50 VinFast Stores Opening In Europe, 800 Electric Double-Deck Buses for Ireland, 2nd Life Batteries to Rickshaws — EV News Today

June 16, 20223 years ago EV News Today 0 Comments

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

As VinFast, a Vietnamese EV company, announced its plan to open more than 50 stores across France, Germany, and Netherland at EVS35, the Audi Environmental Foundation went into the third project phase with nonprofit startup Nunam on electric rickshaws. Battery modules from Audi e-tron test vehicles are electrifying rickshaws in India. Their target group: women. Rickshaws enable economic participation and provide a safe means of transportation.

Second-life use: Former Audi e-tron battery modules electrify rickshaws in India.

The NIO ES7’s interior continues to develop as the vision of a “second living room.” Sunra two-wheel EV sales increase even as Plug-in Car Grant axed in UK. 800 battery-electric double-deck buses ordered from Wrightbus. There’s a lot to share today! Hot EV news is below.

Electric Land Vehicles

VinFast has announced its plan to open more than 50 VinFast stores In Europe

VinFast Stores. Image courtesy of VinFast.

“VinFast is participating in the International Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition (EVS35) in Oslo, Norway. It is the first time VinFast officially introduces VF 8 and VF 9 to the Europe. To further demonstrate its commitment to the markets, VinFast has also announced its plan to open more than 50 stores across France, Germany and Netherland at EVS35.

“According to the announcement, VinFast plans to open at least 25 VinFast stores in Germany, 20 in France and 5 in the Netherlands. The first confirmed German locations include Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Oberhausen and Hamburg. In France, locations include Paris, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes, Nice, Montpellier, Aix en Provence and Metz. Amsterdam is expected to be see first VinFast Store in the Netherlands.”

NIO launches smart electric mid-large SUV — ES7

“On June 15, 2022, NIO held a Product Launch Event which premiered the ES7, a smart electric mid-large SUV, and the 2022 ES8, ES6, and EC6.

“NIO ES7’s exterior showcases NIO’s latest design language with reductive lines and powerful proportions. It is also the first SUV application of the ‘Design for AD’ ethos. The front fascia’s Shark Nose and Diamond cut plan view celebrate the pure X Bar design. NIO furthered its distinct SUV design language with sophisticated wheel arches, increasing ES7’s road presence. The double-dash DRL showcased in the front of ES7 is met by the ‘Air Wing’ taillight that adds visual width.

“NIO ES7’s interior continues the vision of a ‘second living room’ with sophistication and human touches. A wheelbase of 2960mm gives the ES7 a spacious cabin. The front cabin adopts the double-layer S-shaped instrument panel with expansive use of karuun® sustainable rattan. The ES7 interior is generous in width but especially with additional length in a wrap-around design. Front seats have heating, ventilation, and massage functions. Heated rear seats are standard with power-adjustable seatback between 23° to 31°.”

VOYAH Showroom is located in the center of Oslo, Norway, with VOYAH FREE unveiled in Norway as well

“‘Performance-grade intelligent electric SUV — VOYAH FREE’ opened in Europe when it was selling well in the Chinese market for nearly a year. On June 11th, 2022, VOYAH Showroom, located at Klingenberggt. 7 in the center of Oslo, Norway, opened. Over 100 people, including guests, media and customer representatives, gathered to witness the opening of the business on this day, during which ‘performance-level intelligent electric SUV’ VOYAH FREE and ‘electric luxury flagship MPV’ VOYAH Dream made their debut jointly.

“Lu Fang, CEO&CTO of VOYAH Automobile, said, ‘VOYAH, a high-end new energy brand launched by Dongfeng Motor Group, is committed to the perfect integration of driving performance and intelligent technology, so as to shape the global influence of Chinese brands. In the future, VOYAH will utilize Dongfeng’s powerful overseas resources and innovative technology and business model to offer a new experience of intelligent electric vehicles.'”

Start of a new era: Charismatic simplicity, the new design language for the MINI family of the future.

“The distinctive styling is also taking a huge leap forwards with the fully electric next model generation of the British premium brand. Reduction without compromise, digitalization creating an intensive user experience, sustainability running through the MINI DNA, maximum emotion with minimum footprint.”

“Electric, digital, sustainable and distinctive: the new generation of MINI models brings the brand’s driving pleasure, user experience and responsible attitude into a completely new era. Its forward-looking design language makes this transformation instantly visible. It melds the brand’s traditional values with state-of-the-art technology and acknowledges the elementary principles of vehicle design as well as the urban character of the MINI and its community’s innovative spirit. The principle behind Charismatic Simplicity is a design that helps each new Mini model develop a strong individual character of its own, intuitively focussing on the essence of the brand with a clear, reduced design language. Another central factor of the new design language is its choice of materials with a keen eye on sustainability. The next MINI model generation has a leather-free interior and dispenses almost entirely with chrome elements.”

Lightyear 0 is here — the world’s first production-ready solar car

“The automotive industry needs to change its course. Every year, all cars drive 9,460,000,000,000 fossil-fueled kilometres. That’s a lot. In fact, it’s a light-year. It’s our goal to have the world drive one light-year on solar power by 2035.

“Lex Hoefsloot, Co-founder and CEO, explains: ‘electric cars are a step in the right direction, but they have a scaling problem. By 2030, we can expect 84 million electric vehicles (EVs) on roads in Europe alone.

“‘There’s no hiding from it, access to charging stations will not keep up with the demand for electric cars. To minimize plug-charging and maximize range, the industry’s strategy, so far, has been to add batteries. That increases the carbon footprint of production and, in turn, boosts weight and the need for high-power charging stations.’

“‘Our strategy flips that approach. Lightyear 0 delivers more range with less battery, reducing weight and CO₂ emissions per vehicle.’“

MAN eMobility Center: Successful first year in the run-up to the large-series electric truck

“Preparations for large-scale production of electric trucks from Munich are on track: In the first 12 months since the innovative eMobility Center was established at its main plant, MAN Truck & Bus has rolled out 20 prototypes of the upcoming heavy-duty eTruck, testing future mixed series production with conventional trucks under real-life conditions. The new eTruck made its first rounds in Berlin at the end of May. In Munich, 1700 employees have so far been trained in the CO2-free technology of the future.”

Einride and Oatly expand partnership to electrify Oatly’s North American fleet

NTA announces historic agreement for 800 battery-electric double-deck buses

“The NTA has today announced an order for 120 double-deck battery-electric buses from Bamford Bus Company (trading as Wrightbus). These 120 buses are part of a framework agreement which provides for the procurement of up to 800 zero-emission battery-electric buses over a period of five years.”

“The buses — Streetdeck Electroliner BEVs — will be manufactured and assembled at the Wrightbus facility in Galgorm, on the outskirts of Ballymena in Northern Ireland.

“The framework agreement now in place between the NTA and Wrightbus has the potential to be the single biggest bus procurement in the history of the State. These will be the first battery-electric double-deck buses to be added to the national bus fleet in Ireland and their addition will deliver a significant uplift in the proportion of low- or zero-emission buses within that fleet.”

Wrightbus awarded up to 800 battery-electric DD buses in Ireland by NTA

“The National Transport Authority has today announced an order for 120 double-deck battery-electric buses (100 headed to Dublin Bus, 20 to Bus Éireann) from Bamford Bus Company (trading as Wrightbus, as reported in the manufacturer press note). These 120 buses are part of a framework agreement which provides for the procurement of up to 800 zero-emission battery-electric buses over a period of five years. The tender was issued in late 2020.”

Second-life use: Audi e-tron battery modules power electrify rickshaws in India

“Ingolstadt, June 15, 2022 — A second life for electric car batteries: The German–Indian start-up Nunam is bringing three electric rickshaws to the roads of India. They are powered by used batteries taken from test vehicles in the Audi e-tron test fleet. The aim of the project is to explore how modules made with high-voltage batteries can be reused after their car life cycle and become a viable second-life use case. The project also aims to strengthen job opportunities for women in India in particular: They will be provided with the e-rickshaws to transport their goods. The non-profit start-up based in Berlin and Bangalore is funded by the Audi Environmental Foundation. Nunam developed the three prototypes in collaboration with the training team at Audi’s Neckarsulm site, which in turn benefits from the intensive intercultural exchange. This is the first joint project between both AUDI AG and the Audi Environmental Foundation in addition to Nunam.

“The e-rickshaws powered by second-life batteries are scheduled to hit the roads in India for the first time in a pilot project in early 2023. There they will be made available to a non-profit organization. Women in particular will be able to use the all-electric rickshaws to transport their goods to market for sale, all without the need for intermediaries. The e-rickshaws are powered by used battery modules that spent their first life in an Audi e-tron. ‘The old batteries are still extremely powerful,’ says Nunam cofounder Prodip Chatterjee. ‘When used appropriately, second-life batteries can have a huge impact, helping people in challenging life situations earn an income and gain economic independence — everything in a sustainable way.’

“The start-up’s primary goal is to develop ways to use old batteries as second-life power storage systems, thus both extending their lives and using resources more efficiently.”

“Car batteries are designed to last the life of the car. But even after their initial use in a vehicle, they still have a lot of their power,” Chatterjee explains. “For vehicles with lower range and power requirements, as well as lower overall weight, they are extremely promising. In our second-life project, we reuse batteries from electric cars in electric vehicles; you might call it electric mobility ‘lite’. In this way, we’re trying to find out how much power the batteries can still provide in this demanding use case.”

Sunra two-wheel EV sales increase as Plug-in Car Grant axed

“Logan Black of Sunra UK commented, ‘The government’s decision to close the Plug-in Car grant this week is no huge surprise, but on the plus side, it’s certainly a welcome boost for two-wheeler adoption and the positive contribution to combating congestion. While the government has reduced its support for two-wheel EV purchasers, we’ve been able to hold our 2021 pricing to encourage more to make the move. We plan to hold this as long as possible in 2022, while we look to introduce some new incentives also.’

“Despite the government’s decision to slash the two-wheel EV grant earlier this year from 20% of the pre-grant purchase price up to a maximum value of £1500 for all electric motorcycles, to 35% (max £150) on L1e Mopeds and 35% (Max £500) on L3e Scooters, the adoption of small capacity equivalent two-wheel electric motorcycles and scooters continues to increase across the UK.”

Sunra two-wheel EV sales increase as Plug-in Car Grant axed

EV Charging

Electreon’s wireless electric vehicle charging technology is ready for commercialization after successful pilot in Italy’s “Arena of the Future” project

“Electreon (TASE: ELWS.TA), the leading provider of wireless and in-road wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging technology for commercial and passenger EVs, today announced the successful completion of the final phase of the company’s Electric Road System (ERS) pilot as part of the ‘Arena of the Future’ project. Electreon’s technology is now ready for commercialization.”

“As part of the project — which is located in Brescia, Italy, and dubbed ‘Arena of the Future’ — Electreon has integrated its wireless technology to charge an IVECO bus and Stellantis’s Fiat Nuova 500 passenger vehicle while driving. This project is demonstrating contactless charging for a range of EVs as they drive as a potential pathway to decarbonizing long-haul transportation systems along motorway transport corridors.”

TotalEnergies, Hubject, and alpitronic present their Plug&Charge solution for a seamless charging experience.

“TotalEnergies and its partners Hubject and alpitronic successfully tested their ‘Plug&Charge’ solution on June 8 at the St Mathurin service station (France). This technology facilitates the user experience by making quick payment easier, faster and significantly more secure.

“With Plug&Charge, electric vehicle drivers no longer need to physically use a credit card, mobility card or mobile application to launch or pay for their charging session. Once the vehicle is plugged into the compatible charging infrastructure, it automatically authenticates, authorizes and initiates the charging session and payment procedure. Once the vehicle is unplugged or fully charged, the payment transaction for the session takes place directly. The billing is then directly managed, and the invoice sent to the user in seconds for an optimized user experience.”

Aviation

Overair receives $145 million investment from Hanwha Group to develop all-electric VTOL aircraft

Overair experimental prototype Butterfly will take flight in 2023.

“Today, electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) company, Overair, announced its most recent funding of $145 million from Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Aerospace, global leaders in ultra-precision communications and aircraft technologies. With this new investment, Overair remains on track to fly its all-electric experimental prototype in the second half of 2023.”

Environment

NIO x Polar Hub: COP15 Youth Scientific Expedition Hainan Project

“On May 22, the 22nd International Day for Biological Diversity, NIO partnered with Polar Hub on the Clean Parks Initiative for joint ecological development. The two partners will carry out in-depth explorations in such areas as biological diversity protection, ecological restoration, use of clean energy, citizen science and public education and communication, so as to facilitate the joint ecological development, mitigate climate change and promote sustainable development.”