Plug-In Hybrids Get Plugged in More than You Might Think
Toyota’s research institute released charging data for more than 6,000 RAV4 Prime and Lexus NX 450h+ plug‑in hybrids, showing owners plug in on the majority of driving days. RAV4 Prime drivers charge on seven out of ten days, while Lexus NX owners do so eight to nine times per ten days. Comparable studies from BMW, Kia and Hyundai reveal similar high‑frequency charging, contradicting the stereotype that PHEV owners neglect to plug in. The article calls for broader OEM transparency to fully gauge PHEV emissions impact.
“Europe Must Close Ranks on Bidirectional Charging” As Germany Dawdles
Germany is lagging behind its European peers in deploying bidirectional vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) charging, despite a growing number of pilots such as a MAN electric‑truck demonstration and several passenger‑car models ready for two‑way power flow. Industry leaders including BMW, Ford, Volkswagen...
Germany Allocates 2026 Funding for Additional 1,500 Zero-Emission Buses
Germany’s transport ministry unveiled a 2026 funding programme allocating roughly €400 million (≈$432 million) to add at least 1,500 zero‑emission buses. The scheme covers up to 70% of vehicle costs for operators with low electrification and 55% for those further along, plus...
Do Plug-In Hybrids Really Work? Toyota Study Says Yes
Toyota Research Institute North America analyzed over 6,000 Toyota and Lexus plug‑in hybrids and found most owners charge them regularly—about seven out of ten days for RAV4 PHEV drivers and eight to nine days for Lexus NX 450h+ owners. Only a...
JSW Group Partners with Uber to Develop and Deploy EVs in India
JSW Group and Uber have signed a memorandum of understanding to co‑develop and roll out electric‑vehicle solutions for Uber’s ride‑hailing platform in India. The partnership leverages JSW Green Mobility’s battery and charging expertise with Uber’s data‑driven fleet insights to create...
Mazda Says New Mazda6e Is ‘the Car Dealers Wanted’
Mazda unveiled the UK‑priced Mazda6e electric sedan, starting at £38,995 (about $49.5k), positioned below the £40,000 Expensive Car Supplement threshold. The car features a 78 kWh LFP battery delivering a WLTP range of 348 miles and can charge from 10% to...
Bosch Lands Major Mercedes-Benz EV Motor Contract Into the 2030s
Bosch has secured a long‑term contract to supply electric motors for Mercedes‑Benz’s next‑generation powertrains, extending into the 2030s. The agreement highlights Bosch’s high‑efficiency motors—up to 98% efficiency—with advanced rotor‑oil cooling and a scalable architecture that can be sized for different...
Dealers Convinced Mercedes To Put Gas Engines In The Baby G-Class
Mercedes-Benz will offer a gasoline‑engine version of its upcoming "Little G" compact SUV after U.S. dealers urged the company to retain an internal‑combustion option. The move counters the original plan to sell the model exclusively as an electric vehicle, reflecting...
Geely to Launch First Petrol Model in South Africa, Targets 10-Vehicle Lineup
Geely will introduce its first internal‑combustion engine model in South Africa in 2026, expanding its local lineup to roughly ten vehicles by year‑end. The Chinese automaker entered the market last year with electric and plug‑in hybrid models and now plans...
Tesla Says Its Semi Electric Trucks Enjoy Less Down-Time than Diesels
Tesla reports that its Semi electric trucks achieved more than 95% uptime during 2025 trial operations, with downtime below 5%. The fleet’s service efficiency outperformed diesel trucks, which typically see 90‑92% uptime and two‑to‑three days of repairs. Tesla’s Megacharger delivers...
Is Japan Being Dragged Into a "BEV Black Hole"?
Japan’s auto market is lagging far behind global EV trends, with only 3 % of surveyed car buyers considering a battery‑electric vehicle for their next purchase. BEV market share slipped to 1.3 % in the first half of 2025, while hybrids now...
BAIC Group and Tsinghua Unigroup Form Strategic Partnership
BAIC Group and Tsinghua Unigroup announced a strategic cooperation on May 18, signing three agreements that span automotive‑grade chips, smart cockpits, autonomous driving, industrial investment, and vehicle‑cloud ecosystems. The partnership leverages BAIC’s vehicle R&D and manufacturing strength with Unigroup’s chip design...
All-New AITO M9 to Launch on May 27
The all‑new AITO M9, Huawei’s premium electric SUV, will launch on May 27 after debuting on April 22. Pricing begins at ¥499,800 (about $70,000) for the base model and ¥669,800 ($94,000) for the Ultimate Extended Edition, with pre‑orders already surpassing 50,000 units....
BYD Is Struggling to Meet Demand for New Fast-Charging EVs as Orders Reach 100K, 60K
BYD announced that its new flagship electric SUVs equipped with the Blade Battery 2.0 and Flash Charging technology have attracted more than 100,000 pre‑orders for the Great Tang and 61,240 for the Song Ultra. The battery promises a CLTC range of...
Volvo’s Electric EX60 Launches in US, Undercutting Its PHEV Sibling
Volvo Cars introduced the EX60 midsize electric SUV in the United States, pricing it at $59,794 including destination—a $2,751 advantage over the XC60 plug‑in hybrid. The model arrives with three powertrain options, the top‑end P12 AWD delivering an estimated 400‑mile range,...
Audi A2 E-Tron Confirmed for 2026 as New Entry-Level Electric Car
Audi has confirmed that its new A2 e-tron, an all‑electric compact, will debut in autumn 2026. The model will be built at Audi’s Ingolstadt plant and is positioned as an entry‑level premium EV below the brand’s larger offerings. Development is...
Audi Tests A2 E-Tron Ahead of Autumn Premiere
Audi unveiled a camouflaged prototype of its upcoming A2 e‑Tron, the brand's first entry‑level electric model, ahead of an autumn 2026 launch. The compact EV is currently undergoing a series of rigorous tests, including cold‑weather trials in Lapland, wind‑tunnel aerodynamic work,...
GM to Shift some Production From Asia to Mexico From 2027
General Motors announced that it will begin assembling the Chevrolet Groove and Aveo at its Ramos Arizpe complex in Coahuila starting in 2027, moving production out of its China joint‑venture plants. The shift is part of a $1 billion investment aimed...
Electric Car Sales Race Ahead in SE Asia and Latin America Amid Oil Supply Crisis
The International Energy Agency’s latest analysis shows electric vehicle sales surged in the first quarter of 2026, with nearly 30% of all cars sold projected to be electric as the Iran‑Hormuz conflict drives oil prices higher. Sales jumped 80% in...
Global Light Vehicle Production Forecast for 2026 Gets a Downgrade
Oxford Economics cut its 2026 global light‑vehicle (LV) production outlook to 93.3 million units, reflecting a broader downgrade of world GDP growth to 2.4%. The forecast assumes Brent oil will average $113 per barrel in Q2 before falling to about $80...
Stellantis Dealer Network to Distribute Dongfeng Voyah EVs
Stellantis will lead a 51%‑owned joint venture with China’s Dongfeng to distribute the premium Voyah electric‑vehicle brand across Europe using its existing dealer network. The new entity will handle sales, after‑sales, manufacturing, purchasing and engineering, and may produce Voyah models...
Ford Believes Forcing EV Mandates In Europe Will Backfire
Ford of Europe says the EU’s push for an all‑electric fleet could backfire, arguing that mandatory ICE bans may keep consumers holding older, less efficient cars longer. The automaker points to modest EV penetration—about 20% of new registrations in Q1 2026—and...
Moose-Proof and Megacasting: Ars Drives the New Volvo EX60
Volvo introduced the all‑electric EX60 in January, the first model built on its new SPA3 platform and offering up to 400 miles of range. The vehicle uses megacasting to replace more than 100 rear‑floor components with a single aluminum‑alloy piece, and...
Germany Launches New Electric Car Subsidy Aimed at Low-Income Households
Germany has launched a digital portal for a new electric‑vehicle subsidy that offers up to €6,000 (about $9,800) to low‑income households buying or leasing new EVs. The program, funded with €3 billion (roughly $3.2 billion), aims to support roughly 800,000 vehicles through...
Michelin Debuts Universal Tyre Digital Twin for SDVs
Michelin unveiled a universal tyre digital twin, a software‑only platform that transforms vehicle data into real‑time tyre‑state recommendations without any tyre‑mounted sensors. The solution evaluates pressure, wear, load, grip and driving conditions, enabling features such as maximum‑grip alerts, aquaplaning prevention...
MINI Aceman SE Joins Electric Line-Up in Australia
The MINI Aceman SE has arrived on Australian roads, expanding the brand’s electric portfolio alongside the MINI Cooper and MINI Countryman. The compact crossover delivers 160 kW (218 hp), 330 Nm of torque and a WLTP‑rated range of up to 405 km from its 49.2 kWh...
Are Plug-In Hybrids Reaching the End of the Road?
Plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) sales in China dropped 22% in April, shrinking their market share to 19% while pure electric vehicles rose to 40%. The decline follows the removal of purchase‑tax exemptions and higher oil prices, hitting even premium brands like...
The New Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe's Synthesized V8 Sounds Might Be The Best EV 'Engine' Noises Yet
Mercedes‑AMG unveiled the 2027 GT 4‑Door Coupe, its first purpose‑built electric performance sedan, boasting 1,153 horsepower and active aerodynamics. The highlight is the new AMGFORCE Sport+ mode, which projects a synthetic V8 soundtrack both inside and outside the cabin, emulating the roar...
Goodbye, V8: The New Mercedes-AMG GT Is Electric Only
Mercedes‑AMG unveiled the 2027 GT 4‑Door as its first all‑electric model, discarding the traditional V8. The sedan offers two powertrains – a 805‑hp GT55 and a 1,153‑hp GT63 – both achieving 0‑60 mph in under 2.5 seconds and a WLTP‑rated range of...
BYD Sends Its Own Ship with Almost 5,000 NEVs to Meet Surging Demand in Australia Market
Chinese automaker BYD is dispatching its own roll‑on/roll‑off carrier, the BYD Zhengzhou, loaded with almost 5,000 new‑energy vehicles to Australia. The shipment is part of a broader plan to deliver an additional 30,000 electric and plug‑in hybrid models, including the...
Tesla’s Former AI Lead Goes To Anthropic
Andrej Karpathy, the former head of Tesla’s artificial‑intelligence division, announced he is joining Anthropic, the creator of the Claude large‑language‑model. Karpathy, a co‑founder of OpenAI and a key figure behind Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving effort, left the automaker in July 2022...
CHARGE Launches South Africa’s First Off-Grid EV Charging Network on the N3 Corridor
Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) launched South Africa’s first off‑grid, solar‑powered EV charging stations on the N3 Johannesburg‑Durban corridor, with the first site at the Reitz Interchange opening on 19 May. The two stations, funded by a R100 million (≈ $5.6 million) DBSA investment, can...
Event Preview: Connecting with Foton Motor for Collaboration Opportunities
Gasgoo will host a technical matchmaking event on June 30, bringing leading component suppliers together with Foton Motor’s R&D and purchasing teams. The Chinese commercial‑vehicle giant reported 650,000 units sold in 2025, a 5.9% increase, while revenue rose 28.4% to...
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[Gasgoo Briefing] Xiaomi YU7 GT Scheduled for Launch This Month
Xiaomi’s EV arm announced the YU7 GT, a high‑performance SUV, will debut on May 21. The model, unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show, features a dual‑motor AWD system delivering 1,003 hp, a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) and a CLTC range...
Stellantis Taps Accenture and Nvidia for AI Factory Push
Stellantis has formed a three‑way partnership with Accenture and Nvidia to roll out AI‑powered digital twin technology across its factories. The collaboration will use Nvidia’s Omniverse platform and Accenture’s physical‑AI expertise to create high‑fidelity virtual replicas of plants that can...
Tesla’s Semi Truck Could Jolt the Trucking Industry
Tesla has begun taking orders for its long‑awaited Semi electric truck, priced around $290,000 for a 500‑mile range model—significantly cheaper than rival heavy‑duty EVs that start near $400,000. The Semi also offers a 350‑mile variant, both promising longer distances than...
Expiring Trade Agreement Cranks up Pressure on Automotive Supply Chains
The U.S.–China tariff pact known as the Busan Rapprochement, which has kept duties on critical minerals and Taiwanese semiconductors low, will lapse in November 2026. North‑American automakers, already grappling with pandemic fallout, chip shortages and the shift to electric powertrains, could...
SBRS Introduces 500 kW Charging System for Commercial Vehicles
Shell subsidiary SBRS has launched the PowerPack 500, a modular DC fast‑charging system delivering up to 500 kW for heavy‑duty commercial vehicles in Europe. The all‑in‑one unit starts with two charging points and can scale to six connectors without any depot redesign....
Software Ownership and Vertical Integration: VinFast European Winning Cards According to Head of Commercial Vehicles Diego Ghirardi
VinFast is accelerating its commercial‑vehicle push, developing revised 12‑metre and a new 8‑metre battery‑electric bus for the European market. The company leverages deep vertical integration—designing hardware, assembling its own batteries and electronics, and owning the full software stack—to cut components,...
MG’s SolidCore Battery: Why Semi-Solid State Is the Smarter Path to Production
MG announced that its new SolidCore semi‑solid‑state battery will debut in the MG4 EV Urban, marking what the company calls the first mass‑produced semi‑solid battery. The architecture blends a lithium‑manganese‑oxide (LMO) cathode with a thin liquid fraction—about 5% of cell...
ChargePoint Wants To Fix The Condo EV Charging Problem With 2,500 New Ports
ChargePoint announced a plan to deploy roughly 2,500 Level 2 EV charging ports at multifamily residences across the United States, beginning in 2026. The rollout is backed by a partnership with OBE Power, which will own, operate, and handle all maintenance...
Bosch Secures Major Order From Mercedes-Benz for Electric Motors
Bosch has landed a high‑volume order from Mercedes‑Benz to supply electric motors for the automaker’s next‑generation EVs through the 2030s. Unlike full e‑axles, Mercedes‑Benz will integrate Bosch’s motors into its own drive units, leveraging Bosch’s 98% efficiency and up to...
XPeng Rolls Out Its First Mass-Produced Robotaxi
XPeng announced the first mass‑produced, Level 4 robotaxi built on its GX platform, debuting in Guangzhou with pilot operations slated for the second half of 2026 and fully driverless service targeted for early 2027. The vehicle relies on four self‑developed Turing...
BMW Addresses Home Energy Opportunity with Neue Klasse and Partner
BMW and German solar firm SOLARWATT are deepening their collaboration to offer fully integrated home energy solutions. Starting with the Neue Klasse iX3 and i3, the automaker will pair its bidirectional Wallbox Professional with SOLARWATT’s Home Energy Management System, allowing...
Nissan Weighs EV Exports to Canada From Chinese JV – Report
Japanese automaker Nissan is evaluating the export of electric vehicles built with its Chinese joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor to Canada, following the country's recent removal of a de facto ban on China‑made EVs. The automaker has set an initial...
Ford Reveals Bold European Strategy With New EVs, Vans & Software-Driven Growth
Ford unveiled its "Ready‑Set‑Ford" roadmap for Europe, pairing a new brand platform with a suite of electric, hybrid and extended‑range vehicles and a software‑centric commercial‑fleet business. Ford Pro will target 25% of its EBIT from software and services, leveraging over...
Interview: How Volvo Built Software for a Two-and-a-Half-Tonne Moving Object
Volvo’s chief engineering officer Anders Bell outlines a five‑year, software‑first overhaul that birthed HuginCore, the company’s single‑codebase platform powering the EX60, EX90 and ES90 electric models. The effort earned Volvo a S&P Global Mobility Level 5 rating—the only automaker to achieve...
BMW iX3 & I3 Bring Bidirectional Charging With SOLARWATT Home Integration
BMW is extending its partnership with SOLARWATT to launch bidirectional charging for the iX3 and i3 models, enabling Vehicle‑to‑Home (V2H) operation. The system couples the BMW Wallbox Professional with SOLARWATT’s Home Energy Management System, allowing the EV to store solar...
Tesla Dominates Fleet Choice for EVs, but Lack of Electric Utes a Problem
Origin Energy’s fleet‑electrification report shows the Tesla Model Y dominates its Australian leasing program, representing 27% of electric SUVs – more than twice the next best sellers, the Kia EV5 and VW ID.4. While passenger EV adoption is strong, the program’s goal of...
Honda and LG Team up to Accelerate Battery-Swapping Electric Motorcycles
Honda and LG Energy Solution have signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanoi to launch a battery‑swap pilot for electric motorcycles. The project, slated for Q3 2026, will install about 50 swap stations and deploy roughly 500 Honda two‑wheelers equipped with...