Charged has been reporting on electric trucks for a decade, but the electrification of real-world fleets has been frustratingly slow, and several would-be e-truck builders have gone bust waiting for fleet operators to conduct years-long pilots. Now we’re finally starting to see some large orders. Will 2021 be the year of the electric truck? A… Read more »
Tag: The Vehicles
Formula E electric racing begins first season as an FIA world championship in Saudi Arabia
Formula E, the urban electric racing series, begins its seventh season, and its first as an official FIA World Championship, on February 26 and 27, with a nighttime double header on the streets of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. This season’s events will be broadcast live in over 150 countries around the world. Formula E has inked… Read more »
Chip shortage forces Tesla to briefly idle Model 3 production line
Driving home the point that cars are computers, the global auto industry is reeling from a global shortage of microchips. Several major automakers have announced shutdowns or slowdowns because of the supply bottleneck. The shortage appears to have forced Tesla to briefly shut down its Model 3 production line at Fremont. An unnamed source told… Read more »
Aptera raises $4 million from Series A investors, including Sandy Munro
Aptera Motors has a very different strategy from that of most EV startups. Rather than a luxury sedan or a crowd-pleasing pickup truck, the San Diego-based company is building what it says will be the world’s most efficient vehicle—an EV with a solar panel on the roof, and as much as 1,000 miles of range…. Read more »
Hydrogen-powered double-decker buses hit the streets in Scotland
The Scottish city of Aberdeen has launched a fleet of 15 hydrogen-powered double-decker buses. Scotland’s third-largest city, Aberdeen is known as the Granite City or the Silver City, because of its many buildings made of locally-quarried granite. Since the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s, it has also been known as the offshore… Read more »
Oshkosh beats Workhorse for USPS contract, new vehicles may use fossil fuel powertrains
After deliberating about a long-overdue modernization of its vehicle fleet for nearly a decade, the US Postal Service has awarded a 10-year contract to Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense to manufacture a new generation of postal delivery vehicles. Under the contract’s initial $482-million investment, Oshkosh will finalize the production design of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV),… Read more »
Hyundai’s upcoming IONIQ 5 features 800 V system, bidirectional charging
Hyundai officially launched its upcoming IONIQ 5 midsize CUV at a virtual press event. The IONIQ 5 will be the first model built on Hyundai’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). It’s based on the previously-unveiled Concept 45 vehicle. The IONIQ 5 will be available with two battery pack options—the Standard Range model will have a… Read more »
Lucid Motors goes public in long-awaited SPAC deal
Lucid Motors has confirmed that it is going public through a merger with Churchill Capital IV (CCIV). The deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter, is said to be the largest to date between a SPAC and an EV startup. The transaction values Lucid at an initial pro-forma equity value of about… Read more »
Another benefit of electric trucks: they’re easier on drivers’ knees
Numerous studies have found that electrifying transportation will deliver major health benefits by reducing air pollution. During a recent webinar (as reported by Transport Dive), Duane Hughes, the CEO of electric truck maker Workhorse, offered another potential benefit: regenerative braking can reduce commercial drivers’ need for work-related knee surgeries, saving money for fleet operators. “It… Read more »
Electric tanker ship to be powered by a 3.5 MWh battery pack
Cargo ships, powered by heavy fuel oil with a high sulfur content, are some of the largest and most polluting vehicles on the planet, so electrifying them could be very cost-effective in terms of reducing air pollution. Last year, a consortium of Japanese companies announced a collaboration to develop an all-electric oil tanker. Now Asahi… Read more »
