Electrek

A new collaboration between three different companies will see US-produced battery cells that could soon lead to fireproof e-bike batteries.

Ram unveiled its first electric vehicle for the US on Tuesday – the Ram ProMaster electric van. The new Ram ProMaster EV offers up to 162 miles of city driving range and an array of new features.

Star-crossed startup Lightyear has finally thrown in the towel on attempting to bring its long-promised solar EVs to market – at least one donning its own badge and design language. The startup’s founding CEO, Lex Hoefsfloot, has been replaced as the born-again startup pivots toward solar panel development to be implemented on other companies’ vehicles. That, frankly, is just not as sexy.

Volkswagen has been trying to develop solid-state EV batteries with US startup QuantumScape for years, pouring millions into the startup, with the dream that VW Golf EVs would zip along with long ranges and charge in minutes, but that hasn’t happened – not yet anyway. Now Reuters reports that the automaker is in talks with France’s Blue Solutions.

London’s ambulance service already has 42 Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles in its emergency fleet, but now it’s adding 12 bright, shiny all-electric ambulances designed by Ford for emissions-free first response – and the first full-service electric ambulances in the city. London is pouring some $39 million into “greening up” its emergency vehicles.

Stellantis has decided to temporarily lay off some 2,250 workers at its Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy. More than half of the affected workers handle production of its all-electric pint-sized Fiat 500e, Stellantis’s first all-electric vehicle to launch in the US. Another 1,000 workers producing Maserati models will also be affected by the layoffs.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from Electrek. Quick Charge is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

MAN Truck & Bus and ABB E-mobility have entered into an exclusive cooperation agreement to address the challenges of electrifying Europe’s trucking fleet. Their collaboration aims to advance the development of megawatt charging stations, explore new electric vehicle integrations, and develop new software solutions for electric trucks.

Note: special podcast on the matter

Elon Musk has made a bizarre statement in which he appears to complain about his smaller stake in Tesla and said that he prefers building products elsewhere unless he gets a bigger stake in the company.

The statement is particularly bizarre when you consider the fact that he himself recently sold tens of billions of dollars worth of Tesla stock to buy a grossly overpriced Twitter.

EV owners are more likely to add solar panels to their homes, according to a new US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study – here’s why.

BMW has crossed the “tipping point” as the automaker shifts from gas-powered vehicles to EVs. According to BMW’s CFO, from here on out, most of its growth will come from electric vehicles.

Ultimately, Tesla would like for its Optimus humanoid robot to help build cars. It can’t do that just yet, but Elon Musk has shared a new video of the robot impressively folding clothes.

The largest privately owned freight carrier in North America has recently incorporated a dozen BEV Class-8 electric semis into its California fleet. This addition complements its extensive inventory of over 300 all-electric assets.

The world’s first floating offshore wind farm, Hywind Scotland, is coming offline for three to four months for “heavy maintenance.”

China’s leader EV maker, BYD, has held “active” discussions with lithium producer Sigma Lithium as it looks to expand its battery business.

Following up the $900 discount on Rad Power’s RadRover 6 Plus that’s live through the end of today, we’re now tracking the best price on Gotrax’s Eclipse Ultra electric scooter at $663. It comes joined by the EGO Power+ 56V electric chainsaw at $319 and all of today’s other best new Green Deals – including a batch of new e-bike and so much more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

California-based Lucid Motors (LCID) is expanding globally. With a new European boss who brings extensive experience from Polestar, Maserati, and Audi, Lucid aims to build its brand in new markets.

United Rentals is now the first major rental company to offer mobile micro grid battery power to its North American fleet of rental equipment. The HiPower EHR Solar Battery Generator boasts a 5.0kW peak solar array with extendable panels, converting and storing energy within built-in batteries.

A Tesla Model Y owner decided to build his own solar roof that can add over 20 miles of range to the electric SUV per day.

Porsche is finally unveiling its Macan EV, the electric SUV we’ve been waiting for. The all-electric Macan will show its face for the first time this month. Here’s what you can expect.

This new self-erecting crane model marks the launch of the new “Evy” range from French manufacturer Potain. This range is specifically designed for building projects up to three stories tall and to comply with the updated European Safety Standard EN 14439, which establishes standardized safety guidelines for climbing tower cranes.

Panasonic said it will produce a new and improved version of the 2170 cells used in Tesla Model 3 and Model Y at the plant in Nevada that it operates with Tesla “sometime during 2024 or 2025,” according to a new report in Bloomberg. The new cells, which pack a lot more energy density, could help reduce EV prices, the company states.

It’s a new year, and yet we’re facing the same old problem as last year: electric bike fear-mongering from irresponsible journalists painting an overblown risk of e-bike fires.

As someone who lives life on two wheels, testing bike gear isn’t just a fun hobby – it’s part of my daily life. E-bikes are how I get around and the gear I use with them helps me avoid needing to use a car. And so when I find something new that I incorporate into my everyday kit, that means that it has proven itself as both effective and worth it in the long haul. The latest lock that I trust to use on my own electric bikes is the Foldylock Forever from Seatylock.