Author: Casper Benedict

Toyota Motor announced the 2026 model year of its Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell sedan, adding updated standard equipment and design enhancements as the automaker continues to position hydrogen as part of its multi-pathway electrification strategy. The 2026 Mirai is scheduled to arrive at U.S. dealerships this winter with a starting price of $51,795, excluding dealer charges. Toyota said the fuel-cell powertrain maintains an EPA-estimated driving range of 402 miles on a full hydrogen fill. See also: Toyota Unveils Ninth-Generation Hilux with Electric and Hydrogen Variants To support ownership and alleviate fuel availability concerns, Toyota said buyers or lessees will receive up…

Electreon said it plans to acquire U.S.-based InductEV, marking a potential consolidation in the wireless electric-vehicle charging sector. The Israeli company said it has signed a letter of intent to purchase InductEV’s assets, initiating a process that remains subject to due diligence, final agreements and regulatory approval. Under the proposed deal, Electreon aims to integrate its dynamic and stationary inductive charging systems with InductEV’s high-power static platforms. The company said the combined offering is intended to deliver a full suite of wireless charging solutions for passenger cars, buses, heavy trucks and autonomous vehicles. Electreon added that the merged operation would…

Autonomous electric tractor startup Monarch Tractor has warned employees it may cut more than 100 jobs or even “shut down,” according to a company-wide memo obtained by TechCrunch. The notice follows weeks of job reductions across its California headquarters and remote teams in India and Singapore, former employees said. Founded in 2018 by a team that included a former Tesla Gigafactory executive and winemaking heir Carlo Mondavi, Monarch Tractor has raised at least $220 million to develop “driver optional” electric tractors for vineyards and fruit farms. The company says it has shipped about 500 units, though a restructuring announced in…

Archer has begun supplying its US-built electric drives—originally developed for its eVTOL Midnight—to external customers, creating a new revenue stream as the company prepares for commercial certification of its aircraft. The first buyers are Anduril Industries and EDGE Group, which plan to use the propulsion system in Anduril’s autonomous aircraft, Omen. The agreement marks the first time Archer has made its electric powertrain available beyond its own aviation programs. Anduril and EDGE intend to accelerate development and scale production of Omen, an autonomous VTOL aircraft recently introduced by Anduril. The partnership is notable given that the United Arab Emirates has…

Royal Mail has added more than 100 micro electric vehicles to its fleet as part of a push to reduce emissions and improve delivery efficiency in dense urban areas. The postal operator said the deployment will replace 52 larger vans across several UK cities, including London, Bristol and Brighton, ahead of the Christmas period. A total of 104 micro electric vehicles (MEVs) will be introduced in these cities as well as Newcastle-under-Lyme, Solihull and the Isles of Scilly. The rollout consists of Paxster and Neomar D01 models, with Paxster supplying 84 units. The Paxster Cargo, a three-wheeled MEV, offers a…

Mercedes-Benz will overhaul its MB.CHARGE Public service from December 1, 2025, replacing most fixed per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) tariffs with flexible, location-based pricing across Europe. The move aligns with a broader industry trend as manufacturers shift toward variable rates tied to individual charging point operators. The company’s current M and L subscription plans — which offer fixed AC and DC rates in exchange for monthly fees — will transition to flexible pricing that varies by charging point. The existing fixed structure provided predictability for occasional and frequent users, but Mercedes says the revised model will introduce broader discounts and more partner networks.…

Peugeot has begun taking UK orders for the refreshed 308 and 308 SW lineup, including upgraded all-electric variants that deliver improved range, faster charging, and updated exterior styling. The new E-308 and E-308 SW now offer up to 279 and 275 miles of range, respectively. Unveiled in August, the revised all-electric models feature a 156 hp motor with 270 Nm of torque and a 58.4 kWh battery (55.4 kWh usable). This upgrade provides around 25 miles more range compared to their predecessors. See also: Peugeot to Launch Next-Generation e-208 in 2026 on Stellantis’ New STLA Small Platform The models retain…

Ioncor, the battery business spun off from Valmet Automotive in 2024 and now majority state-owned, is consolidating its German operations by relocating its battery testing activities to Kirchardt. The company has sold its existing test centre in Bad Friedrichshall to Electric Sphere, a newly founded independent spin-off specialising in battery testing. Ioncor said it plans to complete the relocation within six months, bringing engineering, testing, and production together at its Kirchardt facility near Heilbronn. “This move creates a strong foundation for the future through a site that advances our strategy for heavy-duty OEM batteries and aligns our capacity with market…

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) has rolled out the world’s first Tesla Cybertruck public safety fleet, marking a new milestone in the integration of electric vehicles into law enforcement. The department received ten UP.FIT Patrol Cybertrucks, designed and engineered by Unplugged Performance’s UP.FIT division, in a move aimed at advancing both operational efficiency and sustainability. Each vehicle is equipped with full police-grade systems, including lights, sirens, and PA systems, as well as pursuit-ready enhancements such as prisoner partitions, push bars, and reinforced suspension and braking systems. See also: Tesla Files Patent for Inflatable Deflector to Boost Cybertruck Towing…

Zeekr Group reported record monthly deliveries of 61,636 vehicles in October, surpassing its previous high of 59,690 units set in November 2024, as its Lynk & Co brand continued to post strong growth. The group’s October deliveries rose 9.8% from a year earlier and 20.5% from September, according to company data. From January to October, Zeekr Group delivered 446,708 vehicles, an increase of 13.2% compared with the same period last year. See also: Zeekr Launches Updated 7X SUV With 900-Volt Architecture and Faster Charging The Zeekr brand delivered 21,423 vehicles in October, representing a 14.5% year-on-year decline but a 17.3%…

Jeep’s 2026 Grand Wagoneer will be the first range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) in the United States, the automaker said, combining a large battery with a gasoline generator to extend driving range while introducing updated styling and performance enhancements. The full-size SUV, Jeep’s flagship, now consolidates all trims under the Grand Wagoneer name, replacing the previous Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer differentiation. The 2026 model features a refreshed front fascia with a slimmer grille and full-length LED lighting, while retaining its spacious interior. See also: Stellantis and Dongfeng Motor to Jointly Develop Jeep Off-Road EV for China The new Grand Wagoneer will…

BMW has entered the watersports market through a partnership with Slovenian manufacturer SipaBoards to launch an electric stand-up paddleboard (e-SUP). The BMW x SipaBoards features an integrated motor, self-inflating design, and digital connectivity, combining electric mobility with recreational innovation. The design was developed in collaboration with BMW Group Designworks. The e-SUP integrates a 300-watt electric motor that can propel the board at speeds of up to 7.5 km/h (4 knots). The motor also automatically inflates the board before use and operates with minimal noise and zero emissions. See also: BMW Delivers Over 102,000 Electric Cars in Q3 2025, Slightly Below…

Dacia is preparing another significant update for the Spring, Europe’s cheapest electric vehicle, just two years after its 2024 facelift. The 2026 version of the compact EV will deliver stronger performance, faster charging, and improved driving stability, as the Romanian brand continues refining its entry-level model amid rising competition in the budget electric car segment. The latest update brings two more powerful motors. The base version, previously rated at 45 horsepower, now produces 70 hp, while the higher trim jumps from 65 hp to 100 hp. The performance improvement is substantial: the base Spring now accelerates from 80 to 120…

UK-based autonomous vehicle technology firm Oxa said on Monday it is expanding its use of NVIDIA systems to speed up the development of its self-driving software for industrial automation, a move it says will strengthen a transatlantic technology alliance and accelerate commercial rollouts. The company said it will integrate NVIDIA Cosmos World Foundation Models into its Oxa Foundry development framework and adopt next-generation NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor developer kits. See also: Bradshaw, Oxa Launch Autonomous T800 Tow Tractor for Industrial Logistics The initiative is aimed at advancing Oxa’s position in the $2 trillion industrial mobility automation market, which covers applications…

Toyota said on Tuesday it will invest $1.5 billion in new capital to back startups across mobility, climate technology, artificial intelligence and industrial automation, in a strategy aimed at supporting companies from their earliest stages through maturity. The Japanese automaker unveiled two initiatives that expand its role in the startup ecosystem and tie into Woven City, Toyota’s experimental 175-acre hub at the foot of Mount Fuji designed to incubate innovation. Toyota said it has formed a strategic subsidiary, Toyota Invention Partners Co., with about $670 million in capital, while growth-stage arm Woven Capital has raised a second $800 million fund.…

Lucid Motors’ interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said the company is seeing growing interest from Tesla owners, particularly those dissatisfied with the brand’s aging vehicle lineup. Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times, Winterhoff said Lucid has recorded “an uptick, that’s definitely the case, in Europe and also here in the US,” as former Tesla drivers switch to its premium EVs. Winterhoff pointed to the Model S, Tesla’s long-running luxury sedan, as one of the reasons buyers are exploring alternatives. “The Model S, nothing has changed in 12 years now. . . (customers) are actively looking for other options,” he said, suggesting that…

Great Wall Motor’s electric vehicle marque Ora has introduced its first SUV, the Ora 5, marking a return to new product launches after more than two years of limited activity in China’s competitive EV market. The unveiling comes as the company seeks to reinvigorate the Ora brand and expand its offerings beyond compact sedans and hatchbacks. The Ora 5 adopts a conventional SUV design language while retaining styling cues from earlier Ora models such as the Good Cat, with similar detailing at the front and rear. The compact SUV measures 4,471 mm in length, 1,833–1,844 mm in width, and 1,641…

A new analysis from ChargerHelp reveals that the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) charging network faces persistent reliability issues despite high reported uptime. The 2025 report, which draws on more than 100,000 charging sessions across 2,400 stations, finds that nearly one-third of charging attempts fail, indicating that traditional uptime metrics may overstate real-world performance. ChargerHelp advocates for the first-time charge success rate (FTCSR) as a more accurate measure of infrastructure effectiveness, capturing whether drivers can successfully initiate a charge on their first attempt. The report shows that while new chargers average around 85% FTCSR, this figure falls below 70% within three…

U.S. battery developer Lyten has received final approval to acquire Swedish battery cell manufacturer Northvolt, clearing the way for the deal to close by the end of October, according to the company’s insolvency administrator. The green light came from Sweden’s Inspektionen för strategiska produkter (ISP), which oversees strategic goods. Lyten, founded in 2015 in San Jose, California, specializes in lithium-sulphur batteries, while Northvolt has focused on NMC cell chemistry. The takeover, first announced in August, surprised many given Northvolt’s larger scale and ongoing projects in Sweden and Germany. “With approval from the ISP, Lyten now has all the approvals it…

Hino Motors, Toyota Group’s commercial vehicle subsidiary, said it will launch Japan’s first mass-produced fuel cell heavy-duty truck, the Profia Z FCV, on October 24. The hydrogen-powered model is intended to support the country’s efforts to cut emissions from the commercial transport sector. The Profia Z FCV uses Toyota’s second-generation fuel cell stack, first introduced in the Mirai sedan in 2020 and produced at Toyota’s Honsha plant. While output figures for the truck have not been disclosed, the Mirai’s system produces 128 kW. The heavy-duty truck is equipped with six hydrogen tanks capable of storing 50 kilograms of hydrogen at…