Yamaha Motor to acquire electric marine propulsion manufacturer Torqeedo


Yamaha Motor has announced plans to acquire marine electric propulsion manufacturer Torqeedo. Torqeedo offers a wide-ranging line of products, from electric outboard and inboard motors for small boats to battery packs and other drivetrain components for larger vessels such as yachts and ferries. The company holds many patents related to electric motors, propellers and electrical… Read more »

Daimler delivers Freightliner eCascadia electric truck to customer in Mexico


Daimler Truck North America’s Mexico division has delivered the first of two Class 8 Freightliner eCascadia electric trucks, manufactured at the company’s facilities in Portland, Oregon, to cargo transport company Transportes Esteban.  The vehicle will be used in plant operations at Daimler Truck Mexico’s truck manufacturing plant in Santiago. The plant also became the site… Read more »

Ford’s surprise news: it’s developing a new platform for low-priced EVs


Have GM and Ford given up on EVs, as many would have us believe? Well, not this week. GM just hired a renowned battery expert as VP of Batteries, and Ford CEO Jim Farley announced that his company has been quietly working on a low-cost platform for smaller EVs for the last two years. “We… Read more »

Major truck OEMs form PACT to advocate for EV infrastructure development


The pursuit of contradictory goals is a basic fact of human nature, and the commercial truck industry is no exception. Vehicle OEMs are investing large sums to advance the transition to electric vehicles, even as they lobby governments to water down the emissions regulations that are forcing that transition. Advocates of slowing the transition often… Read more »

Hyundai to build an electric van for Iveco, based on its new EV platform


Hyundai will build a new electric light commercial vehicle for the Iveco Group, based on Hyundai’s new all-electric Light Commercial Vehicle (eLCV) platform. Hyundai will manufacture and supply the chassis cab, and Iveco will customize and distribute the complete vehicles to the European market through its local sales channels. The Iveco-badged e-van will join Iveco’s… Read more »

Endera offers pre-built electric cutaway bus chassis for rapid delivery


Transit fleets are going electric, but long lead times for delivery represent a major bottleneck across the commercial EV industry. Endera, a provider of electric commercial vehicles and charging stations, has come up with an innovative solution: pre-built electric chassis that can be delivered quickly and customized to suit the customer’s needs. The Endera EV… Read more »

Renault launches its Master E-Tech electric van


Renault has introduced the Master E-Tech electric van, which is scheduled to be available in Europe in spring of this year.  The vehicle is offered with a choice of two motor/battery pack combinations. One variant sports a 96 kW motor, a 40 kWh battery pack and a WLTP range of approximately 180 km. The other… Read more »

Range Energy’s electrified semi-trailer now eligible for up to $120,000 incentive through California’s CORE Project


Range Energy makes electrified semi-trailers for the heavy-duty freight market. Range’s trailer, which is equipped with a battery pack (up to 300 kWh), an electric motor and (as a bonus) off-road mobile power, can be used with any semi-tractor, and the company says it can double the fuel mileage of a diesel rig while cutting… Read more »

Swiss cement supplier Holcim to order 1,000 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric trucks


Swiss building materials producer Holcim has signed a joint letter of intent with Mercedes-Benz Trucks to purchase 1,000 eActros 600 electric trucks, the majority of which will be used with silo trailers for transporting building materials, including cement. It is the largest planned single order to date for the eActros 600. Around 50 prototype models… Read more »

New survey finds myths and misinformation about EVs are deeply embedded


It won’t be news to regular Charged readers that myths and misconceptions about EVs have taken deep root among the populace. When I tell a new acquaintance that I write about EVs, as often as not their reply is some sound bite that could be a direct quote from an oil industry social media feed…. Read more »