Car News

Three-quarters of all lithium – and one-third of the nickel – used in Tesla electric cars is sourced from Australia, the company’s Chair Robyn Denholm has revealed.

Rideshare powerhouse Uber has confirmed it will collaborate with UK tech firm Arrival in the design of an electric car. The model is slated for reveal in late 2021, and mass production is promised by the third quarter of 2023 (July to September inclusive).

US car giant Ford has confirmed plans to build its own battery development facility – known as the ‘Ford Ion Park’ – in Michigan, US. According to the Detroit News, the 200,000-square-foot site (18,580 square metres) is expected to cost upwards of US$185 million (AU$245 million) to build, and, when complete, it will employ “approximately” 150 people.

Volkswagen plans to use “cloud” technology developed by Microsoft to speed-up the rollout of autonomous vehicles. A new deal between the German car giant and the US tech giant will reportedly enable faster integration of autonomous systems in future vehicles. According to overseas reports, the technology will also enable wifi-based “over the air” updates after the car has been sold, as per Tesla.

The first of 10 new public charging stations has been installed in the Gold Coast, as part of a scheme to ease range anxiety and increase the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) across the region. Broadbeach was the first suburb to acquire the new infrastructure, with Coolangatta, Southport, Pimpama, Carrara, Bundall and Nerang set to follow. Built by Brisbane-based company Tritium, the 75kW DC chargers were funded through a $350,000 contribution from the local government.