Author: Sibley Presley

Tesla is preparing to launch its Full Self-Driving (FSD) supervised system in New Zealand, after confirming that it has cleared regulatory hurdles and entered the final stages of validation testing. The U.S. electric vehicle maker released a video this week showing its FSD technology navigating streets in Auckland, marking the company’s first public demonstration of autonomous driving on New Zealand roads. The move follows similar trials in Sydney and comes as part of Tesla’s broader efforts to expand its advanced driver-assistance features internationally. https://twitter.com/TeslaAUNZ/status/1953656383527956834 Tesla’s country director for Australia and New Zealand, Thom Drew, said the company had been working…

French EV charging provider Electra has extended its summer promotional pricing to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, offering app-based fast charging at €0.39 or CHF 0.39 per kilowatt hour from 13 August until 30 September 2025. The move follows a similar initiative launched in Italy earlier this summer. The discounted rate applies exclusively to users charging through the Electra app. Drivers not registered through the app will continue to pay the ad-hoc price of €0.69/kWh. Prior to the latest update, Electra had already reduced the rate for app users in Germany from €0.59/kWh to €0.49/kWh in early July. Electra’s Country Manager…

Li Auto is confronting a fresh wave of online criticism following the underwhelming debut of its first all-electric SUV, the Li i8. The company, said that a surge in what it described as misleading and repetitive negative comments targeting its vehicle owners has emerged on multiple social media platforms, prompting it to consider legal action. According to a statement posted by Li Auto’s legal department on Weibo, these attacks have been appearing around the clock, often with similar content, and are suspected of being organized. The company claims the posts have severely impacted the public image of its users and…

U.S.-based automotive semiconductor supplier Onsemi forecast a weak profit outlook for the third quarter on Monday after reporting a steep drop in second-quarter revenue, reflecting continued softness in the electric vehicle (EV) market, particularly in North America and Europe. The company’s shares fell more than 10% following the announcement, as Onsemi highlighted sluggish demand for battery electric vehicles amid economic uncertainty, rising global import tariffs, and high interest rates in the United States. These headwinds have prompted consumers to pull back on big-ticket purchases and forced automakers to reassess production targets and delay investment decisions. While Onsemi noted early signs…

Jeep has received more than 200,000 orders for the Avenger SUV in Europe since its launch, with the model ranking among the top 10 best-selling B-segment SUVs in the region over the past two years. Launched in 2023 following its 2022 debut, the Avenger is the brand’s first fully electric SUV developed specifically for the European market. The model lineup has since been expanded to include petrol and hybrid versions, contributing to broader market appeal. Jeep recently introduced an all-wheel-drive 4xe variant, including a limited-edition model developed in collaboration with outdoor brand The North Face. The special edition, limited to…

Cupra, the performance sub-brand of Spain’s Seat, has postponed its planned launch in the United States until after 2030, citing shifting market conditions and regulatory uncertainty surrounding electric vehicles. The decision also halts ongoing discussions with U.S. dealership group Penske Automotive. The announcement was included in parent company Seat’s second-quarter financial report, where the delay was described as a strategic move amid evolving industry dynamics. Cupra had originally intended to enter the U.S. market around 2030, with plans to establish a retail footprint through a partnership with Penske, first revealed in November 2024. Seat attributed the decision to a reassessment…

Tesla is enhancing its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software to account for a growing number of edge case scenarios, aiming to improve autonomous driving performance and prepare for a broader rollout of its unsupervised version by year-end. The latest developments in FSD include handling complex road conditions such as occluded reverse cut-ins, dynamic debris, and high-speed encounters with pedestrians. Tesla has also added the ability to navigate non-driving tasks, such as recognizing the end of a payment transaction at toll booths or parking stations. https://twitter.com/Tesla_AI/status/1949725198238036392 In one test, a Model Y vehicle using FSD version 13.2.9 was able to observe a…

Subaru is exploring the possibility of launching a smaller, more affordable electric vehicle (EV) to expand its lineup and meet growing demand in the lower end of the EV market, a company executive said. The consideration follows the unveiling of the Subaru Uncharted, the brand’s latest electric SUV. In an interview with Autocar, Subaru’s global EV product manager Inoue Masahiko said a smaller EV positioned below the Uncharted is “something that is up for consideration, because we need to prepare a wider range of BEVs to meet every customer’s expectation.” Subaru joins a growing list of global automakers pursuing lower-cost…

Satisfaction among electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland has improved notably, according to the latest USCALE EV Satisfaction Study 2025. The survey, conducted in May among 5,004 EV drivers, found that the Net Promoter Score (NPS)—a measure of customer willingness to recommend a product—rose to 33 points, up from 24 a year earlier. The study attributes the rise in satisfaction to significant improvements in vehicle range and charging speed. Fifty percent of respondents now report a real-world summer driving range exceeding 400 kilometers (249 miles), a 38% increase compared to 2024. Additionally, 75% of EVs are now…

Electric vehicle sales in Germany surged 35% in the first half of 2025 to nearly 249,155 units, setting a new record despite the absence of government subsidies. According to Automotive News, citing data from market research firm Dataforce, Volkswagen Group dominated the market, claiming eight of the ten best-selling EV models. The Volkswagen ID.7 led EV sales in Germany with 18,017 units registered, followed by other models from the VW Group lineup, including the ID.4 and ID.3. The Tesla Model Y and BMW iX1 were the only non-Volkswagen Group vehicles to enter the top ten. The growth marks a sharp…

FAW Audi, the joint venture between Audi and China’s FAW Group, has begun pre-sales of its new Q6L e-tron family of electric SUVs in China, with prices ranging from RMB 353,000 ($49,240) to RMB 403,000. The pre-sale lineup includes two models: the Audi Q6L e-tron and the Audi Q6L Sportback e-tron. Each is available in Long Range and Pioneer Editions. The Q6L e-tron Long Range Edition is priced at RMB 353,000, while the Pioneer Edition is listed at RMB 383,000. The Sportback variants are slightly more expensive, with the Long Range Edition at RMB 373,000 and the Pioneer Edition at…

Geely Auto’s sub-brand Geely Galaxy said on Friday it will officially launch its A7 plug-in hybrid sedan on August 8, marking its latest move to expand in the competitive Chinese hybrid vehicle market. Described by the company as a “hybrid family sedan disruptor,” the Geely Galaxy A7 will be positioned as an affordable mid-to-large-sized sedan, with a starting price expected below RMB 100,000 ($13,960). “The A7 will bring more advanced hybrid technology to the mass market,” Geely Galaxy said in a post on Weibo. The A7 is the first plug-in hybrid sedan based on Geely’s Global Intelligent New Energy Architecture…