Monday, April 13, 2026

Frankfurt Auto Show Touts Green Credentials Amid Climate Protests

By
Chandan Gupta
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The Frankfurt Auto Show will champion sustainable driving and electric cars, Germany’s auto industry association said on Monday, as it seeks to head off protests from climate activists.

Security has been tightened for the Sept. 11-22 event after an activist group last month smashed up 40 luxury vehicles and called for the show to be scrapped.

“We will make our contribution to climate protection and invest massively in sustainable individual mobility,” Bernhard Mattes, president of Germany’s VDA auto industry association told journalists at a press conference guarded by riot police.

The VDA has invited activists to join public debates before and after the show, Mattes said, as activists unveiled a banner saying “cars have been overtaken” outside the press conference.

“We wish to provide intelligent answers to the most urgent questions about the future of mobility,” Mattes said, explaining that the dwindling number of exhibitors was no longer a measure of success for the IAA, as the exhibition is known.

“We are experiencing a transformation from the world’s largest car showroom to the most relevant platform. A trend can be seen among all the major exhibitions: the relevant point is no longer the size of the area, but the extent of the media reach,” Mattes said.

The VDA said exhibition space had been cut from around 200,000 square meters in 2017, to around 168,000 this year and formats had been changed to include more interactive debates.

The number of exhibitors has shrunk to around 800 this year, from 994 in 2017. Fiat, Volvo, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Aston Martin will skip the show and only five exhibition halls will have new cars, instead of eight.

Country’s First Solar Electric Vehicle Completes Historic 2000km Bangladesh Tour

By
Chandan Gupta
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0

As the whole world is now pushing for clean, emission-free transportation, Bangladesh has also joined them by taking a giant leap in this field.

On July 15, 2019, a solar electric vehicle built by a local company, Advance Dynamics Limited, successfully completed a historic 2000km journey across different parts of the country starting from Teknaf to Tetulia, according to a press release.

The tour was conducted by the Tanguar Racing team which is a project of Advanced Dynamics Limited (ADL).

The solar electric vehicle is the first of its kind on the roads of Bangladesh.

During this 21-day tour, the team stopped over at different places and finally drove through 22 cities, showcasing the technology at eight different educational institutions and spreading awareness on clean transportation, pollution mitigation, climate action and environmental conservation.

The solar electric vehicle uses a vintage SUV vehicle as its base but instead of any petrol, diesel or CNG, it only runs on electricity. The EV is powered by a 30Kw electric motor, a 36Kwh lead-acid battery pack, and also has 350W solar body parts and a 2.2Kw built-in intelligent charger. The vehicle achieved speeds of 60km/h and a single charge range of 180km including solar recovery. This vehicle is a not-for-sale trial prototype model and will continue to be developed and improved over time, the release read.

Piloted by the team’s founders, Mohammad Tauseef Anwar and Gopal Kumar Mohoto, the vehicle consumed 502.90Kwh of grid electricity, and generated 31.62Kwh of solar energy during the entire trip. The net consumption came to 471.28Kwh for 2100km. Advanced Dynamics Limited will conduct similar endurance tests in the future to develop and manufacture emission free vehicles in the country.

The Tanguar Racing team will take on more challenges next year as Team Bangladesh in the 80 Day Race, competing with global teams from US, UK, and France, among others, to become the first competitive team from Bangladesh to circle the globe on a zero-fossil fuel vehicle.

The batteries used in this tour were provided by Rahimafrooz Batteries Ltd.

The other partners of the team during the tour include Pedrollonk Ltd, Hungrynaki.com, Bohu Bangladesh, Moar, Dreamers & Doers, Fab Lab Dhaka and Cone Technologies.

Many other organisations and businesses have also provided ad-hoc support.

MG Motor Announces Tie Up With Delta Electronics For Setting Up Charging Stations

By
Chandan Gupta
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0
  • The announcement comes months ahead of the launch of MG’s upcoming electric sport utility vehicle eZS
  • In July, MG announced its tie-up with Finland-based clean energy major Fortum to install 50 kilowatt fast charging stations in India

China’s SAIC owned MG Motor India Pvt Ltd on Thursday announced its decision to partner Delta Electronics India for setting up charging stations for electric vehicles in different parts of the country.

The announcement comes months ahead of the launch of MG’s upcoming electric sport utility vehicle eZS.

“As part of the association, Delta will install AC chargers in private vehicle parking locations such as homes and offices, enabling its customers to charge EVs at their convenience. The move comes ahead of the launch of the MG ZS EV, which is on sale in UK, Thailand and China; and will be launched in India in early 2020,” the company said in a press release.

As lack of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles has been one of the most important reasons behind lack of adoption of electric mobility in India, MG is tying up with companies in the charging infra space for setting up adequate infrastructure before its launches its first electric vehicle.

Volkswagen Group Appoints Professor Ye Qi To Sustainability Advisory Council

By
Chandan Gupta
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The Volkswagen Group has appointed Professor Ye Qi from Hong Kong as a new member of its independent Sustainability Advisory Council. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management, said: “The Sustainability Advisory Council is a very important body for the Volkswagen AG. It has given significant impetus to the decarbonisation strategy of the Group. We are pleased that the Advisory Council is now being supplemented with another renowned expert, Professor Ye Qi. His expertise in regenerative energy generation in an urban environment is outstanding.”

Ye Qi is Professor and Director of the Institute of Public Policy at Hong Kong University Science and Technology. His research interests include environmental governance and policies on environment, energy, climate change and urbanization. His current research focuses on the energy transition and the generation and use of renewable energies in a more urbanizing world. Ye Qi has worked in research and teaching at universities in New York, Berkeley and Beijing since the early 1990s.

The international Volkswagen Sustainability Advisory Council was appointed in 2016 to support the Group in strategic sustainability and social responsibility issues. The nine-person body operates independently, is not bound by instructions and has extensive information, consultation and initiative rights.

Storming The Summit For E-Mobility: Volkswagen Targets Record On Tianmen Mountain

By
Chandan Gupta
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10.906 kilometres, 99 corners, one aim: another groundbreaking record with the Volkswagen ID.R. On Monday, 2 September, Volkswagen will literally push electro-mobility to new peaks on the mythical Tianmen Mountain in China. The breathtaking Big Gate Road near Zhangjiajie is one of the most dramatic in the world. In the important growth market of China, the ID.R will serve as the first ambassador of the fully electric powered ID. family on the roads of the People’s Republic.

“With three incredible records in just 14 months, Volkswagen has proven its true passion for electro-mobility with the ID.R, as well as its great performance capabilities,” says Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand and CEO, Volkswagen China Passenger Cars Brand. “The fact that Volkswagen is now aiming for an e-record with the ID.R in such a spectacular setting, underlines the importance of our electrification strategy here in China, as well as globally. We hope that thanks to the ‘China Challenge’, Tianmen will become the place where electric vehicles will continue to set new benchmarks in the future.”

True pioneering work: a record attempt with many unknowns

So much is already clear before the record attempt by Romain Dumas (F): if everything goes according to plan, the 41-year-old will drive up the fabled Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road at a higher speed than any other person before him. So far, the 99 corners have been tackled with drifts, in either SUV or sports cars with conventional combustion engines – but never with an official start and finish line. On 2 September, this will change: for Dumas’ drive in the ID.R, these important milestones will also be permanently established for future record attempts. 

Big Gate Road’ on Tianmen Mountain.

From a motorsport perspective, little is known about the mountain route in this impressive landscape. Volkswagen is thus doing pioneering work with the record attempt in China. “The record drive on Tianmen Mountain is a special challenge for a racing driver,” says Dumas, who with the ID.R holds the all-time records at the legendary Pikes Peak (USA) and the revered Goodwood Festival of Speed (GB), as well as the electric record on the famous Nürburgring-Nordschleife (D). “While simulations for almost every racetrack in the world allow you to prepare in the living room of your own home, there is hardly any available charted information about this mountain road. Our learning curve will be extremely steep at Tianmen and we will try to get the maximum out of it as always.”

Little information, few test kilometres – a challenge of great proportions

The team prepared for the record attempt on Tianmen Mountain with, among other things, a tour of the track on-site to estimate the best possible configuration, the optimal chassis set-up and the ideal driving line in advance. There is little time on ‘The Mountain of Heaven’s Gate’ for Dumas and the team to prepare for the record drive on 2 September. On-site, the route can only be closed for a few hours to stop the tourist traffic in order to allow the team from Volkswagen to run some test drives.

“The ID.R’s outing on Tianmen Mountain will be conducted under special circumstances,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets. “Never before has there been a comparable record attempt here. However, our team has great experience in achieving outstanding results with little preparation time. Especially in the all-time record at Pikes Peak, where Romain Dumas turned the existing relationship between combustion engines and electric drive on its head. Therefore, we will approach the task at Tianmen with respect, but also with great anticipation.”

Taiwan Unveils Indigenous Driverless Electric Minibus

By
Chandan Gupta
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0

Taiwan has developed its first autonomous electric vehicle, a minibus dubbed WinBus, which is scheduled for mass production in 2021, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said Monday.

The WinBus is equipped with three positioning systems that can determine the best route on different terrain, Economics Minister Shen Jong-chin said at a press conference at his ministry to unveil the vehicle.

In comparison, self-driving vehicles produced by the American company Tesla Inc. have only one positioning system that uses cameras to identify road images, Shen said.

(Economics Minister Shen Jong-chin steps out of a WinBus.)

In addition to its superior image identification and distance detection systems, the WinBus can also navigate a route via vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside facility communication signals.

Mass production of Taiwan’s competitive autonomous minibus, which has no steering wheel and can accommodate six passengers, is expected to begin in two years’ time, with a view to also exporting it to overseas markets, Shen told the press.

The vehicle was developed by a chain of local industries under the auspices of the Automotive Research and Testing Center, Taiwan’s leading transportation-vehicle testing and R&D institute, and with financial and technological support from the MOEA, Shen said.

The parts, components and systems were developed and built by more than 20 domestic companies, according to a statement released Tuesday by the ARTC, which assembled the vehicle.

The driverless vehicle meets the Level 4 automation criteria of the U.S.-based Society of Automotive Engineers, which means the WinBus can operate fully without a driver, the institute said.

ARTC president Liao Ching-chiu said the development of the WinBus can also serve as a model for the innovation of all sorts of systems, based on consumer demand.

The WinBus is scheduled to undergo a “sandbox” trial before the end of the year and enter mass production before the end of 2021, according to the MOEA.

Wynwood 25 Development Adds Blink EV Charging Stations To The List Of Top Amenities At The New Creative Community

By
Chandan Gupta
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Blink Charging Co., a leading provider of electric vehicle charging station products, announced that the company has installed four EV Charging Stations at the newest residential building in the trendy Design District neighborhood of Miami, Wynwood 25. The EV stations are installed in the property’s main parking garage, in the heart of Wynwood. The units are the fastest Level 2 AC charging stations available. They deliver 80 amps of output, making them ready for the improved battery technology found in new electric vehicles. The addition of the EV charging equipment at the 289-unit creative apartment complex encourages residents and the community to “go green” and adopt electric vehicles.

“The new Blink IQ 200 charging stations fit perfectly into our vision for Wynwood 25 as a tech-forward community in the heart of Miami’s most vibrant neighborhood,” said Jon Paul Perez, Executive Vice President of The Related Group. “The stations have already been a popular offering amongst our residents and takes our roster of amenities one step further, building on tech integrations like keyless LATCH entry and smart locker package room.”

The IQ 200 charging stations are connected to the Blink network and are capable of delivering nearly 20 kWh to electric vehicles. The new Blink stations will join the rapidly expanding network of Blink charging stations throughout the country and can be located on Blink’s mobile app and on Blink Charging.

“We are very excited to have our fast IQ 200 charging stations as part of this great new development in our backyard. Wynwood 25 is a great example of a community that has considered the needs of their residents now and in the future. It’s a great complement to be showcased at the property for EV charging,” quoted Blink Founder and CEO, Michael D. Farkas.

For Wynwood 25, a forward-thinking company committed to meeting the present and future needs of its residents, the addition of the new Blink IQ 200 charging stations is yet another step in the right direction in protecting the area’s natural resources.

GreenPower Delivers 5 EV Stars And Sees Expansion Of The EV Star Fleet Outside Of California

By
Chandan Gupta
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0
Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay
Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay

GreenPower Motor Company Inc. announced today that it has delivered five more EV Star All-Electric Min-eBuses to Creative Bus Sales. As previously announced, GreenPower received an order in 2018 for 100 buses from Creative, the Nation’s largest bus dealer for sales, parts and service. Creative has commenced sales and marketing efforts of the EV Star throughout its national sales network of 18 locations and 100+-person sales team. Through its brick and mortar locations, Creative has already deployed EV Stars in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Texas.

“Over 50 percent of the electric cars and 75 percent of the electric buses in the United States were sold in California. We see the rest of the US starting to request quotes and information regarding battery electric buses. This represents a huge opportunity for GreenPower,” said Brendan Riley, President of GreenPower. “Other states are implementing programs similar to California in order to encourage early adoption of zero-emission vehicles and the timing couldn’t be better for GreenPower and our flagship EV Star product.”

The 25′ EV Star is the only bus in its class that comes with a standard J1772 level 2 and CCS DC level 3 fast combo charge system, allowing for optimal flexibility in route planning for any duty cycle. The EV Star can be configured to seat up to 19 passengers, two wheel chairs with 12 seated passengers or a 10 seat luxury layout. The EV Star is eligible for a base voucher of $90,000 from the California HVIP program and an additional enhancement voucher of $10,000 when the vehicle is operated in a disadvantaged community.

Toyota To Support Tokyo 2020 With Full Line-Up Of Electric Cars

By
Chandan Gupta
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0

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota), worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, today announced that it will provide a full line-up of electrified vehicles, including unique versions of certain vehicles as well as vehicles developed primarily to support the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

With its electrified line-up, Toyota, together with the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, aims to achieve the lowest emissions target level of any official fleet used at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and thereby also helping to reduce the environmental burden of the Games.

Toyota will provide a total of around 3,700 mobility and/or vehicles for Tokyo 2020. The majority, or nearly 90 percent, of the official vehicle fleet will be electrified.

Statkraft Buys German EV Charging Provider E-Wald

By
Chandan Gupta
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0
File Photo Of Car Sharing Infrastruture. Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay
File Photo Of Car Sharing Infrastruture. Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay

The Norwegian utility Stakraft has acquired the electric vehicle charging company E-Wald GmbH. The acquisition is to strengthens Statkraft’s position in the German and European charging market and follows similar deals made earlier this year.

The Bavarian company E-Wald offers charging and leasing services in Germany. The network includes around 300 charging stations and leasing services for about 100 fleet cars to corporations and municipalities in the country with approx. 7,000 customers in total, according to the press release announcing the sale.

Statkraft has acquired the entire shareholding and considers E-Wald well positioned in the fast-charging market and having an “ambitious growth strategy,” says Bjørn Holsen, Senior Vice President for New Business in Statkraft.

The energy company intends to “grow a leading EV charging business in key growth markets in Europe” and to do so “in partnership with leading start-ups positioned for growth,” states the accompanying release.

In Norway, this strategy has so seen the acquisition of Grønn Kontakt. Also, in Germany, E-Wald is not the first business that has been taken over. Statkraft has also bought eeMobility, a firm based in Munich that provides charging solutions for company car fleets.

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