Battery Electric Vehicles

UK researchers have found a way to reduce the risk of electrocution with electric vehicles, while US utility Duke Energy said it is exploring how the Ford F-150 Lightning can serve as a grid resource. Chinese carmaker Geely posted disappointing first-half results, while IHS Markit said it expects strong uptake of battery electric vehicles in Europe through to 2030.

In other news, Stellantis demonstrates wireless charging tech that transfers energy from road infrastructure to EVs, Toyota defies shareholder pressure to step up electrification efforts, and Volkswagen threatens to dethrone Tesla on EV sales by 2024.

The race to electrify passenger cars is picking up pace, writes Prachi Mehta, senior research analyst for Wood Mackenzie. Competition among leading EV automakers is fierce, as 2024 looms as a watershed year when auto battery-pack prices cross a key consumer threshold.

The market last month saw a sharp rebound in the sales of traditional, internal combustion engine vehicles as Covid-19 restrictions continued to ease. Analysts have predicted a similar rebound in Europe as the continent emerges from the public health crisis.

BYD’s electric bus business is growing at an healthy rate. Geely’s EVs lag their more traditional counterparts – but are gaining ground.

For renewables to claim a more sizable share of the global energy mix, the adoption of energy storage would need to pick up pace and the rapidly increasing size of the EV fleet will offer a scalable way to ramp up such access, says Fitch Solutions.