Author: Shaun Williams

Volkswagen is promoting sharply discounted lease offers for its all-electric ID.4 SUV, with some dealerships advertising rates as low as $99 per month. The promotional pricing is notably rare in today’s market, particularly for a vehicle with a starting MSRP over $45,000. The 2025 Volkswagen ID.4, which recently returned to dealerships, has gained traction as one of the top-selling EVs in the U.S. this year. The base Pro RWD model is priced at $45,095 and offers an EPA-estimated range of 291 miles. It features a 12.9-inch infotainment display, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, heated front seats, and Volkswagen’s latest…

Spanish public transport operator EMT Valencia has placed an order for 84 new city buses from MAN Truck & Bus, comprising 57 all-electric Lion’s City 12 E units and 27 hybrid articulated buses. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in phases from the end of 2026. The deal represents the largest electric bus order for MAN in Spain to date. It was awarded under a larger public tender in which EMT Valencia sought a total of 161 new buses as part of a wider investment strategy aimed at decarbonising its fleet by 2028. MAN was awarded two of the four lots…

Milence, the joint venture between Daimler Truck, Traton Group, and Volvo Group, has opened three new charging hubs for electric trucks in Germany, marking a significant step in its effort to develop long-distance charging infrastructure across Europe. The new sites are located in Recklinghausen near the A2 motorway, Koblenz near the A61, and Kirchberg an der Jagst near the A6. These additions bring Milence’s total number of charging hubs in Germany to five, following earlier installations at Vockerode in Saxony-Anhalt and Hermsdorfer Kreuz in Thuringia. The Recklinghausen site is the first Milence hub in the Ruhr region and features six…

BYD said on Monday it has produced its 13 millionth new energy vehicle (NEV), marking another milestone in the Chinese automaker’s rapid expansion in the electric vehicle sector. The company announced the achievement on its official Weibo account, identifying the milestone vehicle as a Yangwang U7 sedan. The announcement comes approximately eight months after BYD reached its 10 million NEV production mark in November 2024, with the Z9 sedan from its Denza brand. BYD reached its 1 millionth NEV milestone in May 2021 and passed the 5 million mark in August 2023. See also: BYD Delivers 60,000th Vehicle in Australia…

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) said on Saturday it is installing more than 182 new electric vehicle (EV) charging bays across its UK sites as part of a £13 million investment aimed at decarbonising its operational fleet. The new high-powered DC units will be deployed at NGED substations and offices throughout the Midlands, South Wales, and South West England. With this expansion, the utility will operate a total of 444 charging bays, making it one of the largest privately owned EV charging networks in the country. The initiative is part of NGED’s broader plan to support its 1,000-strong EV fleet,…

Lume Robotics has carried out a successful demonstration of its autonomous truck technology at the ArcelorMittal Tubarão plant in Serra, Espírito Santo. The project, developed in collaboration with Vix Logística and supported by FINEP (Funding Authority for Studies and Projects), is part of an initiative to explore new solutions for internal logistics within industrial environments. The autonomous truck, configured as a tri-articulated trailer, was tested transporting hot-rolled steel coils along a predetermined route inside the facility. The system handled tasks such as autonomous navigation, obstacle detection, and automated stops at designated safety points. According to Lume Robotics, the solution was…

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is planning to ban the resale of vehicles within six months of their initial registration, as part of a broader effort to address the growing issue of so-called “zero-mileage” used cars, an industry publication reported on Saturday. The practice, which has become widespread amid fierce competition in the country’s automotive sector, involves registering and insuring new vehicles before they are sold to customers. This allows automakers and dealerships to meet sales targets, despite the vehicles remaining unsold in practice. The method has drawn scrutiny for distorting sales figures and creating confusion for consumers.…

Evolt Charging, a subsidiary of SWARCO Smart Charging, has installed a new series of 22kW electric vehicle (EV) charge points across nine heritage sites managed by Cadw in Wales. The project, backed by funding from Transport for Wales, also includes wall-mounted chargers at four regional depots to support the government agency’s transition to an electric fleet. The charge points have been installed at locations including Tintern Abbey and Harlech Castle, with the aim of improving EV accessibility in rural areas while encouraging sustainable tourism and operations. Although the total number of units has not been disclosed, Evolt shared a press…

TIER IV, a Japanese developer specializing in open-source autonomous driving systems, has unveiled a new end-to-end architecture designed to enable Level 4 and beyond autonomous capabilities. The company plans to begin large-scale demonstrations of the technology in early 2026 across 50 locations in Japan, aiming to evaluate its performance in real-world mobility services. The newly developed system combines machine learning based on diffusion models with traditional rule-based components. This hybrid architecture allows the vehicle to perform sequential driving tasks, such as object prediction and trajectory generation, while mimicking human-like driving behavior in complex scenarios. The approach is intended to improve…

MOTOR Ai, a Berlin-based autonomous driving company, has secured $20 million in seed funding to support the development and certification of its Level 4 self-driving technology, the company said on Sunday. The investment round was led by Segenia Capital and eCAPITAL, along with several private investors. The funding will be used to pursue type approval for public roads in Germany and to continue refining MOTOR Ai’s autonomous vehicle system, which has been in development since 2017. Unlike many competitors using complex machine-learning systems, MOTOR Ai says its technology is based on active inference, a model derived from neuroscience that emphasizes…

Tesla is preparing to launch a new variant of its Model 3 sedan in China as early as September, according to a local media report, signaling the return of the model’s longest-range edition amid increasing competition in the electric vehicle (EV) market. The upcoming Model 3+, a single-motor version, has been filed with Chinese regulators and is expected to be priced at around RMB 270,000 ($37,610), Cailian reported on Sunday. It features a peak motor power of 225 kilowatts, compared with 194 kW in the current single-motor variant. The vehicle will use ternary lithium-ion batteries supplied by South Korea’s LG…

Tesla  has filed for approval of a new Model 3 variant in China that could become the company’s longest-range electric vehicle to date. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has included the model, dubbed the Model 3+, in a new regulatory catalog released for public comment from July 17 to 23. The filing represents the final regulatory step before a vehicle can be approved for sale in the country. Listed under the product code TSL7000BEVBR1, the new Model 3+ is a single-motor variant delivering peak power of 225 kW—higher than the 194 kW output of the current rear-wheel-drive…

Tesla plans to launch a new six-seat variant of its Model Y SUV, dubbed the Model Y L, in China this fall, as the U.S. automaker aims to strengthen its competitive edge in the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market. The company announced the plan on its official Weibo account, sharing teaser images of the vehicle. Although Tesla did not explicitly confirm the seating configuration, a regulatory catalog released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) indicated that the new model will have six seats. The Model Y L, listed under the product model number TSL6500BEVBA0, features a…

Chinese authorities are urging major electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to promote rational competition, as the government intensifies efforts to stabilize the rapidly expanding but increasingly volatile EV market. The comments came from a senior official with China’s central leadership group during a recent meeting with industry representatives and regulators, according to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released on Friday. See also: China’s NEV Ownership Reaches 36.89 Million as PHEVs Gain Momentum The official emphasized the importance of healthy market dynamics, following a pledge by China’s State Council earlier in the week to address what…

Tesla’s Cybertruck deliveries fell sharply in the second quarter of 2025, slipping behind competing electric pickups from Ford Motor and General Motors, according to data released by Cox Automotive. Tesla reported sales of 4,306 Cybertrucks during the quarter, down significantly from the model’s peak performance in the third quarter of 2024. The decline placed the Cybertruck behind both the GMC Hummer EV, which recorded 4,508 sales across its pickup and SUV variants, and the Ford F-150 Lightning, which led the segment with 5,842 units sold. The Cybertruck’s initial rollout began in late 2023, followed by a surge in early 2024…

Panasonic has officially inaugurated its new electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas, marking the company’s second production site in the United States. The plant, which began construction in late 2022 and represents an investment of around $4 billion, has already started series production of its cylindrical 2170 lithium-ion cells, primarily used in Tesla vehicles such as the Model 3 and Model Y. At full capacity, the Kansas factory is expected to reach an annual output of approximately 32 gigawatt-hours (GWh) and create roughly 4,000 direct jobs. However, Panasonic has refrained from setting a definitive timeline for…

U.S.-based electric bike manufacturer Aventon has introduced its latest premium fat-tire model, the Aventure M, marking a significant upgrade in performance, connectivity, and rider experience. The new model is available for global pre-order ahead of its expected shipping date on August 3, 2025. The Aventure M is powered by the newly developed Aventon A100 750-watt mid-drive motor, delivering 100 Nm of torque for improved power distribution and a smoother ride feel. The e-bike also incorporates a double-sided torque sensor and an electronic shifter with autoshift technology, supported by a 10-speed Shimano CUES drivetrain. According to Aventon, the motor’s default top…

Xpeng Aeroht, the flying car subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng, said on Monday it has completed a $250 million Series B funding round, advancing its plans for mass production and setting the stage for a potential initial public offering. The company shared the announcement via social media platform Weibo, confirming that the financing includes $100 million from its recently concluded Series B2 round, following the $150 million Series B1 round announced in August 2024. This marks the first major fundraising since its $500 million Series A round in October 2021, which gave the company a pre-money valuation of…

UK electric vehicle (EV) charge point manufacturer Andersen has added a digital display option to its Quartz home charging unit. The new feature, called Vision, offers real-time charging data through a built-in 4.3-inch LCD screen. The Vision display shows key charging metrics such as scheduled charge times, live power delivery in kilowatts, and total energy used per session. The screen activates when the cable is connected, includes three brightness levels, and powers off when idle to reduce energy use. It is available as an optional extra for £88 (VAT included) on new orders of the Quartz unit. “This new option…

PepsiCo is set to expand its Tesla Semi charging infrastructure with the construction of 18 new Megacharger stalls at its Charlotte, North Carolina, facility, according to newly revealed permitting documents. The plans, shared Friday by Tesla infrastructure observer MarcoRP, also include three Tesla Megapack energy storage systems. The chargers are designed to deliver up to 1 megawatt (MW) of power, capable of recharging Tesla’s electric Class 8 truck to about 70% capacity in approximately 30 minutes, based on Tesla’s specifications. The setup marks another step in PepsiCo’s ongoing efforts to electrify its logistics operations with Tesla Semi trucks. https://twitter.com/MarcoRPi1/status/1943736768726982964 PepsiCo…