Volvo CE, the Volvo Group’s construction equipment subsidiary, and Volvo Trucks have partnered with France-based logistics firm Capelle Transports to pilot an electric shuttle service that carries out the initial transport of construction machines from the Volvo CE factory in Belley, France, and optimizes the loading of truck trailers.  The program is part of Volvo Group’s efforts to reduce its indirect Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030. It has also increased efficiency by optimizing the loading of each truck trailer that leaves the yard. In the trial, a Volvo FH Electric truck, with ful ..read more

The rollout of the Tesla Semi has been slower than EVangelists would have liked. The electric semi tractor was first unveiled in 2017, and officially entered production in late 2022. Since then, it has been deployed in limited numbers. Last October, it was reported that Tesla had built about 70 Semis trucks, which were being used internally and by one confirmed customer, PepsiCo. Tesla recently broke ground on a new facility at its Nevada Gigafactory site, where Semis are slated to be produced. Now Electrek reports that Tesla has delivered Semis to at least one more customer: Martin Brower (M ..read more

California-based EV and industrial charging equipment producer AMPURE has introduced, under the PosiCharge brand, a cloud-based data management platform, PosiLink, designed for electric material-handling fleet operations. AMPURE was formerly known as Webasto Charging Systems, and was acquired recently by Transom Capital Group. The company says its new software, which transitions from its legacy PosiNet platform, improves performance, efficiency, and informed decision-making by providing operators easy access to critical battery information, including energy consumption, usage patterns and sys ..read more

Netherlands-headquartered maritime battery manufacturer EST-Floattech will provide the battery systems for the electric-landing utility vessel (E-LUV) to be built by UK shipyard Coastal Workboats in Stornoway and for the company’s shore-based power supply system (SPSS). The project is funded by a £6-million grant from the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) to Coastal Workboats to demonstrate the UK’s first commercial electric workboat and charging station. The E-LUV is a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) and dry cargo transportation ferry that will be equipped with 2,400 kWh of EST-Floatte ..read more

Hyundai and Kia have signed an agreement with Indian lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery manufacturer Exide Energy Solutions to equip the two companies’ upcoming EV models in the Indian market with locally produced batteries. Established in 2022, Exide Energy Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Exide Industries, which has 75 years of experience in the production of lead-acid batteries. The new company was formed to manufacture lithium-ion cells, modules and packs that incorporate multiple chemistries and form factors. “India is a key market for vehicle electrification, due in part to t ..read more

AMPECO, a Bulgaria-headquartered EV charging software developer, and DEFA, a Norway-based EV charging station provider, are integrating DEFA’s AC charger with AMPECO’s charge point management system to provide more secure transactions, enhanced efficiency and user experience, and compliance with the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) requirements for EV charging infrastructure. AMPECO’s platform offers a secure payment method that leverages dynamic QR codes on DEFA’s charging stations, the company says, and it supports the necessary ad hoc payments stipulated by AFIR. The ..read more

Charged is hosting a virtual conference on EV engineering that’s free to attend, and it starts today. The conference includes live webinar sessions with interactive Q&As and on-demand webinars. View the daily session schedule online here. All of the live sessions will be recorded and available to view after the broadcasts. The recorded videos can be accessed on each session’s registration page. Thursday, April 18th Session Topics: 8:00 am EDT All-In-One e-Fluid Technology To Cool Inverter, e-Motor and Provide EV Gear Lubrication Join Us 8:45 am EDT Real Time Power Electronics Simulation ..read more

The first batch of Daimler Truck’s electric RIZON models to be delivered in the US was recently supplied to customers in California, and more units are scheduled to follow.  Manufactured in Japan, RIZON trucks are designed for urban and last-mile delivery applications and routes of up to 160 miles per day. Available configurations include box trucks, flatbeds, stake beds, reefers and other body types. Among the initial US customers is LA Sanitation & Environment, which is deploying seven e18L RIZON trucks with stake bed bodies for delivery of home trash bins to Los Angeles residents ..read more

There’s a lot of speculation about the effects widespread EV adoption will have on the electrical grid, but until now, little hard data. A recent study has found that, so far, EVs are having a salutary effect on the grid, saving ratepayers billions of dollars on their electricity bills. The analysis, which was commissioned by the National Resources Defense Council, and performed by Synapse Energy Economics, compared the prices EV owners paid for electricity with the costs for utilities to build power plants and to generate and distribute the energy. The study found that, in the aggregate, EVs ..read more

Adhesives giant Avery Dennison has introduced new electrode fixing tapes for use in the assembly of EV batteries. The new products are “the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of functional bonding and protection tapes engineered to make EV batteries safer, more efficient and easier to assemble.” Electrode fixing tapes represent a highly specialized category of adhesive tapes. They are used to bind multilayer electrode constructions consisting of current collector foils, anode and cathode material and separator films in EV battery cells. Avery’s new electrode fixing tapes are available ..read more