Author: James Bryant

Chinese autonomous driving (AD) technology developer QCraft is entering the European market with the opening of a German headquarters and a strategic partnership with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. The expansion signals QCraft’s formal entry into the European Union and other international markets. The company plans to deploy its full-stack Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) system in around one million vehicles globally, with mass production and deliveries in Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea expected to begin in 2026. The German hub will manage research and development integration, certification, and business development, ensuring the company’s autonomous systems meet European and international…

UK-based Andersen said on Saturday its premium electric vehicle (EV) charge points are now integrated with Octopus Energy’s Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, offering new customers 5,000 free charging miles as part of a promotional deal running until the end of 2025. The partnership enables Andersen units to schedule charging during off-peak hours when electricity is cheapest and most renewable. Octopus Energy’s smart tariff provides rates as low as £0.07 per kilowatt-hour, which the companies said could save drivers up to £585 a year compared with a standard tariff based on 10,000 annual driving miles. “This marks a new milestone to…

U.S. electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors unveiled its Gravity SUV at the IAA Mobility show in Munich on Monday, marking the European debut of its second model as it seeks to expand its footprint beyond the Lucid Air sedan. The Gravity Grand Touring, priced from €116,900 in Germany, is now available to order in select European markets, with first deliveries expected in early 2026. A lower-priced Touring variant, expected to start at €99,900, will follow at a later date, Lucid said. Leasing options will also be offered, starting at €1,169 per month in Germany. “With the Lucid Gravity, we have…

Hubject, in collaboration with Bosch Road Services, FRYTE and Shell-owned SBRS, unveiled what it called the first fully interoperable reservation and point-of-interest (POI) data hub for commercial vehicle charging at the Intercharge Network Conference (ICNC) in Berlin. The pilot project, developed with support from charging point operators OMV, Smatrics and Citywatt, integrates the OCPI 2.3 booking module to enable cross-network reservations for heavy-duty electric vehicles. Hubject said the system addresses “evolving responsibilities in the booking process, contractual and tariff considerations, and the handling of CDRs in an open ecosystem.” “Unlike existing single-network solutions, this creates a basis for fleet operators…

Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast (VFS.O) posted a larger net loss for the second quarter on Thursday as it increased spending on global expansion and marketing to boost demand and support its growth strategy. The company reported a net loss of $812 million for the quarter ended June 30, up 15% from the previous quarter. Revenue rose 1.9% from the prior quarter and 91.6% year-on-year to $663 million. Vehicle deliveries climbed 172% year-on-year to 35,837 units, bringing total deliveries for the first half of 2025 to 72,167, compared with its annual sales target of 200,000 units. Vietnam remained the company’s…

Blink Charging said on Monday that its UK subsidiary, Blink Charging UK Ltd., will collaborate with Flowbird Smart City UK to provide exclusive electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions across National Health Service (NHS) properties in the United Kingdom. The partnership covers NHS Property Services (NHSPS), which manages around 3,000 buildings supporting Integrated Care Boards, Trusts, and General Practitioner practices. Under the agreement, the rollout of EV chargers at NHSPS locations will begin immediately, offering both fast-charging options and smart, data-driven management through Blink’s platform integrated with NHSPS’s Smarter Building portal. Alex Calnan, Managing Director of Europe at Blink Charging, said:…

Toyota said on Wednesday it will produce its first fully electric vehicle in Europe at its factory in Kolin, Czech Republic, alongside plans to add a new battery assembly facility. The investment, valued at around €680 million ($796 million), will expand the site and introduce new production capabilities. The project will enlarge Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic’s plant from 152,000 to 173,000 square metres to accommodate the new vehicle and battery lines, along with new paint and welding shops. Funding will come from Toyota’s capital expenditures, with up to €64 million provided by the Czech government toward the battery unit.…

Daimler Truck has begun deliveries of its Mercedes-Benz eEconic electric heavy-duty truck in Singapore, providing the city-state with low-emission solutions for waste management, the company said on Monday. In partnership with local dealer Cycle & Carriage, Daimler Truck handed over the first eEconic to 800 Super Holdings Limited, a private waste management company. The company plans to supply a total of 18 units under the current order. The eEconic, unveiled at IFAT 2022, is a low-floor truck built on the Mercedes-Benz eActros platform. It features two electric motors delivering 330 kW continuous output (400 kW peak) and a two-speed transmission.…

Tesla has officially started production of the new Model Y Performance at its Giga Berlin factory, marking a key step in the company’s European expansion. The announcement was made via Tesla’s Manufacturing account on X, accompanied by photos showing six freshly built Model Y Performance vehicles in various colors, including the new Diamond Black, parked outside the factory. The company also shared images of the team responsible for launching production. The milestone follows shortly after Giga Berlin reached its 100,000th refreshed Model Y, underscoring the rapid scale-up of the facility, which began operations in 2022. https://twitter.com/gigafactories/status/1962544213628706855 The Model Y Performance…

The student-built Sophie 8X electric vehicle has won the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in the Cruiser class, completing the 3,021.5 km (1,877.5 miles) journey across Australia in 44 hours, according to the event’s preliminary results. The dual-seat solar EV, developed by a team from Hong Kong’s Vocational Training Council (VTC), was powered by a 15.2 kWh battery pack supported by 6 square meters of rooftop solar panels. It averaged 68.7 kph (42.7 mph) during the race from Darwin to Adelaide, organizers said. The Sophie 8X features custom SiC (silicon carbide) motors that the team said improve energy conversion efficiency…

BMW is advancing plans to launch its first series-production hydrogen fuel cell model in 2028, with development and supply chain preparations already underway in Bavaria and Austria. The German manufacturer said prototype fuel cell systems are currently being assembled at competence centres in Munich and Steyr. These early units are intended to validate assembly and testing processes, with a focus on industrialisation, quality assurance and scalability. “Prototype production is currently focused on development and validation of the assembly and testing processes, with particular attention paid to industrialisation, quality assurance and scalability in the longer term,” BMW said. The new fuel…

Automaker Ashok Leyland, India’s third-largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles, said on Monday it will invest more than 50 billion rupees ($571.4 million) in electric vehicle (EV) battery production over the next 7 to 10 years. The investment will support its EV arm, Switch, and also supply batteries to other automakers and for energy storage applications. Ashok Leyland said it will partner with China’s CALB, one of the world’s top EV battery producers, for the project. CALB provides batteries for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and energy storage systems. The move brings Ashok Leyland in line with peers Tata Motors and Ola…