Why battery swapping may finally become a part of EV charging infrastructure in the U.S.

San Francisco-based Ample has brought electric vehicle battery swapping to the U.S. The company was in stealth mode for seven years before launching recently with five swapping stations in the Bay Area. Uber drivers in the area are Ample's first customers.

The concept isn't new. A start-up called Better Place launched an EV and battery swapping company after it raised $850 million in venture funding, but it ultimately went bankrupt in 2013. Tesla also demoed battery swapping in 2013 but only opened one station for about a year. Elon Musk said Tesla owners were not interested in it.

Battery swapping is already common in China. Electric vehicle maker Nio, for example, plans to double its network of swapping stations to 500 this year and plans to open stations in Norway as part of its expansion into Europe.

Ample has a different approach, with modular batteries and a focus on fleets. CNBC got an inside look at its headquarters and battery factory in San Francisco to learn how the company plans to bring battery swapping into the mainstream.

Football: Brentford promoted to Premier League after Swansea City playoff victory

LONDON (REUTERS) – Brentford beat Swansea City 2-0 in the EFL Championship playoff final to gain promotion to the Premier League on Saturday (May 29).

Goals by Ivan Toney and Emiliano Marcondes in the opening 20 minutes at Wembley sealed the victory for Brentford who will play in the top flight of English football next season for the first time in 74 years.

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Herald morning quiz: May 30

Test your brains with the Herald’s morning quiz. Be sure to check back on nzherald.co.nz at 3pm for the afternoon quiz.

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Former Jazz center, NBA defensive stalwart Mark Eaton dies at 64

Former Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton, a giant defensive force in the NBA in the 1980s, has died. He was 64.

"We are heartbroken by the passing of Utah Jazz legend Mark Eaton," the Jazz said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with his family as we all mourn the loss of a great man, mentor, athlete and staple of the community."

Eaton spent his entire 11-year NBA career with the Jazz, starting in 1982 and finishing in 1993. He was never a scorer — his career scoring high was 9.7 in 1984-85 and his career average was six points — but at 7-foot-4, he made his mark on the defensive end with his shot-blocking and rim protection.

He won Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 and 1989, made the All-Star team in 1989 and was a five-time All-Defensive selection.

Mahindra expects car sales to take two years to rebound after COVID shock

Vaccination pace crucial: M&M CEO

India’s Mahindra & Mahindra expects it will take at least another two years for car sales to return to their pre-pandemic peaks, but a slow pace of vaccinations could hurt recovery prospects, its chief told Reuters.

Battered by the pandemic in 2020 and an economic slowdown in 2019, passenger vehicle sales in India fell to 2.7 million units in the last fiscal year — their lowest level in six years and well below the peak of 3.4 million units in fiscal year 2019.

Mahindra CEO Anish Shah said sales would rebound by fiscal year 2023 if a majority of the population is inoculated and new COVID-19 cases ease, helping the economy recover.

“Getting back to full normal is going to depend onvaccinations … (else) we will always have the fear of the next wave coming in and disrupting things again,” said Mr. Shah.

India has recorded 28 million cases so far, second only to the U.S. Yet, only about 3% of 1.3 billion people have been fully vaccinated.

Miami police searching for suspect in ‘drive-by’ shooting that killed 1 person, injured 6 more

MIAMI — Miami police were searching for a shooter who opened fire late Friday during an apparent drive-by shooting that killed one person and injured six others.

Dozens of shots were sprayed into the night in Miami’s Wynwood area, with some witnesses describing the scene as a war zone. The victims were rushed to nearby hospitals by friends or acquaintances.

A law enforcement officer told the Miami Herald that investigators were looking into whether the shooting was connected to party that had been advertised in the area. It was unclear if the shooting had a particular target, but police said the shooter appeared to have fired indiscriminately into a crowd of people.

Casings were strewn along the street. Investigators said they found two different casings, suggesting at least two different guns were used.

The Herald reported that five of the victims were grazed and one remained in serious condition.

Police rushed to the scene shortly before midnight, as people took cover during what witnesses described as a drive-by shooting.

“I remember it was just the gun and smoke coming out, like, the back window, because he was just in the back of the car,” one witness told television station WSVN.

Opinion | The Secret Recipe for All-Fun Parenting

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