Energy & Charging
China’s diesel-powered trucks face rapid electric overhaul
China is accelerating its transition from diesel-powered trucks to electric alternatives at breakneck speed. Once almost entirely dependent on diesel for heavy freight, the country has seen a sharp rise in electric truck adoption, signalling profound changes for fuel consumption and emissions worldwide.
In 2020, diesel trucks dominated new sales across China. Fast forward to 2025, and electric vehicles now represent more than one-fifth of new heavy truck purchases. Analysts predict that this figure could climb beyond half of all new sales within the next year, meaning China’s energy sector will need to dramatically restructure in order to meet new electricity demands.
Should the EU stand firm on its EV mandate?
Two years ago, the European Union decided to impose a mandate, banning the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars by the year 2035.
Now, just a decade out from this historic target, the mandate is up for review with the process likely to begin in the coming year.
For EV evangelists and climate activists alike, this potential rollback represents a regressive legislative decision that could slow down the widespread adoption of EVs and jeopardise a successful green transition.
UK Government charging reforms could revolutionise at-home charging
The cost of owning an EV has continued to be a stumbling block for UK car owners hoping to make the switch to electric. Alongside the high upfront cost of the vehicle come costly infrastructure fees, with at-home chargers currently costing in the region of £1,000 to £1,500. In addition to these steep overheads, EV owners in the UK face a complicated charger application process that relies on government approval.
Nexperia supply warning casts a shadow over global supply chains
Dutch chipmaker Nexperia has warned Japanese automotive customers that it may no longer be able to guarantee supply, heightening fears of new disruptions across the global auto industry.
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) confirmed that several Japanese parts suppliers received notifications from the company warning them of the disruption.
BYD bets on biofuels in Brazil with new “Super Hybrid”
Chinese automaker BYD has announced the launch of a “Super Hybrid” vehicle developed specifically for the Brazilian market.
The new hybrid model comes with biofuel compatibility, enabling users to run the vehicle on any ratio of petrol and ethanol. BYD’s strategic decision responds directly to the highly advanced Brazilian market, which is a global frontrunner in the adoption of this “flex-fuel” technology.
CATL & Sinopec to build battery swapping stations
Photo: CATL Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) haws partnered with Chinese oil company Sinopec to build a battery swapping network across China. The two companies are aiming to construct at least 500 battery-swap stations by...
Ionity introduces new pay-as-you-go charging tariff
Photo: Ionity German-based charging infrastructure company Ionity has announced a new tariff that users to charge on a pay-as-you-go basis. The new "IONITY Go" tariff allows users to charge at all 4,800 IONITY charge points with up to 400 kW of power for just 0.71 GBP...
Brooklyn start-up opens first fast-charging station in San Francisco
Photo: Revel Brooklyn-based electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure start-up Revel has opened its first-ever fast-charging hub in San Francisco as part of the company's California expansion. The station features 12 320kW chargers within the hub that were...
BYD shares soar after announcing flash-charge batteries
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD has hit a record high on its stock after the company announced its new megawatt flash-charging platform. The manufacturers shares jumped more than 6% per share on Tuesday after announcing the new technology on Monday, according...
Connecticut to retrofit lampposts as EV chargers
Photo: Smart Cities World San-Francisco-based electric vehicle (EV) charging platform Voltpost has been selected by Connecticut to retrofit a number of lampposts into EV charging ports. The state's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has selected the company...
Swedish start-up Northvolt files for bankruptcy
Swedish battery maker Northvolt has filed for bankruptcy after failing to become Europe's beacon of hope in the Chinese-dominated battery industry. The Volkswagen, Goldman Sachs and BlackRock-backed start-up announced bankruptcy on Wednesday, blaming its downfall on...
Porsche buys majority stake in German battery company
Luxury carmaker Porsche AG has purchased the majority stake in German battery manufacturing company VARTA AG Group, fully-acquiring V4Drive. The sports car manufacturer is the new majority shareholder of the company, while VARTA AG will retain a minority stake without...
UK Government and EV industry discuss 2030 goals
Originally written and published by Solar & Storage Xtra The UK’s Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds recently met with automotive and charging industry representatives to discuss the 2030 phase-out of petrol and...
“We want to stay ahead of EV charging demand waves”: EVgo are trying to anticipate consumer needs
What does the future of electric vehicle (EV) charging look like? That's what Marcy Bauer, Senior Vice President of Deployment at EVgo, wants to get ahead of. As SVP of a prominent company in fast-charging infrastructure, Bauer discusses the pivotal role of...
Daimler gets funding for hydrogen trucks from Germany
Daimler Truck has received €226 million from the German Federal Ministry and the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate for the development and deployment of 100 hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The funding, created in-line with the European Union’s...
CATL says Musk’s 4680 cell “is going to fail”
Chairman of CATL, Robin Zeng, has claimed that Elon Musk's 4680 cylindrical battery cell tech “is going to fail and never be successful". CATL, the world's largest EV battery company, develop batteries which go inside Tesla vehicles and specialise in developing...
GM gives free night charges for Chevy EV owners
General Motors Energy is teaming up with Texas-based energy company Reliant to roll out free nighttime charging for Chevrolet electric vehicle (EV) drivers. Chevrolet EV drivers who enroll on the new Reliant Free Charge Nights plan will receive free nighttime...
Northvolt sells U.S. battery plant to Silicon Valley start-up
Silicon Valley start-up Lyten has announced today that it will acquire Northvolt's lithium-metal battery plant in San Leandro, California. The Stellantis-backed start-up purchased the facility from Northvolt's advanced technology group, Cuberg, which became...
General Motors on adapting the automotive supply chain for EVs
As the mobility sector accelerates towards electrification, the critical role that supply chain resilience plays cannot be ignored. At Move America 2024, Jeff Morrison, SVP of Procurement & Supply Chain at General Motors (GM), shared key insights into the...
AT&T and lamppost EV charging start-up are bringing curb side charging to Detroit
Telecoms service giant AT&T has partnered with lamppost electric vehicle (EV) charging start-up Voltpost to provide IoT connectivity to EV charging posts across Michigan and the Metro-Detroit area. Voltpost operates by retrofitting lampposts into a modular EV...
AI-powered EV charging could be incoming
Electric vehicle (EV) charging manufacturer and operator Blink Charging has announced a partnership with Stable Auto to utilise Blink's charging network with AI capabilities contribute to EV infrastructure. AI-powered solutions provider Stable helps organisations to...
UK start-up IONETIC slashes EV battery pack development time and costs, unlocking multi-million-dollar savings
UK-based EV battery pack technology start-up IONETIC has today unveiled a world-first software-accelerated, AI-supported development system, Arc, that delivers multi-million dollar savings in battery pack development costs, and halves time-to-market for custom battery...
Mercedes-Benz’s new plant can recycle 96% of EV batteries
Mercedes-Benz opened Europe's first battery recycling plant with an integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical process making it the first car manufacturer worldwide to close the battery recycling loop with its own in-house facility. The recycling plant in Kuppenheim,...
NYC prepares for electric aircraft operations around the city
New York City (NYC) has announced an agreement with Atlantic Aviation to prepare for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations in the City. Atlantic Aviation has extended its concession agreement with New York City’s Economic Development...
National Infrastructure Commission shares vision for UK roads in 2050
Michèle Dix, CBE and Commissioner at the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), outlined a clear vision for the future of UK roads by 2050 during her address at the Highways UK event, with a central focus on decarbonisation. She emphasised that achieving the UK’s...
Scottish council wins Net-Zero award for decarbonising local roads
Last night, North Lanarkshire council near Glasgow, Scotland received the Net-Zero award at the Highways UK Excellence Awards. The council was granted the award for their partnership with decarbonisation solutions provider Amey and their joint pothole repair project,...
Nissan Ariya owners to gain access to Tesla Supercharger
Starting later this year Nissan Ariya drivers will have access to a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter. This adapter will allow Ariya drivers to charge at compatible Tesla Supercharger locations – dramatically increasing the number of public charging...
U.S. battery start-up’s $1bn plant could reduce Chinese metal reliance
U.S. battery start-up Lyten has announced plans to invest more than $1 billion in the construction of the world’s first Lithium-Sulfur battery gigafactory. Such a huge investment in this emerging technology has stirred rumours that it could reduce China's firm grip on...
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