Hyundai-Kia and LG Chem hope to woo battery-tech startups

2020 Hyundai Kona ElectricHyundai, sibling brand Kia, and battery maker LG Chem are launching a competition for battery-tech startups. The "EV & Battery Challenge" will select up to 10 battery startups for "potential investment and collaboration," Hyundai said in a press release Monday. Those startups will work with Hyundai, Kia, and LG Chem on "proof of concept...

Volkswagen boosts investment in solid-state EV battery firm QuantumScape

Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo conceptVolkswagen is increasing its stake in solid-state battery firm QuantumScape. The German automaker said in a press release Tuesday that it will invest an additional $200 million in the U.S.-based battery company. VW has been collaborating with QuantumScape since 2012, and claims to be the company's largest automotive investor, with a previous...

Mercedes-Benz details how it will ramp up battery production for EVs

Mercedes-Benz battery productionMercedes-Benz has ambitious plans to produce 50,000 electric cars this year, and now the German automaker has offered more detail on how it plans to supply those cars with batteries. In a press release, parent company Daimler said it would establish a "global network" of nine battery factories at seven locations in Europe, North America, and Asia...

Hey Tesla, China’s Nio has completed 500,000 battery swaps

Nio PowerTesla once promised battery swaps for its electric cars as a quicker alternative to charging, before abandoning the idea. Now Chinese automaker Nio has succeeded where Tesla could not, completing 500,000 battery swaps in its home market as of May 26, just over two years after the first battery-swap station opened. Nio unveiled its Power Swap...

First Lexus electric car: Battery covered by 10-year, 600,000+ mile warranty

2020 Lexus UX 300eThe first Lexus electric car will get the most generous battery warranty coverage of any EV so far when it arrives in Europe by early next year. The Lexus UX 300e—an all-electric version of the UX crossover—will get a 10-year, 1,000,000 kilometer (600,000-mile) battery warranty, the automaker confirmed in a press release. The warranty...

Tesla’s battery approach vs. others: Teardown video breaks it down

Tesla Model 3 battery pack teardown, from YouTube video by Sandy Munro, May 2020As other automakers have launched competing electric cars, Tesla has managed to maintain an advantage in several key areas, including batteries. This teardown video provides a glimpse at how Tesla's battery approach differs from that of rivals. Sandy Munro, of Munro & Associates, has been conducting a teardown of a Tesla Model Y. This time, he...