Porsche 99X Electric is set for faster Formula E races

Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 Formula E race car revealedFormula E debuts its Gen3 electric race car for the 2023 season. While the official template was revealed earlier this year, Porsche on Monday became the first automaker to reveal its Gen3 racer, and it provided a more in-depth look at the differences between its 99X Electric racer and the outgoing Gen2 cars. To start, the Gen3 car gets a power...

1000-mile Aptera solar EV will get Italian carbon-fiber body

Aptera Sol alpha prototypeThe Aptera solar-assisted EV will get a carbon-fiber composite body from the same supplier used by supercar makers, to aid in its quest for 1,000 miles of real-world range. Aptera recently announced an agreement with Italy's C.P.C. Group for supply of bodywork. Bodies for the sleek three-wheeler will be made in Modena, Italy, in the Motor Valley...

Subaru likely won’t build EVs in the US, citing labor costs

2023 Subaru SolterraSubaru is unlikely to follow other automakers in moving EV production to the United States to align with new tax-credit rules, according to a recent Automotive News report. And the automaker is blaming, among other things, McDonald's. The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) makes U.S. assembly one of the requirements for the full $7,500...

Saudi Arabia launches EV brand with Foxconn, using BMW components

BMW i4 production and technologySaudi Arabia doesn't have much history of car manufacturing, but the nation plans to launch an EV brand with help from BMW and Foxconn. Called Ceer, the brand is a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, and Apple iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn, and will license components from BMW...

Fisker plans to share EV platforms, sell emissions credits

Fisker Wallbox home chargerFisker plans to share EV platforms with other automakers, as well as explore selling emissions credits, the company revealed in its third-quarter financial results update. "Fisker has begun preliminary discussions with large global OEMs and businesses to explore sharing both Ocean and Pear platforms, joint U.S. manufacturing, and future sales of...

Coffee grounds could help make biodiesel, offset fossil fuel

Coffee groundsInstead of going in the trash or, perhaps, a compost heap, a new study proposes that used coffee grounds could help feed biodiesel-producing algae. Published in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, the study was first spotted by New Atlas, which noted that coffee grounds can already be turned into biofuel—no algae necessary...

Beyond GM and Sony EV projects, Honda goes solo on solid-state tech

Honda solid-state battery prototype manufacturingHonda has established EV partnerships with General Motors and Sony, but the automaker is going it alone on solid-state battery tech. Honda plans to invest 43 billion yen ($290 million at current exchange rates) to build a demonstration solid-state battery production line in Sakura, a city in Japan's Tochigi Prefecture, slated to open in spring...

Feds examine EV charging cybersecurity as infrastructure grows

Audi Charging Hub concept in Nuremberg, GermanyFederal officials are discussing ways to ensure cybersecurity for EV charging infrastructure, as the government pushes for a national charging network. The Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) hosted a forum last week with government officials and various EV stakeholders, including automakers and charging equipment manufacturers, according...

Zeekr 009 electric van debuts CATL cell-to-pack battery tech

2023 Zeekr 009Chinese automaker Geely's Zeekr brand on Tuesday unveiled the 009, an electric van that marks the production debut of battery supplier CATL's cell-to-pack battery tech. Zeekr's second model, following the 001 hatchback, the 009 is a six-seat van is expected to start deliveries in China in 2023. There are no plans to offer it in the United States...

Jaguar Land Rover sees EV range gains with Formula E tech

Sam Bird in the Jaguar I-Type 5 at the 2022 Formula E London E-PrixThe automaker on Monday announced a partnership with North Carolina-based Wolfspeed to use the latter's silicon carbide semiconductor tech in future EVs. Wolfspeed already supplies similar tech to the Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E team, which has used it to "accelerate on-track efficiency and performance," JLR noted in a press release. Silicon...