MondayMar 18, 2024 11:30 am

Chinese Tech Giant Xiaomi Starts Selling EVs This Month

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has announced that it will start selling its electric vehicles later this month. When Xiaomi unveiled its first-ever battery electric vehicle — the Speed Ultra 7 (SU7) — in 2023, the company's chief executive Lei Jun said that the smartphone manufacturer planned to become one of the top five automakers on the globe. Xiaomi will invest a whopping $10 billion into the automobile segment over the next decade in its quest to achieve those ambitious goals. According to Lei, the SU7 is powered by “super electric motor” technology that, at zero to 100kph in 2.78 seconds…

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FridayMar 15, 2024 11:30 am

NYT Report Shows Disinterest in EVs Still Rife in US

Despite significant government and corporate efforts to push electric vehicle adoption, many Americans are disinterested in purchasing battery electric vehicles (BEVs). That said, battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in the country are on the rise, and BEVs currently account for nearly 10% of all new vehicle registrations. Hybrid electric cars are more popular among consumers and have higher adoption rates because they allow drivers to reduce their emissions without ditching internal combustion engine cars completely. However, a recent New York Times report has found that while states such as California have significantly high electric-vehicle adoption rates, with cities such as…

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WednesdayMar 13, 2024 12:15 pm

Hertz’s EV Selloff Boosts Used-EV Market

In late 2021, car rental giant Hertz ordered around 100,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) worth $4.2 billion from Tesla. The purchase gave Hertz the largest electric vehicle fleet in North America and was a great sign for the nation's fledgling electric vehicle industry. If a fleet manager such as Hertz bought into the electric-vehicle dream, it could significantly increase access to the vehicles among the general public, help drivers become more familiar with new EV technology and maybe even increasing the chances of drivers purchasing an EV. However, Hertz announced that it was selling off a large chunk of its…

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MondayMar 11, 2024 11:45 am

Dodge Unveils EV Versions of Charger Muscle Car

Dodge has unveiled electrified versions of the iconic Charger muscle car. The Stellantis brand will offer two battery-powered iterations of the Dodge Charger that provide drivers with the power of a massive V8 engine without the associated pollution. Given the Charger's place in America's muscle-car culture, the launch of electrified versions is a sign that the space is increasingly adapting to electric cars. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are a feasible solution to the transport industry's massive greenhouse-gas emission dilemma. Transportation is responsible for nearly a third of greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States, because the overwhelming majority of road, water…

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FridayMar 08, 2024 12:00 pm

Increases in Hybrid, EV Sales Boost Ford’s February Sales Numbers

Following several months of depressed electric vehicle demand, Ford Motor Co.’s alternative energy vehicle sales spiked in February as strong demand for battery electric vehicles and hybrids increased the automaker’s U.S. sales by 10.5%. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker’s hybrid vehicle sales jumped by 32% to 12,045 while its SUV sales went up by 22% to 76,403 units. Ford says the hybrid segment has enjoyed continued growth over the past year with sales expanding faster than the general U.S. auto industry. As with many other legacy automakers, Ford recently announced plans to scale back its ambitious electrification plans. While companies such…

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WednesdayMar 06, 2024 11:45 am

Biden Orders Probe into Potential National Security Risks of China-Sourced ‘Connected Vehicles’

President Joe Biden has ordered a probe into the potential national security risks posed by “connected vehicles” made in China. In a move that marks the latest escalation in a trade war between the two nations, Biden’s administration is tasking the U.S. Commerce Department with investigating whether Chinese-manufactured connected vehicles threaten national security. According to a statement from President Biden, these vehicles are connected to mobile phones, navigation systems and critical national infrastructure. This gives the automobiles the ability to “collect sensitive data” and beam it back to Beijing, Biden said, and allows potentially bad players to access or disable…

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MondayMar 04, 2024 11:45 am

Apple Pulls Plug on Self-Driving EV Plans

American tech giant Apple has reportedly shelved its secret plans to develop a self-driving electric vehicle for the nascent EV industry. The company has spent the past 10 years working on the ambitious Project Titan, but multiple reports say Apple is now turning its attention to artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Apple is estimated to have spent billions of dollars and dedicated 2,000 workers to the autonomous vehicle project over the past decade. Multiple reports now say the teams working on Project Titan will be transferred to AI development divisions while some will likely be laid off. However, the number of…

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FridayMar 01, 2024 10:45 am

Film Highlights First EV Export from America to Cuba

U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations took a step forward recently when Texas-based carmaker Tesla exported the first American electric vehicle to Cuba. The arrival of the white Model Y at the Mariel Port dock in Cuba represents a historic moment in the auto industry as well as U.S.-Cuba relations and international trade. With Cuba finally turning away from Venezuelan oil imports, the Cuban government is keen on increasing the country’s solar capacity. This month, the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) will stream a film titled “Driving Towards Change” as part of its African-American History Month activities. The film will feature sequences…

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WednesdayFeb 28, 2024 11:15 am

How EVs Could Be Improved to Cope with Temperature Extremes

A typical lithium-ion EV battery consists of a positive cathode, a negative anode and a liquid electrolyte that facilitates the movement of lithium ions. This design works optimally when temperatures are between 68–86 degrees Fahrenheit; lower temperatures tend to slow down lithium ions in the battery and lead to lower performance. As temperatures become colder, charge-carrying lithium ions find it harder to travel through the electrolyte. This results in slower recharging rates and can cause batteries to lose charge faster; it can also cost batteries up to 30% of their range. Colder temperatures also often result in long wait times…

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MondayFeb 26, 2024 10:00 am

EV Sales in Europe Surged 29% in January, Auto Association Reveals

Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has revealed that drivers in the European Union registered 92,741 battery electric vehicles (BEVs)  last month. The share of BEVs in Europe increased from 9.5% in January 2023 to 10.9% last January, representing a year-over-year increase of 28.9%. However, an influx of cheaper electric cars into the EU has caused consumer interest in EVs to spike in recent months. Belgium was the largest market for battery-electric vehicles followed by the Netherlands, France and Germany. These four markets cumulatively accounted for 66% of electric vehicle sales in the European Union. The United Kingdom…

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