Isuzu has announced plans to build an electric vehicle development and testing facility within its Fujisawa plant, to help it achieve its target of having a full range of carbon-neutral vehicles by 2030.

Founder Mujeeb Ijaz steps down from his role as CEO to serve instead as Vice-Chairman of the board and Chief Technology Officer.

With the help of the Serbian government* in securing the land and the necessary licenses to build, the site will be responsible for the manufacturing and recycling of battery cells for EVs.

EC trading tariff exemptions, which were agreed upon as part of the Brexit deal, were due to end on January 1, 2024, resulting in a 10% tariff on the export of European-built battery electric vehicles to the UK and vice-versa.

The battery cells are to be sourced from LG Energy Solution to make battery modules and packs for TDCV starting in the first half of 2025.

With construction set for next year on a 65-hectare area of land in Šurany, the Slovak government is set to provide subsidies. The venture aims to begin battery production in Q2 2026, producing EV batteries with a combined annual output of 20 gigawatt-hours.

The companies have formed a joint venture (NextGen AssetCo) for leasing up to 1,000 electric bus batteries for GBP 100 million as part of FirstGroup’s plan to electrify its electric bus fleet in the UK. This new company will purchase the batteries, which will then be leased to First Bus over an eight-year period.

The new facility, spanning 1,300 square metres, can accommodate every stage of battery development between prototyping and small-scale production, according to Mahle Powertrain.

The subsidiary of the American trailer components supplier showcased systems for tyre pressure monitoring and solar power generation specifically for semi-trailers.

The largest battery conference in Europe is set to take place between November 5 to 7, 2024, at the Darmstadtium Science and Congress Centre in Darmstadt, Germany.

Stellantis is selling the facelifted vans, based on the long-running ‘Ducato’ line, under four brand names: Fiat, Citroën, Opel/Vauxhall and Peugeot.

Development work on the solid-state batteries will take place at the new facility in Fullerton, which covers 122,000 square feet.