Author: john@provenroi.com
This decision by Ford marks a significant shift in the American auto industry, as the company pivots away from electric vehicles and towards its core gas-truck business. The repercussions of this move are being felt globally, particularly in South Korea, where Ford has canceled billions of dollars’ worth of battery orders from LG Energy Solution (LGES) and SK On. The cancellation of these orders has put thousands of jobs at risk and could have a lasting impact on the battery industry. Ford’s decision to scale back its electric-vehicle ambitions has sent shockwaves through the industry, as automakers and battery suppliers…
SpaceX’s Starlink is making significant strides in expanding its satellite-to-smartphone connectivity, with a recent partnership announced with Airtel Africa. This collaboration will bring Starlink’s Direct to Cell service to over 170 million people in 14 African countries, marking the sixth continent where the technology will be available. The aim is to eliminate mobile dead zones and provide essential connectivity to underserved regions. The partnership with Airtel Africa is set to launch in 2026, initially offering data connectivity for voice, video, and messaging on compatible smartphones. Over time, Starlink plans to upgrade to full high-speed broadband service, delivering speeds up to…
Tesla is making waves in the world of grid-scale energy storage with the upcoming launch of a $500 million battery energy storage system (BESS) in California. This massive project, located in Kern County, combines solar generation with Tesla’s Megapack batteries to create one of the largest solar-plus-storage installations in the United States. The site boasts an impressive 2 GWh of energy storage co-located with 500 MWac of solar capacity. According to Tesla, this setup will be able to provide clean energy equivalent to the annual usage of approximately 467,000 homes, significantly reducing carbon emissions (over 1 million metric tons of…
The highly anticipated launch of the Rivian R2 is just months away, and the automaker has confirmed some important details about the vehicle’s autonomy features. While the R2 will eventually be equipped with lidar technology, the earliest units of the vehicle will launch without this hardware. In a recent statement to InsideEVs, Rivian revealed that there will be no retrofitting path for early adopters to add lidar hardware to their vehicles once it becomes available. This means that those who purchase the R2 at launch will have to rely on a camera-and-radar-based system for their vehicle’s autonomy features. The announcement…
Tesla has officially unveiled a new V4 Supercharger in north Edmonton, making it the first V4 site in the city and the fifth site in the province of Alberta to feature Tesla’s latest charging technology. This Supercharger marks a significant milestone in Tesla’s commitment to expanding its charging infrastructure and providing convenient charging options for its customers. The new V4 Supercharger is a welcome addition to the growing network of charging stations in Alberta, providing Tesla owners with faster and more efficient charging capabilities. With the latest V4 technology, Tesla vehicles can now charge at speeds of up to 250…
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, took a swipe at Waymo in a recent post on X, stating that the company “never really had a chance” and that this will become evident with hindsight. Tesla and Waymo are the two major players in the self-driving industry in the United States, both offering driverless ride-hailing services. While Tesla currently has Safety Monitors in its vehicles in Austin and drivers in the Bay Area, Musk has announced plans to remove Safety Monitors from the Austin operation by the end of the year. 🚨 Tesla vs. Waymo Geofence in Austin https://t.co/A6ffPtp5xv pic.twitter.com/mrnL0YNSn4 — TESLARATI…
Tesla is making significant strides in its European manufacturing efforts with a new investment at Gigafactory Berlin that will enable the production of up to 8 gigawatt-hours of battery cells per year by 2027. This move is part of Tesla’s push towards vertical integration and solidifying its presence in the European market. According to a statement to Reuters, Tesla is committed to creating the necessary conditions to achieve this production milestone at its factory in Grünheide, near Berlin. The company is investing a substantial amount of capital, nearing €1 billion, to support local cell production. This investment underscores Tesla’s dedication…
Scout Motors, a Volkswagen Group-backed EV company, has recently received approval to sell vehicles directly to consumers in Colorado. This move has caused some controversy among VW dealers who are concerned about the company bypassing traditional dealerships. The company is gearing up to launch its Terra truck and Traveler SUV in 2027. These rugged electric vehicles are expected to appeal to American consumers who are increasingly interested in environmentally friendly transportation options. In a strategic move to gain more control over the sales process, Scout Motors plans to establish experience centers, streamline purchase transactions, open stores in key US markets,…
SpaceX’s Starlink has evolved from a mere satellite internet experiment to a powerful growth engine, with global web traffic flowing through the service more than doubling in 2025. Cloudflare’s data reveals that Starlink’s traffic surged as the service expanded into new markets, with immediate spikes observed in internet traffic whenever Starlink became available in new regions. In some cases, such as in Botswana, traffic jumped by nearly 300% after the launch. This growth aligns with Starlink’s rapidly expanding footprint, as the service now boasts over eight million active users across more than 150 countries and territories. This is a significant…
The Ford E-Transit electric van, once a promising addition to the electric vehicle market, has now been confirmed to not receive a new generation. This decision comes as part of Ford’s larger strategy to shift towards hybrid and extended-range electric vehicles, as announced in the same document that revealed the cancellation of the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup. The current generation of the Ford E-Transit entered production in late 2021 and has seen minimal changes since then. While the battery was upgraded in 2024 to improve range and charging times, the overall design and features remained largely unchanged. Plans for…