The UK government has announced the first five winners of its Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding program, which is designed to enable transport authorities outside London to fund zero-emission buses. According to Route One, “Kent County Council will get £9.5 million ($12.6 million); Milton Keynes Council £16 million ($21.3 million); and Warrington Borough… Read more »
Utility vehicle manufacturer Polaris (NYSE: PII) has launched a new electric 4-wheeler that it calls “the hardest-working, smoothest-riding UTV ever built.” The RANGER XP Kinetic features a new electric powertrain that Polaris developed in partnership with Zero Motorcycles. Polaris points out that an electric powertrain offers many advantages for off-road utility vehicles. “It delivers smooth,… Read more »
BMW was an early EV leader with the innovative i3, but later seemed to lose interest. The i3 remains on the market, posting decent but unremarkable sales in Europe and getting an occasional upgrade. Now, after eight years, the next electric Beemer has arrived. BMW delivered the first units of its new i4 EV at… Read more »
Tesla’s megacasting technique—using giant casting machines to make car bodies with just a few massive cast parts—greatly reduces the complexity of the body assembly process, saving costs and improving efficiency. Tesla is producing Model Y at Gigafactory Texas using an enormous Giga Press to cast a single rear body piece, which replaced 70 different parts…. Read more »
Nissan, an early EV pioneer that later seemed to lose interest, has become the latest automaker to announce a new electrification plan. The company’s Nissan Ambition 2030 strategy calls for investments of 2 trillion yen (around $17.6 billion) over the next five years. “With Nissan Ambition 2030, we will drive the new age of electrification,… Read more »
Tesla has applied to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for regulatory approval for the first phase of Gigafactory Texas. The filed documents reveal Tesla’s planned completion date and budget. The next chapter in Tesla’s history will center on the company’s two new factories: Gigafactory Texas in Austin and Gigafactory Berlin in Germany. The… Read more »
How well do electric school buses do in extreme cold? One anecdotal answer comes from Gerald Blackard, co-owner of Tok Transportation, which operates a single electric bus for the Alaska Gateway School District in the small village of Tok in eastern Alaska. The bus, which was manufactured by Thomas Built Buses, and features a battery… Read more »
Commercial EV specialist Proterra will provide battery technology for a new generation of electric buses made by Turkish commercial vehicle manufacturer Anadolu Isuzu. Anadolu Isuzu operates in the medium-size bus and truck segments, and sells in around 50 countries, mostly in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The company recently took its first 8-meter NovoCiti… Read more »
Ford says its 2022 E-Transit van is showing up to work a little early. Through a Ford Pro pilot program, several companies, including Penske Truck Leasing and National Grid, have taken delivery of preproduction units of the E-Transit van. The pilot vans will be operating in fleets serving the rental, delivery, service, maintenance, telecom and… Read more »
Facing off against compact crossover EVs from Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Volkswagen, and of course Tesla, the Toyota badge on the nose of the bZ4X may be enough for many buyers. The 2023 Toyota bZ4X electric SUV made its public debut Wednesday at the Los Angeles auto show, one of several EVs unveiled at a… Read more »