Polestar EVs will soon be widely available at Hertz

Polestar at HertzThe U.S. rental-car giant Hertz has made a strategic partnership with Sweden’s Polestar for the purchase of up to 65,000 Polestar EVs over five years, the companies jointly disclosed on Monday. Availability of the Chinese-produced Polestar 2 at Hertz is set to start this spring in Europe and late 2022 for North America and Australia. Hertz...

To support EV battery production, Biden turns to Defense Production Act

First customer Rivian R1T (from Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe via Twitter)As part of a series of actions being taken to address gas prices and energy affordability, the Biden administration last week turned to a wartime tool to help ramp up the availability of critical materials needed for electric vehicles, sooner. According to a White House release, the Defense Production Act will be authorized to support lithium...

Tesla delivered a record number of EVs in Q1, amid supply-chain struggles

2022 Tesla lineup  (Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.)Tesla reported Saturday that it produced and delivered more than 300,000 vehicles, globally, in the first quarter of 2022. Tesla’s quarterly totals of 305,407 vehicles produced and 310,048 vehicles delivered included just 14,724 combined Model S and Model X vehicles delivered and 14,218 of those models produced. That left, for Model 3 and...

CATL improves cell-to-pack tech, claims advantage over Tesla 4680 cells

CATL at Frankfurt auto showBattery supplier CATL on Wednesday announced its third-generation cell-to-pack technology, claiming this new version produces more power than the latest Tesla battery tech. Cell-to-pack refers to the direct integration of cells into a battery pack, without the modules used in most current pack designs. CATL claims the latest iteration of this...

Sports car maker Lotus reveals a lightweight electric SUV

Lotus EletreLotus on Tuesday revealed the Eletre, its first SUV and one of several electric models planned to launch over the next few years. Previously known by its codename Type 132, the Eletre will start production later this year at a new factory in Wuhan, China, Lotus said in a press release. This will make it the first Lotus produced outside the United...

Kia EV9 electric SUV confirmed for 2023 in Europe: US timing later?

Kia Concept EV9Kia on Tuesday confirmed that a production version of its Concept EV9 electric SUV will launch in Europe in 2023, but it did not discuss United States launch timing. The automaker had already confirmed 2023 timing for the EV9 earlier this month, but it didn't clarify which market. Kia America could not confirm to Green Car Reports either a U.S...

EV batteries should last 15 years, says former Tesla CTO Straubel

Nissan prototype 60-kWh battery pack  -  Nissan Technical Center, October 2015Typically, electric vehicle battery packs are lasting longer—and for more miles—than originally intended. According to former Tesla CTO and co-founder JB Straubel, EV battery packs should last about 15 years—a key piece for the timeline as Straubel’s current venture, Redwood Materials, ramps up as part of a supply chain for...