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…