Author: Lukas Schneider

Opel has opened orders in Germany for the updated Astra and Astra Sports Tourer, with the battery-electric Astra now offering a driving range of up to 454 kilometres under the WLTP cycle, supported by a larger 58 kWh battery and new vehicle-to-load functionality. The Opel Astra Electric is priced from €37,990 in Germany, unchanged from the previous model year despite the technical upgrades. The electric estate version, the Astra Sports Tourer Electric, starts at €39,490, while the entry-level Astra Hybrid is priced from €32,990, the company said. See also: Opel Unveils Grandland Electric AWD With Dual Motors and 502 km…

Porsche is reconsidering the future of its long-delayed all-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman models, with the projects at risk of being scrapped before reaching production, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. The review comes shortly after Michael Leiters, former chief executive of McLaren, assumed his role as Porsche’s CEO on Jan. 1. One of his first major decisions could involve halting development of the electric 718s, sources said, citing rising costs, repeated delays and a broader rethink of Porsche’s electrification strategy. See also: Porsche Starts Cayenne Electric Production in Bratislava With In-House Battery Modules Porsche has…

BMW has increased the base price of its new iX3 electric SUV by €2,000, even though the official dealer launch is not scheduled until early March, according to the company’s online configurator. At its world premiere at IAA Mobility last autumn, BMW announced a starting price of €68,900 for the iX3 50 xDrive, the only drivetrain variant initially available. The model features a 345-kW all-wheel-drive system and a 108-kWh battery with an 800-volt architecture. At the time, expectations were that the base price could decline once additional variants, such as rear-wheel-drive or smaller-battery versions, were introduced. See also: BMW to…

Porsche has begun series production of the Cayenne Electric at its Bratislava plant in Slovakia, marking a key milestone in the automaker’s electrification strategy and bringing battery module manufacturing further in-house. The Cayenne Electric is being built on the same flexible production line as combustion-engine and hybrid Cayenne models at the Bratislava facility, allowing Porsche to adjust output based on global demand. The approach mirrors the company’s broader strategy of running multiple powertrains from a single manufacturing footprint. See also: Porsche EV Sales Fall in U.S. and Canada as North American Demand Favors SUVs, Hybrids A central element of the…

Researchers at RWTH Aachen University have successfully tested the first prototype of an electric vehicle that can operate both as an autonomous minibus and as part of an urban cable car system, marking a milestone in the federally funded upBUS research project. The upBUS concept centres on a battery-electric, self-driving minibus capable of docking onto a cable car line, allowing it to switch between road and aerial transport without passengers having to change vehicles. The project, which began in mid-2025, brings together several RWTH institutes and aims to address capacity constraints and congestion in urban public transport. See also: RWTH…

The fine print of the European Union’s relaxed targets for the shift to electric cars risks undermining the intended benefits of the policy, the chief executive of Mercedes-Benz said on Thursday, as Brussels reconsiders its approach to ending sales of new combustion-engine vehicles. The European Commission in December published proposals that would roll back an effective ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine cars from 2035, following pressure from Germany, Italy and major automakers including Mercedes-Benz. The changes would allow manufacturers greater flexibility in meeting emissions targets beyond the 2035 deadline. See also: Mercedes-Benz CLA Named Euro NCAP…

Volkswagen said it has brought its new China Electronic Architecture (CEA) to production readiness in just 18 months, enabling the market launch of the first CEA-based vehicle, the VW ID. UNYX 07, as the automaker accelerates efforts to revive its business in China. The CEA was developed jointly by Volkswagen, its software unit Cariad, and Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng. Volkswagen said the architecture is now ready for series production, marking a key milestone in its “In China, for China” strategy. See also: Volkswagen Recalls 44,551 ID.4 Vehicles in US Over Battery Fire Risk Volkswagen has been under pressure in…

German automaker BMW said it will roll out a series of updates across its electric lineup from spring 2026, including efficiency improvements for the BMW iX1 and BMW iX2, and faster alternating-current charging for the new BMW iX3. The iX1 and iX2, which are built at BMW’s plant in Regensburg, will receive new silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor components in their inverters. BMW said the change reduces energy losses in power electronics and is expected to deliver a meaningful improvement in efficiency. See also: BMW Begins Early Handovers of iX3 Electric SUV Ahead of March Europe Launch “By using SiC semiconductors…

Volkswagen stands out as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the European Union’s decision to relax the timing of its vehicle emissions targets, according to new calculations by market analysts and environmental researchers. Based on 2025 fleet emissions data, Volkswagen would have faced hypothetical fines of between €1.7 billion and €2.2 billion under the EU’s original annual compliance rules, according to estimates by Dataforce and the International Council on Clean Transportation. Those penalties are now avoided after Brussels allowed carmakers to meet CO₂ targets on average over the 2025–2027 period rather than annually. See also: Volkswagen to Rename ID.4 as…

Schaeffler said it has expanded its portfolio of repair solutions for electric drivetrains, making new repair kits for e-axles, electric motors and transmissions available for additional battery-electric vehicle models from major automakers. Effective immediately, the repair kits cover a broader range of common electric vehicle platforms, including the Hyundai Ioniq AE-EV, Volkswagen e-Golf VII, Volkswagen e-Up, BMW i3 and the Nissan Leaf. Schaeffler said the kits are designed to help independent workshops and service centres address the growing technical demands of electric mobility. See also: Schaeffler Begins Mass Production of High-Voltage Inverter Brick in China “The repair of electric drive…

German automotive supplier ZF has agreed with several customers to terminate a number of electrified drivetrain projects ahead of schedule, citing weaker-than-expected profitability amid a slower ramp-up of electric mobility. The decision was announced alongside ZF’s preliminary financial results for 2025. The company did not disclose which customer projects would be affected but said the move would result in a one-time charge and a reported loss for the year. See also: ZF-Foxconn Venture Opens Hungary Plant to Supply BMW Neue Klasse EVs “The decision will result in a one-time charge and a reported loss for 2025,” ZF said in a…

Volkswagen will rename its ID.4 electric SUV as the ID. Tiguan later this year, Germany’s IG Metall trade union said, confirming earlier reports by Automobilwoche. The renaming, which had circulated in industry discussions for months, was publicly confirmed by IG Metall Emden. According to the union, production of the ID. Tiguan at Volkswagen’s Emden plant in Lower Saxony will continue until the end of 2031. A decision on a successor electric midsize SUV from the site has not yet been taken. See also: Volkswagen to Centralise Management of Core Brands, Targets €1 Billion Production Savings The ID. Tiguan will launch…

Europe’s electric vehicle market saw a notable shift in 2025, with Volkswagen regaining the top position in battery-electric vehicle sales after a sharp rebound across the region, while Tesla recorded a steep decline. According to industry data compiled by Dataforce and reported by Automotive News, Volkswagen delivered about 274,000 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in Europe in 2025, an increase of more than 50% year on year. Tesla’s European BEV sales fell roughly 27% to around 239,000 units over the same period, allowing Volkswagen to reclaim the brand leadership it had previously lost. Tesla nevertheless retained the title for the single best-selling…

Volkswagen Group said it is creating a new Group Board of Management for its four high-volume brands — VW Passenger Cars, Škoda, Seat/Cupra and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles — in a restructuring aimed at cutting costs, streamlining decision-making and delivering up to €1 billion in production savings by 2030. The new Brand Group Executive Board will become the highest decision-making body for cross-brand matters within the Brand Group Core (BGC), which has long coordinated Volkswagen’s volume brands. From this month, production, technical development and procurement at the four marques will be managed increasingly across brands, with the reorganisation expected to be…

Volkswagen Group said its Zwickau plant in eastern Germany will become the automaker’s central competence centre for circular economy activities, expanding the site’s role beyond vehicle production to include recycling and the development of new business models for use across its global manufacturing network. The Centre of Excellence for Circular Economy, first outlined during 2024 wage negotiations, is intended to assess the economic viability of circular business models, set group-wide standards and transfer expertise to other Volkswagen sites worldwide. The company plans to invest up to €90 million in Zwickau over the coming years, with the Free State of Saxony…

Opel has introduced the Grandland Electric AWD, its first fully electric model equipped with all-wheel drive, as the brand expands its battery-electric lineup in Europe. The electric SUV uses a dual-motor configuration, pairing a 157 kW front motor with an 83 kW rear unit for a combined output of 239 kW and peak torque of 509 Nm. Power is supplied by a 73 kWh lithium-ion NMC battery, delivering a driving range of up to 502 kilometres under the WLTP test cycle. Opel said the Grandland Electric AWD is fitted as standard with frequency selective damping, a suspension system that mechanically…

Chinese automaker Chery has entered the German passenger car market through its international-focused brands Omoda and Jaecoo, launching the plug-in hybrid Jaecoo 7 SHS as its first offering in the country. The mid-size SUV, priced from €36,900, offers up to 90 kilometres of electric-only range and a combined driving range of about 1,200 kilometres, according to the company. Unlike many Chinese market entrants, Chery is debuting in Germany with a plug-in hybrid rather than a fully electric vehicle, allowing it to avoid additional EU tariffs currently applied to China-made battery-electric cars. See also: EU Considers Extending China Tariffs to Hybrid…

A German government-backed research initiative has been launched to develop industrial-scale recycling solutions for electric axle drive systems, as Europe seeks to reduce reliance on scarce strategic materials used in electric vehicles. The project, known as ReDriveS, is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK) and brings together 25 industry and research partners, including automotive supplier Schaeffler and carmaker Volkswagen. It aims to create automated and economically viable circular economy processes for electric axle drives, or e-axles, used in battery electric vehicles. See also: Schaeffler Begins Mass Production of High-Voltage Inverter Brick in China E-axles integrate…

Germany will reinstate federal incentives for electric vehicle purchases from January 1, 2026, allocating €3 billion ($3.5 billion) in funding through 2029 as the government seeks to revive demand and support its struggling automotive industry. The decision comes two years after Berlin abruptly ended its previous EV subsidy scheme due to budget constraints, a move that led to a sharp decline in electric vehicle sales in 2024. The new programme has been approved under the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. See also: Electric Vehicle Sales in Germany Surge 43% in 2025 as Fleet Demand Leads Under the revised scheme, the…

Opel will not bring an electric version of its iconic Manta model to market before the end of this decade, its chief executive said, as the automaker reassesses priorities amid slower-than-expected growth in electric vehicle demand and charging infrastructure. In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Opel Chief Executive Florian Huettl said the company had shifted its medium-term focus toward renewing high-volume models, including the Corsa and its sport utility vehicle range. “The Manta is a model with enormous emotional potential,” Huettl said. “However, we have reordered our medium-term priorities. We are first renewing the Corsa and our SUV…