Author: James Bryant

Several Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers operating in the UK have introduced their own subsidy programs, offering discounts of up to £3,750 per vehicle, as uncertainty surrounds the implementation and eligibility criteria of the country’s recently announced £650 million Electric Car Grant (ECG). The ECG, launched earlier this month, provides subsidies of up to £3,750 for new EVs priced at £37,000 or below. However, qualification depends on sustainability benchmarks that go beyond zero tailpipe emissions. The UK government’s criteria include vehicle assembly emissions and battery sourcing, which may disadvantage EVs built in countries with higher carbon-intensity electricity generation, such as…

Lucid interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said the electric vehicle maker maintains a competitive edge over Chinese rivals in ride comfort and driving dynamics, despite being impressed by the progress China’s auto industry has made in recent years. “I was in China not too long ago at the Shanghai Auto Show and was impressed with how much they’ve come of age in the past few years,” Winterhoff said in an interview with Fox Business on Monday. After test-driving several models, he added, “We at Lucid definitely still have an edge when it comes to ride comfort and driving dynamics,” noting, “We’re…

BYD plans to introduce its ultra-luxury sub-brand Yangwang to Europe following its upcoming launch of the Denza brand on the continent early next year, Autocar reported on Sunday, citing a senior company executive. Stella Li, BYD’s executive vice president, told the outlet that both the Yangwang U8 off-road SUV and U9 electric supercar would be made available in Europe. Additional models, including the U7 electric sedan, are also expected to follow, according to the report. Launched in China in January 2023, Yangwang targets the high-end market segment with vehicles priced above RMB 1 million ($139,370). The brand’s debut model, the…

The northern Italian public transport provider SETA has announced a public tender for the supply of up to 28 electric buses, as part of its efforts to modernize and expand its vehicle fleet across Modena, Reggio Emilia, and Piacenza. According to the tender documents, the contract includes 14 confirmed units and an option for an additional 14 buses. The vehicles are required to be 9.5 metres long, feature a low-floor design, include two doors, and provide space for a wheelchair. SETA estimates the net contract value at up to €27 million. Bids must be submitted by August 26, 2025. The…

Porsche has launched its first Charging Lounge in Switzerland, marking the Stuttgart-based brand’s seventh proprietary site across the DACH region. Located in Signy-Avenex near Nyon, the new facility includes six direct current (DC) fast-charging stations, each capable of delivering up to 400 kW of power and operating exclusively for Porsche vehicles. The new site expands Porsche’s presence in Western Switzerland, catering to EV drivers traveling between Germany and France via the A1 motorway that connects Lausanne and Geneva. The company’s charging lounge initiative began in 2023 with the opening of its first location in Bingen am Rhein, Germany. Since then,…

IM Motors, the electric vehicle unit of SAIC Motor, is preparing to launch its first hybrid model, the IM LS9, a large six-seat SUV using extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) technology. The move marks a significant shift for the company, which has previously focused solely on battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and aligns it with a growing trend among Chinese automakers to diversify their lineups with plug-in hybrid models. The IM LS9 was recently listed in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) catalog of models proposed for regulatory approval, a key step before sales can begin. The SUV appears in…

Autel Europe, in partnership with Icelandic energy provider ON Power, has deployed Europe’s first commercial MaxiCharger Megawatt Charging System (MCS), marking a milestone in the rollout of infrastructure for electric heavy-duty vehicles across the continent. The high-capacity charging unit, now operational in Borgarnes, Iceland, is located along the country’s vital Ring Road, a key logistics route for commercial transport. The system delivers 640 kilowatts (kW) of direct current charging power and is designed to scale up to 1.2 megawatts (MW) and 1,500 amperes to meet future demands from next-generation electric trucks and buses. “This project represents a major step forward…

Electric vehicle (EV) batteries benefit from occasional high-acceleration driving, which can extend their service life significantly, according to new research from Stanford University. The two-year study, published in Nature, challenges conventional battery testing methods and suggests that dynamic discharge—common during acceleration—reduces degradation. The Stanford research team compared static and dynamic discharge patterns using 92 battery cells composed of silicon oxide-graphite and nickel-cobalt-aluminium chemistry. The cells were tested at a constant temperature of 35 degrees Celsius and subjected to realistic load profiles based on vehicle applications such as autonomous transport, buses, and commercial fleets. “In this study, we systematically compared dynamic…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Zeekr Group said it will release its unaudited financial results for the second quarter on August 14, but will not host an analyst conference call — a departure from previous quarters since its U.S. listing in May. The move comes as Zeekr prepares to complete its merger with Geely Automobile Holdings (HKG: 0175), its parent company, which will result in Zeekr’s delisting from the New York Stock Exchange. The integration is expected to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2025. On Saturday, Zeekr announced that Geely will acquire all outstanding shares of the EV maker…

Bedrock Robotics, a startup founded by former Waymo and Segment engineers, has emerged from stealth mode with an $80 million funding round led by Eclipse and 8VC. The company is focused on building retrofit autonomous systems for construction and other worksite vehicles. The startup aims to modernize existing vehicle fleets by equipping them with advanced sensors, computing platforms, and intelligent software that can adapt to dynamic environments and execute tasks continuously. Bedrock says its technology is designed to understand project objectives and operate in real-time under changing conditions, offering a scalable automation solution for off-road applications. The founding team includes…

Oliver Rowland has been crowned the 2025 Formula E World Champion with two races remaining, following this weekend’s double-header at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airfield. The Nissan driver now holds an unassailable lead in the drivers’ standings, becoming the first champion since 2020 to secure the title before the final round. Rowland leads with 184 points, ahead of reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein of Porsche on 125. With only two races left at the season finale in London on July 26–27, Wehrlein can no longer mathematically catch the Briton. It is the first time in five years that the Formula E title has…

German energy company EnBW has introduced a summer promotion offering discounted charging rates at Ionity fast-charging stations in 14 European countries. From July 7 until September 15, users of the ‘EnBW mobility+’ app or charging card will pay a flat rate of €0.59 per kilowatt hour, regardless of their selected tariff. The reduced pricing is valid in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and the Czech Republic. The offer is open to all users with a registered account in the EnBW app and does not require a paid subscription. Customers on all…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng said on Thursday that its cumulative vehicle deliveries have surpassed 800,000 units, a milestone achieved over a period of more than six years. As of the end of 2023, the company had delivered over 400,000 vehicles. In June, Xpeng delivered 34,611 vehicles, an increase of 224% compared to the same month a year earlier, ranking fourth among China’s new energy vehicle startups. June also marked the eighth consecutive month that the company recorded monthly deliveries above 30,000 units. For the first half of 2025, total deliveries reached 197,189 vehicles, exceeding the full-year 2024 figure of…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor has officially launched the updated version of its C11 SUV, introducing both battery electric and extended-range hybrid options built on the company’s Leap 3.5 platform. The refreshed model starts at RMB 149,800 ($20,900), marking a modest increase over the previous generation while coming in below its earlier pre-sale pricing. The updated C11 is available in five variants — two extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) models and three battery electric vehicle (BEV) versions. The EREV options are priced at RMB 149,800 and RMB 159,800, while the BEVs are priced at RMB 149,800, RMB 155,800, and RMB 165,800.…

EnergyVision has secured a ten-year concession to install, finance and operate 2,500 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations comprising 5,000 charging points across Belgian rail operator SNCB’s car parks by 2032, the company said on Monday. The project covers up to 103,666 parking spaces across SNCB’s national network, with between 49,726 and 73,496 of those spaces deemed suitable for EV infrastructure. While the current concession includes 5,000 charging points, EnergyVision noted that further expansion is possible depending on future demand. “This award represents a strategic milestone for us,” an EnergyVision spokesperson said. “It accelerates our ambition to expand our Belgian charging…

Tesla (TSLA.O) is preparing to expand its robotaxi pilot service to the San Francisco Bay Area within the next one to two months, contingent on obtaining regulatory approvals, CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday via his social media platform X. The move follows Tesla’s limited rollout of its long-promised autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas last month. That test involved a small fleet of vehicles, a restricted service area, select users, and the presence of a safety monitor in the front passenger seat. Musk noted that Tesla will expand coverage to a “larger area in Austin this weekend,” though he…

Rivian will officially revive its long-teased “Tank Turn” maneuver in its upcoming 2026 R1S and R1T Quad-Motor variants, the company announced ahead of the feature’s debut on July 8, 2025. Originally showcased in 2019, the feature allows a vehicle to spin in place like a tank by rotating wheels on opposite sides in reverse directions. Though it never made it into production due to concerns over environmental impact, Rivian is bringing the feature back—now optimized for the second-generation versions of its all-electric SUV and pickup. In a teaser posted by the company, a new R1S is seen performing a 90-degree…

Hubject and Chargemap have announced an expansion of their partnership to introduce Plug & Charge functionality to Chargemap’s network, enabling more than 600,000 users across Europe to benefit from automatic vehicle authentication and payment. The integration will be based on the ISO 15118 standard and aims to further simplify the electric vehicle (EV) charging process. The two companies already share a long-standing eRoaming partnership, allowing Chargemap Pass users—primarily based in France—to charge their EVs across various European networks. The new phase of the collaboration will build on this by incorporating Hubject’s Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which enables secure, automated charging…

Researchers in South Korea have developed a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based coil that could serve as a viable alternative to copper in electric motors, marking a significant step toward lighter, more efficient, and potentially more sustainable electric drivetrain components. The team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has created what they describe as the first high-performance CNT-based coil that functions without any metal. Copper, the standard material in motor windings, offers excellent electrical conductivity but comes with notable drawbacks including weight, cost, and heat generation — issues the CNT solution aims to overcome. While carbon nanotubes have long…

German battery cell manufacturer CustomCells has reached a rescue deal with a consortium of investors led by existing backer Abacon, enabling the troubled company to continue operations with a streamlined workforce and a renewed focus on electric mobility, according to sources familiar with the matter. The takeover agreement was signed Wednesday evening, according to a Handelsblatt report citing financial and negotiation sources. While CustomCells has yet to make an official statement, the agreement marks a key step in the company’s recovery after it filed for insolvency earlier this year. “CustomCells is a highly innovative German battery pioneer with enormous potential,”…