Volvo Trucks Corporation’s next generation all-electric Class 8 VNR trucks will soon enter the North American market with upgraded battery capacity, improved charging speeds and greater range.

The Gothenburg, Sweden-headquartered truck manufacturer, a subsidiary of Volvo Group, has produced a large amount of the world’s heavy-duty trucks. Previously, the Swedish automobile giant partnered with businesses like DHL to produce electric heavy-duty trucks and teamed up with autonomous tech businesses like Aurora to develop self-driving vehicles.

Towards the end of 2019, the company started selling its fully-electric trucks in Europe. Now, it has set its eyes on the fast-growing North American market. In early 2020, it introduced the all-electric VNR Class 8 BEV. Ahead of the BEV’s series production in the second quarter of last year, the company opened up its sales books to commercial customers. The flagship Volvo VNR Electric truck comes equipped with a 264-kWh battery pack, which has the ability to recharge to 80 per cent in less than 70 minutes using an efficient DCFC.

The 2021 VNR Electric offers a driving range of up to 150 miles. It originally came in three configurations: a single-axle box truck with 33,200 lbs. gross vehicle weight and two tractor configurations. Now, the commercial vehicles giant is preparing to introduce two additional variants with added range. The second-generation VNR Electric is reportedly capable of delivering a range of up to 275 miles on a single charge.

Improved designs have enabled Volvo Trucks to achieve up to 40 per cent increase in storage capacity for each battery. To manage & maintain ideal temperatures to ensure optimal performance, the electric truck has been fitted with a dedicated Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS).

Peter Voorhoeve, President of Volvo Trucks North America, said, “Volvo Trucks is at the forefront in the industry, always innovating and improving, while upholding the highest standards in design, construction and safety. Our team is proud of its role, together with dealers and customers, in accelerating the shift to electro-mobility and a more sustainable future.”

The latest VNR Electric Truck, Volvo has also introduced a six-battery pack option. According to the manufacturer’s claims, the combination of all three can deliver energy storage of around 565 kWh, nearly 300 kWh more than the former VNR Electric model. Operational range of the commercial EV has also increased to 275 miles per full charge, nearly 125 miles more than the range of its predecessor.

In addition to improved energy storage and range, customers of the new VNR Electric will see notable reductions in charging times.

The Peugeot e-308, the all-electric version of the French luxury car brand’s new C-segment offering, will go under production in July 2023 and enter the market sometime later in the same year.

Announcing the pure-electric Peugeot e-308 car’s planned roll out into the market, the manufacturer also revealed more information and details about the powertrain and how the upcoming EV will differ from the e-208, which is already on sale.

The Peugeot e-308 will come equipped with a 54-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack, which is larger than the e-208's battery by 4 kWh. The massive battery pack will offer 50-kWh of usable capacity and feature improved technology will allow the upcoming EV to offer a driving range of up to 250 miles (roughly 400 kilometers) on a single charge.

The electric car will also be quite impressive in terms power and torque. As per released information, the e-308’s e-motor setup will be capable of producing 154 hp (114 kW) and 199 pound-feet (269 Newton-meters) of torque, which will route to the front wheels.

The all-electric powertrain will be available in both the 308 hatchback and and SW wagon variants. The battery pack will be positioned beneath the seats, in the floor. The rest of the powertrain hardware will be positioned under the hood. Rear cargo space will be equal to that of the Peugeot 308 plug-in hybrid. Customers are expected to get the same sleek and tech-packaged cabin, including 100-kilowatt fast-charging, in the e-308. The new EV is part of the French manufacturer’s efforts to switch from ICEs to electric powertrains in order to cut its carbon footprint.

Agnès Tesson-Faget, project manager for Peugeot's 308 models, said the upcoming pure-electric version will likely account for at least 20 per cent of the model's sales. The Peugeot 308 plug-in hybrid already accounts for over 20 per cent of total sales of 308 models. The fully-electric version will be sold alongside the conventional petrol, diesel and PHEV versions of the 308.

Pricing details about the new pure-electric model will be released closer to its official release next year. It will be quite interesting to see where the electric version gets priced, especially in comparison to the Peugeot 308 plug-in hybrid and ICE variants. While the manufacturer remains tight lipped about the upcoming EV’s pricing, one should not expect it to cost much less than €40,000 in most European markets.

The Like 125 EV, the newest electric scooter offering from Taiwanese motorcycle manufacturer Kwang Yang Motor Co. Ltd. (KYMCO), features a sleek look, proverbial ergonomics and quite impressive tech specs.

The retro-inspired two-wheeler draws power from a small electric motor (e-motor) that gives a power output of up to 3,200 watts (equivalent to around 4.3 hp). The brushless DC motor is paired to a 13Ah Lithium-ion battery pack, which stores enough power to offer a riding range of up to 199 km on a single charge. The setup generates 124Nm of torque, which is not bad at all.

The battery takes merely one hour to charge, thanks to KYMCO’s proprietary Ionex battery technology. Over its lifetime, each battery will be able to charge as many as 1,000 times.

The Like 125 EV electric scooter’s styling is similar to that of the conventional gas-powered Like 125 and Like 150 scooters, which are already popular across Asian and European markets. However, the electric variant boasts some finer spec and elements, such as the headlamp cover. The grab handle at the rear and the bezel on the headlight feature an eye-catching blue finish, which differentiates the new electric scooter from its ICE counterparts.

The electric two-wheeler also gets differentiated by features like a front apron with chrome elements and blue highlights, a flat footboard, a uniquely designed single-piece seat with a pillion grab rail. Its circular mirrors give it a conventional look. Other notable features of the EV include an all-LED setup for lighting and a USB port. It rides on twelve-inch alloy wheels, and offers a 27-liter storage compartment under the seat. In weight, it is 110kg (roughly 242.5 lbs). In addition, there is a digital instrument cluster that offers smartphone connectivity through mobile app. Smartphone connectivity provide access to information such as level of battery and speed. The fully-digital display panel also flaunts all information.

Being comparatively light-weight, it is easier to ride and handle the Like 125 EV. Above all, the new electric two-wheeler is quite affordable, as the manufacturer has priced at roughly €1,200 (US$1,359). This should make the zero emissions two-wheeler appealing to customers in the global markets, especially in Asian markets like India, where it will have to take on rivals like the Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube, and the Ola S1.

The Tesla Roadster is the most anticipated electric vehicle (EV), just ahead of the Tesla Cybertruck, results of Google search data revealed. Amid the accelerating shift from internal combustion engines (ICEs) to EVs worldwide, a large number of people resorted to Google [the world’s most popular search engine] in 2021, searching for anticipated as well as their most desirable EVs. Many of them used Google to search for EVs that have yet to enter the market, while many others t used the internet search giants express their desirability for various existing electric cars.

Google data for searches related to electric cars in 168 countries across the globe were collected, and a deep analysis of the data revealed that the Tesla Roadster topped the list of models that were searched by consumers during last year. A whopping 8,532,000 Google searches were made for the Tesla Roadster in 2021 alone. In other words, consumers searched for the Tesla Roadster on an average of more than 700,000 times per month, even as production and delivery dates for this much anticipated EV are nowhere in sight.

The Tesla Roadster emerged as the most searched EV in Britain, while the Tesla Cybertruck topped the list in the USA, where the Roadster grabbed the second place. When it comes to global search volume, the unique Cybertruck took second place overall, with more than 7,296,000 Google searches.

The yet to be formally announced Apple Car took the third spot, while the BMW i4 and Chevrolet Silverado EV Rounded out the top 5 "most anticipated EVs" in global search on Google in 2021.

The first spot on the list of “most desired EVs” on Google for 2021 was grabbed by the Tesla Model 3 electric sedan. In the USA, the Tesla Model Y emerged as the most desired EV on Google for 2021. All four existing Tesla models make the top 5 Global search list for 2021.

The aforementioned Google search stats are enough to show consumers’ shift from ICEs to EVs, in the midst of a global health crisis. While adverse business conditions created by the pandemic, not to mention worldwide chip shortage and other supply constraints, made some automakers to see some of their worst total vehicles sales, most of the manufacturers and startups enjoyed an unprecedented rise in EV sales.