Author: Ivan Popov

Tesla’s Shanghai factory has begun mass production of the Model Y L, a longer-wheelbase version of its top-selling crossover, according to accounts from Chinese industry observers. The new variant is expected to feature three rows of seating for six passengers, positioning it to compete more directly in China’s growing three-row electric SUV market. Industry reports suggest Tesla China is in the process of deciding which domestic showrooms will be the first to display the Model Y L. The vehicle’s specifications recently appeared in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) latest list of new energy vehicle models eligible for…

Rivian said on Tuesday it has substantially completed the expansion of its manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, where it will build the forthcoming R2 electric crossover, as the company seeks to scale production and broaden its appeal with a more affordable model. The 1.1-million-square-foot addition will house the body shop and general assembly lines for the R2. Once fully operational, the expanded plant will support an annual production capacity of 215,000 vehicles, according to the company. The R2, priced around $45,000, is expected to enter production in 2026 and is seen as a mainstream rival to Tesla’s Model Y. See…

Autonomous driving technology firm PlusAI has joined forces with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company to enhance safety and operational efficiency in the autonomous freight sector. The partnership will integrate Goodyear’s SightLine tire intelligence system with PlusAI’s SuperDrive™ virtual driver platform, combining real-time road data with autonomous vehicle control to optimize performance and reduce fleet operating costs. SightLine, Goodyear’s proprietary technology, delivers continuous insights into tire health, road surface conditions, and friction levels through embedded sensors. When paired with PlusAI’s SuperDrive system, this data helps improve decision-making capabilities in autonomous trucks by offering real-time awareness of environmental and mechanical conditions. The…

General Motors has announced that its 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Max Range Work Truck has set a new world record for the longest distance traveled on a single charge by a production electric vehicle. The full-size pickup truck completed 1,059.2 miles (1,704.6 km) during a controlled range test near GM’s Milford Proving Ground in Michigan. Although the Silverado EV Max Work Truck is rated for an EPA-estimated range of 493 miles (793 km), GM engineers were able to more than double this figure through a series of driving and vehicle setup optimizations—without making any changes to the vehicle’s hardware or…

Audi is weighing plans to build a manufacturing facility in the United States to offset the impact of rising tariffs on vehicle imports from the European Union and Mexico, according to German business daily Handelsblatt. One option reportedly gaining support is constructing a “twin plant” next to Volkswagen’s factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The proximity to Volkswagen’s site, which has been operational since 2011 and currently produces the all-electric ID.4, could allow Audi to tap into established planning, logistics, and supplier networks, reducing both construction costs and time. This approach appears to align with earlier reports from Spiegel suggesting that Audi…

Great Wall Motor’s Tank brand will begin pre-sales of its updated Tank 500 sport utility vehicle on August 11, featuring expanded intelligent driving capabilities, hybrid powertrains, and upgraded comfort features. The refreshed Tank 500 maintains the same exterior dimensions as its predecessor, measuring 5,078 mm in length, 1,934 mm in width, and 1,905 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,850 mm. The model will be available with two plug-in hybrid systems: the Hi4-T, aimed at off-road driving, and the Hi4-Z, designed for family use. The Hi4-T uses a 2.0‑liter engine and a single 120‑kW electric motor paired with a…

Mini has introduced Monochrome editions for its Cooper Electric and Aceman electric vehicles, offering fixed specifications with deliveries scheduled to begin in January 2026. The new variants are available in two exterior colors — Midnight Black or Nania White — and feature body-colored roofs for a uniform appearance. The Cooper Electric Monochrome is fitted with 17-inch U-Spoke Grey alloy wheels, while the Aceman Monochrome receives larger 18-inch Night Flash Spoke Grey alloys. Standard equipment on both models includes heated front seats, cruise control, driving and parking assistance, a rear-view camera, Mini Navigation with head-up display, wireless device charging, and LED…

Gatik, a provider of autonomous freight solutions for regional logistics, has introduced a new in-house simulation platform called Arena™ to advance the development and validation of autonomous vehicle (AV) systems. The tool, which integrates NVIDIA’s Cosmos World Foundation Models, creates high-fidelity, physics-informed virtual environments designed to reduce reliance on real-world testing. The company said Arena™ can produce photorealistic synthetic data for complex driving scenarios, including adverse weather, road construction, and unpredictable traffic conditions. The platform supports closed-loop testing, enabling real-time interaction with Gatik’s AV software stack. By combining real-world logs with sensor-accurate simulations, the system allows for scalable training and…

PlusAI said it has achieved 86% Safety Case Readiness (SCR) and 98% Autonomous Miles Percentage (AMP) in the first half of 2025, marking progress toward the planned 2027 commercial launch of its SuperDrive™ autonomous trucking system. The company aims to debut operations in the Texas Triangle before expanding across U.S. and European freight corridors. The SCR metric, up from 75% in the second half of 2024, reflects the maturity of PlusAI’s Safety Case Framework, which is modelled on safety standards from industries such as aviation. “By publicly sharing these performance metrics, we’re demonstrating our commitment to safe deployment,” CEO David…

A major charging park with 40 operational charging points officially opens on August 1 in Amstetten, Lower Austria, as part of a broader effort to expand the region’s electric vehicle infrastructure. The facility, located on a 3,000 square metre site, will eventually offer up to 50 charging bays, 38 of which are equipped with ultra-fast charging stations delivering up to 400 kW of power. The project is operated by a subsidiary of the local municipal utility and features a unique multi-operator model, with parking spaces leased to Ionity, Tesla, and regional energy provider Energieversorgung Niederösterreich (EVN). As one of Austria’s…

Hyundai Motor has issued a safety advisory for a limited number of 2025 model year Ioniq 5 electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States due to a battery-related defect that could increase the risk of fire. The automaker identified an issue involving improperly tightened bus bars—metal connectors used to distribute electrical current within the battery pack. According to Hyundai, a malfunction in a torque tool controller at the Battery System Assembly (BSA) supplier led to some bus bar bolts not being secured to required specifications. The issue was discovered during routine battery inspections. Although the recall affects only 10 vehicles,…

U.S. electric vehicle maker Lucid Group has begun rolling out new hands-free driving features for its Air luxury sedan, the company said on Wednesday, as it continues to expand the capabilities of its advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS). Starting this week, Lucid Air owners can access Hands-Free Drive Assist and Hands-Free Change Assist on compatible divided highways through an over-the-air (OTA) software update. The update is part of a broader upgrade to Lucid’s DreamDrive Pro system, which is available as an optional package priced at $950 plus tax. See also: Lucid Taps Timothée Chalamet as First Global Brand Ambassador “These features…

Electric vehicle leasing enquiries in the UK surged nearly 30% in the week following the launch of the government’s new Electric Car Grant (ECG), with automakers such as Leapmotor and Renault rapidly adapting their pricing strategies to match the incentive and stimulate consumer demand. Data from Leasing.com shows a 29.8% rise in EV leasing enquiries in just seven days, as manufacturers responded to the grant with their own offers. According to CEO Mike Fazal, the increase reflects how closely aligned incentives and pricing can impact adoption. “We saw a spike in interest almost immediately after the grant was announced,” he…

German truckmaker MAN and logistics company Dettendorfer have initiated a four-week field trial to demonstrate the feasibility of electric freight transport over the Brenner Pass, one of Europe’s busiest Alpine routes. The trial, running through July and August, explores the operational, environmental and economic advantages of electric trucks in mountainous terrain. The pilot involves MAN’s new series-production eTruck, which began rolling off the assembly line in Munich in June. On the test route between Munich and Verona, the vehicle operates overnight and includes a planned charging stop, allowing a daily range of up to 800 kilometres. This makes it possible…

Lamborghini’s long-anticipated first electric vehicle may not arrive as a fully electric model after all, as the Italian luxury automaker reconsiders its EV strategy due to slower-than-expected adoption rates. The Lamborghini Lanzador, first unveiled in 2023 as a sleek, high-riding 2+2 GT concept, was originally slated to debut as the brand’s inaugural EV in 2028 before being delayed to 2029. Now, CEO Stephan Winkelmann says its final form is still undecided. “We have made two decisions so far based on the fact that the acceptance curve of electric cars worldwide and globally, not only in our type of segment, is…

Chinese carmaker GAC has announced plans to enter the UK passenger electric vehicle (EV) market through a new partnership with Jameel Motors, with first customer deliveries expected by the end of the first quarter in 2026. The move comes as electric vehicles continue to gain traction in the UK, where one in every four new cars sold in June was electric. Under the partnership, GAC and Jameel Motors will launch two all-electric models in the UK: the AION V, a C-segment SUV, and the AION UT, a compact B-segment hatchback. The AION UT, which debuted in China earlier this year,…

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to rise in the United States, a new study suggests dealership service departments may be struggling to keep pace with growing demand. The report, based on survey data from CDK Global, highlights increasing wait times and repeat service visits for EV owners — even as overall satisfaction remains high. In the first half of 2025, U.S. EV sales exceeded 607,000 units, setting a new record. Despite this surge, 85% of new EV buyers reported needing dealership service within the first year of ownership. At the same time, only 28% of owners said they received…

The FIA and Formula E have extended their partnership by 15 years, ensuring the all-electric racing series retains its position as the exclusive fully electric single-seater category with FIA World Championship status until at least 2054. The agreement, announced ahead of the season finale in London, reinforces Formula E’s long-term role in the evolution of electric motorsport. The extended contract grants Formula E continued exclusivity in the electric single-seater space, effectively ruling out the possibility of an all-electric Formula 1 series before the mid-21st century. With backing from the FIA and Formula E Holdings—majority owned by Liberty Global—the series will…

QuantumScape, a U.S.-based solid-state battery developer, reported progress in scaling its technology in its second-quarter 2025 update, including an expanded agreement with Volkswagen Group’s battery subsidiary PowerCo and the signing of a new joint development agreement with another global automaker. The company said it has fully integrated its proprietary Cobra solid-state separator process into baseline production, a development it said supports high-volume output and aligns with its capital-light licensing model. “We continue to streamline operations consistent with the company’s capital-light licensing focus and capture gains from cost reduction initiatives and process improvement, including the Cobra process,” QuantumScape stated in its…

Tesla is preparing to launch its Robotaxi ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area as early as this weekend, according to a report from Business Insider. The rollout will include safety drivers behind the wheel and builds on the pilot program that began in Austin, Texas, last month, marking another step in Tesla’s push toward autonomous mobility. The internal memo cited by Business Insider outlines a geofenced area covering San Francisco, Marin County, much of the East Bay, and extending south to San Jose. Invitations to book rides will be sent to a select group of Tesla owners. The…