1998 Gray on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volvo, Daimler, Traton join forces to build electric truck charging network

Volvo Group, Daimler Truck and Volkswagen's AG heavy-truck business the Traton Group announced on Monday a non-binding agreement to build a network of high-performance public charging stations for electric heavy-duty long-haul trucks and buses around Europe. The news was first reported by Reuters. The three major European automakers will invest ˆ500 million (~$593 million USD) to install and operate 1,700 charging points in strategic locations and close to highways. They intend to finalize the agreement by the end of this year and start operations next year, with the hopes of increasing the number of charge points significantly as the companies seek additional partners for the future joint venture. The venture is meant to be a catalyst to prepare for the European Union's goals of carbon-neutral freight transportation by 2050. One of the main deterrents for both individuals and freight companies for switching to EVs has historically been a lack of charging infrastructure. By building that infrastructure, Volvo, Daimler and Traton can also expect to boost their own sales of electric trucks and buses. “It is the joint aim of EuropeÂ’s truck manufacturers to achieve climate neutrality by 2050," Martin Daum, CEO Daimler Truck, said in a statement.  "However, it is vital that building up the right infrastructure goes hand in hand with putting CO2-neutral trucks on the road. Together with Volvo Group and the Traton Group, we are therefore very excited to take this pioneering step to establish a high-performance charging network across Europe.” The partnership between Volvo and Daimler isn't unprecedented. In May, the two competitors teamed up to produce hydrogen fuel cells for long-haul trucks to lower development costs and boost production volumes. This latest venture is another signal that major companies are banding together to solve climate-related issues in the industry. European car industry association ACEA has called for up to 50,000 high-performance charging points by 2030. Traton CEO Matthias Gruendler told Reuters that roughly 10 billion euros would be needed to build out Europe's infrastructure to be fully electrified by 2050. According to a statement released by Volvo, this venture is also a call to action for others with a stake in the industry, like automakers or governments, to work together to ensure the rapid expansion needed to reach climate goals.

Volvo will reportedly dive into the minivan segment in 2023

Volvo will expand its range by entering the minivan segment for the first time, according to a recent report. The automaker is allegedly plotting an electric people-mover that will be built and sold in China and that will share numerous parts beneath the sheetmetal with an existing model. The yet-unnamed minivan appeared on a slide shown during a presentation made by Volvo's Chinese division, according to CarNewsChina. It's one of four new models due out in 2023; the others are the EX90, the EX90 Excellence, and a small SUV that may wear the EX30 name. Volvo hasn't confirmed plans to wade into the minivan segment, let alone published details about the model, but CarNewsChina speculates that the enigmatic family-hauler will land as a brand-specific version of the Zeekr 009 (pictured). Don't worry if that doesn't ring a bell: Zeekr was founded in 2021 and it mainly sells cars in China. It's part of Geely, however, so it's one of Volvo's sister companies. Designers will give Volvo's first minivan Swedish flair inside and out in a bid to differentiate it from the 009, but the Geely-designed SEA architecture and the electric powertrain shouldn't change significantly. That means the model will land with a 544-horsepower dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. It will be fitted with a massive, 140-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack said to unlock over 500 miles of driving range. Volvo will present the van as a close-to-production concept in the third quarter of 2023, and the production model will go on sale in China before the end of the year, according to the report. It's too early to tell whether Volvo will export the van to other markets; the company hasn't commented on the rumor. Don't expect it to come cheap: Zeekr charges 499,000 yuan (around $74,000) for the entry-level 009.

Carmakers, NHTSA to unveil auto-emergency braking agreement tomorrow

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve. Tomorrow, there will be green beer, corned beef and cabbage, and automatic emergency braking for all. Weird combo, we know. But on St. Patty's we can expect an official announcement from a pact of automakers making auto-braking systems standard equipment by 2022. That's per a report from Reuters, which cites three sources familiar with the plans. Originally announced in September 2015 by 10 automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agreement is expected to be even larger when the details are unveiled tomorrow. According to Reuters, the manufacturers of 99 percent of the US domestic market's vehicles will be represented by the new agreement. It's believed that standard AEB systems could prevent thousands of accidents across the country. Expect more on the official announcement when it's made. Related Video: