Xiaomi breaks ‘Nordschleife’ record with the SU7 Ultra

British racing driver David Pittard achieved a lap time of 6:46.874 minutes in the SU7 Ultra. By comparison, the current record for the Porsche Taycan on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife is 7:07.55 minutes, while the Rimac Nevera’s time is 7:05:298 minutes. This was not the first attempt at the record for Xiaomi, which had made an attempt in January and on October 10th, however, both attempts were foiled by rain. More attempts were launched on the 17th and 21st of October but also did not manage to deliver the expected results. Finally, on the 24th of October, the weather was sufficiently dry and clear, allowing for the record lap. According to the manufacturer, the model can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 1.97 seconds and can reach 200 kph in 5.96 seconds with a top speed of over 350 kph. David Pittard also has a history with the Nüburgring race track, winning the 2023 24-hour race on the track. Xiaomi has had prominent support for its luxury vehicles from unexpected sources recently, as Ford CEO Jim Farley sang praises of the SU7 just a few days ago. The Chinese technology manufacturer is currently ramping up a launch for more vehicles in Western markets, which it intends to supply with three vehicle models by 2026. Production is already being ramped up. cnevpost.com, carnewschina.com

Christian Sulser from Iveco: How the manufacturer is getting ready for its electric push

Iveco is making waves with the debut of its S-eWay electric vehicle, a significant step towards electrifying long-haul transport. Reflecting on the journey with partner Nikola, Christian Sulser noted, “We learned a lot from the cooperation… and now we delivered.” The S-eWay, which boasts a 750 kWh battery and a 500-kilometre range, is designed to cater to various customer needs, from regional and national logistics to more specialised applications like refrigerated transport. Sulser emphasised that electrifying heavy-duty vehicles presents unique challenges. “It’s not easy to electrify a long-haul vehicle,” he said, but the S-eWay’s flexibility aims to meet the diverse demands of the market. Fast charging and future innovations The S-eWay is not Iveco’s only venture into electrification. At the show, the company also highlighted a collaboration with Hyundai to develop a 3.5-tonne electric chassis cab for urban logistics. Sulser described the vehicle’s capabilities as “class-leading,” with a range of up to 300 kilometres and rapid charging, reaching 80% in under 10 minutes. Despite these advancements, Sulser acknowledged the challenges ahead. “We have a lot of issues with the infrastructures on the highways,” he admitted, indicating that infrastructure development is crucial for wider adoption. A multi-propulsion approach While committed to electrification, Iveco is not limiting itself to electric vehicles. “We are really strong in gas, H2 hydrogen, and methane,” Sulser explained, outlining a multi-propulsion strategy. He suggested that while electric solutions are gaining traction for smaller segments, heavy-duty trucks may still require alternative fuels like biofuels or hydrogen. Looking ahead, Iveco plans to continue expanding its electric and hybrid offerings, with deliveries of the SE-Way starting in mid-2024. As Sulser stated, “We need to get kilometres on the streets and get customer feedback.” Whether this bold strategy will steer Iveco through a smooth transition or another “roller coaster” remains to be seen.

Moment Energy to construct EV battery reuse Gigafactory in Texas

Thanks to the US$428 million initiative by the Biden-Harris Administration to accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing in former coal communities across the United States, Canadian-based EV battery repurposing company Moment Energy has been awarded US$20.3 million to initiate the first UL1974 Certified manufacturing facility in Texas. Moment Energy is set to establish a state-of-the-art gigafactory that will produce an annual generation capacity of 1 GWh, by the time the facility operates at full capacity. According to Moment Energy, the design and development plans of the facility will start by Q1 of 2025. Leveraging UL1974 certification, the company boasts rigorous safety standards as it seeks to produce safe, reliable, and affordable battery energy storage systems from repurposed EV batteries. “We are honored to be selected for this transformative initiative,” said Edward Chiang, CEO of Moment Energy. “Our mission to provide worldwide access to clean, affordable, and reliable power aligns perfectly with the DOE’s goals, and this facility will be instrumental in our commitment to enable all retired EV batteries to be repurposed by 2030.” Moment Energy will also take advantage of the funds to contribute to the Justice40 Initiative in an attempt to boost the economic sector in Taylor, Texas, and surrounding disadvantaged communities. The company aims to achieve this by providing over 50 manufacturing jobs and 200 new permanent positions. Moment Energy says that the project will see to “critical energy supply chain vulnerabilities” and strengthen America’s clean energy supply chain. What’s more, the company will take advantage of the project to make progress in its vision of enabling all EV batteries to be repurposed by 2030. momentenergy.com Author: Abdulwaliy Oyekunle

Daimler Truck builds ‘front box’ for eActros 600 electric truck in series production

Daimler Truck describes the so-called front box as a complex technology module with several control units, high-voltage components and an electric air compressor. It contributes to the operation of the heavy-duty eActros 600 – but not to the drive itself. A type of front box was already used in the eActros 300/400 with a market launch in 2021. The bigger brother is now receiving an enhanced version, which is now rolling off the production line at the engine plant in Mannheim-Waldhof. The front box will then be installed in Wörth, where the actual series production of the eActros 600 is based. “Accommodating this high number of components in a very confined space was a particular challenge during the development process. In the end, this was achieved by means of a so-called ‘layered structure,’ in which the individual components are built up from bottom to top,” says the truck manufacturer, which has formed a production team of 25 employees for the new area, which could “expand to up to 170 employees in the future.” Daimler Truck spent around a year renovating a 5,500 square metre area at its traditional plant in Mannheim in order to integrate the production line and logistics zone for the new module. Care was taken to make it particularly future-proof: The line offers “a high degree of flexibility for different quantities, product variants and subsequent generations,” according to the manufacturer. Specifically, the assembly line is made up of four consecutive sections, each of which houses different assembly stations with their own material zones and pre-assembly. Each section concludes with a ‘quality gate’ for inspection, completed by the so-called end-of-line inspection. Meanwhile, final preparations for the eActros 600 are also underway at the component plants in Gaggenau and Kassel, as these sites will also be supplying parts, including axle and transmission components. The electric long-haul truck will officially make its series debut at the end of November in Wörth, where everything comes together. The first customer vehicles will then be manufactured and registered before the end of the year. The vehicle is known to have celebrated its world premiere in October 2023. Meanwhile, those responsible in Mannheim are satisfied that a central part of the alternatively powered eActros 600 has been localised in Mannheim. Andreas Moch, site manager for the Mannheim plant, says: “The front box is an assembly-intensive unit for battery-powered vehicles. After a successful prototype phase, we are now pleased to be able to move into series production.” Mannheim is the centre of excellence for battery technology and high-voltage systems at Daimler Truck. “With the start of production of the front box, we are already reaching the second milestone this year, after we opened our Battery Technology Center in the summer,” says Moch. Bruno Buschbacher, Chairman of the Works Council at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim, also believes that the site is well positioned for the transformation: “I am very pleased that we have successfully launched the first product, the front box, under the agreement concluded in 2021, and that part of the powertrain for the alternative drives is now located in Mannheim. This is an important step in the transformation of our long-standing engine plant. The vertical range of manufacture of the future must continue to enable us to produce essential components ourselves.” daimlertruck.com

Audi launches two new variants of the A6 e-tron

The model available for this price is simply referred to as the A6 Sportback e-tron without any further name affixes. The corresponding A6 Avant e-tron electric estate starts at 64,450 euros. The new all-wheel drive models are sold as the A6 Sportback e-tron quattro and A6 Avant e-tron quattro and are priced at €79,800 and €81,450 respectively. Audi presented the electric A6 in the summer with a rear-wheel drive model called A6 e-tron Performance and the sporty top model S6 e-tron quattro There are no major surprises in terms of the naming or the technology of the new variants with regard to the Q6 e-tron range, but there are slight differences – like the A6, the e-SUV is also based on the PPE. The new base model combines a 210 kW rear-wheel drive with an 83 kWh battery (75.8 kWh net), while all other drive variants utilise the large 100 kWh battery (94.9 kWh net). However, as the A6 e-tron is more aerodynamic and lighter than the Q6 e-tron and also has more power (185 to 210 kW or 210 to 240 kW with Launch Control), the base model accelerates from a standstill to 100 kph a whole second faster – in six instead of seven seconds. The maximum charging power (225 kW) and charging time (21 minutes for ten to 80 per cent) are the same, however. The difference in aerodynamics becomes particularly clear when looking at the range: while the Q6 e-tron can ‘only’ travel 533 kilometres with the small battery (in the WLTP), the A6 Sportback e-tron has a range of 627 kilometres, while the Avant still has a range of 598 kilometres. A6 e-tron A6 e-tron Performance A6 e-tron quattro S6 e-tron quattro Drive RWD RWD AWD AWD Performance 210 (240) kW 270(280) kW 315 (340) kW 370 (405) kW Acceleration 7.0 (6.0) s 5.4 (5.4) s 4.7 (4.5) s 4.1 (3.9) s Top speed 210 kph 210 kph 210 kph 240 kph WLTP Range 627/598 km 750/720 km 716/685 km 670/640 km Battery Capacity 83 kWh 100 kWh 100 kWh 100 kWh Charge capacity DC 225 kW 270 kW 270 kW 270 kW Charging time DC 10-80% 21 min 21 min 21 min 21 min Price 62,800/64,450 Euro 75,600/77,250 Euro 79,800/81,450 Euro 99,500/101,500 Euro Values in brackets: With Launch Control The new Quattro variant with the large battery is positioned between the 270 kW rear-wheel drive model and the 370 kW S model. However, there is a difference to the SUV. While the Q6 e-tron quattro has an output of 285 kW, Audi specifies 315 kW for the A6 e-tron quattro and 340 kW with Launch Control. This means that the all-wheel drive A6 accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, a full 1.4 seconds faster than the Q6 e-tron quattro. Despite the additional power, the difference in range is similar to that of the base model: the range is up to 716 kilometres (A6 Sportback e-tron quattro) and up to 685 kilometres (A6 Avant e-tron quattro). The Q6 e-tron quattro, on the other hand, has a maximum range of 625 kilometres, a difference of up to 91 kilometres. The charging system, on the other hand, is again identical: with a peak output of 270 kW, the standard charging process from ten to 80 per cent charge level takes 21 minutes under optimum conditions. audi-mediacenter.com, audi.de (price list as PDF)

Lilium officially files for insolvency

The air taxi developer first announced its intention to file for insolvency for Lilium GmbH and Lilium eAircraft GmbH on Thursday in a notification to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Lilium is now informing its investors that the company’s management filed for insolvency on 28 October. According to the German publication Handelsblatt, this means that more than 1,000 employees at the administrative headquarters in Gauting and at the special airport in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich now have to fear for their jobs. Potentially around 1.5 billion euros in investor funds have been lost. Last Thursday, Lilium wrote that it was not in a position to raise sufficient additional funds to continue operating the subsidiaries – “despite continuous and ongoing fundraising efforts.” The limited liability companies are “over-indebted […] and will not be able to pay their liabilities as they fall due within the next few days.” Lilium has filed the insolvency petitions with the Weilheim district court, which is responsible for the company’s Oberpfaffenhofen site. However, it is not clear whether the applications will be granted. According to Lilium, it hopes to be able to go through the insolvency proceedings in self-administration. In the SEC announcement on Thursday, the company explained that this option under German insolvency law ‘is generally aimed at preserving and continuing the company’. In this context, Handelsblatt quoted a company spokesperson last week as saying: “After all, the application is not yet a death sentence. The proceedings will buy us time.” Lilium endeavoured to obtain state aid in Germany for a long time. However, it has been clear since mid-October that neither the federal government nor the Free State of Bavaria will provide any funds. The Handelsblatt now writes that in the event of a positive decision on state aid, the existing investors would also have injected 32 million euros in fresh money. However, this hope vanished into thin air when the Bundestag’s budget committee voted in favour. A few weeks ago, during the protracted decision-making phase regarding state aid, Lilium threatened to leave Germany. With the insolvency of the German subsidiaries, this scenario could materialise – should there still be a future for Lilium. This is not a matter of course. The parent company Lilium N.V, which is listed on the US stock exchange, is also in financial difficulties. And the company’s shares, which were already under pressure, have lost another three-quarters of their value since Thursday alone. Their price is now only in the cent range. investors.lilium.com via handelsblatt.com

Monta hits US market with EV charging software

Danish charging network operator Monta has launched operations across continents as it deployed its EV charging software to the US. Monta has set up its US headquarters in Miami for this purpose. The company hopes that operating in the US will open the door to add another 25,000 commercial charge points to its platform by the end of 2025 and 1 million charge points by the end of 2030. This success builds on the remarkable $87 million (€80M) round of funding secured by the company in January 2024. Expanding to the U.S. market also means the creation of jobs as Monta will engage 30 employees in its Miami office by the end of 2025. Monta’s EV charging platform in the U.S. seeks to mitigate the challenges with charging experiences caused by a wide range of issues including user interface problems, deficient software glitches, and complex payment processes on several mobile apps and credit card readers. To achieve this, Monta’s platform promises to deliver a better-optimized charging experience and unlock EV adoption at scale in the U.S. Speaking on the expansion to Miami, Casper Rasmussen, CEO and co-founder of Monta, remarked: “Across Europe, charging operators have been using Monta to scale up and deliver an improved experience for EV drivers for the last four years. Our customers and partners, many of whom already operate in the U.S. or have plans to expand here, have been asking us to bring Monta’s solution across the Atlantic to continue fueling growth across the EV charging infrastructure ecosystem.” Furthermore, in an attempt to scale its operations excellently in the US and North America at large, Monta has signed a partnership with Emobi, the largest EV charging ecosystem in North America. According to the press release from Monta, this partnership aims to deliver more than 118,000 charge points in the U.S. and Canada. “Monta’s expansion into North America is a critical step toward building a more accessible and comprehensive charging infrastructure,” said Lin Sun Fa, CEO of Emobi. “At Emobi, we share Monta’s vision for a future where sustainable transportation is within reach for everyone, and we are proud that our technology is helping power this expansion. By supporting Monta’s growth, we’re giving their customers instant access to charging networks and e-mobility partners across the U.S., accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles and making it a more seamless transition for all stakeholders.” monta.com Author: Abdulwaliy Oyekunle

Thailand plans to roll out EV charging facilities

In a bid to become a leader in the EV charging business, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has announced plans to expand EV charging outlets across Thailand, building on its 50 years of expertise in electricity supply and transmission system development. With this expansion, 110 new EV charging outlets will be deployed, increasing from 211 at the end of last year. According to reports, the company hopes to add 100 more outlets by next year. The director for innovative energy solution business management at EGAT, Nissara Thammapala, says that the expansion will enable EGAT’s EV charging outlets to gain traction in the EV solution sector. Nissara added: “We believe the EV charging business is still a blue ocean market.” EGAT’s promise to deliver more EV charging outlets comes after Thailand’s Department of Land Transport reported a total of 141,008 battery EVs in the country. It is also said that the Thai Industrial Standards Institute and the Energy Regulatory Commission are developing standards for EV chargers used in the country, while the Engineering Institute of Thailand is drafting standards for charger installation. Amidst all these developments, EGAT is dedicated to evolving to take centre stage in Thailand’s EV ecosystem. Thus, apart from the deployment of EV charging facilities, EGAT provides a smartphone app to manage queues at charging stations, and consultation on the technical aspects of charging infrastructure. The company also recently unveiled its EV charging facilities at the Bangkok EV Expo 2024. EGAT’s effort to expand its charging outlets indicates its efforts to scale up its EV solution businesses compared to already large-scale rivals. thethaiger.com, egat.co.th Author: Abdulwaliy Oyekunle

Legal dispute over German motorway charger Autobahn GmbH has an advantage over Fastned

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Manuel Campos Sánchez-Bordona, has presented his opinion in the legal dispute over the installation of fast chargers at managed motorway service areas in Germany. In his opinion, he presents a series of arguments based on economic law, culminating in the statement that he does not believe that the thesis of Fastned and the EU Commission “is correct on the merits.” In other words, he believes that Autobahn GmbH is right. The Autobahn GmbH des Bundes is a German limited liability company under the responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, which was founded on 13 September 2018. It took over the planning, construction, operation, maintenance, financing and asset management of the motorways in Germany at the beginning of 2021. What is at stake? Put simply, Fastned does not want to put up with the fact that Autobahn GmbH awards contracts for the operation of fast chargers at motorway service areas without a tender. For its part, Autobahn GmbH is relying on existing concession agreements that established Tank & Rast’s current quasi-monopoly in the 1990s. The dispute has been before the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court since 2022. The plaintiffs: Tesla and Fastned. However, the now published Opinion shows that Tesla withdrew from the national legal proceedings on 5 July 2024 and therefore did not appear at the hearing scheduled for 9 July like all other parties involved. Will the judges follow the Advocate General’s advice? The case is now being dealt with by the ECJ, as the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court needs a preliminary ruling from Luxembourg for its own judgment. In the summer of 2023, the Düsseldorf court referred certain questions regarding the admissibility of amendments to existing concession agreements to the European Court of Justice for clarification. Since then, those responsible there have collected written statements from Fastned, Tesla, Autobahn GmbH, the German government and the European Commission and arranged for the aforementioned oral hearing (already without Tesla) a year later. With the now-published Opinion of ECJ Advocate General Manuel Campos Sánchez-Bordona, the next legal stage has now been reached. It remains to be seen whether the ECJ judges will agree with the Advocate General’s opinion. However, this is often the case. The ruling from Luxembourg is expected this autumn. The Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court, where the underlying proceedings are being heard, must then issue a judgement based on the ECJ ruling. This is not expected before spring 2025. The background to the complex legal dispute is that more than 90 per cent of motorway service areas in Germany are operated by the concessionaire Tank & Rast. The contracts date back to the privatisation of the service stations in 1998. The focus of the legal dispute is a contract awarded by Autobahn GmbH to Tank & Rast two years ago for the installation of fast chargers at the motorway service stations. Tesla and Fastned sued because Autobahn GmbH had not initiated a formal award procedure and they, for their part, wanted to build charging parks on the motorway. In view of the lack of legal certainty, the expansion of fast chargers at managed motorway service areas in Germany has since come to a standstill: In March 2024, it was announced that Autobahn GmbH and Tank & Rast had frozen further expansion for the time being. The freeze is intended to minimise the risk of an expensive reversal – should the charging stations that have been installed since 2022 be declared illegal. The background to the complex legal dispute is that more than 90 per cent of motorway service areas in Germany are operated by the concessionaire Tank & Rast. The contracts date back to the privatisation of the service stations in 1998. The focus of the legal dispute is a contract awarded by Autobahn GmbH to Tank & Rast two years ago for the installation of fast chargers at the motorway service stations. Tesla and Fastned sued because Autobahn GmbH had not initiated a formal award procedure and they, for their part, wanted to build charging parks on the motorway. In view of the lack of legal certainty, the expansion of fast chargers at managed motorway service areas in Germany has since come to a standstill: In March 2024, it was announced that Autobahn GmbH and Tank & Rast had frozen further expansion for the time being. The freeze is intended to minimise the risk of an expensive reversal – should the charging stations that have been installed since 2022 be declared illegal. This has some curious consequences. For example, Autobahn GmbH has replaced old chargers that were at the end of their useful life with new Alpitronic HYC300 hyperchargers. The 300 kW columns are limited to 50 kW charging power so that they fall under the previously applicable regulations. When the go-ahead is given for the initial electric truck charging network, the federal government itself is sparing the managed motorway service stations for the time being – and is making do with truck charging parks at unmanaged car parks until the matter has been legally clarified. trans.info (in German), eur-lex.europa.eu

Freyr Battery expects €122 million grant from the EU

The project in Vaasa aims to develop an industrial-scale LFP cathode material plant with an initial nominal capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year. “We are very grateful to be selected for this grant award from the EU Innovation Fund, which demonstrates the EU’s continued support for Freyr’s ongoing industrialization efforts of sustainable battery value chain solutions,” commented Freyr CEO Tom Einar Jensen. “Freyr is focused on its development efforts in the U.S. while we continue to explore avenues to unlock shareholder value from our portfolio of real assets and potential projects in Norway and Europe such as the proposed CAM facility in Finland. We look forward to collaborating with our colleagues at the EUIF to finalize this grant,” added Jensen. The EUIF grant is linked to a proposed active cathode materials (CAM) project in Vaasa. According to the company, the selection for a grant is an important step towards the final award of the grant after fulfilment of various criteria, which are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. At the same time, Freyr continues to work with its technology licensor, partners, customers and other stakeholders to further develop the basis for the cathode material project. Freyr Battery had already secured a plot of land in Vaasa, Finland, in 2021, and at the time the company was still considering building a battery cell plant there. Now, however, the plan is to produce cathode material there, a key component for battery cells. Freyr Battery has had a turbulent few months. After just ten months in office, CEO Birger Sten stepped down in June and his predecessor and Freyr co-founder Tom Einar Jensen took over again. Freyr Battery had previously put plans for its Giga Arctic in Mo i Rana, Norway, on hold last autumn in order to focus instead on building a factory in the US state of Georgia called Giga America. The company headquarters have now also been relocated to the USA. The change in strategy resulted in a number of employees being let go. freyrbattery.com, businessportal-norwegen.com (CEO), highnorthnews.com (staff)