Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation have jointly invested 80M Euros in Rimac Automobili (Rimac) – the Croatian high-performance electric vehicle technology and sportscar company. The companies have announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on the development of two high-performance electric vehicles by 2020.
Falken has showcased its latest technology to support alternatively fuelled vehicles, led by its new Ecorun AA tyre for hybrids, at the inaugural E-Mobility Days Munich event (3-4 May 2019). The two-day programme of activities included specialist lectures on electric mobility, the opportunity to test drive electric vehicles and visit the laboratories of Bundeswehr University, where alternative drive technologies are being researched. Falken also sponsored the event.
Fastned has opened its first fast charging station in the United Kingdom. It is also reportedly the first fast charging station in the United Kingdom with a charging capacity up to 350 kW. The station is located in Sunderland, near the factory where the Nissan Leaf is produced for the entire European market. Fastned supplies 100 per cent renewable electricity and is accessible for all full electric vehicles (FEVs).
A new report published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Frost & Sullivan has found that the UK could be set for a £62bn windfall from connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) by 2030.
The report, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Winning the Global Race to Market, has found that the UK is in pole position in the global race to market for CAVs.
The Conti Urban HA3 is the Continental commercial tyre of choice for city-based usage. The range has now been extended with the introduction of a tyre optimised for the weight requirements and torque delivery of electric city buses.
The Volkswagen Group and further European partners are joining forces to form the European Battery Union (EBU) with a view to forging ahead with battery research throughout Europe. The new consortium is to be led by the Volkswagen Group and the Swedish battery producer Northvolt. The joint research activities of the European Battery Union will cover the entire battery value stream – from raw materials through cell technology to recycling. The prime objective is to accumulate much broader know-how on battery cell production.
All the data shows that in the years to come electrification will rapidly increase battery demand. A new solution by Nordic clean energy company Fortum purportedly makes over 80 per cent of the electric vehicle (EV) battery recyclable, returns the scarce metals back into circulation and resolves the sustainability gap by reducing the need to mine cobalt, nickel etc.
Goodyear Tyres has announced that it is partnering with Zipcar UK, the country’s leading car sharing service, with 24/7 member access to a fleet of 2,600 vehicles. Of these, 325 are electric, making it the largest electric vehicle fleet in the UK. Goodyear is supplying both car and van tyres to the fleet, helping Zipcar UK’s 250,000 members to move around London efficiently.
Fastned, a charging company which is building a European network of fast charging stations, won a second tender in the UK led by the North East Joined Transport Committee. Fastned will build and operate five fast charging stations (hubs) for electric vehicles across the region. Each station will initially house two 50 kW fast chargers (known as “rapid” chargers in the UK) that will deliver 100 per cent renewable electricity.
SK Innovation reports that it is planning to invest just under 1 trillion won (a little less than US$1 billion) in its second car battery plant, this time in Hungary. The company has selected Komaron City in northern Hungary for the investment of 945.2 billion won.
As leading well-known tyre manufacturers transition into automotive suppliers, and mobility providers and as the vehicle parc become increasingly electrified, the value of entering the battery manufacturing space is obvious.
Goodyear has announced a new pilot programme, which sees the tyremaker partner with Envoy Technologies, a provider of shared on-demand, community-based electric vehicles (EVs).
Conflicting and confusing information on the latest generation of battery electric vehicles has created a ‘knowledge gap’ for potential buyers, holding them back from choosing an EV as their next purchase, a new White Paper from the UK’s leading consumer champion and new car buying platform, What Car? has found.
Amnesty International is challenging automotive and specifically electric vehicle battery manufacturers to raise ethical standards and specifically “make the world’s first completely ethical battery within five years.” The challenge was laid down at the Nordic Electric Vehicle (EV) Summit in Oslo on 21 March 2019. For its part Amnesty is seeking to highlight how lithium-ion batteries, which power electric cars and electronics, are reportedly linked to “human rights abuses including child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and environmental risks which could undermine their green potential”.
The government has published its future transport strategy. After highlighting mobility trends towards increased take-up of electric vehicles, increased amounts of vehicle connectivity and increased ecological consciousness, the strategy focuses on four “next steps”: Implementing a flexible regulatory framework, Supporting industry and local leaders, Ensuring government decision-making is robust; and continuing established technology-specific plans. In other words its about electric mobility, data connectivity and better environmental performance.
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