autoevolution
 

Cristian Agatie

Contributor
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As a child, he grew up among tractors and heavy machinery and was covered in grease from tip to toe most of the time. It was a tractor that he drove for the first time and when asked what he’d become, he candidly replied: “tractor operator”. Later on, he drove all kinds of vehicles, from heavy trucks to off-roaders, all outside of public roads until he got his driving license.

He did not become a tractor operator, as you can tell already. Instead, he got interested in journalism and pursued a career finding stories for local newspapers and radio stations. But the first love is never forgotten, so when presented with the chance, he seized it and became a motor journalist in 1995.

Having found the perfect job to mix his passion for cars and journalism, he couldn’t help exploring other areas, like science, computers, and mobile devices. He took stints working for a computer magazine for a couple of years, and it was then that he had his first contact with new media. But cars always remained his passion, so he returned to motor journalism when Auto Bild started its local branch. Later, he became an internet junkie, and moving online felt only natural.

In the meantime, he also became obsessed with technology, electric vehicles, batteries, and whatnot, so he writes a lot about those. He found autoevolution a fertile ground for exploration and so he discovered his passion for RVs and campers, but also solar panels and new energy solutions.
This Custom 1979 Volkswagen Type 2 Camper Is a Testament to American Ingenuity
This Custom 1979 Volkswagen Type 2 Camper Is a Testament to American Ingenuity

26 Apr 2022, 13:37 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / The second generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 was especially appreciated by the camper community, and the official Westfalia custom builder obliged with a very practical cabin layout. Nevertheless, creative people manage to convert regular vans to...

 
EVs Are Still Better for the Environment Than ICEs When Considering the Entire Lifecycle
EVs Are Still Better for the Environment Than ICEs When Considering the Entire Lifecycle

26 Apr 2022, 10:28 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Many people still believe that EVs are no better for the environment than ICE vehicles, especially when considering the pollution generated by the batteries. A new study from the European body Green NCAP that assesses the environmental impact throu...

 
Robotaxi Company Pony.ai Is the First to Offer Driverless Taxi Service in China
Robotaxi Company Pony.ai Is the First to Offer Driverless Taxi Service in China

26 Apr 2022, 09:35 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Robotaxi companies are nothing new, but their operations are limited and are yet to be allowed to operate commercially. Pony.ai, an autonomous driving startup that operates in California and China, has received its first Chinese taxi license. This ...

 
GM's Ultium Energy Recovery Feature Helps Improve Range, Charging Times
GM's Ultium Energy Recovery Feature Helps Improve Range, Charging Times

26 Apr 2022, 08:19 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / GM’s Ultium platform underpins the company’s EVs like the GMC Hummer EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and the Cadillac Lyriq. It features clever designs to maximize range and performance while also improving charging times. A new energy reco...

 
Somebody Should Tell Carmakers That Nobody Uses Their Poor In-Car Navigation Systems
Somebody Should Tell Carmakers That Nobody Uses Their Poor In-Car Navigation Systems

25 Apr 2022, 11:36 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / This is coming back again and again as carmakers scramble to cram more and more features inside their infotainment systems. Most of them are just gimmicks and nobody uses them beyond the first encounter, while others could be useful but are so poor...

 
The Puzzling Reason Why Tesla Misleadingly Recommends Charging the LFP Batteries to 100%
The Puzzling Reason Why Tesla Misleadingly Recommends Charging the LFP Batteries to 100%

22 Apr 2022, 15:53 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / When Tesla started deliveries of the Model 3 RWD with lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) batteries, it made a strange recommendation on its website and in the user manual. Unlike the usual charging behavior for Li-Ion batteries, Tesla said it’s OK ...

 
Tesla Has a Secret Clause, It Can Have You Banned From Buying Their Cars
Tesla Has a Secret Clause, It Can Have You Banned From Buying Their Cars

16 Apr 2022, 22:24 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / The car industry is trying to deal with production glitches, parts shortages, and long delivery delays. As people got more anxious to get their new vehicles faster, they also got more inclined to pay extra, and so the dealer markups became the norm...

 
Discovery Allows Micro-Algae To Produce Green Fuels on an Industrial Scale
Discovery Allows Micro-Algae To Produce Green Fuels on an Industrial Scale

15 Apr 2022, 22:24 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Most hydrogen used today is produced from natural gas in a non-sustainable manner. A discovery at Tel Aviv University allows producing green hydrogen via photosynthesis, and the process could be cost-effective enough to be scaled to industrial requ...

 
Kia Has Set a Timeframe for the U.S. Launch of the EV9 Flagship Electric SUV
Kia Has Set a Timeframe for the U.S. Launch of the EV9 Flagship Electric SUV

15 Apr 2022, 17:46 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / The Kia EV9 flagship electric SUV was not present on stage at this year’s edition of the New York Auto Show, which marked the release of the refreshed Telluride. Nevertheless, the spiritual successor of the Telluride did not escape unmentione...

 
It's Time to Buy Yourself a Competent Fire Truck, and This Toyota Dyna JDM Is Just Perfect
It's Time to Buy Yourself a Competent Fire Truck, and This Toyota Dyna JDM Is Just Perfect

15 Apr 2022, 16:08 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / If you're trying to build a connection with the local fire brigade or just want to have fun in an odd-looking vehicle, this 1993 Toyota Dyna fire truck might be your best bet. With a powerful diesel engine and off-road capabilities, this will ...

 
Neverending Drama for Chevy Bolt as GM Faces New Class-Action Suit for Its Fiery Batteries
Neverending Drama for Chevy Bolt as GM Faces New Class-Action Suit for Its Fiery Batteries

15 Apr 2022, 15:05 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Chevrolet Bolt has been a disaster for GM, there’s no question about it. The company has tried its best to dodge Bolt’s problems before finally deciding to take the right decision and replace the Li-Ion batteries on all the vehicles it ...

 
GM's Ultium Batteries Rely on Harmful Carbon Nanotubes That EPA Is Reluctant to Approve
GM's Ultium Batteries Rely on Harmful Carbon Nanotubes That EPA Is Reluctant to Approve

15 Apr 2022, 13:31 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / GM is throwing piles of cash to accelerate its EV production and this implies building battery factories as well. The Ultium technology that GM develops in partnership with battery maker LG Energy Solution will be key to the company’s success...

 
The Car Industry Gets a Jolt With California's Accelerated Plan to Phase Out ICE Vehicles
The Car Industry Gets a Jolt With California's Accelerated Plan to Phase Out ICE Vehicles

15 Apr 2022, 10:28 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / The Golden State once again wants to set the norms for emissions and EV mandates. An ambitious proposal was released by California Air Resources Board (CARB), requiring ZEVs and plug-in hybrids to make up 68% of new-vehicle sales by 2030 and 100% b...

 
Li-Ion Battery Fires Will Be History Thanks to a New Technology Called BrakeFlow
Li-Ion Battery Fires Will Be History Thanks to a New Technology Called BrakeFlow

15 Apr 2022, 09:18 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Li-Ion batteries are the centerpieces of EV development and have also gained relevance in energy storage applications. Things seem to be moving pretty slowly, but there are myriads of startups that try to break technological barriers. Enovix is one...

 
Ford F-150 Lightning Pro and XLT Trims Are Sold Out for the 2022 Model Year
Ford F-150 Lightning Pro and XLT Trims Are Sold Out for the 2022 Model Year

14 Apr 2022, 18:04 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Consumer interest in the electric version of the popular Ford F-150 has been impressive. The number of reservations far surpassed Ford’s production capacity for the 2022 model year, which prompted the Dearborn company to stop taking more rese...

 
Gorgeous 1995 Volkswagen T2 Camper Conversion Hides Intriguing Details
Gorgeous 1995 Volkswagen T2 Camper Conversion Hides Intriguing Details

14 Apr 2022, 16:06 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / The market can’t have enough of these Volkswagen T2 campers and we can understand why just by looking at this one we’ve found on Bring a Trailer. Recently converted as a camper, this Brazilian Type 2 T2 looks as if it just left the fact...

 
Ford F-150 Lightning Flexes Its V2L Muscles, Will Change How Homes Are Built
Ford F-150 Lightning Flexes Its V2L Muscles, Will Change How Homes Are Built

14 Apr 2022, 15:14 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Ford will start deliveries for the F-150 Lightning in less than two weeks and the Dearborn company wants everyone to know that the electric pickup truck will shape the future. Thanks to its Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability, the F-150 Lightning can ...

 
Chevrolet Builds Popular Models Without Ventilated Seat Blower Motors, Blame You Know Who
Chevrolet Builds Popular Models Without Ventilated Seat Blower Motors, Blame You Know Who

14 Apr 2022, 13:57 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / The chip shortage is bad for every company in the car industry, but it’s not the only problem that affects car manufacturing. In the latest move, GM decided to build six popular Chevy models without ventilated seat blower motors. This comes i...

 
Volkswagen Steps Up Its EV Game, Announces Plans for 435-Mile Range MEB Vehicles
Volkswagen Steps Up Its EV Game, Announces Plans for 435-Mile Range MEB Vehicles

14 Apr 2022, 12:00 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / During the UBS Paris Electric Car Day this week, Volkswagen showed improvement plans for its electric vehicle platform. These include a higher range of up to 435 miles, faster-charging speeds, and better performance to compete with the best on the ...

 
Mercedes-Benz Shows You Can Do 700 Miles With One Battery Charge, Fine Print Follows
Mercedes-Benz Shows You Can Do 700 Miles With One Battery Charge, Fine Print Follows

14 Apr 2022, 10:35 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Mercedes-Benz has put the Vision EQXX concept on the road demonstrating world-record efficiency of 8.7 kWh per 100 km (14 kWh per 100 miles). The concept traveled a total of 1,008 km (626 miles) and arrived at the destination with a 15% state of ch...

 

Stories by Cristian Agatie