Ford is Testing a New Robotic Charging Station to Assist Drivers of EVs With Disabilities

For drivers with disabilities, switching to an electric vehicle may pose some new challenges, such as exiting the vehicle to plug in a bulky cable at an EV charging station. To address this, Ford Motor Co is testing a new robotic EV charging arm that will offer drivers with physical limitations a much needed helping hand.

Eric Walz2023-01-12 13:30 PT

GM Launches its Dealer Community Charging Program, Aims to Install 40,000 EV Chargers in Rural Areas and Small Towns Across the U.S.

​General Motors has officially launched its new Dealer Community Charging Program with the first public charging station going online in Michigan and Wisconsin. The program in partnership with its dealership network aims to double the number of Level-2 EV charging locations in North America. The program will expand to Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers in January 2023.

Eric Walz2022-12-07 09:30 PT

SK Inc. Invests $100 Million in North Carolina-based EV Charging Hardware Developer Atom Power

North Carolina-based Ev charging hardware developer Atom Power announced a $100 million investment from South Korea’s SK Inc. The investment in Atom Power follows SK’s pledge to invest $22 billion across a broad range of technology and clean tech industries in the U.S. Atom Power invented the first commercial solid-state digital circuit breaker, which the company says is the safest and fastest circuit breaker for smart power distribution.

Eric Walz2022-09-24 12:15 PT

EV Charging Provider ChargePoint to Install Hundreds of Chargers at Apartments and Condo Complexes Across California

Although the state of California has the highest electric vehicle adoption rate in the U.S., finding convenient places to charge is not always easy, especially for residents that live in apartment complexes or condo units. But Silicon Valley-based EV charging provider ChargePoint is working to expand charging options in its home state as part of a new collaboration.

Eric Walz2022-09-03 13:40 PT

EV Charging Provider Electrify America Raises $450 Million, Siemens to Become a Minority Shareholder

​Virginia-based electric vehicle charging provider Electrify America announced it has raised $450 million in new equity financing at a post money valuation of $2.45 billion. Industrial manufacturing company Siemens was among the participants in the new funding round, becoming the first-ever outside investor in Electrify America.

Eric Walz2022-08-04 10:15 PT

Qualcomm Announces its Next-Gen Powerline Device for ‘Smart Grid EV Charging’ and Vehicle Communications

​Semiconductor and wireless communications developer Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. continues its push into the automotive space with new hardware. Qualcomm announced its next-generation powerline communication (PLC) device called the QCA7006AQ. It's designed to address the needs for electric vehicle (EV) charging station communications between a vehicle and the power gird.

Eric Walz2022-06-30 13:40 PT

Volkswagen and bp Announce New Partnership for the Rapid Rollout of Fast EV Charging Infrastructure in Europe

Volkswagen Group is teaming up with bp in Europe to rapidly roll out Flexpole DC fast chargers for the automaker's electric vehicle customers. The strategic partnership is designed to boost the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe. The Flexpole charging units can be directly connected to a low voltage grid which removes the requirement for a dedicated electric substation and more complex and expensive construction work.

Eric Walz2022-06-04 07:00 PT

Toyota is Working With ChargePoint to Ensure Customers Have Convenient Home & Public Charging Options for its New bZ4X Electric SUV

As Toyota Motor North America prepares for the launch of its first electric vehicle in the U.S. next year with the debut of the battery-powered bZ4X SUV, the automaker wants to ensure that its EV customers will have seamless access to charging both at home and at public chargers. The automaker announced today it will work with EV charging provider ChargePoint, Inc. that will help ensure that bZ4X drivers will have access to convenient charging solutions.

Eric Walz2022-04-28 15:15 PT

Volvo Cars USA is Building an EV Charging Network at Starbucks Locations Along a 1,350-Mile Route Between Seattle & Denver

Volvo Cars USA is building a public electric vehicle charging network that will connect the cities of Seattle, Washington and Denver, Colorado. The EV chargers will be located at Starbucks locations along the route and will allow EV drivers to travel between the two cities without having to worry about running out of juice.

Eric Walz2022-04-22 08:15 PT

Electric Mobility Startup Revel Announces $126 Million Series B Funding Round Led by BlackRock

Brooklyn New York-based transportation startup Revel, which allows users to rent electric mopeds, sign up for monthly e-bike subscriptions, hail an electric Tesla Model Y or find fast-charging that’s compatible with any brand of EV, announced a $126 million Series B funding round led by BlackRock Renewable Power (BlackRock).

Eric Walz2022-04-01 12:00 PT

Kia EV6 Buyers to Get 1,000 kWh of Free Charging in a New Partnership With Electrify America

​Automaker Kia and electric vehicle charging provider Electrify America have announced a partnership that will give EV6 buyers 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of complimentary EV charging at any Electrify America station in the U.S. According to Kia, the agreement between the two companies will provide EV6 drivers around 3,500 to 4,000 miles of all-electric driving at no cost, depending on the vehicle model and various driving conditions.

Eric Walz2022-03-31 09:30 PT

BMW iVentures Announces Investment in EV Charging Startup HeyCharge, its Tech Allows Drivers to Charge Without an Internet Connection

​BMW i Ventures, the venture capital arm of automaker BMW that invests in promising startups, announced its leading a $.7 million seed funding round in HeyCharge, the German startup working to democratize access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by allowing driver to charge their EVs without an internet connection.

Eric Walz2022-02-19 09:00 PT

Petroleum Giant bp Acquires Silicon Valley-based EV Fleet Charging Operator AMPLY Power

​Petroleum giant bp announced its acquired EV charging operator AMPLY Power, an electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management provider for fleets that operate trucks, mass-transit and school buses, vans and light-duty vehicles. bp said the investment is aligned with its plan to scale-up next generation mobility solutions, which includes a reliable and convenient network of  EV chargers and digital solutions for customers.

Eric Walz2022-01-14 10:00 PT

Electrify America Opens One of its Largest U.S. EV Charging Stations in California

Volkswagen subsidiary and electric vehicle charging provider Electrify America has just opened one of its largest U.S. EV charging stations in Silicon Valley. The station, which is located at the Westfield Valley Fair shopping Mall in Santa Clara, Calif., features 14 ultra-fast chargers with solar-powered canopies.

FutureCar Staff 2021-12-17 15:10 PT

Ford & Purdue Develop a Patent-Pending Liquid Cooled EV Charging Cable for Rapid Recharging

Ford Motor Co and researchers at Purdue University have been working on new type of patent-pending charging cable that might be able to charge an EV in just minutes. The cable is liquid-cooled, which can dissipate more of the heat created while the vehicle is plugged in and charging. This technology could eventually lead to re-charging EVs as quickly as conventional gas station fill-ups.

FutureCar Staff 2021-12-17 07:50 PT

Tesla Opens its EV Chargers to Drivers of Non-Tesla Vehicles in the Netherlands in a New Pilot

Electric carmaker Tesla announced on Monday that drivers of non-Tesla vehicles will be able to use its chargers for a new pilot in the Netherlands. The EV charging pilot will be tested at 10 locations in the country, the company said. The Non-Tesla Supercharger pilot is currently limited to EV drivers who live in the Netherlands, but Tesla said its will be expanding the pilot to additional markets shortly.

Eric Walz2021-12-08 12:00 PT

Mercedes-Benz Offering EQS Customers 2 Years of Free Charging From Electrify America

Mercedes Benz announced that its upcoming EQS electric sedan will come with complimentary charging from Electrify America. EQS drivers will receive complimentary 30-minute charging sessions for the first two years after account activation.

FutureCar Staff 2021-07-24 13:25 PT

Italy Fines Google for Excluding the ‘JuicePass’ EV Charging App From Android Auto

Italy's competition regulator has fined U.S. tech giant Google 102 million euros (US$123 million) for excluding an e-mobility app developed by energy company Enel from the U.S. tech giant's open Android platform. Google has not allowed Enel's JuicePass smartphone app to operate on Google's Android Auto app for the past two years.

FutureCar Staff 2021-06-20 07:30 PT

Electrify America Opens its 600th Ultra-Fast EV Charging Station in the U.S.

​Electric vehicle charging operator Electrify America has opened its 600th ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging station in the continental U.S. and its now open to the public, the company announced on Thursday. The opening of the 600th station follows the completion of two cross-country and two coastal routes in 2020, providing EV drivers with more options for cross-country travel.

FutureCar Staff 2021-06-05 13:30 PT

San Francisco Startup Ample Develops an EV Battery Swap Station that Can Replace Any Electric Vehicle Battery in Under 10 Minutes

San Francisco startup Ample unveiled its new EV battery swapping station this week, which can remove and replace an electric vehicle’s battery modules in under 10 minutes autonomously using robotics. Ample’s modular battery swapping technology acts as a drop-in replacement for the vehicle’s original battery design, so it can work with any make or model.

Eric Walz2021-04-10 15:50 PT