Hello dear readers and riders! Can you believe that spring is only 10 days away? We sure are ready for longer days and warmer weather. If you’re looking for more good news, you’re in luck! This week’s EV roundup includes exciting new releases from Volkswagen, Ferrari, and Yamaha. Better yet, wireless charging stations might be closer than we thought! As always, drop us a line at stephanie@thevintagent.com if you’ve seen any EV stories you’d like us to cover. Let’s roll.
Hong Kong’s Felo Ready to Go
The Felo Fw-06 DX is a new style e-Scooter with aggressive styling and an in-wheel rear motor. [Felo]
Felo-EV is a new Hong Kong-based electric motorcycle brand, with some innovative ‘crossover’ offerings. That means they’re mixing scooter X dirtbike X Transformers for some pretty cool model styles. Seems like their model list hasn’t hit the West yet, but in Hong Kong, and certainly China, there’s an enormous market waiting.
Volvo to Test Wireless EV Taxi Charging Stations
Will the new Volvo EVs using inductive charge stations?. [Volvo]In a world that demands convenience and lightning-fast results, wireless EV charging stations are a concept that drivers dream of. Why make the extra effort to plug in your e-Bike or car when you could just park it over a battery juicer in your driveway? Thankfully, Volvo is helping this technology gain traction. The German automaker will be testing wireless charging stations for its small fleet of EV taxis over the next three years. Volvo will use wireless induction charging pads developed by Momentum Dynamics that are installed directly into the pavement. When a compatible EV parks over the pad, charging will start automatically. Volvo plans to have its taxis work 12 hours a day and cover around 60,000 miles annually. Their goal for the current tests is to understand the durability of the system for commercial vehicles.
Ferrari is Entering the EV Realm
The new Ferrari: finally faster than a Tesla? [Ferrari]Ferrari will soon be a part of the electric revolution with its 296 GTB Hybrid sports car. The vehicle will be the luxury automaker’s first V6-powered road car and also one of its first hybrids. The 296 is promised to crank out 818 ponies when you enhance the internal-combustion engine with an electric motor. While deliveries aren’t expected until the summer, you can still order yours now.
The VW Brings Back Its Iconic Bus, but with an Electric Twist
The VW bus reboot is all-electric and super cool. [VW]
Volkswagen dropped some exciting news this week with the revival of its iconic Bus. The reborn Bus, dubbed the ID.Buzz, will be built on the same platform as the company’s other electric vehicles. The ID.Buzz will produce 229 lb.-ft. of torque and 201hp. The 82kWh lithium-ion Battery pack promises 77kwH of use. If you want to enjoy a lazy drive down to the beach for some surfboarding, the ID.Buzz is certainly ideal, as it will reach top speeds of only 90mph.
Yamaha Drops New e-Bikes
Yamaha’s comprehensive fleet of e-bikes: still no superbike though. [Yamaha]Earlier this week, Yamaha announced that it will soon be bringing its three own-label e-Bikes to market. The bikes will cover all urban, gravel, and mountain segments and will be available for purchase by the end of the year. While Yamaha has been an innovator in the EV space since it first introduced its Power Assist System (PAS), which formed the foundation for the world’s first production e-Bike way back in the 90s, the company is breaking down new barriers with its new “Switch ON” campaign where it revealed an additional six new EVs. The new lineup includes e-Bikes and e-Scooters in the 50cc to 125cc equivalent class.
Aston Martin’s New EV Development Deal
The new Aston Martin X Britishvolt collab promises the Valhalla will be their first EV effort. [Aston Martin]On Monday, Aston Martin announced that it had entered into a partnership with UK-firm, Britishvolt, to develop new battery and EV tech. This will help Aston make the pivot to EVs in the next several years, including the 2024 release of its first plug-in hybrid car, the Valhalla, and the 2025 release of its first EV.
Tesla Gets the Go-Ahead
Tesla received environmental approval from the Brandenburg, Germany government for its Giga Berlin plant. The plant, which will be Tesla’s first in Europe, is expected to make up to 500,000 EVs annually.
Stephanie Weaver is the EV Editor of The Current vertical on TheVintagent.com, and a Philadelphia-based freelance writer. When she’s not locked to her laptop, she can be found riding horses and motorcycles. Her Instagram is here.
Anyone wanna lay odds that in light of Texass’s latest draconian politics Musk is regretting moving his plant there as wave after wave of employees are refusing to move … finding equal or better jobs in this worker hungry economy we’re in ?
And errr … sigh … the VW E/V micro bus … we ( US ) aint getting the short or medium wheelbase ones … we aint getting the panel van ( thank you ‘ chicken tax ‘ )… fact is all we is getting is the fully loaded maxi van .. and even that .. not for another two years … at least
As well as .. here’s the question nobody is asking .. with the majority of Lithium coming from Russia and the Ukraine …. and errr … . with the current Vlad the Impaler mess going on… where’s anyone gonna get the lithium fer their batteries
And thar she blows .. all across the automotive and motorcycling business news . To borrow one quote ;
” War in Ukraine Promises even more Chaos for Automotive ( and motorcycle ) Manufacturing ”
Sigh … seriously folks … Hydrogen .. not rare earth mineral / Lithium dependent ( neither of which we in the US have an abundance or even adequate supply of ) E/Vs
One other major benefit of Hydrogen ?
Any ICE including your classic , hot rod or custom can be converted to hydrogen at minimal cost and effort ( BMW , Toyota etc ) sound and all .. which err … in light of this being a Vintag(ent) website … would mean we could all drive/ride around guilt free to our hearts content
Not to mention every oil refinery , distribution center , transport and sales can also for minimal cost be converted to hydrogen . Getting Big Oil the ( bleep ) off our backs when it comes to the environment
Slava Ukraini – Heroiam Slava !
😎
To the author / editor
FYI ; Using the word ‘ DROPS ‘ in the Yamaha EV story implies at first sight … that they are dropping them .. as in giving up on their proposed EVs
Seriously … English Rhetoric and Idioms and their PROPER usage thereof 101 ..
Any body else go to Walla Walla for the EV show? I heard there was one other confused old guy at some point asking questions at the visitors booth…..
It’s hard to get the news out when an event changes! We used the same venue to announce that Electric Revolution Live was cancelled in Walla Walla as we used to promote it: we always hope that works. Our partners with the contract to produce events in Walla Walla imploded, and we were left without a venue. Our next EV event looks to be in Palm Springs on November 4-6, 2022.