Author: Alexander Reed

Six European Union countries have formally asked the European Commission to allow the continued sale of hybrid vehicles and cars powered by non-battery green technologies beyond the bloc’s planned 2035 phase-out of new combustion-engine models, according to a joint letter seen by Reuters on Friday. The letter was signed by the prime ministers of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Slovakia, and calls for broader technological neutrality in the EU’s long-term transport decarbonisation strategy. The move adds to mounting political and industry pressure on Brussels to soften the 2035 zero-emission requirement for new cars. See also: EU Carmakers…

Traton, the commercial vehicle unit of Volkswagen that owns brands including Scania and MAN, has signed a €500 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support research and development of its cross-brand Traton Modular System (TMS) platform. The financing is intended to accelerate the transformation of Europe’s heavy-duty commercial vehicle sector and aligns with the European Union’s Green Deal objectives, including cleaner transport and tighter carbon dioxide emissions standards. See also: Traton Group and Volkswagen Truck & Bus Launch Brazil’s First Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo Through the TMS programme, Traton is…

California regulators on Wednesday released revised draft rules that would allow companies to test and eventually deploy self-driving trucks on public highways, potentially opening the nation’s largest economy to autonomous freight operations for the first time. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which oversees autonomous vehicle regulation in the state, said the proposal is now subject to a 15-day public comment period ending Dec. 18. Current rules prohibit the testing of any driverless vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds on public roads, effectively blocking autonomous trucking despite the widespread rollout of robotaxi services in parts of San Francisco and…

Public transport operator Stagecoach West and Gloucestershire County Council will invest about £20 million (€23 million) to procure 42 battery-electric buses for deployment across Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, with additional support from the British government, local authorities said. Stagecoach West will contribute the bulk of the funding at around £17 million, while the county council and the UK government will jointly cover the remaining cost. The first electric buses are expected to enter service in 2026, although the specific bus models have not yet been disclosed. See also: Stagecoach Launches Electric Bus Fleet on Edinburgh Airport Route The new vehicles…

London’s Metropolitan Police have issued a public reminder on the appropriate use of emergency services after sharing a recorded call in which a driver contacted police because he was unable to disconnect his electric vehicle from a charging station. The incident, posted on the force’s social media channels, featured a re-enactment of a conversation between a distressed caller and an officer at police headquarters. During the exchange, the officer repeatedly advised the caller to contact the vehicle dealer or charging provider, explaining that the issue did not constitute a police matter. See also: London Confirms Higher Congestion Charge And New…

Chinese automaker Geely has expanded the European footprint of its core brand with the launch of new models in Italy, adding momentum to a broader international expansion spanning Europe, Oceania and other overseas markets. The Italian rollout includes two sport utility vehicles: the battery-electric Geely EX5 and the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid. The EX5 offers a driving range of up to 425 kilometres, while the Starray EM-i delivers around 90 kilometres of pure electric driving and a combined range of nearly 1,000 kilometres under WLTP standards. The models are being introduced in partnership with Jameel Motors, a Saudi Arabian company…

The Pandawa Team from Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) finished fourth overall in the 2025 Energy-Efficient Car Contest (Kontes Mobil Hemat Energi/KMHE), showcasing one of the strongest fuel-efficiency performances in the national competition. The event, organised by Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology in collaboration with the University of Jember, was held from Oct. 23 to Oct. 27. Pandawa competed in the Urban Internal Combustion Engine–Ethanol category and recorded fuel efficiency of 276.361 kilometres per litre, placing the university among Indonesia’s leading institutions in energy-efficient vehicle development. See also: UNNES Expands Electrification Efforts with Solar and Alternative Energy Systems…

Data from Waymo’s robotaxi operations show that the majority of autonomous trips are made with one or two passengers, raising questions about the continued use of large five-seat vehicles in driverless ride-hailing fleets. An analysis of Waymo robotaxi trips conducted in the third quarter of 2025 found that about 90% of rides involved two or fewer occupants, while roughly 75% of trips carried one or no passengers at all. The data excludes operational movements such as vehicles returning to depots for charging or maintenance. See also: Study Proposes Adding ‘White Light’ to Traffic Signals for Autonomous Vehicles The findings point…

Leapmotor launched its new Lafa 5 electric hatchback in China on Thursday, entering the fast-growing compact EV segment with a limited-time starting price of 92,800 yuan ($13,100), the company said. The introductory price reflects a cut of 13,000 yuan, or about 12%, from the pre-sales price of 105,800 yuan, with deliveries set to begin shortly. The model is positioned to compete with vehicles including the Volkswagen ID.3, SAIC’s MG4, BYD’s Dolphin and Nio’s Firefly EV, as competition intensifies in China’s mass-market electric car segment. See also: Leapmotor Debuts A10 Compact EV With 500-km Range, LiDAR and Sub-RMB 100,000 Target Price…

Japanese autonomous driving software developer TIER IV and UK automotive engineering group HORIBA MIRA have formed a strategic collaboration to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies across the United Kingdom and Europe, the two companies said. The partnership brings together TIER IV’s open-source autonomous driving platforms with HORIBA MIRA’s validation, testing and regulatory compliance capabilities. Under the agreement, TIER IV will provide its autonomous driving system, Minibus 2.0 electric vehicle, sensor packages and operational support, while HORIBA MIRA will deliver localisation, safety validation and engineering services to support regulatory approval in European markets. See also: TIER IV Deploys Autonomous…

Autonomous driving company WeRide and Uber Technologies have launched fully driverless Level 4 robotaxi services for public use in Abu Dhabi, marking the first commercial driverless operation in the Middle East and the first city outside the United States to host fully autonomous rides on Uber’s platform. Commercial operations began on Yas Island, with wider expansion planned across Abu Dhabi’s core urban areas. The launch follows regulatory approvals secured earlier this year. In October 2025, WeRide obtained a federal permit for fully driverless commercial robotaxi operations, after which Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre granted WeRide and local fleet operator Tawasul…

Range Zero Emissions has signed an agreement with RIZON Truck USA to become an authorized sales and service partner, expanding access to Daimler Truck’s RIZON Class 4–5 electric trucks in the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest. The company said the partnership positions it as the first authorized RIZON dealer in Washington State, with additional coverage extending into surrounding regions. Range Zero Emissions, described as the first nationwide dealership dedicated exclusively to multi-brand commercial electric vehicles, will leverage its headquarters in Fife, Washington, and a facility near Minneapolis to support vehicle distribution, infrastructure planning, and ongoing service. RIZON’s Class 4–5 trucks…