Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) has canceled plans to build its Badger electric pickup truck after General Motors (NYSE:GM) scaled-down its partnership and is relinquishing its stake in Nikola. Nikola is processing order refunds for GM's Badger deposits.

• Nikola and GM had reached a $2B agreement in September, which gave GM an 11% stake in Nikola for producing the Badgers, plus supplying batteries and fuel cells.
• Fraud allegations against Nikola founder Trevor Milton, who resigned on Sept. 21, caused the GM deal to hit a snag after it was initially scheduled to close by Sept. 30.
• Nikola's share price has halved since its high in November.
• From a 52-week high of $93.99, shares are down 80%. (NKLA trades at $18 as of the time of writing.)

Hyundai (005380.KS) Motor Group has announced plans to introduce an EV only "platform" early next year. The platform will use the automaker's own battery technology to cut production costs and time.

• Hyundai, along with its sister company KIA, has set a target of selling 1M EVs by 2025.
• The new platform is called the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and is expected to use the automaker's own battery modules across several models to reduce the number of components by up to 60%.
• Hyundai has planned to roll out 23 new EVs, including 11 all-electric models, by 2025. Its collection of EVs will fall under its Ioniq brand.

Daimler (DAI.DE) Trucks North America and Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) have announced co-development of a large public charging site for medium and heavy-duty electric trucks.

• The companies selected Swan Island, Portland, for the construction of "Electric Island."
• Electric Island will host up to 5MW of charging infrastructure ⏤ initially including chargers that output 200kW or less ⏤ from several manufacturers including ABB, BTC Power, ChargePoint, Power Electronics, and Proterra.
• The site will support up to nine charging stations, with charging levels of greater than 1MW, by Q2 2021.
• Daimler Trucks North America is part of PGE's Green Future Impact renewable energy program.

Lucid Motors has completed the first phase of construction of its factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. The facility is expected to have a production capacity of 400,000 electric cars per year after future expansions.

• The 590-acre "Lucid AMP-1 factory" will have a capacity of 30,000 vehicles initially, with plans to eventually increase to 400,000 EVs.
• Lucid Motors also unveiled an electric sedan earlier this year called Air with a single-charge range of 517 miles.
• Air will be built at the Lucid AMP-1 factory with plans to release its first vehicles during Q2 2021.

Ampol has opened its third ultra-fast charger at Seven Hills in Sydney, Australia. The installation comes as part of a pilot in collaboration with Evie Network, a direct current (DC) fast-charging provider.

• Ampol first declared its entry into the EV charging market after a deal with Evie Networks in June.
• Its first site opened in Avenel, which is north of Melbourne.
• The Seven Hills site consists of two 350kW ultra-rapid chargers made by Brisbane-based Tritium.
• Ampol promises to install more EV stations across Australia's east coast.

Volvo Trucks North America (VOLV-A.ST) plans to deploy 70 electric trucks in Southern California after winning $21.7M in grants.

• The company will deliver 70 Class 8 VNR electric trucks from the automaker's New River Valley factory in Virginia.
• The $21.7M grant consists of $20M from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Targeted Air Shed Grant Program, plus $1.7M from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
• Volvo forecasts that the 70 electric trucks will provide lifetime emission reduction benefits (excluding charging infrastructure and vehicle manufacturing) of 152.63 tons of NOx, 1.317 tons of PM2.5, and 53,160 tons of CO2.

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• During this holiday season, find out how SimpliSafe is protecting over 3 million homes with less markup and more security.*
• Quebec-based EV manufacturer Lion Electric has announced a $500M merger with SPAC Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp. (NYSE:NGA). San Diego-based Nuvve Corporation and Lion Electric also announced an earlier collaboration for its V2G technology.
• SEAT has introduced a new Tarraco electric hybrid featuring a 13kWh lithium-ion battery back.
• The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) has announced a hybrid- and battery-electric vehicle training program with Ford (NYSE:F).
• Austin, Texas-based Volcon is accepting micro-investments from the public. The company has also secured a 53-acre site for its factory in Northwest Austin, Texas, and revealed pricing for its two-seater Stag ($14,995) and four-seater Beast ($24,995) UTVs.
• Revtown's changing the denim game by applying the best parts of workout clothes—comfort, flexibility & durability—to jeans.*

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