Author: Joshua Morris

MAN Trucks Chief Executive Alexander Vlaskamp said electric semi trucks can achieve cost parity with diesel models in less than three years, supported by European subsidies and higher fuel prices, though limited charging infrastructure remains a major barrier. MAN, a unit of Volkswagen’s Traton Group, began series production of its eTruck electric semi in July on a flexible assembly line capable of building up to 100 trucks per day with either diesel or battery-electric drivetrains. The company said it has secured 700 orders to date and expects to reach 1,000 by year-end. “Incentives, combined with Europe’s higher diesel prices, mean…

Smart, the joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely, will launch a new two-seat electric vehicle (EV) called the Smart #2 in late 2026, the company said on Monday. The model will succeed the ForTwo city car and be rolled out in China, Europe and other international markets. The all-new Smart #2 will be a two-door compact urban vehicle built on a dedicated electric platform developed by the company’s research and development team, with design led by Mercedes-Benz. Production will take place in China, Smart added. The company said the new vehicle will mark its entry into the A-class ultra-compact segment…

Leapmotor has released new images of its upcoming Lafa 5 hatchback, a model the Chinese electric vehicle maker plans to debut at the Munich auto show on September 8. Cao Li, vice president of Leapmotor, shared three pictures of the vehicle on Weibo on Monday, showing its side profile and rear design. The Lafa 5 features roof-mounted LiDAR and styling similar to BYD’s Seagull, one of China’s best-selling small EVs with 329,410 units sold from January to July. Cao described the Lafa 5 as a “gift” for young buyers as the company marks its 10th anniversary. “We want to build…

Polestar, the Swedish electric vehicle maker, has introduced a version of the geolocation game GeoGuessr that can be played in all its models. The move follows a partnership between the two Swedish companies and is aimed at offering drivers an additional digital feature during charging sessions. The GeoGuessr Polestar Edition highlights European driving routes and includes an option that mirrors the Polestar 4’s digital rear-view system by showing the game screen in reverse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znZ_769_INg “This partnership enhances the in-car experience, making charging sessions entertaining and engaging,” said Michael Lohscheller, chief executive of Polestar. The launch will be accompanied by a…

Ford’s electric Puma Gen-E has become the first vehicle to qualify for the full £3,750 ($5,000) discount under the United Kingdom’s newly launched Electric Car Grant program, the company said. The Puma, Ford’s top-selling vehicle in the UK last year, now sees its all-electric version priced from £26,245 ($35,500), making it even cheaper than the hybrid variant. Ford also announced that the E-Tourneo Courier electric van qualifies for the full grant, while 26 other eligible electric vehicles, including the Nissan Micra EV and Volkswagen ID.3, receive a £1,500 ($2,000) incentive. Ford said the Puma Gen-E delivers up to 233 miles…

Exeed, the premium brand under Chery Automobile, unveiled its new ET5 mid-size SUV on Friday at the Chengdu auto show, targeting young families with a focus on smart and safe mobility. The ET5, internally designated E05, continues Exeed’s ET lineup. The model is a range-extended SUV measuring 4,780 mm in length with a wheelbase of 2,800 mm. It is powered by a 1.5-liter engine as a range extender and an electric motor delivering up to 195 kW and 324 Nm of torque, enabling acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. The vehicle is equipped with a 32.66-kWh lithium…

Kia’s EV9 has been recognized as a segment leader in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study, earning top marks in the Electric Vehicle advanced technology category for its One-Pedal Driving feature. The accolade highlights Kia America’s focus on integrating advanced technologies that improve convenience, efficiency, and overall driver satisfaction. Now in its 10th year, the TXI Study evaluates how effectively automakers incorporate new technologies into their vehicles, examining both innovation and execution. This year’s study analyzed 76,230 survey responses across 36 automotive brands, covering more than 100 technologies. Kia placed second overall among mass-market brands for…

Volkswagen’s Jetta brand plans to roll out five new models by 2028, including four New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), with the first expected in 2026 at a starting price of under €12,000, according to German publication Manager Magazin. Jetta, established in 2019 as part of Volkswagen’s joint venture with FAW, targets the Chinese market with affordable vehicles distinct from the company’s VW-branded lineup. While the brand has so far lacked electric models, its electrification strategy is accelerating following a March announcement of 11 new NEVs, including six battery electric vehicles (BEVs), two plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and two extended-range EVs (EREVs). In…

Shell said it will roll out a new integrated charging network across Europe to support the electrification of heavy-duty vehicle fleets, combining its Shell Recharge sites with private, semi-public and third-party charging points. The network is designed to give long-haul electric trucks and fleets without depot capacity access to charging infrastructure without having to invest in additional facilities. Shell said it will also provide “stable and reduced energy pricing” across the network. SBRS, part of the Shell Group, will deliver depot-based services such as charging hardware, software integration and energy system support, while other sites will continue operating independently. Shell…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Leapmotor plans to establish its European production base at Stellantis’ vehicle assembly plant in Zaragoza, Spain, according to FNews reports. The facility will initially produce Leapmotor’s B-series models, with manufacturing expected to start in the third quarter of 2026 following plant modifications. The first vehicle scheduled to roll off the line will be the B10 compact SUV, followed by the B05, according to the report. Leapmotor introduced the B10 in China in April 2025 as the first global model in its B-series lineup. The B10 is set to debut in Europe at the IAA Mobility…

The eTrucker app, developed by German electric truck driver Tobias Wagner and his team, has expanded its coverage to five additional European countries and introduced new features designed to support long-haul drivers. Initially launched to help truckers find compatible charging stations, the free app is now available in Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Romania, broadening its reach across Europe. Michael Clarke, one of the developers, said in a LinkedIn post: “We are pleased to announce that the eTrucker app is now available in Spain, Portugal, the UK, Belgium and Romania. This means we’ve essentially covered all of Europe!…

Tim Hortons said it has partnered with FLO, a North American electric vehicle (EV) charging company, to install fast chargers at 100 of its Canadian restaurants by 2028, positioning the chain as the country’s largest restaurant provider of public EV fast charging. The first FLO Ultra™ chargers have already been installed at a Tim Hortons location in Regina, Saskatchewan, with up to 13 more sites expected by the end of 2025. By 2026, around 50 restaurants will feature chargers, with an average of four ports at each location, the company said. “Whether it’s grabbing a coffee and a charge before…

Austrian manufacturer K-Bus GmbH has delivered ten fully electric low-floor buses to Catania, Italy, for use in urban transport, the company said. The vehicles, designated E-Solar City XL, are built on Mercedes-Benz technology and can travel up to 200 kilometres on a single charge. The minibuses feature a 150 kW motor and a 100 kWh battery, accommodating around 30 passengers with 17 seats and a wheelchair space. The low-floor design is intended to ensure barrier-free access. Each bus is equipped with CCS charging and can add up to 100 kilometres of range within one hour, according to the company. “We…

European Union plans to cut CO2 emissions from vehicles, including a 100% reduction for cars by 2035, are increasingly unrealistic, the heads of the European automobile manufacturers’ and suppliers’ associations said on Wednesday. In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius and Schaeffler AG CEO Matthias Zink affirmed their commitment to the EU’s net-zero goal by 2050 but warned of pressing obstacles. “Meeting the rigid car and van CO2 targets for 2030 and 2035 is, in today’s world, simply no longer feasible,” the executives wrote. They cited near-total reliance on Asia for batteries,…

Hyundai Motor said it will invest an additional $5 billion to expand production in the United States, bringing its total planned investment in the market to $26 billion. The funds will be used to develop a new robotics facility, a steel plant in Louisiana, and to ramp up output of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles. The company said the investment will support the construction of a state-of-the-art robotics innovation hub designed to manufacture and deploy vehicles with advanced automation. Hyundai expects the facility to create around 25,000 jobs over the next four years and achieve an annual production capacity of…

Shangjie, the new automotive brand jointly developed by Huawei and SAIC Motor (SHA: 600104), has set a target of selling 20,000 units per month of its first model, the H5 SUV, local media outlet 36kr reported on Monday. The company has also outlined an annual procurement plan for 400,000 units to its supply chain. Pre-sales of the H5 SUV began on Monday with a price range of 169,800 yuan ($23,730) to 209,800 yuan. The model, which officially launches on Sept. 23, will feature Huawei’s ADS 4 advanced driver assistance system, making it the most affordable car equipped with the technology.…

The family of a man who died in a Tesla Cybertruck crash in Texas has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla and a local bar, alleging both played a role in the fatal incident. Michael Sheehan was driving his Cybertruck in Cypress, Texas, a little over a year ago when the vehicle left the road, struck a culvert and caught fire. Sheehan, who had owned the truck for just over three months, did not survive the single-vehicle crash, according to the complaint filed in Harris County District Court. The lawsuit claims the Barn Whiskey Bar served Sheehan alcohol despite…

Bayer, a family-owned bus company from Ehingen, has added five Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric city buses to its fleet, marking another step in its transition to sustainable mobility. The handover took place at Daimler Buses’ customer centre in Neu-Ulm. The new 12-metre eCitaro buses can seat 36 passengers and are powered by six third-generation NMC3 lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 589 kWh. The company also took delivery of two 18-metre Citaro G articulated buses, each with 48 seats and two folding seats. Safety systems such as Frontguard Assist, designed to detect potential collisions with pedestrians or cyclists in front…

Mercedes said its GT XX electric concept has set multiple endurance and distance records after running continuously for more than a week at the Nardo high-speed test track in southern Italy, covering the equivalent of the Earth’s circumference. The four-door EV, first unveiled in June, is equipped with two axial flux motors and a 114 kWh battery, producing 1,360 horsepower. The vehicle features an 850 kW charging capability, which Mercedes says enables the car to add around 400 km of WLTP range in five minutes. Its top speed is listed at 223 mph (359 km/h). Running two cars in parallel,…

Around 18 months after its takeover by the Kostal Group, German charging station manufacturer Compleo Charging Solutions plans to cut jobs and consolidate operations, with reports suggesting production at two sites will be shut down. According to German news outlet come-on.de, Compleo intends to cut about 20% of its workforce, or roughly 60 positions, and close production sites in Dortmund-Wickede and Dortmund-Wambel. The headquarters in Dortmund-Dorstfeld could become the only remaining site in the city. Compleo’s international offices, mainly focused on sales, are also expected to “contribute to consolidation,” the report said. The company had previously sought to reduce staff…