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EV News
The ACT Expo continues to be my favorite industry event every year. It's always a great place to see new advancements in the electric vehicle industry, as well as catch up with industry friends and make new connections. It's the most concentrated event of people that are actively and passionately changing the future of transportation. This year my highlight was getting to ride in a hydrogen fuel cell-powered heavy-duty truck that was quiet, nimble, and quick! It was also impressive to see the Einride Pod in person. Did you attend the ACT Expo? If so, what was your favorite part? Let us know on our Instagram post.
-Joe @ EPG/Mobility EVo
In other EV News
- Volkswagen is confident it can sell more electric vehicles than Tesla by 2025. CEO, Herbert Diess, did admit the goal would be very difficult but remains assured. Elon Musk was recently quoted as saying that VW is making the most progress from an EV standpoint.
- Lightning eMotors and Perrone Robotics have partnered to produce Class 3-7 commercial fleet electric vehicles. The fleet will feature Perrone’s AV technology, TONY.
- In more VW news, Volkswagen has confirmed plans to launch the all-electric Scout brand. VW wants to launch the Scout SUV and truck in 2026 starting only in America. As of now, the company has not announced plans to launch EVs in other regions. Expect some prototypes to be unveiled next year.
- Bridgestone’s most recent survey in the UK proves motorists are excitedly adopting electric vehicles. Bridgestone is committed to EVs by improving its tire technology with its EV-specific tires that account for 11% of Bridgestone’s OE lineup. With its TECHSYN technology, Bridgestone can extend the life of a tire by up to 30%. Bridgestone is also committed to installing 3,500 charging points across Europe.
- During the Las Vegas WasteExpo 2022, XL Fleet launched its electric pre-series powertrain on a Quantum garbage truck. Curbtender, Inc. and, XL Fleet plan to manufacture a whole fleet of electric garbage trucks this year.
- Toyota’s federal EV tax credit is running out fast, just as the company launched the bZ4X, a battery-electric car. If you are still interested in purchasing the RAV4 Prime or the bZ4X, consider buying before October 2022 to get the full credit of $7,500.
- Silicon battery technology is an up-and-coming technology that offers more benefits than lithium-ion batteries. Silicon batteries have a higher energy density, therefore can offer EVs 50% more range. The batteries can also be charged quicker, and so as technology advances, the EV industry could be looking at the possibility of charging your EV in under 10 minutes.
- CATL, the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer, is looking at South Carolina and Kentucky to build the company’s first factory in the United States. CATL serves BMW Group and Ford Motor Company.
- Hyundai Motor Company is planning to build an EV manufacturing plant in the United States, and the company has its eyes set on Georgia.
EV of the Week
For some weird reason, my wife refuses to drive a minivan. I’m not a good listener though, so I think I will surprise her this Christmas with a new minivan. Just kidding. I know better. What she would go for is a VW ID.Buzz. It’s funky, cool, and would be great for the kid/s. I’m personally looking forward to the camper version. We’ll have to wait until 2023 for one, but that doesn’t stop us from making the ID.Buzz the EV of the Week. Check out the video below for how it’s made. -John @ Mobility Evo
- 77-kWh battery pack
- 170 kW charging capacity
- Bi-directional charging
- Range of at least 260 miles
- Tons of color options
- Starting price of around $40,000
AV Corner
My top #1 complaint with other people driving is how prone I am to motion sickness. Well, Apple’s long-awaited AV may have some answers for that issue that were hinted at earlier this week. By utilizing virtual reality and a headset, the company believes tackling motion sickness will be a breeze. In addition, the company has also received a patent for a guidance system that could be activated through iPad, iPhone, and Siri. Apple’s AV is still predicted to launch in 2025.
In other AV News
- Solo AVT unveiled the SD1, and it’s everything you could ever hope for. The battery-electric Class 8 truck is specifically for autonomous driving with a range of 500+ miles. The vehicle is also trailer-agnostic to prepare the truck to haul anything. The placement of sensors alongside exterior lighting to communicate to pedestrians allows the simple integration of any autonomous system.
- Starting on May 17, Europe’s roads will welcome Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot Level 3 autonomous driving system. This historic decision marks the first Level 3 autonomous system allowed for European public roads.
- Seoul’s government is building a testing zone for autonomous vehicles to properly assess AV controls in road, traffic, and weather conditions using digital twin technologies. The simulator will be open to the public.
- DHL Supply Chain is the first company to receive Volvo Autonomous Solutions’ hub-to-hub autonomous transport.
- Waymo’s self-driving cars have officially touched ground in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Self-driving truck developer Plus has partnered with Velociti to assist in deployment and manufacturing partner for its Plus Build program. Through the program, Plus can equip any Class 8 truck with autonomous technology.
EPG and Mobility EVo
Mobility EVo is brought to you by EPG. EPG is an electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle recruiting and staffing company. We created Mobility EVo to bring you the latest news on the Electric Vehicle and Autonomous Vehicle industry through our newsletter. Whether it’s Tesla, Ford, Mobileye, Cruise, Waymo, GM, Rivian, we bring it to you. We also have some electric vehicle merch too. Check out our EV hats, EV Shirts, EV Hoodies, etc… We have something for everyone.
