Author: Joshua Morris

Charging software provider Pionix said it has completed a funding round of more than €8 million to scale its open-source EV charging products worldwide. The investment will support the “EVerest” software stack, designed to standardize and accelerate the development of charging infrastructure. The round was led by Ascend Capital Partners, with participation from Start-up BW Seed Fund, Pale Blue Dot, Vireo Ventures, Axeleo Ventures, and other investors. Pionix said the funding will also expand its enterprise offerings, including Pionix Cloud, a backend software for EV chargers, and ChargeBridge, a plug-and-play hardware module for simplified integration. “Reliability isn’t just a nice-to-have…

Panasonic has signed a multi-year agreement to supply Zoox with cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells beginning in early 2026, securing a critical component for the autonomous ride-hailing company’s purpose-built robotaxi fleet. The deal will initially draw from Panasonic’s manufacturing operations in Japan, with plans to later incorporate production from its new Kansas facility. Zoox, owned by Amazon, has been expanding its manufacturing capabilities, including the recent opening of a serial production site in Hayward, California, to build its autonomous vehicles at scale. The company is currently operating driverless services in Las Vegas and expects demand to rise as it deploys more…

Toyota has introduced the Urban Cruiser and started local assembly of the updated bZ4X electric vehicle in Indonesia, expanding its EV offerings in the Southeast Asian market. The Urban Cruiser will be imported from India, while the new bZ4X will be assembled locally in Karawang, West Java. The Urban Cruiser, a niche model for Indonesia, is offered in a single configuration priced at 759 million rupiah (approximately €39,500). The imported unit features a front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor producing 128 kW and 192.5 Nm of torque, powered by a 59.8-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. See also: GAC Toyota Unveils…

The European Investment Bank (EIB) said it will invest €25 million in German startup Trailer Dynamics to accelerate the production and deployment of its electric trailer technology, a system designed to reduce fuel consumption and expand the range of battery-electric trucks. The investment is supported by the EU’s InvestEU programme, which aims to strengthen technological innovation and sustainable development in Europe’s freight sector. EIB Vice-President Nicola Beer said the technology offers immediate benefits for operators facing rising costs and tighter emissions rules. She noted the system enables meaningful reductions in emissions “without compromising performance,” underlining the importance of scalable solutions…

Westwell has delivered a second batch of its autonomous electric Q-Trucks to the Port of Felixstowe, strengthening the port’s efforts to upgrade logistics operations with AI-driven, zero-emission technology. The deployment expands the number of cabinless trucks in service at the UK’s busiest container gateway, reinforcing the company’s collaboration with Hutchison Ports. The Q-Trucks are equipped with 128-line LiDAR, a 360-degree binocular camera system and Westwell’s proprietary sensor-fusion architecture for precise navigation. The company said each unit is capable of completing a fully autonomous battery swap in about five minutes, enabling continuous 24/7 operations. According to Westwell, each Q-Truck can help…

Nissan has released UK pricing for the latest generation of its Leaf electric vehicle, confirming a starting price of £32,249 including the £3,750 Electric Car Grant (ECG). The model becomes only the fourth electric vehicle priced below £37,000 to qualify for the higher-tier grant, joining two Ford models and the Citroën ë-C5 Aircross. According to the UK government, a total of 39 vehicles now meet ECG eligibility criteria. Production of the new Leaf is set to begin next month at Nissan’s Sunderland facility. The vehicle features a 75 kWh battery with an estimated range of up to 386 miles. Its…

Southend-on-Sea City Council has selected charging infrastructure provider Zest to deliver over 3,000 public electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the coastal town, marking a significant expansion of the city’s EV network. Installation is scheduled to begin early next year and will include on-street lamp-post chargers alongside fast and rapid charging stations. Councillor Daniel Cowan, Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: “This is a big moment for Southend. By bringing thousands of new EV charging spaces to our streets, we’re making it easier for people to choose cleaner, greener ways to travel. This project is about giving everyone the tools to…

North American automakers are confronting a potential oversupply of electric vehicle (EV) batteries as demand growth slows, according to a new report, prompting some companies to reduce production plans and delay expansions. AlixPartners estimates that global EV battery production could be three times higher than demand by 2030, with North American capacity expected to quadruple over the same period. “Many manufacturers are already scaling back their ambitious battery production plans,” Nikkei Asia reported, citing several major automakers. Ford Motor, for example, has cut its planned battery output by 35% at its $5.8 billion Kentucky plant in partnership with SK On…

Consumer demand for electric cars in Germany is weaker than headline figures imply, as dealers and manufacturers increasingly register vehicles themselves to meet targets and support sales statistics, the ZDK motor vehicle trade association said on Monday. The group said self-registrations – vehicles registered by dealers or automakers rather than end customers – have risen sharply and now distort the appearance of market growth. “Nearly one in four newly registered cars in October was self-registered,” ZDK President Thomas Peckruhn said, calling the trend a warning sign. “This shows that the market’s growth is not currently driven by genuine customer demand,…

Ford Motor has introduced the 2026 refresh of its E-Transit electric van, bringing updates aimed at improving technology, efficiency, and customization options for fleet and commercial users. The 2026 E-Transit retains its 12-inch central infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while an eight-inch digital instrument cluster is now available. Standard safety equipment includes the Co-Pilot360 suite with features such as Post-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, Auto High-Beam Headlamps, lane-keeping assist, and Forward Collision Warning. Optional Co-Pilot360 2.0 adds Blind Spot Information System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and a 360-degree camera. New configurations expand the van’s…

WeRide has obtained Switzerland’s first permit for fully driverless Robotaxi passenger services, marking a significant expansion of the company’s global autonomous driving footprint. The approval from the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) authorizes operation on public roads in the Furttal region and positions WeRide as the only autonomous mobility company holding permits across eight countries. The authorization falls under the iamo (Intelligent Automated Mobility) pilot program led by the Swiss Transit Lab with support from the Zurich and Aargau Cantons and Swiss Federal Railways. The operating area covers 110 km with 460 designated stops, allowing vehicles to travel at speeds of…

ia’s fully electric PV5 has been awarded the 2026 International Van of the Year (IVOTY), marking the first time a Korean vehicle has received the global light commercial vehicle honour. The decision was unanimous among 26 commercial vehicle journalists who announced the winner at the SOLUTRANS 2025 exhibition in Lyon, France. The PV5, introduced earlier this year as part of Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy, outperformed six other finalists to secure the title. Kia CEO Ho Sung Song called the recognition “an exceptional honor,” adding that the achievement reflects the potential of fully electric commercial vehicles and the…

Beta Technologies has begun integrating autonomous capabilities into its Alia electric aircraft platform, a move the U.S. developer says could expand applications for both military and commercial operators. The company disclosed on Thursday that it has conducted more than 1,000 uncrewed flight hours using subscale aircraft equipped with its in-house autonomy system, demonstrating a range of 158 nautical miles on a single charge. The system has been under development “for the past several years,” according to the company. The electric aircraft maker is building vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants of the Alia, alongside…

Firefly, the premium compact electric vehicle brand under Nio Inc, said on Friday it has reached 30,000 cumulative deliveries, seven months after launching its first and only model, the Firefly EV. The announcement was made at the opening of the 2025 Guangzhou auto show. The latest milestone suggests Firefly has delivered 3,758 vehicles so far in November, based on earlier cumulative figures of 26,242 units through October. The brand recorded close to 6,000 deliveries in each of the past two months. Firefly said it aims to accelerate its expansion outside China after beginning deliveries in the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium…

Xiaomi EV, the electric vehicle division of Xiaomi, unveiled an upgraded version of its driver-assist system on Thursday, adding world model capabilities as part of the company’s continued push into advanced assisted driving technologies. The enhanced system, called Xiaomi HAD (Hyper Autonomous Driving) Enhanced Edition, debuted at the opening of the 2025 Guangzhou auto show. Xiaomi said the updated version incorporates reinforcement learning and world model functionality built on its dataset of 10 million driver-behavior clips. The company noted that its ViSE algorithm won the world-model category at the 2025 ICCV professional challenge, while a paper related to its Genesis…

Edenred, the French corporate services and mobility solutions provider, has expanded its electric mobility offering by integrating Tesla Superchargers into its charging network, the company said on Thursday. The move aims to improve charging access for electric and hybrid fleet operators across Europe. Edenred said the partnership will give its fleet customers access to more than 20,000 Tesla Supercharger points across over 1,500 locations in Europe. The chargers, which can deliver up to 250 kW, will be available through Edenred’s UTA eCharge and Ticket Fleet Pro platforms to provide unified access for business users. The company said the integration broadens…

China’s Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) will manufacture its electric Aion V model at a Magna plant in Austria, the companies said on Thursday, a move aimed at reducing exposure to the European Union’s tariffs on China-made electric vehicles. The vehicle will be built at Magna’s facility in Graz, which supports gasoline, hybrid and electric models on shared production lines. The EU last year imposed provisional duties of up to 37.6% on EVs imported from China, citing concerns over subsidized competition. “Europe is a vital market in GAC’s global development,” said Wei Haigang, President of GAC INTERNATIONAL. “Partnering with Magna enables…

BYD has sold a cumulative 50,000 vehicles in the United Kingdom since entering the market in March 2023, company officials reported on social media. The milestone was reached 32 months after the brand launched its operations in the country with the Atto 3, also known as the Yuan Plus. The Chinese automaker’s current UK lineup includes nine models, comprising six battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and three plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The most affordable EV in the UK market is the BYD Dolphin Surf, known in other regions as the Dolphin Mini, Atto 1, or Seagull. See also: BYD to Double…

European electric truck charging network operator Milence announced plans to implement market-oriented, country-specific pricing across its network beginning 1 January 2026. The change marks a departure from the uniform pricing previously applied in eurozone countries. The joint venture between Daimler Truck, Traton and the Volvo Group currently operates 30 public fast-charging stations across eight European countries, including ten in France. Previously, customers in eurozone countries paid a flat rate of 0.399 euros per kilowatt-hour, with different prices applied in the United Kingdom and some other non-eurozone markets. Under the new model, tariffs will vary by country to reflect local energy…

An Idaho-based dealership has filed a lawsuit against Monarch Tractor, claiming the California electric tractor startup failed to deliver on promises that its vehicles could operate autonomously. Burks Tractor, which purchased ten Monarch tractors in early 2024, alleges in the complaint that the machines “continue to experience significant problems and do not operate autonomously.” The lawsuit, originally filed in September in Idaho state court and now moved to federal court, cites breach of contract and alleged warranty violations. The dealer claims Monarch “expressly represented” the tractors would be fully autonomous, with demo videos showing them performing autonomous tasks. “Upon receiving…