Electric avenue
Electric trucks still have some shortcomings — including difficulties covering long distances, and the fact that it’s taken manufacturers as long as five years to deliver on some vehicle orders — but Virginia trucking companies are nonetheless forging ahead. For instance, in addition to its 22 diesel trucks, Camrett Logistics in Wytheville received two electric […]
It’s official — Ford plant going to Michigan
Ford Motor Co. announced Monday that it will build an electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan, a $3.5 billion project that Virginia was considered for until Gov. Glenn Youngkin pulled the state out of it late last year. Youngkin’s concern, he said in January, was over the involvement of China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL), […]
Everything is not awesome
When Lego Group representatives toured Chesterfield County’s Meadowville Technology Park on a winter day early this year, they didn’t speak. As with most industrial site visits, the county economic development authority staffers conducting the tour didn’t yet know which company they were working with, although they’d answered a site consultant’s request for proposal. [...]
No myth
Last year, Lori Stacy found herself leading a unicorn. The CEO of Norfolk-based Trader Interactive, an online marketplace for boats, recreational vehicles, motorcycles and other niche vehicles, Stacy helped shepherd the company through its June acquisition by Australian auto retailer carsales.com Ltd. The Australian company paid $624 million for 49% of the business in August […]
Charging up
Virginia Del. Richard “Rip” Sullivan Jr. is one of the General Assembly’s biggest advocates for electric vehicles. But when the Fairfax County Democrat went to buy a car in 2018, he started feeling anxious about the electric cars on offer — particularly their relatively limited range, given the lack of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in […]
Virginia Transformer Corp. launches EV charger module
Roanoke-based power transformer manufacturer Virginia Transformer Corp. has entered the electric vehicle market by launching a manufacturing division to create components for commercial electric vehicle power chargers, with plans to expand the initiative, the company announced Monday. Commercial customers can build self-contained, scalable power modules from VTC’s new product, E2V. The unit [...]
Hyundai dealership to open in Roanoke County
A Hyundai sales and service facility is coming to Roanoke County, car dealership group Southern Team Automotive Group announced Tuesday. The 30,000-square-foot facility will be located at 7300 Williamson Road in the Hollins area in northern Roanoke County. The two-story showroom and facility will have DC fast-charging stations for electric vehicles. Construction is set to […]
Volkswagen to debut electric Microbus at SXSW
Herndon-based Volkswagen Group of America announced Wednesday that it would debut its electric bus during this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, which will be held March 11-20 in Austin, Texas. Designed to recall the iconic Type 2 Microbus introduced in 1967, the ID. Buzz is Volkswagen’s second noncommercial electric vehicle. The vehicle’s modern incarnation […]
Two Va. projects are finalists for $100M U.S. EDA grants
Two Virginia projects — one to make Central Virginia an advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing hub and one to support the transportation and logistics cluster in Southern and Southwest Virginia — are two of 60 finalists for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge, which will provide awardees with up to $100 million each. […]
Sonny Merryman taps new president and CEO
Beginning Aug. 9, Caley Edgerly will take the wheel as president and CEO of Lynchburg bus dealer Sonny Merryman Inc., as current CEO Floyd Merryman III moves into his new role as executive chairman of the family business started by his father nearly 55 years ago. Edgerly previously served as president and CEO of North […]
VW named to Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies list
Volkswagen Group, with its North American operations based in Herndon, was named this week to Time magazine’s inaugural 100 Most Influential Companies list, receiving accolades for its move into electric automobiles. The German automotive corporation has set aside $54 billion for electrified vehicles over the next five years, with plans for six new battery factories and […]
Volkswagen Group of America pulls ‘shocking’ April Fools’ prank
Calling it a “public declaration” of its priority on electric vehicles, Herndon-based Volkswagen Group of America Inc. unveiled a new company name, Voltswagen of America, accompanied by new branding, in a news release Tuesday. There was just one problem — the U.S. sales arm of the German automaker confirmed to news outlets Tuesday evening that […]