TuesdayJul 25, 2023 12:31 pm

Tata to Set Up $5B EV Battery Plant in UK

Indian conglomerate Tata Sons has announced that it will construct a massive $5.2 billion gigafactory in the United Kingdom to build electric vehicle batteries. The new factory will significantly boost the local supply of EV batteries in the UK and aid its efforts to replace internal combustion engine vehicles with zero-emission battery electric cars. Tata Sons’ UK gigafactory will create an estimated 4,000 jobs  on site and many more up and down the supply chain, injecting much-needed cash into the country amid poor economic conditions. The UK government has lauded the announcement, noting that it would bolster the country’s economy…

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MondayJul 24, 2023 1:17 pm

Chinese EV Manufacturer BYD Says Profits Nearly Tripled

A Chinese electric vehicle maker backed by billionaire Warren Buffet’s diversified holding group Berkshire Hathaway has revealed that it has more than tripled its annual profits. BYD said last week that profits from the first half of the year totaled 10.5 billion yuan to 11.7 billion yuan ($1.4 billion- $1.6 billion). This represents a year-over-year profit increase of 192% to 225%, the EV maker said. BYD has been the top-selling electric vehicle manufacturer in China, outselling even Tesla in its local market and threatening to challenge the American carmaker in international markets. The Berkshire Hathaway-backed EV maker sold more than…

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FridayJul 21, 2023 1:01 pm

How Rivian Is Helping Amazon to Electrify Its Fleet

As the United States, the United Kingdom and other large economies pledged to transition from dirty fuels to clean energy and electrify their lineups, major companies such as Amazon are following suit. The e-commerce giant plans on electrifying its entire fleet of delivery vans over the decade to cut emissions from transportation. At the time of writing, Amazon had integrated more than 5,000 electric cars into its fleet with EV company Rivian acting as the primary supplier. Crossing the 5,000 mark represents a significant milestone for the two companies and indicates that the electrification of Amazon’s fleet is well on…

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ThursdayJul 20, 2023 2:42 pm

California Startup Uses Old EV Batteries to Store Solar Power

A startup in California is attempting to solve two of the most significant challenges facing the renewable energy industry: how to save surplus renewable energy during peak production and what to do with old electric vehicle batteries. The company is doing so by storing solar power in old EV batteries. Renewable energies, including solar and wind, are expected to play a significant role in America’s energy mix as the country moves away from dirty fuels such as coal and oil. However, solar-energy production usually peaks at midday when the sun is at its brightest and most people are away from…

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WednesdayJul 19, 2023 3:05 pm

Pew Survey Finds Americans Remain Split on EVs

A new poll from Pew Research Center has revealed that enthusiasm for battery electric vehicles among American adults isn’t as high as green-energy proponents would like. The survey found that only 4 in 10 adults in the United States are somewhat or very likely to consider buying an electric car. On the other hand, 50% of American adults said they were unlikely to consider purchasing an EV as their next car while 13% said they weren’t interested in buying a vehicle. The poll found that even though the Biden administration is pushing to electrify the country’s transportation system, the general…

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TuesdayJul 18, 2023 11:16 am

New Thermal Cloak Could Help Preserve EV Battery Integrity in Extreme Weather

Researchers from China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed a thermal cloak to help maintain electric vehicle battery integrity during extreme weather conditions. The thermal cloak is designed to prevent EV battery deterioration by keeping EVs warm during the winter and cool over the summer. Unlike traditional internal-combustion engine cars, electric vehicles are powered by rechargeable battery packs that are incredibly sensitive to extreme heat and cold. As such, electric vehicles require an optimal temperature range to function as effectively as possible. Public EV charging operator Osprey says the most optimal temperature ranges between 20 to 25 degrees. Anything below…

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MondayJul 17, 2023 3:06 pm

EU Parliament Approves Two Laws to Improve EV Charging

The European Parliament has adopted two rules that would significantly improve electric vehicle charging by increasing the availability of charging infrastructure, boosting charging speeds and simplifying the payment process. Legislators in the United Kingdom are also working on new legislation to boost the reliability of public charging stations and make payments easier. As it stands, insufficient public charging infrastructure, unreliable charging stations and complex payment processes are among the key reasons currently holding back EV adoption in the EU and around the world. As electric vehicle sales continue to grow, the European Union will need a much larger and more…

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FridayJul 14, 2023 11:46 am

Major Carmakers Say US Overambitious EV Plans Could Fail

Leading carmakers say President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle initiative is overambitious and doomed to fail. Battery-electric vehicles are still too expensive for a majority of the market, major automakers say, with most EV drivers taking up to 10 years to break even on their purchase. President Biden based part of his campaign on electrifying America’s transportation sector and passed legislation that would invest billions of dollars into the development of EV infrastructure and EV purchase incentives soon after he came into office. The Biden administration has also committed to investing $2 billion to speed up domestic electric vehicle production. Automakers…

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ThursdayJul 13, 2023 1:23 pm

UK Research Shows Lack of Battery Data Hampers EV Insurance

A recent report from UK firm Thatcham Research has revealed that the lack of data on electric vehicle batteries is making it harder for insurers to cover EVs. Even though EV adoption rates have been on the rise for the past couple of years, the electric vehicle industry is still in its infancy. This means that there is limited data on issues such as assessing damage after accidents and affordable EV repair solutions that determine how motor insurers cover automobiles. As a result, insurers have no way of assessing damage to EV battery packs or estimating the cost of repairs,…

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WednesdayJul 12, 2023 12:18 pm

Renault Says EV Industry in Europe Faces a ‘Chinese Storm’

The chairman of French vehicle maker Renault has expressed concerns that carmakers in Europe are confronted by an onslaught of electric vehicle exports from China, a country which also currently has a stranglehold on supplies of the key raw materials needed during the manufacture of EVs. Jean-Dominique Senard expressed these concerns as he was being interviewed by Reuters. Describing this pressure as a “Chinese storm,” Senard explained that European companies were capable of producing sufficient numbers of electric vehicles but were currently hampered with the preoccupation of ensuring that they secure the needed raw materials, especially those used to make…

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