The German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) says that the number of public EV charging stations rose more than 50 percent from summer 2018 to summer 2019. Germany currently has 20,650 stations, up from 13,500 the previous year - sufficient to power up 13 million EVs, or 30% of all German cars of all types currently in use; 12% are rapid charging stations. There are now more EVs on the road in Germany than in any European country, although the percentage of Germans driving electric cars still lags behind nations like Norway. Germany's 16 federal states.
Crowdfunding continues to be the 'go to' source for idea-rich, capital-poor proto E-Bike brands. First seen in prototype guise at the 2018 'Milan' Show, would-be British manufacturer ARC has embarked on a second phase of a long-term funding program that is said to already include investment from Jaguar Land Rover's Venture Capital fund InMotion Venture. ARC says it plans to produce 390 ARC Vectors to sell at GBP £90,000 each (approx. US $115,000/Euro 100,000). Best of luck with that plan boys!
Husqvarna Motorcycles is the latest manufacturer to launch into the North American electric vehicle market. The new EE 5 is an electric engine competition mini cycle that "continues the brand's pioneering motocross journey" with "pioneering design and state-of-the-art technology. Perfect for pure beginners and experienced riders alike, the quick-charging EE 5 combines the latest high-quality components with bodywork specifically designed to give young riders an ergonomically effortless, all-electric riding experience."
LG Chem, one of the leading producers of Li-Ion battery cells for electric cars, is working on a potential new billion-dollar US battery cell factory. The Korean battery producer is already operating a battery factory in Michigan and now it is looking to expand to support the growing electric vehicle market. Reuters reports that LG, which counts General Motors and Volkswagen among its customers, is currently looking into locations for a $1.7 billion factory that could begin production of over 10 GWh of battery cell capacity in 2022. Kentucky and Tennessee are among the candidates for the plant's site.
Meanwhile, SK Innovation, a rival Korean battery manufacturer, is also building a new electric vehicle battery Gigafactory in the US and it supplies batteries to Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai-Kia Motors. SK is currently being sued by LG Chem over allegedly stealing electric car battery trade secrets.
Dutch distributor Hoco Parts (owned by Parts Distribution Group/PDG in the Netherlands) has joined forces with Belgian distributor Rino Trading. PDG also owns DC Afam in Belgium and is one of a number of investors currently on the acquisition trail in Europe.
Researchers writing in Energy Storage Materials say they have designed an aluminum battery that is more environmentally friendly than the typical lithium kind, with twice the energy density of previous versions, and is made up of materials abundant in supply.
Intimidator UTV and TGB Engine Company have joined forces to bring you one of the most powerful UTVs on the market. Intimidator, based in Batesville, Arkansas, with dealers throughout the U.S., is powering its GC1K and GC1K Crew Series UTVs with TGB's 1000 engine. Taiwan Golden Bee (TGB) is a subsidiary of Taiwan Vespa Company (TVC) and was established in 1965 under a license of Italian Piaggio. Intimidator, Inc. is owned by entrepreneurs Robert and Becky Foster and "offers world-class American-made side-by-side 4×4 vehicles with unparalleled strength, power and performance at an affordable price."
A British start-up has launched what it claims is "the world's smallest and lightest" E-bike kit for conventional bicycles. The compact Swytch conversion kit weighs less than 7 pounds and is available through Indiegogo. It consists of a small, lightweight hub motor wheel (1.5 kg/3.3 lbs) that replaces a traditional bike's original front wheel, and a palm-sized power pack (also 1.5 kg), which attaches to the handlebars to provide 250W of power assist for a top assisted speed of 20 mph for the US version (15.5 mph for the EU market) and a claimed range up to 50 km/31 miles.
BMW is applying for a patent on technology that will lock the bike's transmission to make it impossible for a thief to wheel the bike away - technology that "will be far more robust and hard to defeat than its current equivalent, the steering lock".
Damon Motors Inc. (Canada) has raised US$2.5m Seed Financing, including investment from Round 13 Capital, as the "leading two-wheel technology company" seeks further growth and product development. Damon's Advanced Warning System for Motorcycles (AWSM) addresses "safety pain points of the $90 billion motorcycle industry, using sensor fusion, robotics and AI to form a 360 degree 'bird's eye' view for a safer and smarter ride". The company says that "major manufacturers are evaluating Damon technology for factory integration."
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, B&B, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek