Diesel-powered trucks are an endangered species in California—assuming that existing laws stand, all trucks in use in the state must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2042, and interim targets will start to bite much sooner. CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule requires manufacturers to make ZEVs an increasing percentage of their annual California sales from 2024… Read more »
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How big a deal is Tesla sharing its 48 V architecture with other automakers?
As most of the world focuses on the Tesla Cybertruck’s unorthodox looks, automotive geeks are more interested in its voltage architecture. With Cybertruck, Tesla introduced a 48-volt electrical system, and it has now released its 48 V implementation documentation to other major automakers. Ford CEO Jim Farley publicly thanked his counterpart at Tesla for sharing…. Read more »
What is this EV mandate that auto dealers are kvetching about?
Since the advent of modern EVs, auto dealerships have been seen as an impediment to faster EV adoption—and that image doesn’t appear likely to change any time soon, even though annual US EV sales cracked the one-million mark in 2023. Over 3,800 US auto dealers recently signed on to an open letter to President Joe… Read more »
Smart Charging For Smart Buildings: Embracing Load Management
As electric vehicle adoption accelerates, the real estate industry faces increasing pressure to provide efficient charging infrastructure for tenants and customers. However, concerns about grid stability arise as more people plug into Level 2 chargers at these buildings, leading to higher electricity consumption overnight. To address these challenges, future-proof their buildings, and find solutions for… Read more »
What does President Biden’s support for unions mean for the EV industry?
The relationship between labor unions and e-mobility is a complex one. In Germany, fears that the transition to EVs would result in job losses contributed to the fall of VW CEO Herbert Diess. Here in the US, EVs were a major issue in the recent United Auto Workers strike—autoworkers feared that the Big Three would… Read more »
Volvo orders two Tesla-style Giga Presses for Slovakia EV plant
Tesla pioneered megacasting, a technique that uses giant casting machines to make car bodies with just a few massive cast parts (a Matchbox car is said to have provided the inspiration), and other automakers quickly took notice. In 2021, the LK Group reported that it would supply giant casting presses to several Chinese companies. In… Read more »
Toyota to invest $8 billion to expand North Carolina EV battery plant
Is Toyota a sleeping giant, poised to exploit the wimpy waffling of GM and Ford, and become the EV powerhouse it should be? Or will the company continue paying lip service to e-mobility while clinging to 20th-century technology? Who knows? We won’t presume to read the green tea leaves, but we are happy to report… Read more »
Stellantis to acquire 20% equity stake in China’s Leapmotor
Amsterdam-headquartered multinational automaker Stellantis plans to invest some €1.5 billion to acquire 20% of Chinese EV maker Leapmotor. Stellantis will take two seats on Leapmotor’s board of directors. The deal also outlines the formation of Leapmotor International, a Stellantis-led joint venture that will have exclusive rights to the export and sale of Leapmotor products as… Read more »
Nel chooses Plymouth, Michigan for electrode gigafactory
Norwegian fuel cell company Nel has decided to build its next gigafactory in Plymouth Charter Township, a Detroit suburb. The electrode manufacturing plant will produce 4 GW of alkaline and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer technology annually. The Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) has awarded a $10-million Michigan Business Development grant to the project. The MSF… Read more »
No complaints at Volvo—EV sales soar in October
The legacy automakers had a truly scary October. Ford and GM, both of which had seemed to be manfully slogging forward with electrification, have scaled back their EV plans, moaning that they can’t make a profit on EVs. (It’s not just American companies—VW and Mercedes are wavering too.) Their can’t-do jeremiads are aimed at politicians,… Read more »