ev.news

It's ev.news Briefly for Sunday 04 October 2026, only todays headlines and nothing else, in just 4 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

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IONNA SAYS 10–20 MINUTE CHARGING IS ENOUGH
Ionna is building its US charging network around reliable 10–20 minute stops with 400 kW chargers, arguing that drivers already spend that long using bathrooms, buying food or taking a break and therefore do not need EV charging to match a five-minute petrol stop. Backed by major automakers but aiming to become commercially self-sustaining, Ionna plans to triple its 80-site network during 2026 through partners including Circle K, Wawa, Sheetz and Casey’s, betting that reliability, useful amenities and viable economics matter more in America than pursuing China-style megawatt charging.
UK BEVS SET A NEW MONTHLY RECORD
Britain registered a record 99,199 battery-electric cars in September, up 36.3% year on year and representing 28.3% of all new cars, while first-nine-month BEV registrations reached 454,945 and market share climbed from 20.2% to 26.2%. Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y led September’s BEV rankings, while plug-in hybrids also hit a record 17% share with 55.7% growth, although their environmental benefit depends much more heavily on owners actually charging them.
TESLA REGISTRATIONS RISE ACROSS FIVE EUROPEAN MARKETS
Tesla registrations rose in September across France, Sweden, Spain, Norway and Denmark, with France up 61.9%, while the Model Y became Ireland’s best-selling car for the month and Tesla’s January-August registrations across Europe had already risen 43.3%, slightly faster than the overall BEV market. The recovery now looks broader after two weak years, but comparisons against a poor 2025, Tesla’s reliance on the Model 3 and Model Y, stronger Chinese and European competition and increasingly saturated EV markets mean it is too early to declare a complete comeback.
GERMANY CLEARS EV BATTERIES FOR HOME AND GRID POWER
Germany’s new MiSpeL rules remove a major regulatory barrier to bidirectional charging by allowing an EV battery to store both subsidised solar electricity and grid electricity without automatically jeopardising renewable-energy support. Using 15-minute metering to account for the different energy sources, the framework could let owners charge cheaply or from solar, power their homes and eventually export electricity to the grid, although grid and metering operator approval will remain necessary during a transition period lasting until September 2027.
EV CHARGING ENQUIRIES RISE 630% AS FUEL PRICES CLIMB
ScottishPower says enquiries about its EV charging offers have risen about 630% in a year and customers using dedicated charging products are up 430%, as petrol and diesel prices make the economics of overnight home charging increasingly attractive. Its comparison puts a typical petrol fill at roughly £96 versus about £10 of home electricity for an equivalent distance, although the 630% figure measures interest rather than EV sales and the very low electricity cost does not apply to expensive public rapid charging.
BUICK TAKES ITS CHINA-BUILT E7 TO SOUTH KOREA
Buick will launch the China-developed and China-built Electra E7 plug-in hybrid in South Korea in November, marking the brand’s entry into the market and showing GM using its SAIC-GM Chinese operation as an export product-development base. The E7 combines a 31.7 kWh LFP battery with up to 126 km of quoted electric range, around 20-minute 30–80% charging and more than 1,000 km total range, with its Chinese engineering and manufacturing helping Buick position it competitively on price.
AUDI PATENT MAKES EVS IDLE, SHIFT AND SPARK
Audi has patented technology that could make an EV simulate idling, gear changes, turbo lag, rev matching, misfires, sparks, flashes and even engine-related smells, including spinning a disconnected electric motor while stationary to create artificial vibration and sound. There is no indication that Audi plans to put the system into production, but the filing shows manufacturers exploring increasingly elaborate ways of deliberately restoring the noise, vibration and mechanical theatre that electric drivetrains naturally remove.

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GASOLINE CARS LOSE THEIR GLOBAL MAJORITY https://evne.ws/srjql

TESLA SUPERCHARGERS PASS 85,000 — AND GET BUSIER https://evne.ws/s1148

TESLA'S CHEAPER MODEL 3 GAINS IN CANADA https://evne.ws/cdqk0

GM BETS ON LMR AS ITS NEXT EV BATTERY https://evne.ws/z334q

BMW STARTS NEUE KLASSE BATTERY RAMP EARLY https://evne.ws/i53u6

VOLVO EV SALES RISE AS COMPANY WARNS ON PROFITS https://evne.ws/9sxxn

ELECTRIC G-CLASS GETS NACS AND MORE EPA RANGE https://evne.ws/b0ug3

MERCEDES BRINGS SIX SHOW PREMIERES TO PARIS https://evne.ws/0gyhk

It's ev.news Briefly for Saturday 03 October 2026, only todays headlines and nothing else, in just 4 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the ev.news Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/evnews

GASOLINE CARS LOSE THEIR GLOBAL MAJORITY
Pure petrol cars fell below half of global new-car sales for the first time in the first half of 2026, dropping 10% year on year to 20.25 million vehicles and a 49% market share. EVs reached 6.87 million sales and 17% share, so this is not an EV takeover but a milestone showing the global market fragmenting across battery-electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and other powertrains.
TESLA SUPERCHARGERS PASS 85,000 — AND GET BUSIER
Tesla’s Supercharger network has passed 85,000 stalls across more than 9,000 sites worldwide, while third-quarter charging sessions rose 29% year on year to 69 million and delivered around 2.4 TWh of electricity. Tesla is also introducing factory-assembled Supercharger designs to accelerate deployment, but rising utilisation suggests the network’s economics are increasingly being driven by how intensively existing chargers are used, not simply how many are installed.
TESLA'S CHEAPER MODEL 3 GAINS IN CANADA
Tesla’s Shanghai-built Model 3 is gaining sales in Canada after the country reopened limited imports of Chinese-made EVs under a 49,000-vehicle annual quota carrying a 6.1% tariff instead of the previous 100% surtax. Despite being ineligible for Canada’s federal EV incentive, the Model 3’s lower Chinese manufacturing costs have enabled aggressive pricing, potentially providing an early indication of how competitive Chinese-built EVs from Tesla and forthcoming brands such as BYD, Chery and Changan could be in North America.
GM BETS ON LMR AS ITS NEXT EV BATTERY
GM and LG Energy Solution plan to convert their Spring Hill, Tennessee battery plant to produce lithium-manganese-rich cells from 2028, betting that LMR can provide around 33% more energy density than LFP at roughly similar cost. GM sees the chemistry as particularly attractive for electric pickups and large SUVs and potentially important enough to displace LFP from its future EV portfolio, although durability, capacity retention and fast-charging performance remain unresolved.
BMW STARTS NEUE KLASSE BATTERY RAMP EARLY
BMW has started series production of sixth-generation Neue Klasse battery packs at its €1 billion Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant in Bavaria earlier than planned, initially supplying the new i3 from Munich. The factory is part of BMW’s strategy of assembling batteries close to vehicle plants worldwide, and its early ramp-up shows Neue Klasse moving beyond launch into large-scale industrial production.
VOLVO EV SALES RISE AS COMPANY WARNS ON PROFITS
Volvo Cars has withdrawn its annual guidance and warned of weaker earnings and cash flow after third-quarter deliveries fell 11%, with difficult conditions in China and a slower-than-expected US premium-market recovery weighing on the business. Its EV sales nevertheless rose 29% and reached almost one-third of total deliveries, showing that Volvo’s electrification is progressing even as broader market weakness and pricing pressure damage profitability.
ELECTRIC G-CLASS GETS NACS AND MORE EPA RANGE
Mercedes-Benz has given the 2027 G 580 Electric native NACS fast-charging access in the US, increased EPA range from 239 to 249 miles and cut its claimed 10–80% charging time from 32 to 29 minutes while retaining a 200 kW peak charging rate. The changes improve usability, particularly through easier Tesla Supercharger access, but do not resolve the larger question of weak demand for the electric G-Class compared with its combustion counterpart.
MERCEDES BRINGS SIX SHOW PREMIERES TO PARIS
Mercedes-Benz will bring six major models to the Paris Motor Show on 12 October, including the GLA, electric VLE, GLE, S-Class, AMG CLA 45 and AMG GT 4-Door Coupé, although these are show premieres rather than six new world debuts. The electric VLE, with seating for up to eight and more than 700 km of claimed WLTP range, will be one of the main EV attractions alongside electric versions of the C-Class and GLC as Mercedes demonstrates the breadth of its current product renewal.

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RIVIAN DEMO DRIVES PASS 150,000 AFTER R2 LAUNCH https://evne.ws/1au35

MARY BARRA SAYS EVS REMAIN GM'S END GAME https://evne.ws/3hoo4

ELECTRIC TRUCKS LEAD IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 https://evne.ws/4a0j9

GEELY GALAXY CRUISER 700 COULD BE BUILT AT FORD'S VALENCIA PLANT https://evne.ws/x60x6

MG5 IS AUGUST'S FASTEST-SELLING USED CAR https://evne.ws/hbrgf

RENAULT LAUNCHES REMANUFACTURED EV MOTORS AT AROUND 30% LESS https://evne.ws/aun2p

VOLVO LAUNCHES ELECTRIC TRUCK FOR UP TO 80 TONNES https://evne.ws/1on06

U.S. BUYERS AND DEALERS DIVIDE OVER CHINESE CARS https://evne.ws/bc0ff

RIVIAN DEMO DRIVES PASS 150,000 AFTER R2 LAUNCH
Rivian completed more than 150,000 demo drives through August, with activity accelerating sharply after R2 drives began on 9 June, while CEO RJ Scaringe says Launch Edition orders converted from reservations better than expected and the company is preparing a second production shift in Illinois. However, Rivian’s figures cover its entire range and marketing events, and without disclosed R2 production, deliveries or test-drive conversion rates, demo drives remain evidence of interest rather than confirmed sales demand.
MARY BARRA SAYS EVS REMAIN GM'S END GAME
GM CEO Mary Barra says EVs remain the company’s “end game” and “north star” despite cancelled electric-truck plans and weaker US EV sales, with electric vehicles still projected to represent roughly 40–50% of GM sales by 2030. GM is continuing to invest in batteries, software and charging while using combustion-vehicle profits to fund a transition Barra now expects to take decades rather than follow a fixed near-term deadline.
ELECTRIC TRUCKS LEAD IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026
IAA Transportation 2026 shows battery-electric trucks moving from demonstration projects towards mainstream freight, with new Volvo models, MAN trucks claiming up to 720 km of range and Mercedes eActros 600 customer vehicles already accumulating more than 160 million kilometres. The wider focus on megawatt charging, depot infrastructure and energy management shows that grid capacity and charging operations are increasingly as important to electric trucking as the vehicles themselves.
GEELY GALAXY CRUISER 700 COULD BE BUILT AT FORD'S VALENCIA PLANT
Geely is considering building its new Galaxy Cruiser 700 SUV at Ford’s Valencia factory from 2028 through their 66%-Ford, 34%-Geely joint venture, potentially reducing tariffs, logistics costs and reliance on importing complete vehicles from China. With Geely’s EX5 also expected to be produced there and the plant potentially capable of 500,000 vehicles annually, Valencia could become a major European manufacturing base for the Chinese carmaker.
MG5 IS AUGUST'S FASTEST-SELLING USED CAR
Electric cars occupied nine of the UK’s 10 fastest-selling used-car positions in August, led by the MG5 at just 20.6 days on dealer forecourts, ahead of models including the Mercedes EQA, Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID.4. The figures show strong demand and rapid turnover for particular used EVs, although combustion cars still dominate overall used-car sales volumes, with the Vauxhall Corsa remaining Britain’s best-selling used model.
RENAULT LAUNCHES REMANUFACTURED EV MOTORS AT AROUND 30% LESS
Renault is offering remanufactured 6AM electric traction motors in Europe for the Megane E-Tech, Scenic E-Tech and Master E-Tech at around 30% less than equivalent new motors, with The Remakers claiming equivalent performance, reliability and an “as good as new” guarantee. Lower-cost replacement motors could materially improve the economics of keeping older EVs on the road after warranty expiry, although Renault has not yet confirmed the programme for the UK.
VOLVO LAUNCHES ELECTRIC TRUCK FOR UP TO 80 TONNES
Volvo Trucks has developed a new battery-electric truck for combinations weighing up to 80 tonnes, using 640 kWh of usable battery capacity and offering quoted ranges of 450 km at 64 tonnes and 420 km at 76 tonnes. Megawatt charging can take the battery from 20–80% in around 36 minutes, pushing battery-electric trucks into demanding applications such as long-haul freight, timber transport and refrigerated operations when European sales begin in early 2027.
U.S. BUYERS AND DEALERS DIVIDE OVER CHINESE CARS
Around half of surveyed US car buyers say they would consider a Chinese vehicle, attracted partly by prices substantially below America’s roughly $50,000 average new-car transaction price, while many US dealers remain opposed to Chinese manufacturers entering the market. High tariffs and forthcoming restrictions on Chinese vehicle software and hardware currently leave those brands without a viable US sales route, despite evidence that both consumers and some dealer groups could ultimately be willing to sell them.

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IONNA HITS 1,488 FAST-CHARGING PORTS https://evne.ws/3trnh

KIA’S PV7 BRINGS 800-VOLT CHARGING TO ITS VAN RANGE https://evne.ws/8h1hp

KIA PV5 PASSES 50,000 GLOBAL SALES https://evne.ws/iqig7

LEAPMOTOR B03X STARTS AT €24,900 IN EUROPE https://evne.ws/h27mk

LEAPMOTOR MOVES B10 PRODUCTION TO SPAIN https://evne.ws/ro7ds

GM WANTS US-MADE SODIUM-ION CELLS BY 2029 https://evne.ws/ffyyt

MAXUS REVEALS 615-KWH ELECTRIC TRUCK https://evne.ws/acpiu

A BYD KEPT A SYDNEY PUB OPEN FOR SIX HOURS https://evne.ws/blr0e

COSTCO MOTOR OIL JUMPS TO $58 https://evne.ws/kvzy3

IONNA HITS 1,488 FAST-CHARGING PORTS
Ionna has expanded to 1,488 fast-charging ports across 174 US stations, with ports up 50% and locations 74% in six months, while its Alpitronic hardware offers up to 400 kW charging, card readers and Plug and Charge support. The automaker-backed network has already ranked first in JD Power’s US charging-experience study, is offering discounts to owners of several major EV brands, and is targeting 30,000 charging bays by 2030.
KIA’S PV7 BRINGS 800-VOLT CHARGING TO ITS VAN RANGE
Kia’s larger PV7 electric van will arrive in South Korea and Europe in the second half of 2027 with 71.5 or 96.2 kWh batteries, more than 460 km provisional WLTP range and an 800-volt architecture capable of roughly 10–80% charging in 25 minutes. With up to 8.0 cubic metres of cargo space, 1,200 kg payload and eventually 23 variants, the PV7 extends Kia’s PBV strategy into a commercial class where charging downtime, payload and operating economics will determine its success.
KIA PV5 PASSES 50,000 GLOBAL SALES
Kia’s PV5 has passed 50,000 global sales just 13 months after launch, reaching 53,530 units by the end of July with around 60% sold outside South Korea. It was Kia’s third-best-selling EV during the first seven months of the year, giving the company meaningful evidence that its dedicated electric-commercial-vehicle platform has enough demand to support expansion into models such as the larger PV7.
LEAPMOTOR B03X STARTS AT €24,900 IN EUROPE
Leapmotor will open European orders for the B03X in July from €24,900, with a 39.8 kWh version offering up to 292 km WLTP and a 53.0 kWh model reaching 382 km. Both claim 30–80% charging in 16 minutes, while generous storage and extensive standard technology make the B03X a potentially strong value proposition if those specifications and prices survive localisation across European markets.
LEAPMOTOR MOVES B10 PRODUCTION TO SPAIN
Leapmotor will begin assembling the B10 at Stellantis’s Figueruelas plant near Zaragoza next month, initially targeting 40,000 cars annually while also localising battery-module and chassis production in Spain. British customers are expected to continue receiving Chinese-built cars because the UK does not impose the EU’s additional anti-subsidy tariffs, illustrating how European EV manufacturing decisions are increasingly being shaped by trade policy rather than production efficiency alone.
GM WANTS US-MADE SODIUM-ION CELLS BY 2029
General Motors and Peak Energy are targeting US commercial production of sodium-ion batteries around 2029, slightly later than their original 2028 goal, as GM seeks a cheaper domestic chemistry primarily suited to stationary energy storage. Sodium-ion offers lower energy density than lithium-ion but potentially lower costs, wider temperature tolerance and reduced cooling requirements, although GM must still overcome a supply chain currently dominated by China.
MAXUS REVEALS 615-KWH ELECTRIC TRUCK
Maxus has revealed its first 42-tonne electric tractor unit, the eDeliver 420L, using a huge 615 kWh CATL battery that it says can charge from 20–80% in 25 minutes, potentially fitting charging into mandatory driver rest periods. The crucial missing figure is range, but the truck marks SAIC-owned Maxus’s move into long-haul electric freight alongside the smaller 120 kWh eDeliver 75, which offers up to 250 km WLTP range.
A BYD KEPT A SYDNEY PUB OPEN FOR SIX HOURS
A Sydney pub used vehicle-to-load from a BYD EV to power essential equipment for six hours during a power cut, allowing it to continue serving customers rather than closing. The improvised setup did not power the whole building, but it provides a practical real-world example of how bidirectional-capable EV hardware can provide useful backup energy beyond the usual camping and power-tool use cases.
COSTCO MOTOR OIL JUMPS TO $58
Costco has raised a 10-quart pack of Kirkland synthetic motor oil from roughly the mid-$30s to $58 as surging base-oil costs tighten lubricant supplies, while also restricting how much customers can buy. Battery-electric cars avoid engine-oil changes entirely, unlike combustion cars, plug-in hybrids and range-extenders, modestly strengthening the BEV ownership-cost advantage even if higher oil prices alone are unlikely to change purchasing behaviour.

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BYD’S SEALION 08 PUTS NEW BLADE BATTERY ON THE ROAD https://evne.ws/l2cd1

BYD’S SOLID-STATE BATTERY GETS A 2027 ROAD TEST https://evne.ws/y4qzk

GEELY’S EX5 GAINS 800V AND 6C CHARGING https://evne.ws/qk799

XIAOMI’S SKYNOMAD ARRIVES AS EREV SALES FALL https://evne.ws/mo1ck

FOREIGN PETROL CARS HIT 23.4% DISCOUNTS IN CHINA https://evne.ws/67oyt

YANGWANG TEASES BYD’S NEXT ULTRA-LUXURY FLAGSHIP https://evne.ws/pyxuz

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DENZA MAKES N8L EV CHEAPER THAN PHEV https://evne.ws/1uuyx

NIO ES8 HITS 150,000 IN ONE YEAR https://evne.ws/kku39

CATL’S EGYPT BATTERY PLAN STARTS WITH TRUCKS https://evne.ws/ot77t

WNEVC PUTS CHINA’S EV EXPORT PUSH CENTRE STAGE https://evne.ws/ol413

BYD TAKES 1.5 MW TRUCK CHARGING TO EUROPE https://evne.ws/ac95r

CHINESE BATTERY RECYCLER PLANS TO TRIPLE CAPACITY https://evne.ws/y5op8

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JAECOO 7 TOPS UK SALES AS CHINESE BRANDS NEAR 25% SHARE https://evne.ws/0sli5

HYUNDAI MAY FILL TWO BIG GAPS IN ITS IONIQ RANGE https://evne.ws/slhw9

HYUNDAI SELLS 800V IONIQ V AT $15,000 BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE IT https://evne.ws/bgano

GM’S LIMITED-RUN BOLT MEANS 35,000 CARS https://evne.ws/buj28

BMW WANTS GENERIC PARTS TO DOMINATE €80BN BUDGET https://evne.ws/v7i80

AMPOL BUYS SCALE IN EV CHARGING WITH EVIE DEAL https://evne.ws/y5cvb

FEDEX ORDERS 2,000 HARBINGER ELECTRIC TRUCKS https://evne.ws/zj0lw

STELLANTIS STOPS PLANTS AS BIG EV BATTERIES RUN SHORT https://evne.ws/qja9q

RIVIAN SPIN-OFF ALSO TESTS WHAT EUROPE WANTS FROM ITS E-BIKE https://evne.ws/89def