Even in the lead up to Christmas, things don’t slow down in the EV industry, but don’t worry, we have the low-down for you! Tesla’s new 500kW V4 Superchargers were announced, Jaguar’s dramatic rebranding, a plant in Germany has promised more materials for EV batteries and, with plenty more news to cover, we have our top 6 headlines for you from last month!
Let’s get plugged in…
Tesla is kicking EV charging into high gear with its V4 Supercharger stations - launching next year. Here’s what’s coming:
500kW charging speeds for EVs
1.2MW charging power for Tesla Semi trucks (that’s a lot of juice!)
Upgraded electronics for faster charging on Cybertruck and other EV brands
The latest V4 stalls come with features to make EV charging simpler and faster for everyone:
Longer cords to reach charge ports without blocking spots
CCS connectors, so no more carrying your own adapter
Physical payment terminals for easy tap-and-go payments
Tesla’s V4 Superchargers aim to solve pain points for non-Tesla EV owners, like slower charging on V3 stations. EVs from brands like Porsche, Hyundai, and Kia—designed for higher voltage charging—can now get faster speeds thanks to these upgrades.
Plus, with V4 cabinets powering up to 8 stalls and deploying faster, these stations will boost charging efficiency across the board.
If you’re not sure whether you can use a Tesla Supercharger with your EV, check out our blog: EV Connectors and Speeds, for more info!
One of the biggest automotive rebrands launched in November 2024 - did you see it? More to the point, who didn’t?
That’s right. Jaguar - the iconic British carmaker whose first vehicle went into production in 1935 - has pushed automotive boundaries once more by reinventing its brand to 100% electric by 2025. It’s the first of the ‘traditional’ automotive brands to do so and has made a big splash on the media circuit through the announcement.
The “Reimagine strategy” - outlined as part of the rebrand launch - provides Jaguar’s pathway to 100% electric by 2025 and carbon net zero by 2039. The strategy is underpinned by the four pillars: Modern Luxury, Electrification, Sustainability and Enterprise. The pinnacle of the strategy? Jaguar’s new concept car, Type 00.
That’s right. There’s a new EV on the horizon.
Introducing the Type 00, set to release in 2026 with a price tag of £100,000, aims to position Jaguar as a “pure luxury brand.”
While the specs for the Type 00 are yet to be revealed (e.g. EV battery capacity, range, onboard charger, etc.), the rebrand leverages the broader industry transition to electric vehicles (EVs), providing an opportunity for Jaguar to redefine itself amidst growing competition from Chinese EV manufacturers and the homogenisation of EV features, which often focus more on range than performance.
To learn more about Type 00 and keep updated on its development, check out Jaguar’s website.
Vulcan Energy Resources, an Australian firm with a refinery in Germany, says it can help with the search for EV battery materials as the automotive industry pushes towards the 2035 EU deadline*!
*By 2035, the EU wants to phase out the sales of all combustion engine vehicles!
Vulcan Energy Resources says its new geothermal heat plant, located in the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany (currently in its test phase!), plans to soon produce lithium for batteries used by auto manufacturers including Volkswagen, Renault and Stellantis.
Commercial production is scheduled to begin in 2027 - the process is being subsidised by the German government, who are showing their support in the form of 100 € million (£82,550,500)!
Additionally, according to Vulcan Energy, the excess heat from the geothermal water source will help heat homes in local communities - contributing to raw material independence for Europe!
Eventually, Vulcan Energy hopes to boost Europe’s developing lithium battery industry, as the initiative itself is designed to produce 24,000 metric tonnes of lithium hydroxide every year (!), a substance widely used in EV batteries.
If you’d like to learn more about Lithium-ion batteries and how they can be reused, head over to our blog: Can EV batteries be recycled?
In an exciting plea for development in EV charging tech, the University of California (UCLA) in the USA has been granted $19.85 million by the state for their recent ‘electric transit projects’ - one of which involves building a wireless, EV-charging road in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games!
The plan is, with inductive charging coils embedded into the road, three-quarters of the mile-long road will be able to wirelessly send a charge to the vehicles travelling along it! There will also be stationary wireless charging at drop-off points and transit depots, so vehicles can charge whilst stopped.
Technically, this is not the first EV charging road in the USA! In November 2023, the first wireless charging road was launched in Detroit, Michigan, with the idea of encouraging the electric transition by combatting EV range anxiety - no need to stop and charge when the road is charging your EV!
This California project, however, is more focused on providing charge for electric buses! UCLA is focused on enhancing its campus bus system, using part of its state grant to expand its electric bus fleet from 5 all-electric buses to 13, ensuring the whole fleet is zero carbon and ready to use their new charging road!
According to Clinton Bench, the director of UCLA Fleet and Transit, whilst the initial price of pilot installations will be high, the charging prices will be cost-competitive to standard EV chargers.
Honda is supercharging EVs with all-solid-state batteries—a next-gen upgrade to make driving farther and charging quicker and easier. Here’s what these EV batteries promise:
2x the range by 2030
2.5x the range by the 2040s (road trip dreams = unlocked!)
Smaller size, lighter weight, and lower costs
Honda is investing ¥43 billion ($277 million) into a new pilot production line starting this January. The plan? Build over 2 million EVs a year by 2030 and hit 100% EV or fuel-cell vehicle sales globally by 2040.
With faster charging speeds, longer battery life, and lower costs, solid-state batteries are the key to making EVs more practical and affordable. Honda’s even open to teaming up with Nissan to speed things along!
Queensland-based RedEarth Energy Storage is spearheading vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology in Australia, announcing a manufacturing deal with German company Ambibox to produce bidirectional EV chargers locally at its Darra, Queensland facility. These chargers will allow electric vehicles to act as mobile batteries, enabling users to charge or discharge their cars to their homes or the grid.
The announcement follows new Australian standards for V2G technology, aimed at enhancing consumer benefits and grid stability by leveraging EV battery storage. Some EV makers will integrate V2G capabilities into their vehicles, while others, like RedEarth, will provide external bidirectional chargers.
RedEarth’s CEO Charles Walker sees V2G as transformative, enabling EVs to function as “private power plants.” The integration of V2G with rooftop solar and home batteries aligns with the growing trend of distributed energy resources and electrification. RedEarth’s chargers, expected to be competitively priced at about half the cost of earlier models (approximately $5,000), are positioned to boost EV adoption while optimising energy returns for homeowners.
The potential of V2G is gaining traction in Australia, with benefits including backup power, additional income from grid services, and reduced grid reliance. By the early 2030s, EV fleet battery capacity could exceed all other forms of storage in Australia, offering significant cost savings for the grid. RedEarth aims to capitalise on this shift by offering locally manufactured chargers that incentivise EV owners and enhance their ecosystem.
RedEarth’s Ambibox chargers are compatible with most Australian EVs, with models undergoing extensive testing. Three-phase chargers will launch in mid-2025, followed by single-phase versions later that year. Founded in 2013, RedEarth specialises in residential and commercial-scale batteries, driving energy storage and management innovations.
Fancy learning more about vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and bi-directional charging? Well, good news, we have just the blog for that. Check out our blog: Bi-directional Charging.
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