Author: David Smith

South Korea’s electric vehicle market has a new contender in the form of the KGM Musso EV, the country’s first fully electric pickup truck. Developed by KG Mobility (KGM)—renowned for its tough 4x4s and SUVs—the Musso EV brings together the practicality of a pickup with the comfort and technology of an SUV. Since its debut on March 5, it has generated significant attention, racking up over 3,200 orders in just two weeks. The Special Edition (SE) sold out in only 90 minutes, reflecting strong consumer interest. With its bold claim of being “a new alternative to mid-size SUVs,” the Musso…

Finnish EV charging technology firm Kempower will supply DC fast-charging systems for a major new electric bus depot in Bayswater, Perth, as part of a collaboration with Charge Hub, Addelec, and Swan Group. The depot is designed to support Western Australia’s growing electric public transport network and is expected to begin operations by mid-2026. The first stage of the project will provide charging infrastructure for 132 electric buses, with future capacity to expand to 180. Kempower’s modular system will offer dynamic power distribution to enable efficient overnight charging and ensure uninterrupted day-to-day transit services. The project is being led by…

Zeekr marked a key milestone as its 500,000th production vehicle rolled off the assembly line at its factory in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The milestone vehicle was a Zeekr 009 Grand multi-purpose vehicle, the brand’s flagship luxury MPV. The achievement comes 44 months after the launch of Zeekr’s first production model, the 001 shooting brake, in October 2021. The brand also completed production of its 500,001st vehicle on the same day — another unit of the Zeekr 001. https://twitter.com/ZeekrGlobal/status/1934433493305753827 Zeekr has maintained an average transaction price of nearly RMB 300,000 ($41,750) per vehicle since its debut, according to company data. In…

Nissan has unveiled the final episode of its “LEAF Insights” video series, highlighting how the third-generation LEAF’s integrated technology suite is designed to simplify electric vehicle (EV) ownership and enhance everyday life. The new LEAF includes an intelligent route planner, developed in sync with Google Automotive Services, that locates charging points along a user’s route and aims to reduce range anxiety — a key barrier to broader EV adoption. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kltUiaX5PhU “We know one of the barriers for EV adoption globally is anxiety over long distances. With the all-new LEAF’s intelligent route planner, which is synchronized with Google Automotive Services, finding…

Tesla has rolled out updated versions of its Model S and Model X vehicles for the U.S. market, introducing significant improvements to design, comfort, and technology. The refresh also brings a $5,000 price increase across all variants, with immediate availability for U.S. deliveries. The refreshed vehicles feature updated exterior styling, including revised bumpers on the Model S, new aerodynamic wheels, and two new paint options: Frost Blue Metallic and Diamond Black. Each vehicle now comes with new standard wheels, with larger, premium designs available as paid upgrades. Beyond aesthetics, the updates include a series of mechanical enhancements aimed at improving…

European EV charging network Allego has launched Plug & Charge functionality across 5,000 of its charging stations, becoming the first provider to do so using the latest OCPP 2.0.1 protocol. The update allows compatible vehicles to initiate and pay for charging automatically, without requiring RFID cards, apps, or manual authentication. The implementation of OCPP 2.0.1 marks a significant technical upgrade, offering native support for ISO 15118-2. This enables certificate-based authentication, improved security via Mutual Transport Layer Security (mTLS), faster session initiation, enhanced real-time data reporting, and remote diagnostics. Allego’s adoption of the standard positions it ahead of other charge point…

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) (SHE: 300750) has produced its one millionth battery pack for Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI), highlighting the scale and continuity of the companies’ partnership since the automaker’s founding. The milestone was marked during an event attended by CATL’s and Li Auto’s top executives. CATL was the initial battery supplier for Li Auto and played a role in the company’s early product development strategy. Although Li Auto began working with other suppliers such as Sunwoda and Svolt Energy in 2023 with the launch of its Li L7 SUV, CATL continues to provide a significant portion of…

Kia has revised its incentive strategy for the 2026 EV9, offering smaller cash rebates compared with the 2025 model, while increasing the number of trims that qualify for the U.S. federal EV tax credit. The three-row electric SUV enters its second model year with a $4,000 Customer Cash rebate available across all trims, according to a dealer bulletin cited by CarsDirect. In addition, Kia is offering a $1,000 Competitive Bonus Program for customers who purchase or lease the vehicle by July 7 and own a 2014–2026 vehicle from a competing automaker. No trade-in is required for the offer. Although total…

Tesla has officially entered the autonomous vehicle (AV) testing phase in Austin, Texas, marking a key step toward the company’s planned launch of a self-driving ride-hailing service later this month. After months of preparation, Tesla was added to the City of Austin’s official list of “Known AV Operators” in the testing category — confirming that the company has begun trial operations of its autonomous system on public roads. It joins other AV developers like Alphabet’s Waymo, which remains the only company listed under the “deployment” phase in the city. Tesla’s move into AV testing represents a shift from CEO…

Rivian’s upcoming 2026 R1T Quad-Motor pickup has made an early and unexpected public appearance following a now-deleted social media video, revealing the first look at the automaker’s use of Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) port. The brief footage, shared by tech reviewer Marques Brownlee before being removed, showed the R1T Quad equipped with a native NACS port, confirming Rivian’s shift away from adapter-based charging. The move marks Rivian’s first production vehicle to integrate Tesla’s charging system directly, enabling seamless access to the Supercharger network. https://twitter.com/moregainzs/status/1931750708438839588 Rivian had previously announced plans in June 2023 to transition all R1 models to…

Alphabet-owned drone delivery firm Wing is expanding its partnership with Walmart to offer drone delivery from more than 100 stores across five new U.S. cities, signaling a significant step forward in commercializing autonomous aerial logistics. Walmart and Wing announced that drone delivery service will launch in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa. Wing will also continue to expand in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where the companies piloted their collaboration in 2023. The announcement reflects Walmart’s growing investment in alternative last-mile delivery methods. “We’re pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng unveiled a heads-up display (HUD) system jointly developed with technology giant Huawei, describing it as the world’s first HUD to integrate artificial intelligence for smart driving. The new augmented reality HUD, or AR-HUD, projects an 87-inch display area onto the vehicle’s windshield, showing information including autonomous driving status, speed, and road conditions. The system combines Huawei’s advanced AR-HUD hardware with Xpeng’s AI-driven autonomous driving algorithms. Huawei provided “the industry’s leading AR-HUD hardware platform,” ensuring “display clarity, brightness, and color performance meet top-tier standards,” Xpeng said in a statement. The display system features a brightness of…

Italian automation company Comau introduced a suite of new technologies at the Battery Show Europe 2025, including a modular platform for small-batch battery cell testing and cleanroom-compatible robotics designed for large-scale battery production. The company’s new Lab Fixtures platform, originally developed for Slovenia’s National Institute of Chemistry, is now available to global clients. Designed for laboratory and limited-series use, the customizable system aims to improve the speed, safety, and efficiency of cell formation and testing, accelerating product validation and reducing time to market. Also on display was Comau’s Racer-5 Sensitive Environments, a cleanroom- and dry room-certified articulated arm robot. Engineered…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has appointed Lars Bialkowski as its new Country Manager for Germany, effective June 1, 2025, marking a significant step in strengthening its management team in the key European market. Bialkowski, 53, joins BYD following his tenure as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Stellantis in Germany. He left Stellantis in late 2024 amid a broader management reshuffle and brings extensive experience from previous roles at Nissan and Renault. Maria Grazia Davino, Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director at BYD Europe, described Bialkowski’s appointment as a milestone that will enhance continuity and accelerate BYD’s…

Hyundai has lowered lease prices on its updated 2025 Ioniq 5 electric SUV for the second consecutive month, offering consumers one of the most affordable deals in the electric vehicle market as political uncertainty clouds the future of U.S. EV incentives. The 2025 Ioniq 5 SE Standard Range RWD is now available for $179 per month over 24 months with $3,999 due at signing, down from $209 a month in May. Hyundai’s latest promotion includes the $7,500 federal EV tax credit and runs through July 7. See also: Hyundai Slashes Lease Price for Ioniq 5 N Ahead of 2026 Model…

Kia plans to move ahead with introducing its EV4 electric mid-size sedan to the U.S. market, even though the model will be imported from South Korea and therefore subject to a 25% tariff imposed under former President Donald Trump’s trade policy. A Kia product planner confirmed to U.S. media that the EV4 sedan will be built exclusively in South Korea, while a hatchback version aimed at the European market will be assembled in Slovakia. “For now, we are planning to introduce only the sedan for North America,” the planner said. See also: Everything You Should Know About Kia EV4 Specifications…

Tesla has filed new trademark applications for the term “Tesla Robotaxi” as it pushes forward with plans for a self-driving ride-hailing service, after earlier attempts to trademark more generic names encountered resistance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The company previously sought to register the terms “Robotaxi” and “Cybercab” in October 2024. However, the USPTO requested further clarification for “Robotaxi,” citing its widespread use by other autonomous vehicle developers including Waymo. The application for “Cybercab” was suspended outright due to conflicts with a large number of existing trademark filings involving the word “Cyber.” See also: Tesla Robotaxi Pilot…

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have unveiled a sodium fuel cell technology that offers three times the energy density of current lithium-ion batteries, potentially transforming electric aviation and other transport industries. The research team has also launched a startup, Propel Aero, to advance commercial development. Unlike conventional batteries, the sodium fuel cell uses liquid sodium, sourced from abundant materials such as sea salt, as a fuel, which is replenished at about 98 degrees Celsius—the boiling point of water—rather than recharged electrically. The system operates by chemically reacting sodium with oxygen from the air, separated by a solid…

Self-driving truck startup TuSimple, which rebranded to CreateAI in late 2024, transferred a cache of sensitive U.S.-developed autonomous vehicle technology to a Beijing-owned company shortly after pledging to the U.S. government to cease such activity, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing hundreds of pages of internal documents and correspondence. According to the report, the transfers occurred around February 2022—just one week after TuSimple signed a national security agreement with U.S. regulators requiring it to implement firewalls and sever operational ties with China-based employees and partners. The recipient of the data was Foton Motor, a Chinese truck manufacturer owned by the…

Rivian Automotive is beginning an internal rollout of its latest over-the-air (OTA) software update, version 2025.18, which brings new features including Multi-factor Drive and improvements to charging performance and infotainment systems. The update is expected to be made available to R1T and R1S customers in the coming weeks. The software, currently being tested by Rivian employees, introduces Multi-factor Drive, a two-factor authentication feature designed to enhance vehicle security. Once enabled, starting the vehicle requires a second verification step through the Rivian app (version 3.1 or later) or a smartwatch. This function can only be enabled or disabled by the registered…