Scooter Doll

We had a chance to record a special edition of the Electrek Podcast this week, as we were able to chat with John Shon and Miles Johnson from Hyundai about the newly launched Ioniq 5 CUV. As the flagship EV to launch under Hyundai’s newly rebranded Ioniq name, this compact SUV has already gotten some great feedback from our readers, along with some questions.

We tried to get as much information out of the Hyundai team as possible in our quick interview; some questions were answered, but some will require more of a wait… especially regarding what the Ioniq 5 will cost.

EV startup Faraday Future is celebrating the grand opening of what it’s calling the FF Futurist Experience in New York City, allowing the public to see its upcoming FF 91 EV up-close for the first time. This experience will coincide with Faraday Future’s pending SPAC merger to promote its flagship vehicle while the deal finalizes.

As the US inches closer toward a cherished and long-desired sense of normalcy, automakers have begun to open their doors to the public and allow writers like myself to actually see EVs up close. I kick off my inaugural in-person vehicle experience of 2021 (in May), with a sneak peak of the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 5 CUV. Below is everything you can anticipate to experience yourself when this EV hits the market.

Fisker Inc. has offered an update to its recently announced deal with Foxconn to develop an affordable EV together. Although the original news surfaced months ago, Fisker and Foxconn have now shared that they anticipate this EV to cost under $30,000 before tax incentives.

Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) just announced plans to invest $7.4 billion in the US to produce future EVs, grow its production facilities, and develop new mobility solutions. HMG is the umbrella over both Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation and plans to invest this entire sum in the US by 2025.

Researchers at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) have developed a lithium-metal, solid-state battery they claim can hold significantly more energy within the same volume of traditional lithium-ion batteries while charging in a fraction of the time. While this is welcomed news around a potentially world-changing technology, questions surrounding cost effective scalability remain uncertain.

The Electrification Coalition delivered a letter to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Wednesday, backed by 58 businesses, including Rivian, Volvo, EVgo, and Arrival, to name a few. The letter urges the governor to join the Multi-State Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding, which would expedite the electrification of trucks and buses throughout the state.

North America’s largest seaplane airline, Harbour Air, announced a partnership with magniX and H55 to produce what it is calling “the world’s first certified all-electric commercial airplane.” The new partnership will continue to develop and certify its electric Beaver (eBeaver) commuter plane through a supplemental type certificate (STC) program in Canada.

SAIC automotive brand MG Motor has gotten the thumbs up to enter production on its Cyberster roadster concept. After debuting at the Shanghai Motor show in April, parent company SAIC announced a series production green light after a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Lion Electric will build a new manufacturing plant in Joliet, Illinois. It will be the largest all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles plant in the US, according to Lion. The company has committed to an initial investment of at least $70 million over a three-year period, as part of its agreement with the government of Illinois.

Sono Motors has announced it has signed a letter of intent with MAN Truck & Bus to explore integration of Sono’s solar technology into MAN’s eTGE electric transporter van. The companies will begin with three separate applications surrounding the eTGE, including air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. If proven successful, this combination could serve other purposes for both commercial and consumer applications.

Commercial EV manufacturer Volta Trucks has just laid out an ambitious road map through 2025, planning an expansion of its vehicle portfolio, sales, markets, and manufacturing facilities. In what the manufacturer is calling its “Road-to-Zero Emissions” strategy, Volta Trucks is focused on decarbonizing the logistic industry beginning with Europe, with expansions now planned for North America and Asia.

Transportation electrification and vehicle to grid (V2G) specialist Nuvve recently announced plans to implement charging hubs and offer Transportation as a Service (TaaS) to commercial fleets. This V2G hub model will utilize renewable energy and bi-directional charging to help ensure grid resiliency. Furthermore, Nuvve’s TaaS model will offer commercial fleets an arsenal of EV services and pricing options to help ensure today’s vehicles can become electrified more quickly and seamlessly.

EV startup Arrival has announced a new partnership with Uber to design and develop a purpose-built EV specifically for ride-share drivers. Arrival plans to invite Uber’s drivers to participate in the design process to ensure this new “Arrival Car” meets their needs. The new partnership also looks to further a strategic relationship together in primary markets like the UK and the EU.

The Denver metro area of Colorado is the next major city to see Amazon packages delivered by Rivian electric vans. The vans were spotted this past week across Denver and its surrounding cities, such as Boulder and Aurora. The capital of Colorado remains one of 16 cities currently planned for a rollout of Rivian vans by Amazon.

A recent addition to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database has revealed a patent application from EV startup Canoo for its proprietary platform technology. The application provisionally filed in September of 2019 outlines all the components within the Canoo platform as well as an image. A more in-depth search has revealed that the Southern California-based automaker has been quite busy filing many other patents, too.

REE Automotive and Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Group, announced a business alliance to design and produce solutions in “next-generation commercial mobility.” The alliance will combine Hino’s experience as a commercial vehicle manufacturer with REE’s proprietary REEcorner technologies. The result should be a unique modular platform capable of serving a multitude of various purposes.

EV designer Zero Labs has shared demonstration footage of its proprietary EV platform designed specifically for classic cars being implemented on a 50-year-old truck. In a process it’s cleverly calling “retrobution,” the company electrifies the truck in just 24 hours. The video offers evidence that classic gasoline or diesel vehicles from previous decades can successfully be converted to fully electric versions to help reduce emissions.

German electric utility company EnBW has announced it is implementing a flagship charging station at the Kamener Kreuz autobahn interchange. When complete, the 52 charging points will make it the largest public fast charging station in Europe, according to EnBW.

Hyundai has revealed its Heritage Series PONY concept, an electrified modern-day upgrade to South Korea’s first mass-produced vehicle. The Heritage Series PONY EV exists as part of the “Reflections in Motion” exhibition at Hyundai Motorstudio in Busan. While it is only a concept, the Heritage Series PONY pays homage to its automaker’s history, while offering people a glimpse into technologies of the future.

This week, Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation that would invest $25 billion to convert the entire US fleet of ICE school buses to electric vehicles. The bill would authorize federal grant money over the course of 10 years, and 40% of the funds would be specifically devoted to replacing school buses operating in mostly nonwhite, poorer communities.

During a virtual event held earlier today, EV automaker Lightyear and Bridgestone have announced a partnership focused on sustainability that has resulted in a tire engineered specifically for the Lightyear One SEV. The companies consider today’s announcement a world premiere for this unique and efficient tire that can maximize range and sustainability for EVs moving forward.

Electric tractor manufacturer Solectrac announced it has delivered its first Compact Electric Tractor (CET) in Oahu, Hawaii. The fully-electric tractor was donated to the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by musician Jack Johnson and his wife, Kim, that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaii.

SES recently announced that it has completed a Series D funding round of $139 million led by General Motors (GM). The company is known for its development and manufacturing of next-generation Lithium-Metal rechargeable batteries, particularly for electric vehicles.