Author: Harding Greenwood

Ford Motor is expanding its MS-RT range in Europe with two new electrified models, introducing a plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger pickup and a fully electric Tourneo Custom van. Both vehicles retain the performance styling and utility features of the MS-RT brand while adding new powertrain options. The Ranger MS-RT plug-in hybrid produces a combined 277 horsepower and 697 Nm of torque from a 2.3-liter turbocharged gasoline engine paired with a single electric motor. The setup delivers 40 hp and 97 Nm more than its diesel counterpart, with power routed through a 10-speed automatic transmission and permanent e4WD system.…

Tesla has unveiled its fourth “Master Plan,” outlining ambitions around sustainability while offering few concrete details or deadlines. A promotional video accompanying the announcement, however, has drawn attention for hinting at a possible new addition to Tesla’s vehicle lineup: a large, blocky SUV resembling the Cybertruck. The video shows what appears to be a three-row Cyber SUV prototype, with an extended cabin in place of the Cybertruck’s bed. The design mock-up was displayed alongside other vehicle models in Tesla’s design studio, where a full-scale clay model of the planned Cybercab robotaxi is also being developed. The Cybertruck-based SUV concept would…

Volvo Cars said on Tuesday it has started production of the ES90, its new fully electric sedan for European markets, marking what the company described as a major step in its transition to an all-electric lineup. The ES90 is the first Volvo to feature 800-volt technology, enabling faster charging and extended driving range. The vehicle is powered by the automaker’s next-generation computing platform and Superset tech stack, which will allow the car to receive continuous software updates. “The fully electric ES90 marks a major milestone as Volvo Cars steps into a new era of safety, sustainability and human-centric technology,” said…

Volkswagen’s labour chief has stepped up pressure on CEO Oliver Blume to give up one of his two leadership roles, saying his responsibilities at both Volkswagen and Porsche AG cannot be sustained in the long term. Blume has held the dual posts since Porsche’s stock market listing in 2022, a structure that has prompted repeated calls from investors and employees for a clearer separation of leadership. At a staff meeting, works council head Daniela Cavallo said, “The chief executive cannot be a part-time boss in Wolfsburg and spend the rest of his time at Porsche. This situation must come to…

Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer known for assembling Apple iPhones, is moving forward with plans to enter the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) market, aiming to launch its first electric crossover, the Model C, before the end of 2025. The company also announced a new partnership with Japan’s Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. to produce battery-powered buses. Foxconn plans to begin Model C production at its Taiwanese facility while pursuing certification for the vehicle in the United States. James Wu, a company spokesperson, said: “The Model C plan remains unchanged. For our U.S. customers’ initial orders, production will start in…

Altilium and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have unveiled the UK’s first electric vehicle battery cells produced with recycled cathode materials at the Cenex Expo 2025. The project, supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, is intended to advance the development of a domestic battery recycling ecosystem and demonstrate the use of recovered materials in high-performance automotive applications. The multilayer NMC 811 pouch cells were manufactured using cathode active materials recovered from end-of-life EV batteries via Altilium’s EcoCathode™ process. According to the company, the concentration of recovered cobalt, lithium and nickel meets the 2036 recycled content targets set by new EU…

Tesla has filed pre-permits for its first public Semicharger station in San Antonio, Texas, marking a potential expansion of its charging network for the all-electric Semi truck, according to details reported by Supercharger sleuth Marco on X. The proposed site at the Flying J Travel Center off Interstate 10 at North Foster Road will include eight dedicated charging stalls. Until now, Tesla’s Megacharger network has largely been confined to private facilities, serving the company’s operations and early partners, including distribution hubs such as PepsiCo’s Modesto facility and Tesla’s Gigafactories in Nevada and Austin. https://twitter.com/MarcoRPi1/status/1962601596770210115 The San Antonio project would represent…

General Motors (GM) said on Tuesday it sold more than 21,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States in August, marking a new monthly record and surpassing July’s previous high of 19,000 units. The company’s EV sales for the first eight months of 2025 have already exceeded 118,000, surpassing the total of roughly 114,000 sold in 2024. The automaker’s electric lineup, which includes models ranging from the luxury Cadillac Escalade IQ to the more affordable Chevrolet Equinox EV, has contributed to the surge in demand. Other recent additions include the Cadillac Optiq and high-performance models such as the Chevy Blazer…

Volkswagen AG will temporarily halt production of its ID.4 electric SUV at the Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant starting in late October, the company said, citing weak market demand for the vehicle in the United States. The production pause will affect approximately 160 employees, who will be furloughed but continue to receive 80% of their base pay and retain benefits, Volkswagen spokesperson Michael Lowder said in an email, according to The Chattanooga Times Free Press. Lowder described the move as “a market-driven decision” following a 65% slump in ID.4 sales during the second quarter. Volkswagen sold fewer than 2,000 ID.4 units in…

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet Inc., said on Tuesday it will begin test drives of its robotaxis in Denver and Seattle this week, with human safety drivers behind the wheel. “We’ll arrive with a mixed fleet of Jaguar I-PACE with the 5th-generation Waymo Driver and Zeekr RT vehicles equipped with our 6th-generation Waymo Driver. ” a company said in a blog post. Waymo announced the tests in blog posts, signaling a phased approach to expanding its driverless ride-hailing service across the United States. https://twitter.com/Waymo/status/1962983878395679170 The test vehicles will include a mix of fully electric Jaguar iPace and Geely…

Kia has launched its new EV5 in the UK, opening orders for the Sportage-sized electric SUV on Monday as the South Korean automaker expands its EV lineup in one of Europe’s most competitive segments. The EV5, which Kia calls “a cornerstone” of its electrification strategy, is available in three trims – Air, GT-Line, and GT-Line S – all powered by an 81.4 kWh battery pack delivering a range of up to 329 miles. Built on a 400V platform, the SUV can charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Each model features a single front-mounted electric motor producing 214…

Chargecloud GmbH, a Cologne-based provider of cloud-based software for the electric mobility sector, has appointed Dr. Marius Mölders as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Oliver Adrian as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Mölders, who joined on June 1, 2025, previously held finance leadership roles at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group in the EMEA Energy Division. Adrian, who assumed his dual role on September 1, 2025, has experience in charging and energy strategy at Ford and also at Hubject, where he worked on scaling international business models. Chief Executive and Chief Technology Officer Markus Bach continues to oversee…

Tesla has launched a six-seat version of its Model Y sport utility vehicle in China, featuring an AI-powered assistant that enables passengers in any row to control vehicle functions through voice commands. The Model Y L, designed as Tesla’s first three-row SUV, provides rear passengers who are unable to access the touchscreen with the ability to manage air conditioning, music, and other infotainment settings. The virtual assistant incorporates seat-based spatial awareness, allowing the system to identify the passenger issuing commands and limiting control if restrictions are enabled. https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaLounge/comments/1n28qay/just_checked_out_the_tesla_model_yl_in_person/ Unlike in the United States, where Tesla vehicles use its Grok AI…

Japanese eVTOL developer SkyDrive Inc. has successfully completed a series of demonstration flights using its flagship SKYDRIVE aircraft above Expo 2025 in Osaka, marking a key milestone in the company’s development of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology. The demonstration flights, conducted between July 31 and August 24, 2025, involved short loops departing from the expo’s vertiport, flying over Osaka Bay, and returning to the base. Each flight lasted several minutes, and the successful series is part of SkyDrive’s broader efforts to advance scaled eVTOL production and achieve flight certification in Japan and the United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9aD9Gmiiwg SkyDrive, which…

MG Motor, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor, launched the updated version of its MG4 compact hatchback on Friday at the Chengdu auto show, strengthening its position in China’s crowded electric vehicle (EV) market. The new MG4 is positioned as one of the most affordable EVs in the country, with a starting price of RMB 68,800 ($9,650) and promotional pricing beginning at RMB 65,800. A semi-solid-state battery variant has been added to the lineup, priced at RMB 102,800 with a discounted offer of RMB 99,800, with mass deliveries scheduled to begin later this year. The semi-solid-state battery, developed by SAIC-backed QingTao…

Honda is offering new Labor Day discounts on its electric models, including the Prologue SUV and the Acura ZDX, as the automaker seeks to build on strong sales momentum in the United States. The Prologue, launched in March 2024, has become one of the country’s top-selling electric SUVs, ranking second in the second half of last year behind Tesla’s Model Y. In July 2025, it outsold rivals such as Ford Motor’s Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5. Honda is offering 24-month leases on the 2025 Prologue starting at $159 per month with $1,099 due at signing, including a $3,500 conquest…

Chery-owned brand Jaecoo has unveiled its first fully electric vehicle in the UK, the Jaecoo E5 compact SUV, with prices starting at £27,505. The model is positioned as the battery-electric version of the petrol-powered Jaecoo 5 and is built on Chery’s T1X platform, which also underpins Omoda and Exlantix cars. It carries a 61.1kWh battery, supports 80kW DC charging, and delivers a WLTP range of up to 248 miles. The company said charging from 30% to 80% can be achieved in 27 minutes on a fast charger, or overnight on an 11kW home unit. Two trims are available: the Pure,…

Vodafone UK said on Wednesday it will complete the electrification of its 1,000-strong company car fleet by 2026, a year ahead of the original schedule, as part of its broader plan to achieve net zero emissions across operations by 2030. The fleet electrification programme, launched in 2019, initially targeted a full switch to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2027. The accelerated timeline was achieved through a structured transition plan developed in partnership with leasing firm Arval UK. Craig Login, property contract manager at Vodafone UK, highlighted the progress, saying: “In 2020 just 16 per cent of the fleet was battery-electric (BEV)…

Finnish EV charging platform provider Virta has appointed Juhani Hintikka as its new chief executive, succeeding interim CEO Christian Girardeau, the company said in a statement. Hintikka, a veteran of Nokia, Comptel, F-Secure and WithSecure, takes the helm as Virta expands its role in integrating EV charging with energy markets. “He has a proven track record of building technology companies in complex environments and will drive the next phase of Virta as a leading enabler for the EV charging station business and integrator of EV charging and energy markets,” the company said. Girardeau, who took over on January 1, 2025,…

Tesla has unveiled the Model Y Performance in Europe, featuring an updated high-voltage battery, adaptive suspension, and a revised chassis with sportier exterior and interior touches. The launch includes new pricing and specifications across Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. In Germany, Tesla’s configurator lists a base price of €61,990, with an additional €980 in destination and regulatory fees, bringing the total to €62,970. Prices are similar in the Netherlands (€62,990) and the UK (£61,990), making the Performance version roughly €9,000 more expensive than the Model Y Long Range Dual Motor. Compared to the previous Performance model, which was priced…