Search Results Found For: "Toyota"

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6: Korean Model 3 clone, or something else altogether?

Battery-electric sedans are a rare breed— that makes Hyundai’s striking Ioniq 6 a strong new entry. Quick, name all the battery-electric sedans for sale in the US—that aren’t Teslas. By our count, there’s only been one: the pricey, luxury Lucid Air.  Now, there’s another: the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 is on sale at your local… Read more »

CEO Jim Farley explains how Ford is learning from Tesla, marketing EVs as “digital products”

Ford CEO Jim Farley is no stranger to EVs—before he joined Ford, he worked at Toyota, and was deeply involved in bringing the Prius to the US market. In a wide-ranging recent interview with Fully Charged’s Robert Llewellyn, Farley talks about how he is shepherding his company through the process of electrification. Farley understands that… Read more »

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz: Electric microbus for North America appears, at last

Iconic design, two-tone paint, three rows, AWD—whatever you call it, the Buzz won’t be cheap. The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric minivan has been coming to North America for a long, long time. The concept for an all-EV reboot of the classic Type 2 Microbus appeared in 2016 and was confirmed for production in August 2017…. Read more »

DENSO creates its first SiC power semiconductor inverter

Japanese automotive component manufacturer DENSO has produced its first silicon carbide (SiC) inverter. This inverter, which is used in BluE Nexus’s eAxle electric drive module, will be utilized in the Lexus RZ, an EV released in March. SiC power semiconductors have lower power loss than silicon-based devices, the company said. SiC semiconductor inverters reduced power… Read more »

Developing standards for EV charging reliability

Q&A with Frank Menchaca, President of SAE International’s Sustainable Mobility Solutions The reliability—or rather, the unreliability—of public EV charging stations is nothing less than a scandal, and it’s holding back EV adoption. This tragedy involves a cast of many players—automakers, charger manufacturers, network operators, electric utilities, and often a lot more—and all need to start… Read more »

Alternatives to permanent magnet motors in EV traction applications

In my very first article for Charged over 10 years ago, I opined that the Switched Reluctance Motor, or SRM, would eventually come to dominate the EV traction market, if for no other reason than the fact that it is almost as cheap as dirt to manufacture. I won’t sprain my shoulder patting myself on… Read more »

Bidgely EV Solution singles out high peak-charging EV drivers for incentive programs

An increasing number of utilities are offering time-of-use rate plans and other incentives to encourage EV owners to do their charging during off-peak hours. But what if a utility had a way to single out the troublemakers, identifying individual EV drivers who often charge during peak times in order to educate them about available incentive… Read more »

Redwood Materials to receive $2-billion DOE loan, begins production of anode foil

Redwood Materials, the battery recycling firm headed by Tesla alum JB Straubel, has received conditional commitment for a $2-billion loan from the DOE’s Loan Program Office as part of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVM). Redwood will draw upon this financing in tranches to support the phased construction and expansion of its battery… Read more »

New VW boss seems lukewarm on EVs, wants to bet on synthetic fuels

Former Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess was a hero to pro-EV activists. He was less popular with certain factions within the company, including the powerful Works Council (to say nothing of the stock market), and in 2022, he was forced out, to be replaced by Oliver Blume. At the time, we wondered whether Diess’s departure… Read more »

FreeWire acquires Mobilyze.ai to enhance charging station siting recommendations

FreeWire Technologies, a provider of battery-integrated EV charging stations and energy management solutions, has acquired Mobilyze.ai, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to help site hosts strategically place fast charging stations. FreeWire says Mobilyze.ai’s charging analytics and prediction platform will provide powerful capabilities to help site hosts make data-driven decisions regarding charging station deployment. Site… Read more »