A new report from engineering consultancy Ricardo describes the rapidly changing market for DC fast chargers, and the implications for vehicle makers, supply chains, charging infrastructure providers and equipment manufacturers. High Voltage and Fast Charging for Electric Vehicles is aimed at suppliers of charging equipment and on-board electric powertrain products, energy companies and infrastructure providers,… Read more »
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GM and Honda to jointly develop two new EVs for North America
General Motors and Honda have agreed to jointly develop two all-new EVs—and not just for China! The two new models will be based on GM’s new global EV platform and Ultium batteries, and will be produced at GM plants in North America. They will bear Honda nameplates, and the exteriors and interiors will be designed… Read more »
Audi plans battery assembly plant in Germany
German automakers know they need to establish a European battery industry, and they’re taking steps to chip away at the stranglehold Asian firms have on the market. Audi is reportedly planning an assembly plant for EV battery packs near its plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. Electrive, citing the Korean blog Guru, tells us that Audi intends… Read more »
California hospitals order 12 electric cargo vans from Lightning Systems
Lightning Systems has received an order from the California Department of State Hospitals for 12 all-electric Ford Transit 350HD Class 3 delivery vans. Fleet dealer Wondries Fleet Group will deliver the Lightning Electric e-vans to the hospital system. Lightning’s powertrain for the Ford Transit offers peak power of 160 kW (215 hp), a torque rating… Read more »
Critical battery metals could be mined from polymetallic nodules found on the ocean floor
The electrification of global transport and buildout of renewable energy storage will require hundreds of millions of tons of nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese. As demand rises, so will concerns about shortages, and the environmental and social costs of producing these metals. DeepGreen Metals is a deep-sea minerals exploration and development company with a mission… Read more »
South Korea has fast chargers at 76 gas stations, is planning thousands more
No one can yet say exactly what the charging infrastructure of the future will look like, but there’s certainly logic in the idea of installing DC fast chargers at existing gas stations. A small but growing number of station operators in the US have installed fast chargers. Total, BP and Shell are experimenting with EV… Read more »
EVBox and has·to·be link networks to offer seamless EV charging throughout Europe
Charging station manufacturer EVBox and eMobility platform provider has·to·be have teamed up to grant each other’s customers reciprocal access to the two companies’ charging networks. Both companies have integrated Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) standards into their software, so they can communicate with various charging station management systems. The new partnership ensures that has·to·be customers… Read more »
As overall Chevrolet sales fall, Bolt EV sales are up 36 percent
Tesla isn’t the only automaker that sold a surprising number of EVs in the first quarter. Chevrolet sold 5,873 Bolt EVs in Q1 2020, an increase of 36.1% compared to a year ago. The Bolt may just be the second most popular EV in the US at the moment, behind only the Tesla Model 3… Read more »
Tesla China shipments soar as Shanghai Gigafactory ramps up
A report from a Chinese trade group seems to confirm what we all suspected: Tesla’s impressive delivery numbers for the first quarter were boosted by a surge of shipments in China. The company’s wholesale March deliveries in China were 10,160 units, according to Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association (via Bloomberg)…. Read more »
Cree’s 650 V SiC MOSFETs designed for onboard EV charging
Cree recently released the Wolfspeed 650 V silicon carbide MOSFET series, designed for the next generation of onboard EV chargers, data centers and renewable energy systems. “Cree is leading the global transition from silicon to silicon carbide, and our new 650 V MOSFET family is the next step in delivering a high-powered solution to a… Read more »

