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VinFast founder Pham Nhat Vuong’s charging infrastructure company V-Green has signed a letter of intent with the Prime Group conglomerate to build 100,000 charging stations for VinFast EVs in Indonesia over the next three years. The roll-out is scheduled to begin in 2025.
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers like BYD, Chery, Geely, and SAIC are shaking up the automotive market in Mexico. With stylish, tech-packed cars and competitive pricing, they’re attracting attention in a country where air pollution and rising fuel costs make EVs a practical choice.
Mexico City’s infamous smog and strict driving restrictions on high-pollution days give EV owners a big advantage—they’re exempt from these bans. Take the BYD Dolphin Mini, for example. It’s more than just an electric car; it’s a ticket to unrestricted driving. On top of that, EVs offer lower operating costs. In Mexico, electricity is about 70% cheaper than gasoline, making EVs a budget-friendly choice in the long run.
“Electricity is cheaper than gas. You can make up the difference,” says Daniela Alvarez, a salesperson at a BYD dealership.
EV sales in Mexico are still small—about 2% of total car sales—but they’re growing fast, up 40% compared to 2023. Chinese brands have seized the moment, building dealerships and planning local factories to expand across Central and South America. Their ambition is clear: they aim to challenge long-standing leaders like Toyota in markets like Brazil.
While Chinese automakers currently focus on Mexico, their eyes are set on the United States. High tariffs have kept Chinese EVs out of the US market for now, but Mexico could become a backdoor for these affordable vehicles to enter North America.
US tariffs on cars built in Mexico are much lower—just 2.5% compared to the 100% levied on vehicles made in China. However, potential policy changes could complicate things, as both the US and Mexico weigh the economic and political impact of Chinese competition.
Chinese carmakers have transformed their image over the past two decades. Once criticized for poor quality, they now lead the way in battery technology, autonomous driving, and entertainment systems. Models like the BYD Song and Shark hybrid are giving established players like Toyota serious competition by offering similar features at significantly lower prices.
In Mexico, Chinese brands now hold a 9% market share, up from virtually zero just five years ago. Their success can be attributed to delivering what customers want: reliable, affordable vehicles with modern technology.
China’s auto industry has quickly overtaken Japan as the world’s largest exporter of cars. By establishing a strong presence in markets with fewer trade barriers, like Mexico, Thailand, and Brazil, Chinese automakers are setting the stage for global dominance.
Western automakers, meanwhile, are feeling the heat. General Motors has reported significant losses in China, and Volkswagen is under pressure to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation from Chinese competitors.
As Chinese automakers push into Latin America, the question remains: will they eventually enter the US market? Analysts suggest it’s only a matter of time. While tariffs and trade barriers may delay their arrival, the growing demand for affordable EVs could force the US to reconsider its stance.
For now, Mexico is at the forefront of this EV revolution, with Chinese automakers leading the charge. Whether you’re an EV enthusiast or a casual observer, it’s clear that these brands are here to stay—and they’re changing the game.
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Wireless EV charging developer Electreon is collaborating with the State of Michigan and Xos, a manufacturer of electric trucks, on a project that includes the integration of Electreon’s wireless charging technology into a Xos Stepvan, as well as installation of stationary wireless charging at a Detroit UPS facility.
Funding of $200,000 came from the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform (MMFP), which supports testing and deployment of mobility projects in the state. Electreon received additional funding from the Michigan Central Scale Fund.
The project expands on Detroit’s electric roadway, which was launched at the Michigan Central Innovation District in the city’s Corktown neighborhood in November 2023. Equipped with Electreon wireless charging infrastructure, the roadway is capable of charging EVs wirelessly while in motion.
“Electreon, UPS and Xos aim to show a unique approach to commercial EV charging, including both stationary and dynamic wireless charging, which eliminates operational interruptions and charging downtime. This solution can also offer extended vehicle range capabilities without the need for expensive electric grid upgrades or purchasing larger vehicle batteries,” Electreon stated.
CALSTART, a US-based clean transportation nonprofit, has recommended three recipients for a total of $43 million in first-round California Energy Commission (CEC) grant funds: Sparkz, Sepion Technologies and South 8 Technologies in partnership with Nanotech Energy.
The selection follows an evaluation of 14 applications that were submitted in April as part of California PowerForward battery-manufacturing infrastructure grant program.
Sepion Technologies plans to build a lithium-ion battery separator manufacturing facility in West Sacramento, California with the grant.
Sparkz has opened its Sacramento manufacturing facility, which will serve as the project location for its PowerForward project.
“Through programs like PowerForward, Sparkz is able to accelerate the scale-up of its battery material manufacturing to meet growing domestic customer demands as programs like the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provide tax credit opportunities to domestic battery consumers,” said Sanjiv Malhotra, founder and CEO, Sparkz.
South 8 will expand manufacturing of its LiGas electrolyte in San Diego and integrate a LiGas injection system into Nanotech’s battery cell production facility in Chico to provide LiGas battery cells for zero-emission vehicles and other applications.
“CALSTART is excited to announce the awards for the PowerForward program, which will grow critical elements in the battery supply chain, and foster innovation and collaboration throughout the state,” said Phoebe Bisnoff, CALSTART’s Battery Manufacturing Program Manager.
Source: CALSTART
Commercial EV charging providers are gradually rolling out chargers compliant with the new Megawatt Charging System (MCS). Now UK charge point supplier Project EV has presented a charger that supports vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which could provide an additional source of income for electrified commercial fleets.
As Electrive reports, Project EV’s new charger was “designed for high-demand charging environments such as commercial locations, large fleet operations and highway rest stops.” The power cabinet can support up to ten outlets, and is compatible with liquid-cooled and air-cooled systems. Few other technical details are available at the moment.
The new charger was developed in collaboration with the UK’s Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Innovate UK. It is part of the Electric Heavy Goods Vehicles—first roll-out and demonstration of V2X and grid decarbonisation project, which aims to demonstrate the “V2G services potential of electric HGVs (eHGVs)—load-balancing, frequency stabilisation and resilience.” The project is headed by Kaasai Services and received 1.4 million pounds in funding from the UK government.
“Over the past year, our team has worked tirelessly to design and deliver the cutting-edge hardware for this trial,” said Richard Pink, Chief Technology Officer at Project EV. “We are immensely proud of the innovative charging solution we’ve developed, featuring exceptional versatility with multiple charging guns tailored to meet diverse customer requirements.”
Source: Electrive
CBMM, a global specialist in the production of niobium products, has opened a manufacturing facility dedicated to producing Echion Technologies’ proprietary XNO active anode material. The new plant, located in Araxá, Brazil, is capable of producing 2,000 tons per year of XNO, equivalent to 1 GWh of Li-ion cells.
As part of its strategic growth plan, CBMM aims to reach a capacity of 20,000 tons of niobium oxide for batteries by 2030.
The recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new plant “marked a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between CBMM and Echion and represents a major step forward in the companies’ joint goal of expanding the use of niobium in battery production.”
Echion says its niobium-based anode material, XNO, enables Li-ion batteries to charge safely at high speeds, maintain high energy densities even at extreme temperatures, and deliver high power across a cycle life of more than 10,000 cycles. XNO has been specifically engineered to power electrified heavy-duty industrial, commercial and mass transit vehicles.
“The opening of this production plant creates robust supply capacity to meet the significant commercial demand we have for XNO,” said Jean de La Verpilliere, CEO of Echion Technologies. “XNO is already having a positive impact on our cell manufacturing customers, downstream OEMs and end users. Echion is beginning to trade at scale, and that is a major milestone for company growth.”
Source: CBMM
Grappling with escalating air pollution, India’s financial capital Mumbai is intensifying efforts to make public transport eco-friendly. The city is planning a large fleet of 8,000 electric buses.
With immediate effect, Florian Huettl will be responsible for Stellantis’ activities in Germany in addition to his position as CEO of Opel/Vauxhall. The new dual position is intended to help increase efficiency in the local business. The previous head of Stellantis Germany was Lars Bialkowski.