EDITOR'S CHOICE

Aptera 3-Wheeler Closer To Production Thanks To Successful Crowfunding

03 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"2,040 reservations brought in nearly $34 million

"The sum gets the company into pre-production and validation testing, and it unlocks a $21.9 million grant from California's Solar Mobility Manufacturing Project...The grant is contingent upon Aptera buying $21.9 million in production equipment to build the car in the state...If Aptera can show a production-intent vehicle that's can do what's been claimed, the outfit's staying power and 46,000 reservations would indicate nothing is out of the question..."

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What To Do If You've Just Rented An Electric Car

03 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"The biggest thing to know is that you'll need to think a bit harder about refueling than you're used to...EV charging requires some more planning ahead.

"Note that EV chargers are often finicky and may spit out errors a couple of times before successfully accepting your payment...Fundamentally, charging an electric car comes down to locating a station that suits your needs (slow or fast) and your car (Tesla or not)."

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California Hits Another EV Milestone: 100,000 Public Chargers

03 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"100,000 public or shared private electric vehicle chargers have been installed throughout California, which is on top of over 500,000 at-home chargers. This comes just weeks after the approval of a $1.9 billion plan to build a bigger, better charging network.

"The plan details how the money will be spent with at least 50% dedicated to benefiting communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. With this funding, the state expects to reach its goal of 250,000 public chargers in the next few years."

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Rivian, GM, Volvo And Polestar To Get Access To Tesla's Supercharger Network This Spring

01 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"New and existing customers of Ford EVs can get a fast-charging adapter at no cost through June 30, 2024, to charge on Tesla superchargers. The adapter will cost $230 after the offer expires.

"While initially charging on the network will require an adapter provided by the respective automakers, they would no longer be needed once vehicles integrate Tesla's charging standard."

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'Climate Time Bomb': Infrastructure Law Funds Highways Over Public Transit

01 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"...the next transportation bill needs to offer clean mobility options, like transit, car share, active modes, and electrification..

"Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), gave state transportation officials discretion over how to spend money distributed by the $1.2 trillion package... Transportation for America warned in a new analysis of 57,000 projects that the law has revealed itself to be a "climate time bomb"...more than half of the funds - about $70 billion - so far spent on resurfacing and expanding highways."

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White House Launches Probe into Chinese Vehicles Over Security Risks

01 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"...the emergence of Chinese automakers aiming to saturate the US and global auto markets presents fresh challenges to national security.

"The White House underscored the extensive data collection capabilities of connected vehicles, highlighting how they gather sensitive information about both drivers and passengers....Chinese-made cars may not be prevalent on American roads yet, but their presence is growing in other markets like Europe."

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eVTOL Air Taxi Completes Its First Inter-City Flight In China

01 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

The 5-seater eVTOL...flight took place from Shekou Cruise Home Port in Shenzhen and landed at Jiuzhou Port in neighboring Zhuhai...The aircraft will shorten the two-to-three hour trip to just 20 minutes...The eVTOL air taxi can carry up to five people and has a speed of 200 kilometers per hour...It can also operate for up to 250 kilometers on a single charge...the aircraft is not expected to start taking regular passenger flights until 2026."

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Hawaii Becomes The 4th State To Bring A NEVI EV Charging Station Online

01 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

The Aloha State follows Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania in opening its NEVI-funded DC fast charging station to the public...[It is located at] Kahuui Park & Ride lot near Kuihelani's intersection with Puunene Avenue. It features four EV Connect 150 kW DC fast chargers with CCS and CHAdeMO ports.

"Hawaii’s first NEVI EV charging station’s design and construction cost $3 million, with $2.4 million coming from federal funds and $600,000 from the state highway fund."

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EV Charging Summit & Expo Seeks to Increase Public Confidence In EV Charging Infrastructure Adequacy

29 Feb 2024 | Synopsis

"North American EV industry has a problem - the majority of eager EV buyers don't have confidence they will have access to an adequate charging infrastructure...here is a growing demand for electric vehicles both in the U.S. and worldwide, and there is still a trust and affordability gap that needs to be bridged for many car buyers and fleet network operators.

"Funding, charger reliability, charger universality, charging speeds, and charger access are some of the biggest challenges with the rollout of the EV charging infrastructure in North America."

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Automakers Say They Won't Try To Push Back EU's 2035 ICE Ban

29 Feb 2024 | Synopsis

"Europe's automakers association, said that it is not pushing back and is all in with the EV future...President of the ACEA and CEO of Renault, Luca de Meo told the press this week at the Geneva Motor Show that the auto industry wants no part in arguing 'against the regulation'...

"Automakers, however, have been urging for more government incentives and investment in charging infrastructure...2024 brought an end, or a radical reduction, or a radical reduction, in many EU incentive programs."

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The Microlino Lite Is Here To Make Urban SUVs Look Even Dumber

29 Feb 2024 | Synopsis

"A microcar for people who’d never swap their automobile for an e-bike."

"With a 45km/h (28mph) top speed, it goes half as fast as the standard Microlino but can be driven by anyone with a moped license from the age of 14 in some European countries. An entry-model will cost CHF149 per month (about €156 or $169) to lease starting this summer...the base 5.5kWh battery it'll go about 100km before needing a charge or even up to 177km max for those opting for the larger 11kWh battery pack."

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Apple's Electric Car Was Doomed From the Start

29 Feb 2024 | Synopsis

"I've been saying for many years that Apple would never create an electric car...Apple's electric car project was always doomed from the start...it was always plain to me that the Apple car project didn't have any clear direction.

"The reports over the past decade painted a picture of constant struggle. Not only did Apple seem to not know what kind of car it wanted to build, but the technologies it maybe wanted to include simply weren't developed enough or didn't exist."

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