Rivian, the California-based maker of the R1S and R1T all-electric adventure vehicles, has released a software update that brings a bit of fun ahead of this year’s Halloween, including pumpkins, zombies, and witches. Bearing the version number 2023.38.00, the over-the-air (OTA) software update unlocked its holiday-themed goodies on October 21 on both the SUV…

Factorial Energy recently announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility it claims is the largest thus far in the U.S. for solid-state batteries—although there's not yet a timeline for scaled-up production. Located in the Boston suburb of Methuen, Massachusetts, near Factorial's existing headquarters and R&D center, the $50 million facility "will accommodate up to…

General Motors is offering 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV owners an early $1,400 payment for a class-action lawsuit settlement over the recalled EVs in exchange for installing diagnostic software the automaker plans to use to determine if cars need new battery packs. First reported by Electrek, the payment offer is the latest development in…

The hydrogen fuel cell car segment in the United States (actually in California, where the series-produced models are available) continued its rebound last quarter, potentially heading towards the best year ever. According to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership's data, during the third quarter of 2023, 966 new hydrogen fuel cell cars (aka FCV or…

The Volkswagen Group is slashing 2,000 jobs at its Cariad software division as a part of a strategic restructuring plan, triggering a chain reaction of delays for the development of future electric vehicle platforms, German publication manager magazine reported yesterday. The group’s board of directors has approved the downsizing, which will occur between 2024…

It's often said that electric powertrains will allow automotive designers to throw out many current design conventions. That's certainly the case with this EV concept. Created by Hoverboard inventor Shane Chen, the SHANE is a two-wheeled electric car with seating for five in a pod-like cabin sandwiched between giant wheels that "automatically react" to body…

Vietnamese automaker VinFast is reportedly considering adding a fifth vehicle to its planned U.S. lineup, and it's a very unlikely choice – the VF3 mini crossover. Designed for the Vietnamese market, the VinFast VF3 could have potential for the U.S. market as a sub-$20,000 city car targeting budget-minded Americans, VinFast representatives told Automotive News.…

The stage is set for "rapid-fire growth" in electric vehicle sales volumes in the US but dealers and automakers might have to go the extra mile in keeping customers interested during the year-end holiday period, JD Power outlined in its latest E-Vision Intelligence Report. A trio of factors has contributed to this potential challenge:…

An exceptional thing happened in the third quarter of 2023, as the two largest all-electric car manufacturers (OEMs) - Tesla and BYD - sold a similar number of vehicles. As with every quarter, in this post, we will take a look at the global sales results of battery electric cars (BEVs) by three OEMs…

Update: A representative from Ultium Cells LLC replied to our questions with the following comment: "Ultium Cells – Spring Hill is on-track to start production on our first cell production line February 2024." The original article follows below. General Motors, the maker of several battery-powered cars, will open its Ultium Cells plant in…