Author: Derick Munoz

Spanish electric vehicle maker Silence is broadening its S04 lineup with new versions of its compact city EV, including fresh L6e and L7e variants and a new Cargo model, as the company looks to increase its urban mobility offerings across Europe. Sales of the vehicles will continue to be managed exclusively through Nissan’s European dealer network. Designed to maximize space within a minimal footprint, the Silence S04 features a unique two-seat offset layout. The microcar measures 2.28 metres in length, 1.27 metres in width and 1.57 metres in height, and offers a boot capacity of 247 litres. All versions come…

Tesla is advancing its robotaxi rollout plans in Austin, with CEO Elon Musk revealing new details about the company’s evolving autonomous vehicle platform ahead of a potential launch as early as June 12. The disclosures came shortly after a video surfaced on social media showing what appeared to be a fully driverless Tesla Model Y navigating streets in Austin. The footage, shared on X by user @TerrapinTerpene, captured the vehicle operating without a driver, followed by a manned chase car. On Monday, the city officially listed Tesla as an autonomous vehicle (AV) operator on its website, placing it in the…

Tesla’s Model Y became China’s best-selling SUV in May, registering 24,770 new units, narrowly surpassing rivals including BYD’s Song Plus and Geely’s Xingyue L, according to insurance data compiled by China EV DataTracker. The Tesla Model Y reclaimed the top spot after a second-place finish in April, when it trailed the Song Plus by just 684 units. BYD’s Song Plus followed closely behind in May with 24,240 units registered, while Geely’s gasoline-powered Xingyue L took third with 21,014 units, as reported by Car News China. In the first five months of 2025, Tesla registered 126,643 Model Y units in China,…

General Motors (GM) has introduced the Cadillac Optiq-V, a high-performance electric vehicle that challenges assumptions about the company’s shift away from traditional horsepower in favor of electrification. The Optiq-V ranks among GM’s fastest vehicles, gas or electric, with power and features aimed at enthusiasts. The standard Cadillac Optiq offers 300 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque through a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. The Optiq-V significantly increases those figures, delivering 515 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 mph sprint in just 3.5 seconds in its Velocity Max mode—only two-tenths of a second slower than the Lyriq-V, Cadillac’s quickest EV…

Battery materials startup Mitra Chem has raised $15.6 million toward a planned $50 million funding round, according to a regulatory filing, as it seeks to strengthen its position in the domestic supply of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery components. The California-based firm is focused on developing next-generation LFP cathode materials with improved energy density. The chemistry has become increasingly attractive to automakers aiming to reduce the cost of electric vehicle battery packs. Despite rising demand, nearly all LFP supply currently originates outside the United States, with China dominating the global market. The company’s latest capital injection comes during a cooling period for…

UK charge point operator Believ plans to install at least 30,000 public electric vehicle (EV) charging points nationwide following a new funding agreement backed by its owners and a group of infrastructure-focused lenders. The company, jointly owned by Liberty Global and Zouk Capital, will receive support from both parent companies as well as from Santander, ABN Amro, NatWest and MUFG. Zouk Capital also manages the UK government’s Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF), which, along with the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, has contributed to the expansion of the country’s public charging network. Believ said the new investment would focus…

Tesla  continued to face a slump in sales of its China-made vehicles, extending a year-on-year decline to the eighth consecutive month in May, according to data released on Tuesday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). Tesla China sold a total of 61,662 vehicles in May, including domestic sales and exports to overseas markets. This represents a 15.03 percent decrease from the 72,573 vehicles sold in May 2024. However, it marks a modest 5.48 percent increase from April’s sales figure of 58,459 vehicles. See also: Tesla Pushes Ahead With Fully Domestic Battery Supply Chain to Reduce China Dependence The ongoing…

Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer BYD has officially entered the Cyprus passenger vehicle market, continuing its rapid expansion in Europe. The company announced on Tuesday it launched four NEV models in Cyprus as part of its growing European footprint. The models introduced include the electric SUVs Yuan Plus and Sealion 07, the electric sedan Seal, and the hybrid SUV Song Plus DM-i. Locally, the Yuan Plus is branded as Atto 3, the Sealion 07 as Sealion 7, and the Song Plus DM-i as Seal U DM-i. The Atto 3 is available in two variants with starting prices of 33,990…

Tata Motors on Thursday launched its flagship electric SUV, the Harrier.ev, as part of its strategy to expand its zero-emission portfolio in India. Marketed as an off-road-capable lifestyle vehicle, the Harrier.ev features dual battery options, all-wheel drive capability, and several segment-first technologies. Based on a modified version of the internal combustion engine (ICE) Harrier, the electric variant is underpinned by a reworked platform derived from Jaguar Land Rover’s D8 architecture. The company made key changes during the conversion process, including the adoption of a rear-wheel-drive layout and the use of a multi-link rear suspension system with Frequency Dependent Damping (FDD).…

Norway registered 13,384 new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in May, a sharp increase from April and the same period last year, though the share of electric cars among all new registrations slightly dipped as other drive types also posted gains. According to data from the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council (OFV), electric car registrations in May rose 22.3% from April and 69.6% compared with May 2024. Although BEVs accounted for 93.9% of total new car sales last month—down from 97% in April—the figure remains above the year-to-date average of 92.7%, keeping Norway on track to meet its target of all…

Volkswagen Group is reversing course on its recent design philosophy, admitting that its shift to screen-dominated dashboards came at the expense of user experience. The automaker now plans to reintroduce physical controls for key functions in future models, responding to criticism from customers who favor tactile interfaces over touchscreens. “From the ID.2all onwards, we will have physical buttons for the five most important functions—the volume, the heating on each side of the car, the fans, and the hazard light—below the screen,” said Andreas Mindt, Volkswagen’s head of design. “We will never, ever make this mistake again. On the steering wheel,…

Public electric vehicle (EV) chargers in the United States recorded a notable improvement in reliability in the first quarter of 2025, marking the first significant progress in four years, according to new data from J.D. Power. The research firm reported that 84% of public charging attempts were successful between January and March, a 4-percentage-point increase from the 2024 annual figure. Over the past several years, failure rates had consistently hovered around 20%, with one in five charging attempts failing as recently as last year. “When you look at what’s driving those failure events, it’s always been [that] the charger was…