mach-E in China, priced at 282,000 yuan ($43,450) to qualify for state-led subsidies. This long-range SE version of Ford’s Mach-E is the fifth to see the EV market in China, but only the second priced low enough to qualify for subsidies.

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XPeng shares aggressive pricing for new P5 sedan, undercutting Tesla Model 3 by $14k

XPeng P5 pricing

Chinese EV automaker XPeng Motors has shared pricing on its upcoming P5 sedan, and it’s quite ambitious. The automaker has officially begun accepting pre-orders on the P5, and has shared that the pricing will begin at 160,000 yuan ($24,650), significantly lower than competitor Tesla’s Model 3, which starts at 250,900 yuan ($38,650) in China.

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Sono Motors selects Sibros to provide software and OTA updates for upcoming Sion SEVs

Sono Motors OTA updates

Sibros, a company specializing in deeply connected software and over-the-air (OTA) updates, has announced a collaboration with Sono Motors. As part of the deal, Sibros’ Deep Connected Platform (DCP) will manage the OTA software updates, data collection, and diagnostics across the entire fleet of Sono Motors’ upcoming Sion Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV).

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Tesla Model X vs. Model Y: How Tesla’s larger EVs size up

Tesla model x model y

In its quest to offer an electric vehicle (EV) option to suit everyone on the planet, Tesla has expanded the size and scope of its carbon-conscious repertoire over the past 17 years. Tesla currently manufactures two sport utility options – the mid-sized offensive lineman of the Tesla family, the Model X, and the new(er) crossover kid on the block Model Y. Below is a side-by-side matchup of both Teslas to help you decipher which option may be better for you.

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XPeng shares footage of its X2 electric flying car

XPeng flying car

A new flying car prototype with autonomous capabilities has been unveiled by XPeng Huitian, a division of XPeng Motors in China. The X2, as its being called, is the fifth-generation flying car from XPeng, and according to the company’s Chairman and CEO, “marks another step closer to a more widely available and safe flying car.”

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How to reveal your Tesla VIN number before it’s in your account

So you’ve just customized and ordered a Tesla vehicle. Congrats! You’ve scheduled a potential delivery date and you’ve already held a yard sale to clear a spot in your garage. Next, you’ll want to take care of the paperwork to ensure everything goes smoothly for a speedy delivery. Here’s how to reveal your VIN number before it’s posted to your Tesla account.

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Lucid Motors introduces Lucid Care service program alongside vehicle warranty details

Lucid Warranty

Lucid Motors has just shared details of its new vehicle service program called Lucid Care, along with anticipated details surrounding the warranty for new vehicles like the Air sedan. The luxury EV automaker plans to handle most maintenance through a fleet of mobile repair vans that come to you, wherever you are.

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Tesla factory locations: Where they are and could soon be

Gigafactory locations

As Tesla’s stock currently continues to rise along with its current market cap valuation approaching $800 billion, it’s safe the say the American EV automaker is doing okay. Tesla currently produces four electric vehicles at its various factory locations around the world. These Gigafactories also produce battery and solar technologies for the brand. With a semi-truck, Cybertruck, and 2nd generation Roadster already confirmed, plus goals to produce a $25,000 model, Tesla is continuously growing.

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SAIC Motor says it will put Robotaxis capable of L4 self-driving on roads in China this year

SAIC Robotaxis

Chinese automotive design and manufacturing company SAIC Motor says it will launch 40 to 60 Robotaxis capable of Level 4 self-driving throughout Shanghai and Suzhou before the end of 2021. The bold statement was made by Zu Sijie, vice president and chief engineer of the company, during this year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference.

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Samsara and EVgo announce partnership to speed up commercial fleet electrification

Samsara EVgo

Samsara, a provider of internet of things (IoT) solutions, has announced a partnership with public EV charging network EVgo, to help accelerate the electrification process for its commercial fleet customers. As part of the partnership, EVgo will be Samsara’s first electric vehicle partner in its Experts Marketplace, a network of certified implementation experts.

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Geely pulls out as majority shareholder of infant EV brand Zeekr… sort of

Zeekr EV

Automotive conglomerate Geely has announced that it will exit as the majority shareholder of Zeekr, a premium EV brand launched in China earlier this year. By pulling out as majority shareholder, Geely now opens the door for outside financing in Zeekr. However, while Geely’s name may no longer be listed in any investor meetings at Zeekr, the automotive manufacturer is still very much tied to the EV brand and its future.

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NIO hints at expansion to Germany and Netherlands as European HQ in job postings [update]

NIO Germany

A recent job post by Chinese automaker NIO offers a potential hint that the company plans to expand its sales presence in the EU to Germany next. While NIO is currently in the process of shipping superchargers and battery swap stations to Norway as the first stop on its European tour, expanding to Germany makes sense for several reasons.

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