Electric vehicles

Tesla unveils battery cells aimed at raising electric cars’ range and power

Tesla on Tuesday unveiled new battery cells that will add energy, range and power to the company’s electric vehicles.

CEO Elon Musk said during Tesla’s annual shareholders meeting and battery day event in Fremont, California, the new battery will also help reduce production costs and allow the company to sell electric vehicles for around $25,000, the same price range as gasoline-powered cars.

“We’re confident that in the long term, we can design and manufacture a compelling $25,000 electric...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/tesla-unveils-battery-aimed-at-raising-electric-cars-power-range

Fast track to public listings dealt a blow amid Nikola fallout

Nikola headquarters

The ongoing fallout over Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA) may create some concern about the willingness of investors to pour money into special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and weigh further on what has been a down year for initial public offerings (IPOs).

The Phoenix-based designer and maker of battery- and hydrogen-electric vehicles and components finds itself in a tough position shortly after going public in June. The concern stems from a short seller report questioning the validity of...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fast-track-to-public-listings-takes-a-blow

Rivian among first companies to nab Amazon Climate funding

Electric vehicle Rivian Motors is among the first five companies to receive funding from the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund.

Announced inJune, the $2 billion venture investment program backs companies building technologies, products and services to accelerate the path to net-zero carbon emissions. 

In addition to Rivian, the other four companies are software motor company TurnTide, Canadian clean-tech company CarbonCure, as well as Pachama and Redwood Materials.

The amounts were not disclosed, but a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rivian-among-first-five-companies-to-nab-funding-from-amazon-climate-fund

Tesla’s Musk miffed over fellow billionaire’s takedown of electric trucks

Elon Musk is not happy with Bill Gates.

Three weeks after the Microsoft (MFST) co-founder raised questions in a blog post about the viability of electric trucks, the Tesla (TSLA) CEO said he thinks Gates “has no clue.”

In a tweet posted Saturday, Musk, the world’s fourth-richest man, expressed his feelings about the man two rungs up that ladder dissing electric vehicles.


He has no clue

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 12, 2020

Startups playing defense

Musk’s retort comes as another electric...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/teslas-musk-miffed-over-fellow-billionaires-takedown-of-electric-trucks

Behind the scenes: How the GM-Nikola tie-up came together

When Steve Girsky made the deal to take Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA) public in a reverse merger in March, one of his first calls was to General Motors CEO Mary Barra. He wanted to shop the idea of the automaker working with the electric truck startup on batteries and fuel cells.

As former vice chairman at GM (NYSE: GM), Girsky knew the company had deep reservoirs of expertise in both technologies. Former GM fuel cell engineers advised Nikola even before Girsky’s VectoIQ special purpose...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/behind-the-scenes-how-the-gm-nikola-tie-up-came-together

Here’s where electric trucks make sense

Electric truck grid

If you operate a regional-haul trucking fleet in California or the Northeast, it’s time to start considering electric trucks. That is a high-level takeaway from a new report released on Monday by the North American Council on Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and its project partner, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).

The Guidance Report, “High-Potential Regions for Electric Truck Deployments,” was co-written by RMI Freight and Transport Associate Jessie Lund and NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth....

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/heres-where-electric-trucks-make-sense

In last-mile electrification, Amazon sees another opportunity to dominate

Already dominant in cloud computing and online delivery, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is taking its market-moving mentality to another multibillion-dollar sector: commercial transportation electrification.

“Our approach is not to wait around and see what the [original equipment manufacturers] deliver but to share our vehicle requirements and influence product design to meet our needs,” said Maria Carne Lee, senior product manager, Global Fleet and Products, Strategic Initiatives at Amazon.

The path to...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/in-last-mile-electrification-amazon-sees-another-opportunity-to-dominate

DTNA dips into Mercedes-Benz Truck ranks for next engineering leader

DTNA names Rainer Müller-Finkeldei senior vice president of engineering and technology

Following a 10-year record of success with its current engineering head, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has once again tapped the well that is sister company Mercedes-Benz Trucks for its next engineering leader.

DTNA has named Rainer Müller-Finkeldei senior vice president of engineering and technology. Müller-Finkeldei, who is director of Mechatronics at Daimler Trucks subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Trucks in Europe, succeeds Wilfried Achenbach, who is retiring. Prior to joining DTNA, Achenbach...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dtna-dips-into-mercedes-benz-truck-ranks-for-next-engineering-leader

The Daily Dash: Freight volumes rising; and Florida man takes a wild semi ride

Freight volumes rise

The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, freight volumes are on the rise, FreightWaves and EKA Solutions reach a collaboration deal and Florida man takes a wild ride on a semi.

Are freight volumes still rising?

Even as more states roll back their reopenings as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the country, there is some evidence that the strong freight volumes seen in July are here to stay for a while.

Zach Strickland explains:...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/the-daily-dash-freight-volumes-rising-and-florida-man-takes-a-wild-semi-ride

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