Author: Joshua Morris

Lucid Motors has pushed back against a report from Automotive News claiming that its new Gravity SUV had only nine registrations in its first six months on the market. The publication, citing S&P Global Mobility data, said the figure was based on vehicle registration records. Nick Twork, Lucid’s head of communications, told Electrek in an email that the claim is “completely inaccurate.” He added that “a quick review of social media postings from our customers shows that those numbers are simply not credible.” While Lucid does not provide a detailed breakdown of deliveries, Twork said Gravity deliveries are “well into…

Owners of fully electric Smart cars from the 451 series, produced between 2012 and 2015 and known as the Smart ED3, are facing difficulties in securing replacement batteries, as Mercedes-Benz, Smart’s former parent company, has reportedly exhausted its stock of both new and reconditioned units. The Smart ED3, launched around 13 years ago, marked one of the first mass-produced electric cars in Europe and the first fully electric Smart available to the public. Approximately 16,000 units were assembled in Hambach, France. Initially, Mercedes-Benz provided new replacement batteries under warranty or via a rental programme, but in 2019 the automaker shifted…

Foxconn will no longer manufacture electric tractors for California-based Monarch Tractor following the sale of its Ohio factory to SoftBank, Monarch CEO Praveen Penmetsa confirmed. Penmetsa said the company had worked with Foxconn to “build up inventory” ahead of the sale, adding that Monarch currently has “enough to meet customer demand for the next 12 months, along with ample spare parts.” He indicated that the startup is exploring alternative manufacturing partnerships, writing, “In the coming weeks, we will be sharing more about our plans to introduce more Monarch-enabled products in the market through new manufacturing partnerships.” The Ohio plant, previously…

Parcel service DPD Austria has transitioned to fully electric deliveries in St. Pölten, using Mercedes-Benz eSprinters supplemented by electric cargo bikes, the company said on Wednesday. Seven eSprinters operate from the local depot in Pöchlarn, delivering an average of 20,000 parcels per month. In pedestrian zones, electric cargo bikes from partner Der Fahrradkurier handle heavier loads of up to 250 kilograms. Rainer Schwarz, Managing Director of DPD Austria, said, “We consider delivery by electric vehicles to be a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and an important signal to the outside world in terms of environmental protection. In addition, the…

Volkswagen Passenger Cars will exempt its ID. series electric vehicles from its annual price adjustment for the 2026 model year, while most combustion engine models will increase by an average of 1.5%, according to a letter sent to dealers and reported by German publication Automobilwoche. The adjustment, effective from 21 August, affects models ranging from the Polo to the Touareg. In contrast, electric vehicles including the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.7, and the T-Roc will retain their current list prices. Optional extras, such as special paint finishes and design packages, are set to rise regardless of the vehicle’s powertrain. Analysts note…

BMW is weighing the possibility of sourcing battery cells from China for its next-generation electric vehicles in the United States, after its partner Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) halted construction of a battery cell plant in South Carolina, according to people familiar with the matter. Automotive News reported that AESC not only paused construction of the Florence facility but has also allegedly cancelled plans to supply BMW from the site. This leaves the Munich-based carmaker exploring alternative options, including importing cells from AESC’s Chinese factories, which could be cheaper in the short term despite potential tariffs. An AESC spokesperson in…

The Colorado Energy Office has allocated $5 million in grants through its Direct-Current Fast-Charging (DCFC) Plazas program, funding the installation of 56 new fast-charging ports at nine sites across the state. The money comes entirely from state funding and will expand Colorado’s public fast-charging network by roughly 4% from its current 1,400 ports. This marks the seventh round of awards under the program, which has previously completed 13 sites with charging stations in the Front Range, Eastern Plains, and Western Slope, in towns including Montrose, Frisco, Pueblo, Cortez, Longmont, Seibert and Limon. Recipients in this latest round include Helios Charging,…

Polestar’s new large electric SUV, the Polestar 3, has set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled by an electric SUV on a single charge, covering 935.44 km (581.3 miles). The feat was achieved by the recently launched Long range Single motor version during a near 23-hour run in mixed weather conditions. The attempt, completed in 22 hours and 57 minutes, saw the vehicle record an efficiency of 12.1 kWh per 100 km (19.5 kWh per 100 miles). Professional efficiency drivers Sam Clarke, Kevin Booker and Richard Parker rotated every three hours to maintain concentration. The Polestar 3…

Ford has unveiled its “Universal EV Platform,” a new architecture aimed at delivering more affordable electric vehicles, starting with a mid-size electric pickup scheduled for 2027. The first model will be built at the company’s Louisville, Kentucky, plant, with a targeted starting price of about $30,000. The pickup will not be the same as the T3 project planned for Tennessee’s BlueOval City, whose launch has been pushed to 2028. Ford describes the Kentucky-built model as “a new idea for a new era,” combining acceleration comparable to a Mustang EcoBoost with passenger space exceeding that of a 2025 Toyota RAV4. It…

Switching all U.S. gasoline-powered vehicles to electric models would not be enough to tackle climate change unless the nation also upgrades its transmission grid, according to a Northwestern University study published in Nature Communications. Researchers found that “grid congestion” would prevent clean electricity from reaching many charging locations, forcing reliance on nearby fossil fuel plants and wiping out a third of potential emissions cuts. “The charging schedule of EVs can be optimized to align with intermittent renewable generation,” said Adilson Motter, a Northwestern physics professor and director of the Center for Network Dynamics. “But even with smart charging, efficient use…

Bosch and CARIAD, Volkswagen Group’s software subsidiary, are jointly developing an artificial intelligence-based software stack designed to advance Level 2 and Level 3 automated driving systems. The collaboration, part of the Automated Driving Alliance, seeks to create driver assistance technologies that operate with human-like intuition to enhance safety and convenience for millions of motorists. The AI-driven software stack integrates intelligence across the full technology chain—from environmental perception and sensor fusion to decision-making and vehicle control. This end-to-end approach aims to make automated driving feel more natural while ensuring decisions are safe, traceable, and explainable. The software is planned for production…

An online video by American rapper Big Huey claiming Tesla remotely deactivated his Cybertruck has been revealed as a staged incident, likely intended to promote his new song named after the electric pickup. The video, posted on Instagram, showed the truck’s infotainment screen displaying a “deactivated” warning and instructions to contact customer service, drawing over 112,000 likes and widespread attention. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Detroit (@bighuey313) The rapper later posted what appeared to be a cease-and-desist letter from Tesla over the use of the Cybertruck name and imagery. However, both the letter and…