Ford, General Motors, and Toyota North America are donating $1 million each to incoming president Donald Trump’s January inauguration. Ford and GM are throwing in a fleet of vehicles for the January 20 event, too, for good measure. Read more…
Volkswagen to cut 35,000 jobs but keep factories open
Volkswagen announced a “Christmas miracle” with sweeping changes to its German operations but no immediate factory closures, layoffs, or wage cuts. Still, some 35,000 jobs are on the chopping block soon, but factories should remain open. Read more…
Last-minute rescue: Lilium finds investor
Just days before Christmas, the German eVTOL startup Lilium Aviation was said to be liquidated. But on Christmas Eve, the flying taxi developer had found an investor after all. Read more…
Germany: Contargo takes delivery of 20 eActros 600s
Container logistics company Contargo received 20 units of the new Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 shortly before Christmas. It makes the company one of the very first customers to put the electric long-haul truck into operation. Read more…
2025 Nissan Ariya lineup drops longest-range model
The 2025 Nissan Ariya costs $40,980 The longest-range model will go up to 289 miles on a charge The Ariya now has Tesla Supercharger access The Nissan Ariya lineup is condensed for 2025, with the longest-range variant lost in the shuffle. The number of trim levels shrinks from eight to six. Prices hold steady after substantial cuts for the 2024… Read more…
Eve Energy reportedly becomes Tesla’s 6th battery supplier
Eve Energy’s Malaysian factory is expected to start supplying energy storage batteries to Tesla US in 2026, according to a local report. Read more…
US Department of Energy funds battery research with $25 million
The US Department of Energy (DOE) will announce 25 million dollars in eleven projects related to next-generation batteries. The projects focus on advancing materials, processes, machines, and equipment for domestic manufacturing. Read more…
GAC unveils humanoid robot GoMate, plans to start small-scale production in 2026
GAC plans to have GoMate in experimental use in some industries in 2025 and small-scale production in 2026. Read more…
BYD sets up dedicated lab to develop humanoid robots, report says
BYD has set up a dedicated team for the development of embodied artificial intelligence products, including humanoid robots, according to local media. Read more…
BYD offers free car insurance for Ocean lineup in year-end sales push
BYD is offering free vehicle insurance worth up to RMB 5,000 ($690) on a number of Ocean lineup models, ramping up promotions ahead of the Chinese New Year. Read more…
Li Auto will eventually venture into humanoid robots, says CEO
Li Auto’s future foray into humanoid robots is a 100 percent certainty, just not right now, said its CEO. Read more…
Why some Scrooges want to stop California from handing out $2,000 e-bike vouchers
In what couldn’t have been more on-the-nose timing, a group of local California newspapers published an editorial on Christmas Eve calling for the end of a generous $2,000 voucher program intended to help low-income Californians afford electric bicycles for transportation. Read more…
The Problem With EV Road Trips
EVs offer either performance or range but, they don’t really do both at the same time. Read more…
Vinfast VF 8 recalled due to airbag that may strike driver’s arm
Vinfast recalled 4,888 VF 8 electric SUVs The center airbag mounted to the driver’s seat could deploy improperly Vinfast will replace the airbag free of charge Vinfast is recalling certain VF 8 electric SUVs because of faulty airbags that could injure drivers. The recall includes 4,888 vehicles from model years 2023 to 2025. The center airbag… Read more…
BYD offers 11.5% limited-time discount on Sealion 05 DM-i in China
The Sealion 05 DM-i has a discounted starting price of RMB 99,800 ($13,670) as BYD looks to capitalize on the peak sales season ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday. Read more…
Study: EV battery material supply challenges loom by 2030
EV sales are predicted to increase sixfold by 2030 Demand for EVs and battery materials, could account for 95% of lithium supply Reuse, recycling, and alternative chemistries could take pressure off supply chains Increased global demand for electric vehicles could tax supplies of raw materials by the end of the decade, according to new analysis… Read more…
Factbox: How many steps it takes to launch a new car in China
In this article, we try to explain the steps needed to launch a new car model in China from a consumer’s point of view. Read more…
China NEV retail at 817,000 in Dec 1-22, up 4% from same period last month
Cumulative retail sales of passenger NEVs in China so far this year totaled 10.41 million units, up 43 percent from a year earlier. Read more…
Exclusive: Firefly App sees 6-figure user registrations 72 hours after going live
Firefly’s mobile app has seen cumulative user registrations reach six figures 72 hours after it went live, with a significant increase in the percentage of new users from outside the Nio community. Read more…
IM Motors closes $1.3 billion in new funding, plans to launch 4 new models in 2025
IM Motors plans to launch two BEV models and two EREV models in 2025, extending its model lineup to the hybrid market for the first time. Read more…
