Briefly | 08 Mar 2023
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The 2024 Hyundai Kona has been unveiled with significant improvements in terms of size, luxury, and features. The car comes with a "seamless horizon" front light bar, a dual 12.3-inch display screen, and physical climate controls. The electric version has also been updated with more power, faster charging, and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology. For Europe, the Kona Electric has two battery packs, Standard and Long Range, with estimated ranges of 212 miles and 304 miles, respectively. In the US, the EPA range for the big battery is 260 miles. The Kona will be released in the US in the third quarter of the year.

The BYD ATTO 3 is a new electric family SUV from BYD that utilizes the company's e-Platform 3.0 and is equipped with the distinctive lithium-iron phosphate Blade Battery. The car has a decent official range of 261 miles (420 km) and efficiency of 3.98 miles per kWh. The car offers a 15.6-inch touchscreen that can rotate from landscape to portrait, and the infotainment system is generally intuitive, with key functions easily accessible. The car features a heat pump as standard, and the base-level Active models come with heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a vehicle-to-load output. The car is priced competitively for its class, starting from £36,490, rising to £38,990 for the top-spec Design model.

Tesla has started delivering vehicles with hardware 4.0 installed, but certain features are not available yet. The software for HW4 is still a work in progress, and Tesla is anticipating Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to follow with HW4 deliveries at some point this year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that HW4 will not be available for retrofits due to it being difficult to pop into HW3 vehicles, and it will not be necessary as long as HW3 remains safer than a human.

Tesla Model Y became the second best-selling car in Germany in February, with 6,442 units sold. This was made possible by the Giga Berlin factory, which can quickly manufacture and deliver vehicles to customers. It is expected that Tesla Model Y will become the best-selling car in the world in 2023.

Tesla is set to become the first vehicle manufacturer to eliminate 12-volt electrical components, replacing them with 48-volt systems. Other carmakers are also planning for 48-volt vehicles, and Tesla's VP of hardware engineering believes it is the future of low voltage design.

The MG 4 is an all-electric hatchback that is set to launch in Australia this weekend. The car has already been tested on Australian roads and has been given a five-star safety rating by EuroNCAP. It has won multiple awards in the UK and is offered in two variants, the SE and the Trophy. It has a range of 435 km with 11 kW AC and 135 kW DC charging. It is expected to have a starting price of under $42,000.

Mini is moving towards full electrification, with a redesigned Mini Cooper hatchback offered in both combustion and electric forms, aiming for a 50% electric sales split by mid-2025.

Volvo's EX90 features a LiDAR bump for autonomous driving, but the software is still in development, and the EV costs around $80,000.

Electric vehicles continued to dominate auto sales in Sweden in February, with BEVs having a 54.0% share, compared to PHEVs, which are slowing down in the country.

The LEVC's electric TX black cab now represents over 40% of all black cabs in London, with over 6,000 electric TX taxis in operation, leading to a transition away from fossil fuel.

Lamborghini has announced a new hybridized V-12 powertrain with up to 1001 horsepower, featuring three electric motors and a 3.8 kWh battery pack.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed mixed feelings about the success of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), the world's largest battery maker, as it looks to raise at least $5 billion by listing global depositary receipts in Switzerland.

SWARCO Smart Charging is launching PoGo, a nationwide ultra-rapid EV charging network with over 2,000 charging stations over the next four years, providing EV drivers with 24/7 customer support.

Volkswagen Group revised its EV sales target for Europe to 80% by 2030, up from the 70% originally stated, launching a refreshed version of its ID.3, unveiling an ID.7 near-production model, and introducing an all-electric Tiguan SUV for 2025.

Bill Gates recently took a ride in the Mahindra Treo, an electric rickshaw, highlighting the importance of innovation to achieve a zero-carbon world, with Anand Mahindra challenging Gates to a three-wheeler EV drag race on his next trip to India.

Amprius Technologies has selected the city of Brighton, Colorado for its 775,000 square foot gigafactory facility, with an initial capacity of 500 megawatt-hours, with the potential to reach 10 GWh in the long run.

EV charging is becoming a popular option for employees, providing convenience and potentially cheaper electricity rates, helping to make up for gaps in available street charging for those without access to a driveway or garage.

Origin Energy is launching a subscription car service and offering some customers free power, launching an electricity plan for EV drivers, aiming to help Australians access, power, and pay for EVs.