Toyota and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors Conduct Hydrogen Bus Trial in Saudi Arabia
Toyota and its Saudi distributor Abdul Latif Jameel Motors completed a public hydrogen‑fuel‑cell bus trial in Yanbu from April 19‑23, coinciding with the Yanbu Flower Festival. The trial used CaetanoBus’s H2.City Gold, equipped with Toyota’s second‑generation 60 kW fuel‑cell stack, five 37.5 kg hydrogen tanks and a 180 kW Siemens motor, delivering up to 400 km range and a nine‑minute refuel. The 7‑10 km route accommodated up to 95 passengers, building on feasibility phases conducted in September 2025 and January 2026. The effort aims to raise awareness of zero‑emission public transport in Saudi Arabia.
Tovion Unveils Passenger Trailer with Integrated Electric Drive
German startup Tovion showcased its eTrailer, a passenger‑car trailer equipped with a dedicated electric drive, at the E‑Cannonball and Formula E events. The system uses Schaeffler hub‑motors delivering up to 120 kW and a modular battery pack ranging from 25 kWh to 100 kWh,...
BYD to Establish Flash Charging Stations in Australia and New Zealand
Chinese automaker BYD announced it will launch its Flash Charging network in Australia and New Zealand, with the first stations slated to open by the end of the year. The initial rollout includes three high‑output chargers at Denza showrooms in Adelaide,...
Allan Swan Appointed New CEO of ACC
Allan Swan, former Panasonic Energy USA president, takes over as CEO of the Automotive Cells Company (ACC) on May 1, 2026, succeeding founder Yann Vincent. Swan is tasked with accelerating output at ACC’s sole operational gigafactory in Douvrin, France, after the plant missed...
EV Registrations: Norway Reports a New Monthly Record
Norway set a new record in April with battery‑electric vehicles (BEVs) accounting for 98.6% of all new passenger‑car registrations, 10,952 out of 11,103 vehicles. While total registrations slipped 1.6% year‑on‑year, BEV registrations rose 1.7%, and every county surpassed a 95%...
Autonomous Bus without Safety Driver Hits Road in Norway
Norway’s public‑transport operator Vy Buss received regulatory clearance to run Karsan’s e‑ATAK electric bus without a safety driver, making it Europe’s first fully autonomous scheduled service. The Level 4 vehicle will operate on the Kolumbus network at speeds up to 40 km/h, navigating...
German Federal Ministry of Transport Commits €1 Billion to Heavy-Duty Charging Infrastructure
Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport has allocated €1 billion (≈$1.08 billion) over four years to build heavy‑duty electric‑vehicle charging infrastructure. An initial €200 million will be awarded in three funding calls starting May 2026, covering both private depot chargers and publicly accessible stations....
Volkswagen Reportedly Developing New Production System
Volkswagen is developing a new production system called “Gamechanger” at its Wolfsburg plant to slash costs and accelerate electric‑vehicle output. The initiative, overseen by board members Christian Vollmer and CFO Arno Antlitz, is tied to the upcoming SSP electric platform...
“Combining Chinese Speed with Our Global System Expertise” – Philipp Ibele of Bosch
Bosch’s Electrified Motion unit is leveraging China’s rapid innovation pace while applying its global system expertise to deliver complete power‑train solutions and individual components. By developing worldwide and manufacturing close to customers, Bosch creates resilient supply chains, standardised platforms and...
Autonomous ‘BumbleB’ Shuttle Begins Campus Trials in Stuttgart Mobility Project
Bertrandt’s autonomous electric shuttle BumbleB has started real‑world trials on the Fraunhofer IZS campus in Stuttgart, linking the research site to the nearby Universität S‑Bahn station. The shuttle is part of the IZSMO project, which will also transform about 700...
Smart Returns to Its Roots — and Scales up in Europe: Interview with CEO Smart Europe Wolfgang Ufer
Smart is reviving its iconic two‑seater with the upcoming #2 while scaling its fully electric lineup (#1, #3, #5) across Europe. Wolfgang Ufer, who took over as European lead on March 1, now oversees 17 markets and is driving a growth‑focused...
Allego Launches New Roaming App
Allego has launched a revamped app that aggregates its own charging stations with those of rival operators, giving users access to roughly one million points across Europe. The platform charges no extra fees and displays third‑party rates transparently – for example...
Tharsis’ Innovative E-Ship Project Receives €21 Million in Funding
Tharsis Ship Management secured a €21 million (≈$23 million) grant from the EU Innovation Fund to build two zero‑emission container vessels for the Netherlands‑UK sea‑river corridor. The ships, slated for construction in 2027 and service in 2029, will carry up to 378...
AUDI Appoints New Chief Technical Officer and Strengthens Leadership Team
Audi announced a series of coordinated leadership changes affecting its global operations and its Chinese joint venture with SAIC. Effective July 1, 2026, Fermín Soneira will move from China to Italy to become Chief Technical Officer of Automobili Lamborghini, succeeding...
Moto to ‘Quadruple’ Number of EV Charging Bays
Moto Hospitality, the UK’s largest motorway services operator, plans to quadruple its electric‑vehicle charging bays across its 60 sites in the coming years. The expansion is funded by a £500 million (≈$635 million) investment programme, building on more than £300 million (≈$381 million) already...
Washington State Launches Incentive Programme for Zero-Emission Trucks and Equipment
Washington launched the Washington Zero‑Emission Incentive Program (WAZIP), a $112 million voucher scheme funded by the Climate Commitment Act and administered by the state Department of Transportation. The vouchers cover roughly 40 % of purchase prices for over 100 types of medium‑...
LGES Secures Major Order for Cylindrical Cells – Possibly From BMW
LG Energy Solution announced a new order exceeding 100 GWh for its 46‑mm cylindrical cells, which analysts link to BMW. The contract, valued at roughly $7.7 billion over ten years, lifts LGES's order backlog to over 440 GWh. Production of the 4695 and...
Ford’s EV Losses Narrow to $777M in Q1 2026 Amid Model E Profitability Efforts
Ford's Model e unit posted a Q1 2026 loss of $777 million, $72 million less than a year ago. Revenue stayed at $1.2 billion while EV deliveries rose to about 34,000 units, lowering the average selling price. The EBIT margin improved to –63.1%, but the...
Ohme and VW Expand Home Charging Partnership
Ohme and Volkswagen Group Info Services have launched an official API that links Volkswagen’s MEB‑based electric models to Ohme’s smart home chargers across Europe. The integration lets drivers view real‑time state‑of‑charge data in the Ohme app and automatically shift charging...
Gebrüder Weiss to Increase E-Truck Fleet to 25 by Year-End
Gebrüder Weiss, Austria’s leading logistics provider, currently operates 14 Mercedes‑Benz eActros 600 electric trucks and plans to expand the fleet to 25 units by the end of 2026. The trucks serve regional, line and long‑distance routes, powered by the company’s own photovoltaic‑derived...
Will Electrifying the UK’s Heavy-Duty Trucks Require More Vehicles Overall?
Researchers at Heriot‑Watt University are using real DHL fleet data to simulate the electrification of heavy‑duty trucks on the London‑to‑East Midlands Airport corridor. The digital‑twin model examines how heavier batteries and longer charging stops could force hauliers to increase vehicle...
Q1: ACEA Reports 40% Growth in Electric Trucks in the EU, Highlights Strong E-Bus Market
European commercial‑vehicle registrations jumped in Q1 2026, with trucks up 10.7% to 81,766 units and buses up 24.5% to 10,964. Electric trucks gained a 40.1% YoY increase, lifting their market share to 4.4%, while electric buses reached a 21.8% share. France...
Oslo Implements New AC Charging Pricing Model
Oslo, home to the world’s highest EV concentration, has replaced its time‑based public AC charging fees with a consumption‑based model effective April 22. Drivers now pay for the kilowatt‑hours consumed, a service surcharge based on the city’s spot electricity price, and...
EU Project Team Aims to Significantly Reduce Onboard Charger Size Using GaN Chips
The EU‑funded HiPower 5.0 consortium is developing a 22 kW onboard charger that occupies just four litres, a third of the volume of current 12‑litre designs. The size cut is driven by bidirectional gallium‑nitride (GaN) switches supplied by Infineon, which combine the...
BEVs Now Make up Nearly 5 per Cent of UK Cars
The UK’s electric‑car stock surged 34.7% in 2025, reaching 1.8 million units and representing 4.9% of the passenger‑car fleet – roughly one in every 20 cars. Total vehicle numbers rose to 42.5 million across cars, vans, buses and trucks, with zero‑emission vehicles...
Powerbank on Wheels: Bidirectional Charging Demonstrated in Electric Trucks
Project partners in the German SPIRIT‑E research initiative publicly demonstrated bidirectional charging on a MAN eTGX electric truck, delivering up to 325 kW back to the grid. The 480 kWh truck also powered a second eTGX via a bidirectional station, showcasing vehicle‑to‑vehicle...
AD Enviro2000EV Buses Enter UK Passenger Service for First Time
Go North East has become the first UK operator to place Alexander Dennis’s next‑generation Enviro200EV into passenger service, deploying four 37‑seat, lightweight electric single‑deckers on the high‑demand X66 route between Gateshead Interchange and the Metrocentre. The buses, built domestically with a...
Philippines: Bacolod Adds Electric Cars to Its Patrol Fleet
Bacolod city on Negros Island has added ten GAC Aion Y Plus electric crossovers to its police patrol fleet, receiving the vehicles on 23 April. The municipality invested roughly 14 million pesos (about $252,000) for the fleet, with each car priced at about 1.5 million...
‘Made in Europe’ Act: China Threatens Countermeasures Against EU Industrial Law
The European Union unveiled the draft Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) to boost domestic production, green technology adoption, and job creation, especially in strategic sectors like batteries and electric vehicles. The legislation would tie public procurement and subsidies to CO₂ and...
DHL Deploys Second Solar-Powered Parcel Transport Ship in Berlin
DHL has launched a second, larger solar‑powered parcel ship on Berlin’s Spree River, expanding its eco‑logistics pilot that began in 2022. The new vessel, 19.5 m long, can carry up to 1,500 parcels and travels between Köpenick and the Osthafen near...
Vietnam: Transerco Deploys 120 Electric Buses in Hanoi
Hanoi Transport Corporation (Transerco) deployed 120 electric buses across seven routes in April, expanding its low‑floor fleet. The buses, identified as VinFast’s EB 8 and Green Bus 8, are 8‑metre models with a 290‑km range per charge. Priced at roughly $146,000 each,...
Peter Holdmann Appointed CTO at ZF
ZF has created a new Chief Technology Officer role and appointed Peter Holdmann, a longtime executive, to fill it. The position consolidates technology governance across the group’s divisions, which previously operated independently. Holdmann will now oversee R&D alignment, emphasizing software‑defined...
Light and Shade in UK CV Market: Trucks Dip as Electric Buses Gain Ground
In Q1 2026 the UK saw a sharp drop in zero‑emission heavy‑goods‑vehicle (HGV) registrations, falling 16.5% year‑on‑year to just 81 units, or 0.9% of the truck market. By contrast, zero‑emission buses posted a record share, with 588 units registered, representing 37.3%...
Bosch Showcases Level 3 Automated Driving in China
Bosch Mobility demonstrated a Level 3 driver‑assistance system at Beijing's automotive trade fair, enabling hands‑off, eyes‑off operation on motorways and expressways. The technology, already being tested on public roads in Wuxi and fitted to the Chery Exeed ES, supports speeds up to...
Uber Integrates Hydrogen Taxis From HysetCo Into Paris Fleet
Uber has committed to a convertible‑bond investment in HysetCo, the Paris‑based hydrogen‑mobility joint venture, aiming to make one‑fifth of its Business Taxi fleet hydrogen‑powered by year‑end. The deal envisions integrating roughly 2,000 fuel‑cell taxis into Uber’s platform over the next...
ABB Introduces Decentralised Charging System M-Series
ABB E‑mobility unveiled the M‑Series, a decentralized split‑system charger that pairs central power cabinets with satellite dispensers. The solution delivers 200 kW to 1.2 MW, scales in 400 kW increments, and can support up to 24 fast‑charging points. It dynamically allocates power in...
Aion Launches V Electric SUV in the UK
Chinese EV maker Aion has entered the UK market with the Aion V, a mid‑size electric SUV priced at £36,450 (about $46,700). The model features a 75.4 kWh battery delivering up to 317 miles WLTP range and can charge from 10 % to...
First Drive: Renault Twingo Goes Retro – but Does It Go Too Far?
The 2026 Renault Twingo E‑Tech revives the iconic 1990s hatchback with a retro‑styled electric powertrain. Priced under €20,000 (about $21,500) in Germany, it offers a 60 kW motor, 27.5 kWh LFP battery and a WLTP range of 262 km. Standard 11 kW AC charging...
VWCV Upgrades the ID. Buzz for the New Model Year
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is rolling out a major 2026 refresh of the ID. Buzz, adding the Pro 4MOTION all‑wheel‑drive variant that delivers 250 kW and matches the GTX’s power output. The update raises towing capacity to 1.8 tonnes on the standard wheelbase and introduces...
Opel Names First Formula E Car GSE 27FE
Stellantis announced that Opel will replace DS as the group’s factory entry in the upcoming Gen4 Formula E season, unveiling the GSE 27FE prototype at Circuit Paul Ricard. The neon‑yellow test car showcases Opel’s rear‑powertrain development, built in partnership with Citroën, while...
BMW Integrates Neue Klasse Technologies Into the I7
BMW has refreshed its flagship i7 sedan by swapping the previous 101.7 kWh prismatic pack for a 112.5 kWh Gen 6 cylindrical‑cell battery from the Neue Klasse platform. The new pack boosts usable energy, raises peak charging to 250 kW and cuts a 10‑80 % charge...
Vietnam: Ford and Tasco Auto to Establish a Fast-Charging Network
Ford Motor Company and its Vietnamese distributor Tasco Auto signed an MoU to build a fast‑charging network across Vietnam. The plan calls for more than 89 DC fast chargers, with Ford installing 34 stations by Q3 2026 and Tasco Auto adding...
Porsche Unveils Future Formula E Racing Car: The 975 RSE
Porsche unveiled its Gen 4 Formula E contender, the 975 RSE, ahead of the 2026/27 season. The new car features permanent all‑wheel drive with a 250 kW front unit supplied by Lucid and a 350 kW rear powertrain, delivering a combined 600 kW (≈ 816 hp). A standardized...
Germany’s CSU Mocked over Call for ‘End to the End of the Combustion Engine’
Germany’s Bavarian CSU parliamentary group called for ending the “end of the combustion engine” and urged the EU to relax the 2035 CO₂ car standards. The party shared an AI‑generated graphic that featured an Audi e‑tron GT, a battery‑electric vehicle,...
Stagecoach South Grows Electric Bus Fleet
Stagecoach South announced the addition of 22 Yutong U11DD electric double‑deckers, slated for Service 1 and Service 20 routes across Blackwater Valley and Surrey. The buses feature purpose‑built electric chassis with 385‑kWh or 422‑kWh LFP batteries, delivering up to 503 km of range...
Korean Charging Provider Chaevi Goes Public
South Korean EV charging firm Chaevi is launching a KOSDAQ IPO on April 29, targeting roughly €64 million (about $70 million) in new capital. The Daegu‑based company runs about 6,000 owned and 10,000 total DC fast chargers, and it manufactures and installs its...
Cottbus Deploys First Hydrogen Buses on Public Routes
Cottbusverkehr has begun testing four Wrightbus Kite Hydroliner fuel‑cell buses on regular city routes, marking the first hydrogen‑powered service in the area. A mobile hydrogen refueling station was commissioned this month to keep the buses running until a permanent depot is...
Horse Powertrain Unveils Hybrid System for BEV Platforms
Horse Powertrain, the Renault‑Geely joint venture, unveiled the X‑Range C15 Direct Drive hybrid system at Auto China 2026. The modular unit combines a 1.5‑litre four‑cylinder engine, transmission, power electronics and two electric motors, allowing BEV platforms to be reconfigured as...
PG&E and Tesla Integrate Cybertruck Into V2G Programme
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Tesla have added the Cybertruck to PG&E’s residential vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) program, allowing bidirectional AC charging that lets the truck feed power to homes and the grid. The integration uses Tesla’s Powershare Gateway and Universal...
GAC Aion Unveils Battery-Electric Saloon with Swappable Battery From CATL
GAC Aion has introduced the Aion RT Super, a battery‑electric sedan equipped with CATL’s 54 kWh LFP “Chocolate‑Swap” pack that can be exchanged in roughly 90 seconds. The vehicle is priced at ¥88,800 (about $12,200) with the battery sold as a lease, lowering...