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Mazda unveiled its new flagship EV, the Mazda 6e, at the Brussels Motor Show this week. This sexy and certainly sleek electric saloon is dead set on challenging the likes of EV Goliaths the Tesla Model 3 and iconic BMW i4. This new, all-electric offering marks a bold future-proofing step for Mazda as it shifts some of its fleet towards electric powertrains. Replacing the since-discontinued Mazda 6, the all-new Mazda 6e combines traditional Japanese elegance with cutting-edge electric technology wrapped in an eye-turning, sophisticated package.
Inspired by Mazda’s long-standing design ethos, Kodo, or the Soul of Motion, this latest Mazda design features sleek, flowing lines, a long bonnet, sharp LED lights, and a sporty, grand touring stance. The five-door fastback exudes a classy but modern aesthetic with an illuminated front grille, aerodynamic 19-inch alloy wheels, and an extendable rear spoiler. On the inside, the 6e offers passengers a gorgeous floating center console, a 14.6-inch touchscreen, and a 10.2-inch digital instrument panel. Technological gadgetry aside, the interior on this one is nothing short of premium posh. Mazda reports the 6e will be available in two trim levels: Takumi and Takumi Plus, the latter of which features premium Nappa leather and quilted seats.
Available with two battery options: a 68.8kWh battery offering a range of up to 300 miles, and an 80kWh battery providing up to 345 miles, drivers are provided a healthy dose of Zoom-Zoom in what promises to be a fun and rewarding RWD platform. Both trim and battery size options will support 200kW DC rapid charging, and while neither of the 6e models are lightning quick, per se, the soul of Mazda has rarely been straight-line acceleration, favoring dynamic, responsive, and well, “just plain fun” driver-engagement instead. Here the entry-level version delivers 258hp, accelerating from 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds, while the larger battery version offers 245hp with a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds. Reports suggest the Mazda may have plans for dual-motor version as well, which, if true, would deliver an equally as enticing all-wheel drive model in the future, as well as the promise of more range. We’ll have to wait and see on that, but with any luck–fingers seriously crossed here–it would be phenomenally exciting to see the return of a Mazdaspeed 6e, even if it were in very limited numbers.
Mazda confirmed the 6e will be launched in left-hand drive for European markets later this year, before arriving in the UK in 2026. Prices and final specifications will be announced closer to the sale date. Additionally, there is potential for an Australian launch, as the UK spec right-hand drive version opens the door for broader market availability down under. It’s certainly still early, and while Mazda has not yet revealed plans for releasing the 6e in the States, those plans may change if this model takes off within these cross-pond markets.
Already well-regarded for their generally upscale interiors, Mazda designers pulled out all the stops here. The interior on this rolling work of art is indisputably jaw-dropping, featuring high-quality materials, a massive panoramic roof, intuitive controls, and the kinds of premium features–like zero-gravity reclining seats—that ought to be reserved for the bourgeoisie. Equipped with an array of advanced technologies, the 6e comes standard with a large central touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Mazda’s latest, most advanced driver-assistance systems. Safety features include autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert systems, and a first-of-its-kind 50” augmented-reality HUD which projects a swath of information directly onto the windshield. Yeah, you read that right…
Whether this next tidbit will off-putting to consumers remains to be seen, but truth be told, Mazda’s newest EV is actually a shared project partnership with Chinese car maker, Changan. The company, relatively unheard of here in the States, is actually the fourth largest automotive manufacturer in China and played a significant role in the development of Mazda’s new EV. The Mazda 6e shares its platform with the Deepal L07 sedan, a fact that—given looming threats of Chinese tariffs—further reduces the likelihood of a 6e landing on our shores any time soon. The 6e will be exported from China to Europe, where it aims to meet the EU’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandates. Looking ahead, Mazda plans to introduce its first dedicated EV on a new platform in Japan, further solidifying its commitment to sustainable mobility.
While the market is rapidly evolving, the Mazda 6e is expected to be a strong contender against the Tesla Model 3 on the world stage. With its sleek design, innovative technologies, and solid performance potential, Mazda aims to make a significant dent in the lucrative EV market, and if that dent gets big enough, it could help bring this sexy saloon to a freeway near you sooner than you may think. Fingers Crossed.
If you’re a decision-maker for a commercial vehicle fleet that’s considering going electric, one of the best things you can do is to study the experiences of fleets that have successfully electrified.
Quality Custom Distribution, a division of Golden State Foods, has been using EVs in its operations for the last couple of years. FleetOwner’s Jade Brasher spoke with Shane Blanchette, Group VP of Operations at QCD, about the company’s electrification journey.
QCD, which offers distribution services across the US, currently operates 40 Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric trucks and has 4 more on order. The EVs are split between two QCD facilities in California, at La Puente and Fontana.
The company began its electrification strategy in 2021 with a single Volvo VNL, acquired through Volvo’s Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions (LIGHTS) project, a pilot program designed to gather information on fleet EV deployment. After only two weeks of operating the VNR Electric, QCD ordered 14 more with the help of a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee’s Inland Port Program. A year later, QCD decided to order 30 more VNR Electric trucks.
“The $20-million electrification project includes 16 chargers and an industry-first renewable energy microgrid to power the battery-electric fleet and distribution center in Los Angeles,” Blanchette said.
Several OEMs currently offer Class 8 electric truck models, but QCD has stuck with Volvo.
“As a Volvo Trucks customer for over 13 years, we knew we could expect the same level of safety, comfort, and performance from the VNR Electric as we’ve always had with the traditional VNR,” Mike Douglas, QCD’s former Senior Director of Strategic Procurement, said at the time of QCD’s first EV delivery.
Getting charging infrastructure installed is typically one of the biggest challenges for fleets that are going electric, and QCD is no exception. The company is currently relying on a temporary charging solution—portable 50 kW DC fast chargers leased from Volvo Financial Services. The company’s permanent charging solution, which includes a microgrid, is expected to be up and running later this year, after two years of work.
Blanchette told FleetOwner that the timeline could have been “cut in half, if permitting and equipment lead times [had been] more favorable. The major hurdles in building out the infrastructure were equipment procurement and permitting timelines, as well as landlord alignment, as our facility is leased space.”
The company is using two different charging infrastructure partners for its two facilities. “On our La Puente project, we partnered with InCharge and Scale Microgrids, while the Fontana project was coordinated through Volvo and involved Shell Recharge.”
Both InCharge and Shell Recharge helped facilitate “grant funding identification, permitting, equipment procurement, data analytics, infrastructure design and construction.”
QCD originally decided to electrify for sustainability reasons, but has found another benefit: drivers love the new trucks. Electric vehicles have “made the drivers’ life easier,” Blanchette said, “which in turn, has helped with higher retention, lower turnover, and most importantly, improved safety.”
QCD’s fleet runs regional delivery routes, with an average of less than 100 miles per route. Class 8 electric trucks are well suited for this duty cycle. “The new generation of EVs in our fleet gets up to 275 miles,” Blanchette said. “It’s been perfect for QCD because when the team comes back, they still have anywhere from a 40 to 50% charge remaining on them.”
After two years, QCD has found that the maintenance cost for its Class 8 EVs has been about half that of its legacy diesel trucks. “When comparing the repair and maintenance cost against same model year and workload diesel units, we are seeing the EVs cost significantly less,” Blanchette said.
Source: FleetOwner
GreenPower Motor, a US manufacturer and distributor of electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, has received three orders for 11 electric BEAST school buses for school districts in Arizona, California and Oregon.
The orders are from GreenPower’s California dealer Model 1 for seven buses for the Los Baños Unified School District; from its Arizona dealer RWC Group for two buses for the Casa Grande Elementary School District; and from its Oregon dealer Peterson Trucks for two buses for the Hood River County School District.
The BEAST is a purpose-built 40-foot Type D electric school bus with seating for up to 90 students. Designed from the ground up as an EV, it is a fully integrated structure that features a strong and corrosion-resistant body made from extruded aluminum, manufactured by Constellium, which is mated to a high-strength steel Truss chassis.
Combined port charging is standard with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC fast charging rates up to 85 kW, allowing the buses to charge fully in less than three hours.
“The GreenPower school bus order pipeline and production schedule are both at record levels—sales projections for 2025 are set to eclipse the 2024 calendar year,” said Paul Start, GreenPower’s Vice President of Sales, School Bus Group.
Source: GreenPower Motor
One of the biggest goals of ecological sustainability is, well, sustainability! Using sustainable technologies to create true energy independence in some of the most remote places on Earth remains a crucial goal for the governments of independent islands and other isolated territories worldwide. Many places—like Hawaii, Easter Island, Tuvalu, and Qaqortoq—rely heavily on imported energy sources, which, in many cases, is more than just a matter of logistical economics. This energy dependence represents a real vulnerability to the sustainability of these ecosystems. For that reason, many governments in these types of remote locations are actively seeking energy self-sufficiency in the coming decade. Since petrol isn’t naturally available in many of these places, and because of its negative ecological impact on these isolated environments, the future of electric vehicles looks bright here.
Enter the strategic partnership between Subaru UK and Norwegian EV charger brand Easee. The two have teamed up with the government of St. Helena to host a groundbreaking initiative promoting sustainable energy and zero-emission transport. St. Helena, an extremely remote overseas British territory, is located 1,200 miles off the southwest coast of Africa. With its ambitious goal of transitioning to a self-sustaining energy network and 100% emission-free transportation by 2030, leaders at Subaru have set their sights on making this a reality.
St. Helena currently generates 25% of its electricity from wind and solar energy, with the remainder coming from an expensive and relatively unclean diesel station that consumes roughly $6.2M USD of imported fuel annually. However, the government is currently underway with its plan to generate 80% of the island’s power through renewable sources by 2028, aligning with its commitment to sustainability.
Mark Brooks, St. Helena’s Minister for Treasury and Economic Development, expressed enthusiasm for this latest project. “The next step is to roll out the infrastructure so that we are using electric vehicles more and more on the island. There are a lot of diesel and petrol vehicles currently, and we want to change that behavior.
For two months, an Easee Charge unit was installed outside the Museum in Jamestown, the capital of St. Helena, and connected to the local power grid. The charging station powered Subaru’s all-electric Solterra, which simultaneously underwent rigorous testing across the island’s rugged and varied terrain. The trial aimed to test the feasibility, reliability, and adaptability of EV technology in one of the world’s most isolated locations, and in true Subaru fashion, the Solterra aced the test.
Arriving on the island aboard a monthly supply ship, the unpackaging of the all-new Solterra drew significant attention from locals. Known for their durability, Subarus are already keenly popular on the island, but this day marked the arrival of its first all-electric model to these British soils. As one might guess, the Solterra easily tackled St. Helena’s sealed and dirt roads, tight lanes, and volcanic landscapes. However, islanders and researchers alike were excited to discover a day’s worth of rigorous trekking only consumed 20% of th battery capacity–following a full day of driving. The vehicle’s regenerative braking system proved invaluable as it navigated the challenging topography of the island, working intuitively to maximize vehicle efficiency during the multitude of downhill descents. Who knew going downhill could be so productive?
The Easee Charge unit will remain on the island as part of a plan to further expand existing EV charging infrastructure, allowing a small fleet of electric vehicles to be imported for tourists and residents.
Subaru UK’s Managing Director, Lorraine Bishton, remarked, ‘From Subaru’s perspective, it’s an honor to be involved in a project that could potentially lead to a fully sustainable future for Saint Helena. It’s a real testament to Subaru’s reliability and capability that we’re not sending a technician with the Solterra. And to be honest, if you can operate an electric vehicle in this type of environment, then you really can anywhere.’ Spoken like a true Subaru adventurer!
While not necessarily groundbreaking in terms of overall EV technology, this joint venture is an important step in testing the feasibility of EV adoption in such remote locations. With ongoing governmental efforts, St. Helena hopes to soon achieve a zero-emission automotive footprint, setting an example for sustainable development in similar territories worldwide.
And who knows, maybe one day, we’ll look back and think, “Wow, this all started on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere!”
While some EV startups target the luxury vehicle market, Aptera Motors has taken a different path—the company set out to build the most efficient EV possible, and it’s now getting very close to production.
At CES 2025, Aptera presented its production-ready solar electric vehicle (sEV), which it says offers “unmatched energy efficiency, freedom from conventional charging, and a truly zero-emission driving experience.”
Aptera says drivers won’t need to plug its vehicle in for most daily driving needs. It’s designed to deliver up to 40 miles of free driving per day powered entirely by sunlight. The company calculates that owners in sunny climates can expect to get over 10,000 miles per year of solar-powered driving. (The car can also of course be charged with a standard J1772 connector.)
The vehicle showed at CES featured Aptera’s complete solar array, consisting of four panels strategically placed on the hood, dash, roof and hatch of the vehicle, as well as its production body structure, built from carbon fiber sheet molding compound (CF-SMC). “This advanced material dramatically reduces complexity, requiring fewer than one tenth the parts of traditional vehicles, resulting in a lightweight yet robust design,” says the company.
“This vehicle embodies years of innovation and relentless pursuit of energy-efficient mobility,” said Aptera Co-CEO Chris Anthony.
Aptera has raised $135 million through equity crowdfunding, and says it has booked nearly 50,000 reservations, representing over $1.7 billion in potential revenue.
Source: Aptera
Chinese manufacturer Lyric has shipped its solid-state battery front-end equipment to its first US customer.
Lyric’s Z-shape stacking machine achieves an efficient stacking speed of 0.1 s/pcs and ultra-high precision alignment of ±0.3 mm, according to the company. The double planetary mixer mixes various viscosity materials, enabling flexibility, and enhances the safety and efficiency of the production process through the upgrade of automation technology.
Lyric aims to continue expanding its global footprint and its dry electrode and stacking technology. The company offers customized equipment delivery from a single station to the entire production line.
“Lyric is actively seeking cooperation opportunities with more overseas enterprises, aiming to promote China’s solid-state battery equipment technology and solutions to the global market,” the company said.
Source: Lyric
South Korea’s LG Energy Solution has launched its Battery Innovation Contest (BIC) 2025 to identify and support the next generation of battery technologies.
Since its inaugural competition in 2017, BIC has been LG Energy Solution’s flagship research contest. This year’s edition has been revamped to foster greater collaboration between academia and industry.
Selected researchers will receive annual research funding of up to $150,000 annually. Additional funding may be granted to projects that make significant achievements through extended contracts.
Unlike previous iterations of the competition, BIC 2025 allows participants to submit proposals on specific topics pre-announced by LG Energy Solution.
To facilitate active collaboration, LG Energy Solution has introduced the BRIDGE system, a platform designed to manage open innovation programs like BIC.
LG has unveiled the preselected 18 research topics for collaborative projects on the BRIDGE platform, including battery safety diagnosis algorithm technology and new materials for LFP batteries.
LG has supported 26 battery research projects through the BIC initiative, and some have evolved into large-scale projects that have received additional funding and resources. Through the competition, the company continues to establish partnerships with universities and research institutions.
“The BIC platform serves as a bridge of wisdom between members of academia and industry, driving technological innovation for the all-important battery sector,” said Je-Young Kim, CTO of LG Energy Solution. “Through this initiative, we aim to provide differentiated value to our customers by strengthening our technology leadership.”
Source: LG Energy Solution