Allison Transmission presents electric axle for commercial vehicles

The new model is called the eGen Power 85S and complements the series of all-electric axles that Allison Transmission has introduced since 2020. The drive has an electric motor and a two-speed gearbox and offers a continuous and peak output of 225 and 325 kW respectively. According to the manufacturer, this power should ensure high acceleration and speed without compromising the efficiency and range of the vehicle. The eGen Power axles replace a vehicle’s conventional powertrain and are compatible with battery-only electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles and hybrid applications. According to Allison Transmission, the axle is a drop-in solution that can be easily integrated into existing vehicle chassis and ‘enables significant space savings for the battery’. The eGen Power 85S from Allison has already been integrated into the all-electric Novo Volt midi-bus platform from Anadolu Isuzu and is also being installed in light refuse and distribution vehicles. According to Allison Transmission, the eGen Power 100S electric axle, which has been available for some time, is also being used successfully in the Volterra ZSL refuse collection vehicle from US manufacturer McNeilus. Source: Info via email

Start of production at Nio’s subsidiary ‘Onvo’

Nio presented the Onvo L60 in mid-May but did not yet provide any full technical data. Even now, key points regarding the motorisation and charging capacity remain open. However, the price has been clearly communicated: since May, the L60 has been available for pre-order at a price of 219,900 yuan including battery (equivalent to around 28,000 euros). That is exactly 30,000 yuan less than the current base price of the Tesla Model Y in China. This comparison is obvious, as Nio explicitly wants to contrast the Onvo L60 with the Model Y. In terms of silhouette, the Onvo debutant is very similar to the Tesla. In terms of technology, all that has been leaked so far is that the model will offer two battery options for 60 and 90 kWh and will be based on a 900-volt high-voltage platform. The only official statement from Nio so far is that the L60 has ‘the world’s lowest drag coefficient for a production SUV at 0.229’, which should result in an energy consumption of 12.1 kWh per 100 kilometres. The manufacturer states a range of more than 1,000 kilometres according to the Chinese test cycle. According to the CN EV Post, new images and information from the interior of the crossover SUV are now available at the start of production. The dashboard is equipped with a 17.2-inch screen. Another 8-inch screen is located at the rear of the centre console so that passengers in the back seat can use it. The Onvo L60 is the twelfth model from the Nio world and shares production facilities and processes with the main Nio brand, according to the Onvo board. Nio announced the brand name Onvo (International) and China Ledao (for China) back in March. Prior to this, preparations were made for the launch of the new brand under the working title ‘Alps’. It has been known since 2022 that the company was planning further sub-brands in addition to the current core brand Nio with higher-priced models (including the Firefly brand alongside Onvo). Onvo is to stand for cheaper electric cars between 200,000 and 300,000 yuan (around 25,700 to 38,400 euros), positioning itself between Nio and the new budget brand Firefly. According to an earlier announcement by William Li, the vehicles will be ten per cent cheaper than the respective Tesla models. Onvo will place a special focus on the mobility needs of families. cnevpost.com

350 US mayors pledge to electrify 50 per cent of their fleets

The initiative could lead to an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 new electric cars being put on the road for small and medium-sized municipalities and almost one million tonnes of CO2 emissions being avoided over the lifetime of the vehicles, according to an accompanying press release. However, the climate mayors not only want to electrify the vehicle fleets, a key focus of the alliance is also on the charging infrastructure. The participants want to increase the number of charging points for electric vehicles in their municipalities by 500 per cent by 2035. The climate mayors see equal access to charging stations as crucial for the transition to the electric age. They therefore want to install 450,000 charging stations for public and municipal use – with at least 40 per cent of the charging infrastructure benefiting disadvantaged areas. “This commitment to electrification not only underscores our drive for reducing our carbon footprint but also signifies the importance of bipartisan action on climate change,” said John Giles, Mayor of Mesa, Arizona. “By working together across party lines, Climate Mayors can achieve significant progress toward a safe, sustainable, and prosperous future. Embracing electric vehicles will bring long-term benefits to our community, and we are proud to lead this important transition as a united front.” In the initiative’s press release, a number of mayors of smaller cities have their say. Several well-known metropolises are also involved: Miami, New Orleans, Portland and Seattle. In such cities, the fleets are logically much larger than in smaller towns, so these large cities carry particular weight. Seattle’s mayor Bruce Harrell said: “In Seattle, we’re taking a multi-pronged approach centered around the needs of our residents and community members to ensure EV use and charging is accessible for all. We are launching dozens of new curbside charging stations, offering rebates for charging in multi-family buildings, and expanding businesses’ use of cargo bikes for urban delivery. These initiatives, driven by the ambitious goals set in Seattle’s Transportation Electrification Blueprint, are driving us towards a cleaner, greener future. In partnership with other Climate Mayors, I am committed to accelerating climate emission reduction, focusing on climate justice for those most impacted by environmental harm, and supporting the resilience of Seattle communities.” Back in 2019, the Climate Mayors launched the EV Pooled Purchasing Collaborative to help cities electrify their fleets and plan for EV charging. Since then, more than 250 municipalities, counties, transport authorities, port authorities, colleges and universities have committed to purchasing over 4,000 EVs. climatemayors.org, linkedin.com

BMW invests in charging infrastructure in Mexico

The new charging points are to be installed at at least 20 locations such as restaurants, shopping centres, hotels and offices. These new charging points will be in addition to the more than 500 that are already part of the VEMO network and to which BMW Group Mexico customers will have access. ‘In the year in which we celebrate our 30th anniversary in Mexico, we are also celebrating a decade of sales of pure electric vehicles in our country. With eleven models from BMW, Mini and BMW Motorrad, we are the premium company with the largest range of battery-powered models, whether purely electric or plug-in hybrid,’ said Diego Camargo, CEO of BMW Group Mexico. The alliance with VEMO in Mexico is part of an investment totalling 724,000 euros that the BMW Group has made in Latin America to expand the range of charging stations in the region. The sum will be invested in a total of 251 new charging stations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama and Peru. To celebrate the partnership, every customer who buys a BMW i4 will receive free electricity for a distance of 8,000 kilometres between August and December as an energy credit that can be charged throughout the VEMO network. In addition, customers who purchase their BMW and MINI vehicles from October onwards will receive VEMO energy credits included in the purchase price of the vehicle. Roberto Rocha, co-founder and CEO of VEMO, said: “This agreement strengthens the expansion plan of VEMO’s public charging network, which is the most robust and reliable in Mexico. We are excited to partner with BMW Group Mexico to jointly drive the development of electric mobility in Mexico. We are determined to lead this transformation towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility.” bmwgroup.com (in Spanish)

CATL opens a different kind of EV museum

The ‘CATL New Energy Plaza’ in Chengdu is intended to serve as a kind of showcase for electromobility, albeit with a focus on CATL. Visitors will be able to view a wide variety of electric cars equipped with batteries from CATL. The responsible district government in Chengdu and several car manufacturers have also collaborated on the experience centre. According to CATL, it has set up a new platform in cooperation with car manufacturers ‘to build a bridge between car manufacturers and consumers to promote innovation and mutual success’. The models on display in Chengdu include global bestsellers such as the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, electric cars from German manufacturers such as the VW ID.4 Crozz and ID.6 Crozz, as well as examples from Chinese brands. CATL is the main supplier of Nio’s batteries, which is why several of the start-up’s models can be found in the exhibition. The Xiaomi SU7, which has been in great demand in China since its premiere in April, can also be viewed there. You can read an initial driving report on the SU7 here. Plug-in hybrids from Wey and Volvo (the XC60 to be precise) can also be seen in the pictures. As a battery manufacturer, CATL is first and foremost a partner for OEMs. The CarNewsChina portal therefore aptly notes that the 13,800 square metre showroom is a first for CATL: this is the first time the company has come into direct contact with end customers. The company had already made an emphatically self-confident appearance at Auto China in Beijing. Now it seems as if the brand is also to be made more present to the end customer – so that they will not only decide in favour of an electric car, but one with a CATL battery when they next make a purchase decision. However, CATL expressly wants to do without the special ‘CATL Inside’ branding that was once used for computers with Intel chips. As a battery manufacturer, CATL is first and foremost a partner for OEMs. The CarNewsChina portal therefore aptly notes that the 13,800 square metre showroom is a first for CATL: this is the first time the company has come into direct contact with end customers. The company had already made an emphatically self-confident appearance at Auto China in Beijing. Now it seems as if the brand is also to be made more present to the end customer – so that they will not only decide in favour of an electric car, but one with a CATL battery when they next make a purchase decision. However, CATL expressly wants to do without the special ‘CATL Inside’ branding that was once used for computers with Intel chips. Although the experience centre is also referred to as a showroom for electric cars, it is purely an exhibition – unlike dealer showrooms, no sales will take place there. Nevertheless, the centre will offer services such as test drives, as well as information events on the entire life cycle – not only of the cars, but also of the batteries. CATL employees will answer consumer questions about electric cars and batteries at the exhibition. There will also be specialist presentations on battery development. In addition to the new centre, which is also called ‘Ning Space’ in China (probably in reference to the company headquarters in Ningde), CATL has also introduced its own aftermarket service called ‘Ningjia Service’. Throughout China, 112 service centres will offer battery-related services – from mobile service teams in emergencies to battery maintenance and battery condition checks. prnewswire.com, carnewschina.com

UK’s Gridserve looks to expand globally

Gridserve founder Toddington Harper, who also served as CEO at Gridserve (UK), will lead the new global business. Roy Williamson, Gridserve’s current Executive Chairman, will serve as interim CEO for the UK business. As mentioned above, the British charge point operator says it wants to become “a global technology powerhouse, taking the Gridserve name and innovative technology into new markets,” but does not go into specifics. It is thus not clear where the first Gridserve Global charging location will be installed. According to Williamson, Gridserve has nearly 1,500 charging bays at more than 190 locations across the UK. “We’re continuing to build on that success for 2024 and beyond and will remain focused on our mission to deliver sustainable energy at the speed and scale needed to move the needle on climate change,” he said. “The addition of Gridserve Global to support Gridserve in the UK will deliver unrivalled focus and technology leadership, which is critical for supporting partners globally with world-leading technology, building on all our successes to date, and supporting our mission to move the needle on climate change. I am so proud of what GRIDSERVE has achieved so far and I’m excited about what we can now achieve internationally through building on our technology leadership position into 2025 and beyond.” Source: Information via email

Flixbus starts testing Yutong electric bus between London and Cambridge

The trial of the electric coach is already the second project of its kind in the UK. From March to June, Flixbus had already introduced an electric long-distance coach service between England and Wales. The route ran from London and Bristol in England to Newport in South Wales. A twelve-metre-long Yutong TCe12 with 46 seats was used. The test that has now been initiated between London and Cambridge also uses an electric Yutong, but a longer version. The Yutong Gte14 is 14 metres long and offers 59 seats. According to the manufacturer, thanks to a 563 kWh battery on board, the range is around 300 miles, the equivalent of around 480 kilometres. The vehicle provided by importer Pelican Yutong should be able to make two round trips per day between London and Cambridge, i.e. around 400 kilometres. The companies Whippet and Zenobē are on board as partners in the project. According to Flixbus, Whippet is a leading operator of electric buses in Cambridge and runs both the university’s bus service and local bus routes. Zenobē has made a name for itself as a British specialist for electric vehicle fleets and battery services. Through the partnerships, Flixbus will always charge the electric Yutong at the Whippet depot in Swavesey (near Cambridge) using a charging infrastructure provided by Zenobē. The Yutong is also equipped with a Zenobē telematics system to collect data on the performance of the vehicle and the battery. According to Flixbus, this information is crucial to further develop its strategy to expand electric bus transport in the UK. Andreas Schörling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK, commented: “Following our launch of England and Wales first electric coach service, we’re thrilled to be trialling another zero-emission service as we build the largest coach network in the country.” The parent company Flix has now completed pilot projects with electric vehicles in several markets. For example, a national bus service with Yutong electric buses was trialled in Portugal in 2022. From 2018 to 2019, a long-distance electric bus also travelled between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim for the provider – but this was a BYD C9. A battery-electric long-distance bus from MCI has also been trialled in the USA. Flixbus is not only working on projects with battery-electric drive systems for inter-regional transport without exhaust emissions. Since 2021, the company has also been working with German suppliers ZF and Freudenberg on hydrogen-powered buses for intercity transport. The three-year ‘HyFleet’ project is focussing on the development of fuel cells that should enable continuous operation for at least 35,000 hours. Another research focus is on hybridisation strategies for the drivetrain, the so-called ‘right-sizing’ between fuel cell and batteries. As part of the HyFleet project, the first fuel cell-powered long-distance bus in Europe is to be developed by 2024 – so the vehicle should be unveiled soon. Source: Info via email

Archer Aviation wins major order for air taxis from FFG

Both companies have signed a letter of intent according to which Future Flight Global would like to order up to 116 air taxis. However, this is not yet a fully binding order. The letter of intent has an order volume of up to 580 million dollars. This increases the provisional order backlog of Archer, in which the automotive group Stellantis holds a stake, to six billion dollars. The two companies are now working on formalising the final agreements on the intended aircraft purchases as well as on a strategic operating alliance. Once finalised, upfront payments of almost five million dollars are planned. FFG does not only aim to act as a buyer, instead, both companies aim to partner in the operation of the air taxis. This involves routes in Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia. FFG will operate selected routes as part of Archer’s planned air taxi service, utilising Archer’s existing Vertiport infrastructure network with partners such as Signature and Atlantic Aviation. Additional vertiport partners will also be added to provide air taxi services to other high-demand locations. FFG also plans to use the Midnight air taxis to provide on-demand transit services to its customers in sectors such as corporations, hotels, governments and high-net-worth individuals. Although FFG is not yet active, it has a wealth of experience in aviation: FFG was founded by members of the management team of Titan Aviation, which has been providing business aircraft worldwide for more than two decades. “The aviation industry is on the cusp of its most exciting revolution in decades,” said Karan Singh, CEO and founder of FFG. “We’re partnering with Archer to provide tailored, flexible aviation services to our top clients in some of the world’s most exciting destinations. Midnight’s versatility makes it well-suited to diverse routes and mission profiles, while also providing a world-class experience and operational efficiency that’s attractive to our corporate clients.” Andrew Cummins, Director of Business Development at Archer, added: “As our first private aviation partner, and with their deep ties in aviation and bold approach, FFG is positioned to be a new leader in modern aviation. Partnering with Karan and the team at FFG was an obvious choice and an ideal relationship for Archer.” However, the partnership with FFG is not the only news from Archer Aviation: a few days ago, the company also announced the launch of an air taxi network in Los Angeles. Archer’s planned network includes take-off and landing locations at Los Angeles International Airport, the University of Southern California, Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach and Van Nuys. Archer is also working with the Los Angeles Rams and Hollywood Park to potentially build an exclusive vertiport there. The take-off and landing sites make it clear what Archer’s goal is: the startup wants to change urban transport by replacing 60 to 90-minute commutes by car with electric air taxi flights lasting an estimated 10 to 20 minutes. futureflightglobal.com, archer.com (Los Angeles)

Gillig uses tanks from Hexagon Purus for H2 buses

At the beginning of May, Gillig announced the expansion of its product range to include the first model with a fuel cell drive. The US bus manufacturer is working with BAE Systems and Ballard Power Systems on the development. Production is scheduled to start in 2026. It is now clear that Hexagon Purus will be the supplier of the hydrogen tanks. This is revealed in a press release from the tank manufacturer. However, Hexagon Purus does not specify concrete purchase quantities. The press release merely states that the supplier will supply Gillig with the H2 tanks from its plant in Westminster in the US state of Maryland. To date, Gillig has focussed on pure battery and hybrid buses in the field of electrification. In March 2024, for example, Gillig signed a framework agreement to supply up to 395 battery-electric buses to Seattle. Gillig is using Akasol battery systems from supplier BorgWarner for the batteries for these BEV buses. The US manufacturer now also intends to offer H2 buses from 2026. The company has not yet commented on the technical specifications it is aiming for. When the plans were announced in May, it was only generally stated that the integration of Ballard’s fuel cell technology and BAE Systems’ electric drivetrain with Gillig’s low-floor platform would create an emission-free solution with a longer range. globenewswire.com

Lynk & Co kicks off pre-sales for electric sedan in China

Lynk & Co unveiled the new electric sedan in June. The main features were already known beforehand. This is because the Z10 is the series version of the concept called ‘Lynk & Co The Next Day’. The model is based on Geely’s SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform and measures 5,028 x 1,966 x 1,468 mm with a wheelbase of 3,005 mm. According to CN EV Post, the electric sedan is available in five versions, including three with 400-volt and two with 800-volt architecture. The motorisation varies between rear-wheel and all-wheel drive with up to 310 kW and 580 kW respectively. The LFP battery options available are 75 and 95 kWh battery capacity, which should be sufficient for ranges of 602 km, 766 km, 806 km and 702 km in the Chinese CLTC cycle, depending on the version. The Lynk & Co Z10 has a sporty look with split headlights, a fast-sloping roofline reminiscent of a coupé, 21-inch wheels, a full-width rear light and an extendable spoiler. One of the most important exterior elements is the RGB lighting at the front and rear, a design feature that is intended to appeal to gamers and other young customers in particular. The Z10 also has a LiDAR sensor for automated driving functions. Other highlights include a full glass roof, a compact digital instrument cluster integrated into the dashboard, a free-standing 15.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a steering wheel with a flattened lower rim. There is currently no word on a possible global market launch of the vehicle – but the world premiere took place two months ago in Gothenburg, Sweden, which could indicate that the car will also be sold in Europe in the future. Lynk & Co has been present in Europe since the end of 2020, but only with combustion engines. In any case, the brand’s business has so far been based on partially electrified vehicles at most. Lynk & Co’s core brand values are highly connected models and direct sales strategies to attract young buyers in particular. cnevpost.com