Update: Deal closed

Sources tell Electrek that Rivian has been in talks to acquire the world’s most popular EV route planning service, Sweden-based A Better RoutePlanner, or ABRP for short. Financial details weren’t disclosed, but ABRP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Iternio, which lists a small employee count of under 10 people and 8 people on LinkedIn.

Here are three standout rooftop solar trends that emerged in 2022 – and how they impact consumers who want to switch to clean energy.

Tesla (TSLA) is currently experiencing “unprecedented demand” in the US following the significant price cuts that happened last week.

Many stores are hitting new records and inventories are dwindling.

Tesla Cybertruck is getting closer to production, and as the automaker’s first new model in three years, the company badly needs it to gain its momentum back.

But can the electric pickup truck live up to Elon Musk’s hype and the 1.5 million pre-orders?

Tesla has managed to ramp up production at Gigafactory Texas to thousands of units per week, adding production of the Model Y Long Range on top of the Standard Range version.

Ford has been known to cherry pick the best features of other electric vehicles and make them their own. If a tidbit we’ve found in the Ford App comes to fruition, the F-150 Lightning will soon be able to park itself via remote control using phone apps.

We’ve all heard it: “Supply chain issues”. It’s one of the main reasons for disruptions to so many industries across the spectrum. And at a time when micromobility products such as electric bikes and e-scooters are taking off like wildfire, many companies are coming under fire for their slow shipping and slower responses to customer complaints. But while several companies have battled with angry consumer sentiment, one has drawn more ire than anyone else: GoTrax.

It got so bad that the Better Business Bureau issued a rare public warning last month, informing consumers that it was flagging GoTrax and giving the company an “F” rating.

Hopefully writing the final chapter in the battery-related Bolt Fire saga, GM is set to start replacing all modules in some Chevy Bolt EV Batteries within weeks. Electrek had an exclusive sit-down with a spokesperson from GM to get some details on the upcoming program.

The Chevy Bolt EV has been recalled twice for the risk of battery fire after a dozen fires in a little more than a year. The first recall was in November, with a fix provided in May, which did not fully work. GM then recalled them again in July after another fire on July 1 and a second on July 2 and two on July 25th. On August 16th GM announced that they would start replacing all battery modules in affected Bolts, the same day that a 2020 caught fire as well. This recall has restricted vehicles to about 60% of the battery capacity, and vehicles should not be charged unattended or parked indoors. No fix is currently available. Based on information that is publicly available, here is a list of Chevy Bolt EV fires that we have found.

Details are emerging from a dozen Chevy Bolt EV fires that have occurred in a little over the past year. Electrek sat down with the owner of one of the first to get his story. More than a year later, he is still making car payments on a car he doesn’t own. GM confirmed his case to be a battery fire.

Another Chevy Bolt fire occurred on the morning of July 1 in Vermont. Similar to the previous one from less than two months ago, this car spontaneously caught fire the morning after charging and while still plugged in. Unlike the previous one however, this one had the final software update that claimed to prevent fires. Join us for an exclusive and in-depth investigation into this, and the history of the Bolt fires.

The recent Chevy Bolt fire on May 1, 2021 occurred just days after the “final fix” for the fire issue was announced. We sat down with the owner to discuss what happened, tell the inside story, and try to find some answers…

Not since the 1950s has a Soriano motorcycle rolled off the line. But that’s set to change as the storied Spanish motorcycle brand is rebooted by an Italian company as an all-electric motorcycle manufacturer.

Expand
Expanding
Close

A source familiar with the matter told Electrek that Tesla has chosen Austin, Texas, for its next factory, and it’s going to happen quickly.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Ford will soon convert reservations for the all-electric Mustang Mach-E into official orders. Mark Kaufman, the vehicle’s global director of marketing distribution, told Electrek that test drives will be critical for a successful launch of Ford’s electric crossover. Therefore, the company is beginning to plan how to get prospective buyers behind the wheel, even if pandemic-related physical distancing orders are still in place.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Electrek has learned more about Tesla’s secret project “Roadrunner”: applying “the machine that builds the machine” strategy to produce cheaper battery cells on a massive scale.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Electrek has learned that Tesla lost one of its most senior executives and the man behind the construction of Tesla’s Gigafactories, Kevin Kassekert, who left the automaker last week.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Electrek has learned that Tesla is now operating a giant new building next to Gigafactory Nevada and we might know what the automaker is going to use it for.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Ford has been relatively quiet about the Mustang Mach-E since it’s unveiling in LA in November. So Electrek met with Darren Palmer, the product chief for Ford EVs, to learn where things stand. Palmer said that the Mach-E is “close to sign-off” for vehicle engineering. And he confirmed that Ford will hit the 300-mile range target for the long-range version.

Palmer also revealed that the company has allowed a few Mustang enthusiasts to take it for a drive. And he talked about how Ford’s EV team is already looking ahead at future electric models, which sounds like an all-electric Explorer or Escape could be in the works.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Dirk Abendroth, the chief technology officer for tier-one supplier Continental, knows a thing or two about electric vehicles. Before joining Continental a year ago, he headed electric powertrains for the BMW i3 and i8. He also served as vice president of powertrain and autonomous driving at Byton.

Now, from his vantage point as CTO for one of the top five global auto suppliers, he told Electrek, “Electric mobility is a real revolution.” He listed the reasons why that’s true: reduced CO2, new design possibilities, and a radical shift in manufacturing.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Porsche is really interested in Tesla’s latest V10 software update, and especially the new Smart Summon feature. Electrek has learned that Porsche sent engineers to the US to rent a Tesla Model 3 and test out Autopilot under the latest software update.

They apparently came out impressed.
Expand
Expanding
Close

California-based Monday Motorbikes has a new electric moped coming soon. And Electrek just received the first details confirming the specs for two models: the Gateway and Gateway Booster electric mopeds.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Minutes after the official unveiling of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, we jumped into the press scrum surrounding Bill Ford. Electrek asked Ford’s chairman, and Henry Ford’s great-grandson, if he knew the introduction was taking place one block from Tesla’s design center. “That’s a coincidence,” he said. And then he flashed a big smile.

Expand
Expanding
Close

So far, the only thing we’ve known about Harley-Davidson’s upcoming electric bicycles is that they are coming. But now we’ve received new info that sheds some light on what H-D is planning for the lightest motorbikes they’ve ever built.
Expand
Expanding
Close