Chinese EV startup Nio, formerly known as NextEV, has raised more than $1 billion in its latest fundraising round, led by existing investor Tencent Holdings, bringing the firm’s valuation to about $5 billion, Reuters reports. Nio, which was founded by Chinese internet entrepreneur William Li in 2014, plans to launch its first production car –… Read more »
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Ryder orders 125 electric panel vans from Chanje
Fleet management specialist Ryder System (NYSE: R) has started to take delivery of 125 medium-duty electric panel vans from California-based Chanje, which will be available for lease or rent to customers in California, New York, and Illinois markets by the end of 2017. The Chanje delivery van is equipped to haul up to 6,000 pounds… Read more »
BMW takes steps to ensure more responsible production of cobalt
And the dirty little secret of EVs is…cobalt. The metallic element is used in significant quantities in EV batteries. Unfortunately, about half the world’s cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a war-torn land in which working conditions are bad, and child labor is common. In 2014, as many as 40,000 children worked… Read more »
EV industry fights congressional plans to abolish federal EV tax credit
The latest salvo in the US government’s war on technology is contained in a House bill with the Orwellian title of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which would eliminate the federal tax credit for EV purchases. There’s good reason to believe that killing the tax credit could cripple America’s nascent EV industry. In Denmark,… Read more »
Former EPA official: US automakers’ EV strategies are irrational
These days, not a week goes by without an announcement of some major electrification initiative from a major carmaker: Nissan’s new LEAF is coming to the US soon, GM is actually advertising its Bolt EV, VW and Daimler have each announced a range of new EVs (for China, at least), and Volvo and Jaguar have… Read more »
Daimler shows heavy-duty truck at Tokyo show
At the recent Tokyo Motor Show, Daimler showed a battery-powered heavy-duty truck, and declared the Fuso brand’s ambition to be “the frontrunner in electric trucking.” The E-Fuso Vision One prototype can carry 11 tons of cargo – 2 tons less than the payload of a comparable diesel model, because of the weight of the 300… Read more »
SF Motors acquires Martin Eberhard’s battery module startup InEVit
SF Motors, a Chinese-backed company with big plans to build next-generation EVs, has announced the acquisition of InEVit, a battery modularization startup headed by Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard. Eberhard was already working with SF Motors as a strategic advisor, and will now serve as Chief Innovation Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board. InEVit has… Read more »
Electric trucks and their implications for energy demand
When the German postal service Deutsche Post DHL decided in 2013 that it wanted to upgrade its fleet to electric powertrains, it couldn’t find a suitable vehicle or an OEM willing to develop one. So, in cooperation with a university spin-out called StreetScooter, it developed its own EV. By the end of 2017, over 4,000… Read more »
Making a motor: Many automakers rely heavily on third party motor-winding experts like Odawara Engineering
Electric motors are everywhere: in household appliances, in hand tools, in buildings, in consumer electronics, and increasingly in automobiles. Motors are used in windshield wipers, power windows, throttle controllers, and, more and more, in the drivetrains of electrified vehicles. Electric motors abound, and Odawara Engineering knows how to make them. Charged spoke with Odawara’s Chris… Read more »
Bel Power Solutions sees strong growth in industrial electrification and its auxiliary power products
When many people think of electric vehicles, they imagine sleek passenger EVs like the near-quintessential Tesla Model S. However, EVs are by no means restricted to consumer use. As more and more industries move towards electrification, more and more industrial EV solutions will be needed. Bel Power Solutions is a power conversion product provider that… Read more »