The EV start-up Canoo and its main client Walmart launched real-world deliveries in a 7-days-a-week program in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex (DFW). Canoo will finalise configuring the all-electric vans according to Walmart’s requirements following their significant order.
The Californian electric car start-up Canoo has announced a large order from Walmart. The US retail giant has signed a binding agreement with Canoo to buy 4,500 all-electric delivery vehicles, starting with the Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV), a cargo variant of the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle.
The British milk supplier Milk & More procures 159 additional electric vans. The new LDV EV80 vehicles are scheduled to go into service by the end of September and expand the company’s electric fleet to more than 500 vehicles.
SAIC of China via its British subsidiary LDV presented the EV30 at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham. The brand’s second electric van has an output of 85 kW and is available with short and long wheelbases as well as two battery variants.
New Karma: EV manufacturer Fisker has been officially reborn under the name Karma Automotive. The company, now owned by Wanxiang Group, has moved production tools and equipment to Finland and will be selling their vehicle under the name Revero later this year. The Revero will use BMW technology, as reported. wsj.com, autoblog.com
Tesla teaser: Tesla posted a teaser with the “keep it 100” emoji on its Facebook page, making many suspect that the EV maker is getting ready to release its 100 kWh battery option. Rumours on the matter have been circulating for a while. Meanwhile, the recently refreshed Model S 90D Tesla has been rated as having a range of 303.2 miles. electrek.com (100 kWh), insidedevs.com (Model S)
CEO switch: Zhang Hailiang, former CEO of SAIC Volkswagen, has been named CEO and COO of LeEco Auto. Hailing started at Volkswagen back in 1994, taking the reigns as CEO in 2007 and became the youngest vice president of SAIC in 2014. autonews.gasgoo.com
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E-Van: LDV, newly backed by SAIC Maxus, revealed their EV80 panel van at the Commercial Vehicle show in Birmingham. The car is a fully electric version of the V80 panel van and is fitted with a battery with up to 75 kWh. It’s claimed to provide over 180 miles of range, though real-world estimates are more around 100 miles. autoexpress.co.uk
Ford expands: Ford plans to expand their alternative fuel vehicles line-up in China, saying they will “have hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics.” The rollout will begin later this year with the launch of the hybridized Mondeo. Audi also plans to sell the A6L e-tron plug-in hybrid exclusively in China, followed by the Q7 e-tron in 2017. autonews.com (Ford), chinadaily.com (Audi)
e20 in review: Autocar expects that the Mahindra e20 will step in to replace the G-Wiz electric city car, and they’ve written a thorough how-to and review. Both models, the City and the fully loaded TechX, were found to be safe, but only “adequate” and lacking speed and bite. autocar.co.uk