Homebuilt Electric Airplane, Rolls-Royce Electric Aviation, Polestar on Nasdaq, & More EV News
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.
A homebuilt electric plane, the Rolls-Royce goal of leading the electric aviation market, hydrogen infrastructure for airports, and more electric aviation news is just the tip of the EV news roundup this week. Also, regarding the water, Cara Delevingne offers wise words and urges people to avoid fast fashion and diesel engines. Plus, Polestar launches on the stock market, the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX breaks its own efficiency record, and an unprecedented vehicle-to-grid pilot program wraps up in the UK. FedEx, Lucid Air, Ford, GM, and others also bring good news to the table.
“My Ami Buggy is built for adventure and embodies freedom of movement and a holiday vibe with its passenger compartment open to the outside. Instead of doors, it features metal tube gates. Similarly, the roof has gone, and in its place is a canvas that can be rolled back so you can enjoy the open air.
“It’s difficult to miss out on its adventurous style – with its unusual Khaki bodywork, its wheel arches, its front and rear bumpers and its golden wheel rims. It’s also difficult to resist its set of yellow accessories that gives a vitaminized look.
“Available in 9 countries, Ami has already won over 21.000 customers in Europe since its commercial launch in April 2020. The dazzling success of this limited edition shows just how incredibly enthusiastic people are about exclusive versions of this mobility object.”
Reuters adds: “‘Sorry Elon, the only way to get one is to buy us’, Citroen wrote on a billboard at Paris’ Gare de L’Est train station, referring to the Tesla CEO’s appetite for deals, which has recently included a $44 billion bid for Twitter.”
Electric Marine Vehicles
The future of electric racing on water comes to the Goodwood Festival of Speed
“The UIM E1 World Championship is delighted to announce that the RaceBird, the all-electric foiling raceboat that will compete in the inaugural season, [was] on display in the UK for the first time at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed’s Future Lab.”
Hollywood star and model Cara Delevingne makes sustainability plea with E1 Series in Venice:
“Model and actor Cara Delevingne has urged people to avoid fast fashion and diesel engine pitfalls during an interview, embracing World Ocean Day (June 8th). The Suicide Squad star is passionate about the planet and has followed up her in interest in electric racing series Formula E, with an appearance in Venice alongside its hotly anticipated on-water counterpart, E1 Series.”
“There’s way too much plastic in the world. You know, if you do eat meat, find out where it’s coming from to try and plant as many trees. Be a seed pollinator wherever you go. I mean there’s just so many different things you could do, especially not buying into fast fashion, go looking for brands who are doing things which are recyclable and reusable.” — Cara Delevingne
Sophi Horne, Designer of the RaceBird and Founder & Chairman of SeaBird Technologies, commented: “Less than two years ago, the RaceBird was just a design on paper. To see it fully realized amongst the most exciting, futuristic technologies in the world feels like we’ve come full-circle. I hope attendees will enjoy experiencing the boat for the first time and will learn a lot about the pioneering technologies employed in its development.”
In case you missed it: An electrifying public debut for the RaceBird in Venice
Electric Cars
“The Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX beats its own efficiency record in real-world driving with another 1,000 km+ (621 mile+) journey on a single battery charge. Following its initial record-breaking drive from Stuttgart to Cassis (France) in April, the research vehicle set the bar even higher, with a 1,202- kilometer (747 mile) road trip from Stuttgart to Silverstone in the UK. After negotiating an autobahn closure and requesting cross-country diversion near Stuttgart, the VISION EQXX crossed the French border near Strasbourg then cruised across northern France at highway speeds to Calais, where it boarded the Eurotunnel. Continuing its journey in the UK, it took the M25 around London then stopped off at Mercedes- Benz Grand Prix in Brackley. Waiting to greet it there were the Formula 1 and Formula E experts who helped develop its advanced drivetrain. The VISION EQXX then carried on to Silverstone, where it was welcomed by special guest driver Nyck de Vries. The Dutchman, who races for the Mercedes-EQ Formula E team, opted not to go easy on the research vehicle, taking it up to its maximum speed limit of 87 mph on the iconic British race track. Making the most of the occasion, he completed 11 laps, using the last of the charge on the pit lane. Throughout the road trip, the VISION EQXX took advantage of its innovative thermal management system to achieve an average consumption of 8.3 kWh/100 km in the face of heavy traffic and summer temperatures.”
VISION EQXX — the trip log in figures:
| Start | Stuttgart Untertürkheim, June 21st, 2022, 08:15 CEST |
| Arrival | Silverstone, June 22nd, 2022, 18:02 BST |
| Travel route |
Polestar 5 electric 4-door GT to debut exclusive new Polestar electric powertrain
Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D, says: “Polestar 5 is shaping up to be a superb 4-door GT and a true Polestar at heart. The platform combines low-volume performance car attributes with modern technological advances to bring light-weight, high-rigidity sports car chassis technology into mass production.”
Polestar lists successfully on Nasdaq
“Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand, begins trading on the Nasdaq in New York as of 24 June. Polestar will trade under the ticker PSNY.
“The US listing marks another significant milestone for the brand that launched in 2017 and has already become a global electric car company. A unique combination of start-up agility with access to established automotive OEM manufacturing expertise and capacity, Polestar has launched two award winning cars and has more than 55,000 of them on the road, globally.”
“This is a hugely proud moment for the entire team at Polestar,” says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar. “We will now open a new chapter in our story that can be summarised in one word – growth. By 2025 we aim to be selling 290,000 cars per year, 10 times as many as we sold in 2021. We already have a real and successful business; this listing gives us the funds and platform to help deliver our ambitious future plans and drive industry-leading sustainability goals forward.”
“YOKOHAMA, Japan — Nissan and McLaren Racing announced today a multi-year technical collaboration, which will commence at the beginning of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season.
“With McLaren Racing confirming its participation in the sport from Season 9 of the all-electric series, the partnership will see the Japanese automaker supply its Nissan EV powertrain technology to the famous British team for the entirety of the Formula E Gen3 era.”
Autonomy EV subscription expands to Monterey, Santa Cruz, and nearby cities
“Autonomy’s subscription model offers a new radical solution to the rising demand for electric cars. An additional advantage is the company’s stock of Model 3s that are available for delivery or pickup within weeks (while supplies last), compared with the six- to nine-month wait for a lease or loan.”
Elli and MITNETZ STROM publish concept for smart grid integration of EVs
“Elli, a brand of the Volkswagen Group, and MITNETZ STROM have now launched the nationwide pilot project for smart grid integration of electric vehicles. In the first step, around 20 drivers of Volkswagen models ID.31, ID.42 or ID.53 are involved in making electric cars part of the energy system in the future and increasingly using green electricity from the region for charging.”
Lucid Motors lease calculator: How much does it cost to lease a Lucid Air?
“You can see the Lucid Air Grand Touring priced at its original price of $140,500 with 15,000 miles annually, a 48 month lease term, with $10,000 down, minus the $7,500 federal tax credit (which is awesome to apply to a lease), you are paying $13,071 at signing and then a monthly lease payment of about $2,076.”
Aptera and leading in-wheel powertrain maker Elaphe announce strategic deal for electric motors
“Aptera Motors announces deal worth several hundred million euros to source distributed drive platform technologies from Elaphe. The deal is another leap forward for Aptera to enter series production in record time. Located in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Elaphe is a technology leader for in-wheel powertrains, and is Aptera’s vendor of record for the electric propulsion system. The arrangement includes a detailed plan to scale production in Slovenia, and then extend production to the US.”
- “Ford takes next step in its transformation; selects Valencia plant as best positioned to produce vehicles based on a next-generation electric vehicle architecture”
- “Ford reiterates its commitment to Germany with a $2 billion investment in a state-of-the-art electric vehicle center in Cologne, where production will start in late 2023”
- “Advances Ford’s goal to achieve zero emissions for all vehicle sales in Europe and carbon neutrality across its European footprint of facilities, logistics and suppliers by 2035”
Electric Trucks & Vans
“FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) announced today it has received its first 150 electric delivery vehicles from BrightDrop, the technology startup from General Motors (GM) decarbonizing last-mile delivery.
“This marks a critical milestone for FedEx as the company plans to transform its entire parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions by 2040, and comes just months after BrightDrop’s commercialization of the Zevo 600 as the fastest vehicle to market in GM’s history.
“At FedEx, we have ambitious sustainability goals, and our phased approach to vehicle electrification is a crucial part of our roadmap to achieve carbon neutral global operations,” said Mitch Jackson, Chief Sustainability Officer, FedEx. “In just under six months, we’ve taken delivery of 150 BrightDrop Zevo 600s for our parcel pickup and delivery fleet. In today’s climate of chip shortages and supply chain issues, that’s no ordinary feat and a true testament to the collaboration between FedEx and BrightDrop.”
$16M for commercial zero-emission vehicle infrastructure awarded in seconds
“PASADENA, CA — Demonstrating the high demand for charging infrastructure among electric-vehicle fleet owners, Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Commercial Vehicles (EnergIIZE) Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast Track’s funding allocation of $16.24M was fully subscribed within seconds of opening.”
“The EnergIIZE Commercial Vehicles Project is funded by the California Energy Commission and implemented by CALSTART. EnergIIZE, with a total authorized allocation of $276 million through 2026, provides incentives to purchase infrastructure equipment for medium- and heavy-duty (MD/HD) zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) operated and domiciled in California.”
EV Charging
Plug and Charge: As easy as topping off a tank
“GM is committed to delivering a simplified, efficient and accessible EV charging experience. We’re on a journey to make EV charging as easy as topping off a tank with gas. Today, the company is taking its next step on that journey and expanding its existing collaboration with EVgo to add a new Plug and Charge service to the Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem.
“GM is the first OEM to introduce a Plug and Charge feature to the company’s existing and future EVs that is designed to work on multiple, public networks in North America.”
British Gas and Osprey Charging Network partner to accelerate fleet electrification
“British Gas, the UK’s largest energy and home services company, has partnered with Osprey Charging, one of the UK’s largest networks of rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging points, to help transition its vehicles to an all-electric fleet and simplify the charging process for its drivers.
“The partnership provides British Gas engineers with direct access to Osprey’s nationwide network of over 300 rapid charging stations throughout the UK, creating a simple driver experience and centralised fleet billing to support British Gas’ electric fleet operations.”
“With around 9,000 vehicles, British Gas is one of the UK’s biggest fleet operators and is working towards converting its entire fleet to become fully electric under its net-zero ambition.”
New EV chargers coming to Quebec
“Reducing pollution from the transportation sector is critical to Canada achieving its climate targets. That’s why the Government of Canada is making it easier for Canadians to purchase, charge and drive electric vehicles (EVs) in Quebec and across the country.”