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Tech News
A New York Times columnist took one of America's lowest-priced electric vehicles on a road trip through the Deep South after readers specifically challenged the writer to test a route with sparse charging infrastructure. The resulting account details the charging difficulties encountered along the way.
A new report details common EV charging behaviors that can accelerate battery wear, including habits like routinely charging to 100 percent, charging in extreme heat, and frequent use of DC fast chargers. Instead, the report recommends keeping charge levels between 20 and 80 percent for most driving, varying ideal caps by battery chemistry (LFP vs NMC), and favoring Level 2 charging over Level 3 when possible.
A startup originally built around AI applications for climate work has received backing from Nvidia, reportedly after deprioritizing its climate-focused mission. The shift in focus preceded or accompanied the investment, according to reporting on the deal.
Xeal plans to leverage its existing network of over 1,600 EV charging stations across the United States to deploy more than 100,000 Nvidia GPUs within specialized Latient Pods. Each pod, containing up to 48 high-performance GPUs, aims to provide low-latency inference compute by utilizing idle electrical capacity at these locations. The initiative seeks to quickly expand edge computing infrastructure without the need for new data center construction.
Comparing home EV charging options, the EPA estimates that Level 1 chargers—which use a standard household outlet—add roughly 5 miles of range per hour, enough for about 40 miles after an 8-hour overnight charge. Level 2 chargers using a 40A circuit can add more than 30 miles of range per hour, making them better suited to drivers who cover longer distances or face cold-weather battery warm-up needs.
Tesla held an invite-only launch event at its Sparks, Nevada factory to mark the start of high-volume production of the Tesla Semi, nearly eight years after it was first unveiled. Vehicle Engineering VP Lars Moravy confirmed the long-range version will travel about 500 miles per charge, with a standard version rated at roughly 325 miles, and fleet operators who had placed orders were recognized on stage. Elon Musk did not attend, appearing instead in a pre-recorded video while attending a White House state dinner.
Geely announced a new battery pack capable of charging at up to 2.2 MW, going from 10 to 70 percent charge in 4.5 minutes and 10 to 98 percent in 8 minutes 40 seconds. The company says AI-driven predictive thermal management keeps average pack temperature around 55°C, with micro pulses of current used to reactivate lithium ions and extend battery life by 20 percent. The technology has already been tested in the Zeekr 001 and Lynk & Co 10 models.
Geely Automotive announced a new AI-driven charging system paired with a smart-charging station capable of 2,250 kilowatts peak power. The company said tests on a Zeekr 001 and a Lynk & Co 10 reached 97% charge in under nine minutes, with software predicting battery temperature to adjust power flow in real time.
Porsche has launched Wireless Charging for its Cayenne Electric SUV, letting drivers park over a ground pad to begin charging automatically without plugging in a cable. The system pairs a pad under the vehicle with a weatherproof outdoor ground pad, delivering up to 11 kW at roughly 90% efficiency, and includes motion sensors and foreign-object detection to halt charging if an animal or metal object is detected. The feature is rolling out in stages and is currently orderable in Germany and other European markets.
ChargePoint's latest report finds that public charging infrastructure buildout continues to lag behind EV adoption, even as sales remain strong—over 1.8 million EVs sold globally between January and August. CEO Rick Wilmer said demand signals like high used-EV retention rates and steady RFP volume suggest the North American market is healthier than press coverage implies.
A man who plugged in his electric vehicle at a car dealership was later charged $418 for the electricity used, far exceeding typical charging costs. The steep bill has drawn attention to how dealerships price EV charging for customers who use their facilities.
Jyothi Swaroop, chief growth officer at ChargePoint, described the leadership approach he uses to drive rapid expansion at the EV charging company. He argues that aiming for small, incremental improvements limits results, and instead pushes teams to target 5x or 10x gains regardless of a business's size or stage.