Are the authorities “piling on” the Volkswagen Group? In 2017, the poor little automaker pleaded guilty to fraud and obstruction of justice in the dirty diesel debacle, and has already agreed to shell out some $30 billion in atonement. Now the mean old US Securities and Exchange Commission has sued the company and ex-CEO Martin… Read more »
BMW is seeking new solutions for EV battery cooling that can provide improved cooling capacity during fast charging as well as a reduction in noise and vibration emissions. BMW will consider both early-stage and mature solutions, and will work to evaluate and develop solutions that meet its criteria. BMW’s key criteria for solutions include an… Read more »
The combination of autonomous vehicles and ride-hailing services is expected to be an extraordinarily disruptive development. Someday, providers of Transportation as a Service (TaaS) could be sitting atop the value chain, while traditional automakers end up as producers of a commodity product. Automakers aren’t sitting idly by and waiting for the market to develop. Just… Read more »
BMW has agreed to supply i3 motors and batteries to Turkish manufacturer Karsan for a battery-electric city bus called the Jest Electric, which is produced in Bursa, Turkey. The synchronous motor that will be used to power the Karsan Jest Electric generates peak output of 125 kW (170 hp) and maximum torque of 250 N·m…. Read more »
Changes are afoot at Tesla. The company has announced that existing board member Robyn Denholm will replace Elon Musk as Chair of the Tesla Board, effective immediately. Ms. Denholm will be serving as Tesla Chair on a full-time basis, and plans to leave her position as CFO and Head of Strategy at Australian telecom giant… Read more »
As EVs proliferate, there’s an increasing need to establish protocols for sustainably procuring battery cells. BMW plans to collaborate with battery maker Northvolt and materials specialist Umicore to develop a sustainable lifecycle for European EV batteries. From cell chemistry to usage to recycling, the project seeks to optimize every step of a battery’s lifecycle around… Read more »
BMW has been taking its share of criticism in the EV press lately, because of its lack of new plug-in models, and because it seems to the biggest loser from Tesla’s gains in the luxury sedan segment. But don’t count the Bavarians out just yet. The i3 is as popular as ever, especially in Europe… Read more »
Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) is on a serious roll – China’s biggest battery builder issued a successful IPO on the Shenzhen stock exchange earlier this month, and has been announcing new supply contracts left and right – Daimler, Honda, Nissan/Renault, SAAB successor NEVS and EV startup Byton are now customers, and there are rumors… Read more »
BMW has introduced a factory-fitted, integrated inductive charging feature for its 530e iPerformance PHEV. The system can be ordered now as a leasing option in Germany, and will subsequently be rolled out in the UK, the US, Japan and China. The BMW Wireless Charging system consists of a GroundPad, which can be installed in a… Read more »
The BMW Group has signed a letter of intent with the Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor to form a new joint venture to produce electric MINI vehicles in China. In the next step, the companies will agree on the details of a possible JV and clarify aspects such as the choice of production location. Meanwhile,… Read more »