Author: Ryan Whitmore

New registrations of battery-electric vehicles in the United Kingdom rose sharply in 2025, with electric cars approaching a quarter of all new passenger vehicle sales and light electric commercial vehicles setting a fresh annual record, according to industry data released this week. A total of 473,348 battery-electric passenger cars were registered in the UK in 2025, up 23.9% from the previous year, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed. The share of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in new passenger car registrations increased to 23.4%, from 19.6% in 2024, as overall new car registrations climbed 3.5% year on…

FIAT has announced immediate price reductions across its battery-electric passenger car range in the United Kingdom, including models sold under its Abarth performance brand, as the Stellantis-owned automaker prepares for the market launch of new models later this year. The Italian brand said the cuts are intended to align pricing between its existing electric lineup and upcoming vehicles, notably the electric Grande Panda and the new 500 Hybrid due later in 2026. As a result, entry prices for the Fiat 500e and Fiat 600e have been lowered to match those of their new counterparts. Under the revised pricing, the Fiat…

French sports carmaker Alpine has announced UK pricing for its upcoming electric flagship, the A390, with order books set to open in early 2026 ahead of first customer deliveries planned for the spring. The electric fastback will start at £61,390 on the road in the UK for the entry-level A390 GT, Alpine said. Prices rise to £65,390 for the Premiere Edition and £69,390 for the range-topping GTS variant. The UK pricing follows the opening of order books in mainland Europe late last year, where the model launched with a starting price of €67,500. The A390 marks a key step in…

French logistics company Vallée Group has begun deploying battery-electric heavy-duty trucks from Mercedes-Benz Trucks as part of a gradual transition of its drivetrain strategy, adding three eActros 600 models to its fleet and commissioning new charging infrastructure at its headquarters. Vallée Transports, which employs around 850 people and operates a fleet of roughly 650 vehicles, is based in La Madeleine-de-Nonancourt, west of Paris. The first eActros 600 was delivered around six weeks ago, with the remaining two units scheduled to arrive before the end of the year, the company said. The electric trucks will be charged at a newly installed…

Refrigerated vehicle rental specialist Petit Forestier has expanded its electric fleet with the delivery of nearly 300 battery-electric Iveco eDaily vehicles, as part of a broader transition toward lower-emission urban logistics. The company said 275 Iveco eDaily vehicles fitted with refrigerated box bodies have now been delivered to its French operations and other European branches. The deliveries form part of a memorandum of understanding signed in September 2022, under which Petit Forestier agreed to order up to 2,000 eDaily chassis, to be equipped with refrigerated bodies by Lecapitaine. The vehicles delivered so far represent nearly 14% of the total volume…

U.S. electric commercial vehicle maker Workhorse Group Inc. said it has completed its merger with Motiv Electric Trucks, forming a unified original equipment manufacturer aimed at the North American medium-duty electric vehicle market and backed by up to $50 million in new financing. The combined company will continue to operate under the Workhorse name and trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker WKHS, the company said. Management estimates the addressable medium-duty commercial vehicle market in North America at around $23 billion. As part of the transaction, the company secured new debt financing capacity from Motiv’s legacy controlling investor, providing up…

Renault Trucks said it has electrified a major internal logistics corridor linking its sites in Blainville-sur-Orne, Bourg-en-Bresse and Lyon, moving critical components almost entirely with battery-electric trucks as part of its decarbonisation strategy. Working with French haulier Malherbe, the truck maker now transports cabs, engines and axles on a just-in-time basis using electric vehicles, supplying assembly lines without interruption. Heavy-duty cabs produced in Blainville-sur-Orne are shipped to Bourg-en-Bresse for assembly, while engines and axles manufactured in Lyon are delivered to Blainville-sur-Orne for integration into medium-duty trucks. See also: Renault Trucks Launches E-Tech D12 and D14 Electric Models for Urban Distribution…

German infrastructure investor Palladio Partners is making a substantial investment in electric truck rental company Hylane, acquiring majority voting rights in key areas as part of a capital increase aimed at accelerating the rollout of zero-emission commercial vehicles. Hylane said it has signed an agreement with DEVK, its founding shareholder, and Palladio Partners, transforming the company into a joint venture. DEVK has owned 100% of Hylane since its establishment in 2021. Financial terms of the transaction and the resulting ownership structure were not disclosed, though Palladio said it plans to invest a triple-digit million-euro amount over the coming years to…

Karin Rådström, chief executive of Daimler Truck, has been elected Chair of the Commercial Vehicle Board of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), effective Jan. 1, 2026, the industry body said. Rådström will succeed Christian Levin, chief executive of Traton Group and president and CEO of Scania, who steps down at the end of the year. The appointment keeps leadership of ACEA’s commercial vehicle arm in Swedish-German hands. ACEA said the association as a whole will continue to be led by Ola Källenius, chief executive of Mercedes-Benz, who was re-elected in December to serve another term as ACEA President in…

DHL has put eight Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 battery-electric trucks into operation in Germany under a partnership with commercial vehicle lessor Hylane, expanding its original order to 42 vehicles and marking the first time Hylane has rented out battery-electric trucks. Six of the trucks have been deployed at DHL’s parcel centre in Dorsten, near Düsseldorf, with two additional vehicles operating from a site in Hamburg, DHL said. The remaining 34 trucks are scheduled for delivery by the end of the second quarter of 2026. See also: DHL Supply Chain Accelerates Electric Truck Pilots Across Africa Amid Infrastructure and Regulatory Hurdles “The…

De Lijn, the Flemish public transport operator, has signed a new framework agreement with Daimler Buses for up to 500 electric buses and simultaneously placed fresh orders with both Daimler Buses and BYD Europe. The company has already committed to more than 80 Mercedes-Benz eCitaro units under the new agreement, leaving roughly 420 vehicles available for future procurement. The first deliveries are scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. See also: Belgium’s De Lijn Awards 290 Electric Bus Contracts to BYD, Iveco and VDL, Eyes 500 More in 2025 In parallel, De Lijn has ordered 268 additional 12-metre electric buses…

Swedish truck manufacturer Scania and state-owned mining company LKAB have intensified their collaboration on mine transport electrification, deploying a new, fully electric 8×4 heavy tipper at LKAB’s Malmberget mine in northern Sweden. The vehicle, which Scania has named “Sleipner,” is the first electric truck from the company worldwide to be equipped with two steerable front axles. Developed on Scania’s modular electric platform, the 8×4 configuration is designed to provide increased stability and capacity for heavy loads on challenging mine roads, serving as a direct replacement for its internal-combustion equivalent. See also: Scania Showcases Sub-Second Precision in Autonomous Truck Demonstration, Advances…