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BRIEFLY: BMW, Tesla, EVgo & more | 06 Mar 2026 Mar 07, 2026

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It's EV News Briefly for Friday 06 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

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BMW TO UNVEIL ELECTRIC I3 SALOON ON 18 MARCH
BMW will reveal the new i3 saloon on 18 March as the first fully electric 3 Series, using the Neue Klasse Gen6 platform with 800V architecture, 400kW charging, and an expected 50 xDrive dual-motor, 108kWh setup targeting around 500 miles of range and potentially more thanks to its saloon aerodynamics. It will be the second Neue Klasse model after the iX3, aimed squarely at the Tesla Model 3 and future premium rivals from Mercedes, Audi, Xpeng and BYD’s Denza, with a full line-up planned including an electric M3.
TESLA UK DROPS 37% AS UK EV SALES RISE
Tesla’s UK registrations fell 37% year-on-year in February to 2,422 units, even as the overall market hit its strongest February since 2004 and BEVs grew to 24.2% of new registrations, with Chinese brands like BYD surging 83%. Tesla has argued that monthly registration data is misleading versus orders and quarterly shipments, but critics note all brands face similar timing issues, and for now the headline picture is a growing UK EV market in which Tesla’s share is shrinking.
EVGO ENDS 2025 WITH 5,100 FAST-CHARGING STALLS
EVgo closed 2025 with 5,100 DC fast-charging stalls in operation, up 25% year-on-year after a record Q4 net gain of about 510 stalls, including 320 company-owned units and 190 eXtend-branded stalls at partner sites. The network is getting both denser and faster, with nearly a third of stations now offering six or more stalls and 62% of all stalls equipped with 350kW hardware, up sharply from 50% in late 2024.
LUCID FEBRUARY US SALES JUMP ON GRAVITY RAMP
Lucid’s US sales jumped to 1,500 vehicles in February, almost double January, driven by a sharp ramp in Gravity SUV deliveries alongside 900 Air sedans. With Gravity now starting at $79,900 (via the Touring trim) and supported by a $7,500 lease credit plus targeted trade-in offers for Tesla, Rivian and Polestar owners, Lucid is boosting US momentum even as European registrations remain minimal.
VW DEALERS SUE OVER SCOUT DIRECT SALES
Two Volkswagen dealerships in Connecticut and New York have launched a class-action lawsuit against Scout Motors and Volkswagen, arguing that Scout’s Tesla-style direct-to-consumer sales model violates existing VW franchise agreements and deprives dealers of a lucrative new brand. Scout and CEO Scott Keogh counter that Scout is a separate entity from Volkswagen Group of America and therefore not bound to use VW’s franchised dealer network.
VOLKSWAGEN GROUP HITS FOUR MILLION BEV DELIVERIES
Volkswagen Group has delivered its four-millionth battery-electric vehicle, accelerating from nearly a decade to reach the first million to adding the fourth million in just one year, powered largely by its MEB platform and around 30 all-electric passenger models. Most BEVs are built and sold in Europe, where compact SUVs and crossovers such as the VW ID.4/ID.5 dominate, while China and the US account for smaller but growing shares of volume and production.
EGBATT LAUNCHES NOVA 60 DUAL BUFFERED CHARGER
EGbatt’s new Nova 60 Dual combines a 60kW DC fast charger with a 60kWh LiFePO₄ battery in a single outdoor unit, allowing sites to deliver full fast-charging power without expensive grid upgrades by relying on buffered energy. Optional 20kW DC solar input lets operators integrate rooftop PV directly, helping cut operating costs and increase the share of renewable energy used for charging.
LOTUS ADDS RANGE-EXTENDER ELETRE X FOR CHINA
Lotus has responded to softer demand for high-end pure EVs by launching the Eletre X plug-in range-extender SUV in China, pairing a 70kWh battery and 900V fast-charging system with a 2.0-litre turbo engine that mostly drives a generator but can also clutch to the front wheels for motorway efficiency. Delivering 952bhp, 0–62mph in 3.3 seconds and around 150 miles of electric-only range in a 2.6-tonne package, the Eletre X shares its new Geely-platform underpinnings with the Zeekr 9X and is slated to reach the UK no earlier than 2027.

CHINA: BYD Next Gen Tech, New Xiaomi SU7 and 900-volt Zeekr 009 | 06 Mar 2026 Mar 07, 2026

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BYD UNVEILS NEXT GENERATION TECH https://evne.ws/46Ktryt
XIAOMI PUTS NEXT-GEN SU7 IN 492 SHOWROOMS https://evne.ws/4suSeyX
XPENG ADDS G6 EREV WITH 1,704 KM CLAIM https://evne.ws/4d69YvV
ZEEKR 009 TEASES 900-VOLT UPGRADE FOR 2026 https://evne.ws/3P3XsTE
GAC AION TARGETS 99-SECOND BATTERY SWAP IN 2026 https://evne.ws/46Ktryt
HUAWEI-GAC QIJING TEASES L3 SHOOTING BRAKE https://evne.ws/4rYa9OD
GWM UNVEILS TANK 700 HI4-Z PHEV SUV https://evne.ws/4stKq03
MERCEDES DENIES GEELY-BASED COMPACT EV PLATFORM REPORT https://evne.ws/40f7vry
ROBOSENSE UNVEILS 2,160-BEAM EM4 LIDAR https://evne.ws/4s1A7Ro

DAILY: Pump Prices Rise, Cupra Born Refreshed and Ford EV Sales Crater | 05 Mar 2026 Mar 07, 2026

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MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT LIFTS UK FUEL AND ENERGY COSTS https://evne.ws/40f83xE
EUROPEAN FLEETS COULD SAVE €246BN BY 2030 https://evne.ws/4sxj8WX
CUPRA BORN FACELIFT BRINGS SHARP NOSE, SMALL TWEAKS https://evne.ws/474KXxB
FORD EV SALES SINK 71% AFTER LIGHTNING EXIT https://evne.ws/4b8DL4m
LUCID PATCHES GRAVITY SOFTWARE AGAIN https://evne.ws/46K3miY
MITSUBISHI READIES LEAF-BASED EV FOR CANADA https://evne.ws/4udwrND
ALPITRONIC UNVEILS HYC400 SERIES 2 CHARGER https://evne.ws/4u4s9bo
APTERA SHOWS FIRST VALIDATION-LINE VEHICLE PHOTO https://evne.ws/4aT8QdE
GEELY TARGETS DEFENDER WITH GALAXY BATTLESHIP https://evne.ws/4cxtRvQ
EU UNVEILS LOCAL-CONTENT RULES FOR CLEAN TECH https://evne.ws/4ucuIYT

BRIEFLY: Pump Prices, Cupra, Ford & more | 05 Mar 2026 Mar 07, 2026

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It's EV News Briefly for Thursday 05 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT LIFTS UK FUEL AND ENERGY COSTS
Brent crude surged past $84 per barrel and UK gas prices spiked to a three-year high of £1.44 per therm after Qatar halted LNG exports following Iran's threat to attack tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, with the RAC warning UK forecourt prices will feel the full impact within a week. Home EV charging costs are shielded for now by the energy price cap — fixed at 24.67p per kWh for electricity until end of June — but wholesale price rises could push the cap higher from July, making both home wallbox and public charging more expensive.

EUROPEAN FLEETS COULD SAVE €246BN BY 2030
A new EY and Eurelectric report finds that fully electrifying Europe's corporate fleets could deliver up to €246 billion in cumulative savings and cut one billion tonnes of CO2 by 2030. However, the authors warn that cheaper running costs alone will not drive mass uptake, calling for coordinated action from manufacturers, policymakers, grid operators and finance providers to tackle high upfront costs, uncertain residual values, and charging infrastructure delays.
CUPRA BORN FACELIFT BRINGS SHARP NOSE, SMALL TWEAKS
Cupra has facelifted the Born with a "shark nose" front end, triangular matrix LED headlights, a continuous rear light strip, and new 235 mm tyres across all five wheel options, while the aerodynamically improved 79 kWh variants now claim around 600 km (373 miles) of WLTP range. A new entry "Born Plus" trim pairs a 58 kWh battery with a 140 kW motor — figures that match Ford's Capri LFP option and strongly suggest a switch to LFP cells from the updated MEB+ platform — though Cupra has not confirmed drivetrain details and appears to be saving that announcement for a related reveal, likely the VW ID.3 facelift later in 2026.
FORD EV SALES SINK 71% AFTER LIGHTNING EXIT
Ford's US EV sales collapsed 71% in February 2026 to just 2,122 units, the steepest monthly drop in its EV history, driven by the discontinuation of the F-150 Lightning and the expiry of the federal EV tax credit. Ford's Model e division lost $4.8 billion in 2025 and is forecast to lose another $4–5 billion in 2026, with profitability not expected until 2029; the company has already booked a $19.5 billion writedown and is pivoting to a new ~$30,000 midsize electric pickup it hopes will revive the business by 2027.
LUCID PATCHES GRAVITY SOFTWARE AGAIN
Lucid Motors has pushed software update 3.4.4 to the Gravity SUV, targeting AC charging improvements and Drive Assist availability, following a January update that resolved around 95% of earlier software issues — with the car averaging a new update every 24 days since launch. Lucid has closed its online configurator for both the Air and Gravity while it prepares its 2027 model year announcement, and Air owners face a $950 hardware upgrade bill to access the newer UX 3.0 platform already running in the Gravity, due to arrive by autumn 2026.
MITSUBISHI READIES LEAF-BASED EV FOR CANADA
Mitsubishi is preparing its first all-new model since the Eclipse Cross for Canadian dealerships in 2026, built on Nissan's CMF-EV platform and LEAF architecture, with spy shots showing a heavily camouflaged prototype that shares the LEAF's roofline, proportions, and rear hatch panel. Both models will be built side by side at Nissan's Kaminokawa plant in Japan, and Mitsubishi may receive the smaller battery pack to undercut the LEAF on entry price — a strategy that would see Nissan supply the foundations while a cheaper sibling competes for the same buyers.
ALPITRONIC UNVEILS HYC400 SERIES 2 CHARGER
Alpitronic has launched the HYC400 Series 2, retaining the 400 kW maximum output of its predecessor while upgrading to a 22-inch touchscreen (up from 15.6 inches), second-generation silicon carbide power stacks, and a higher continuous output current of 600 A (up from 500 A). The unit maintains 97.5% charging efficiency but standby power consumption rises significantly from 43 W to under 100 W, and cable options narrow to a single 5-metre length; Alpitronic will sell both generations simultaneously to suit different site requirements.

APTERA SHOWS FIRST VALIDATION-LINE VEHICLE PHOTO
Aptera Motors has published the first photo of a vehicle off its validation assembly line, marking a milestone for its three-wheeled, solar-assisted EV that claims 400 miles of range from a 44 kWh battery and up to 40 miles of daily solar charging, classified as a motorcycle to bypass certain safety regulations. The launch edition price has risen to $40,000 — a $9,300 increase from prior estimates — though a $28,000 model is planned for the future, and with nearly 50,000 pre-orders and a stated daily capacity of 80–100 vehicles, Aptera claims it could fulfil all orders within 500 days of full production, though the end-of-year delivery timeline remains uncertain.

GEELY TARGETS DEFENDER WITH GALAXY BATTLESHIP
Geely plans to launch the Galaxy Battleship in the UK in 2028, a blocky hybrid 4x4 aimed squarely at the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser, with a production design expected to stay 90–95% true to the Galaxy Cruiser concept shown at the 2025 Shanghai Motor Show. Built on the GEA Evo platform with steer- and brake-by-wire, it may use an AI-driven plug-in hybrid system with a stated output of around 858 bhp, and Geely is promising an interior that surpasses the Defender's for luxury — a bold claim for the Chinese brand's first foray into the 4x4 segment.

EU UNVEILS LOCAL-CONTENT RULES FOR CLEAN TECH
The European Commission has unveiled the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), tying over €2 trillion in public procurement and subsidies to low-carbon and "Made-in-EU" conditions across sectors including EVs, steel, cement, and wind turbines, with the goal of raising manufacturing's share of EU economic output from 14% to 20% by 2035. China is excluded from the initial trusted-partner list — which includes the UK, Canada, and the US — and foreign investments above €100 million from countries controlling 40%+ of global production would face strict conditions including capped 49% foreign ownership and mandatory technology transfer; BMW and Mercedes oppose the Act over fears of higher costs, while Renault backs it and the text must still clear the European Parliament before becoming law.

CHINA: BYD Great Tang, SAIC/Huawei Unveil Shooting Brake and Li Auto Trolls VW | 05 Mar 2026 Mar 06, 2026

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Can you help me make more podcasts? Consider supporting me on Patreon as the service is 100% funded by you: https://EVne.ws/patreon
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BYD SHOWS NEW TANG CABIN BEFORE SHENZHEN DEBUT https://evne.ws/4b83avd
HUAWEI AND SAIC UNVEIL Z7 AND Z7T https://evne.ws/4rVPdrx
SAIC VOLKSWAGEN STARTS EA211 RANGE EXTENDER PRODUCTION https://evne.ws/4l7XpSO
LI AUTO TROLLS VW AS RANGE EXTENDER LAUNCHES https://evne.ws/3MYLx9c
GAC HYPTEC A800 LAUNCHES WITH 598 HP FLAGSHIP https://evne.ws/3MNUKkF
HIMA UPGRADES MAEXTRO S800 AND AITO M9 https://evne.ws/4uacHut
CHINA’S EV CHARGING BOOM SHIFTS HOME https://evne.ws/3ONUW3X
CANADA OPENS SMALL QUOTA FOR CHINESE EVS https://evne.ws/40MOYTw
HONDA TO EXPORT CHINA-BUILT E:NS2 TO JAPAN https://evne.ws/47cTqyy
LOTUS REVEALS FOR ME CABIN, SETS 2026 LAUNCH https://evne.ws/4sbrTWZ

BONUS: Company EV Fleets Are WAY More Important Than You Think Mar 04, 2026

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In November 2021, the Belgian parliament passed a tax reform that most Europeans never heard about. It phased out depreciation write-offs for petrol and diesel company cars. By 2026, the deduction disappeared entirely — combustion-engine company cars became zero per cent tax-deductible. Battery-electric vehicles stayed at 100 per cent.
The market responded without hesitation.
Corporate electric vehicle uptake surged — climbing 13 to 15 percentage points per year. By 2025, Belgium's fleet zero-emission vehicle share hit 54.2 per cent. In 2021, it was 8.8 per cent. Over the same period, Germany — Europe's industrial heavyweight — crept to 19.1 per cent.
Belgium proved something simple: change the tax, change the market. Fast.
Those precedent matters because in December 2025, the European Commission unveiled a regulation that could remake how Europeans buy, drive and eventually inherit their cars.
The Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation (CCVR) — part of the wider Automotive Package — sets out to electrify corporate fleets, the single largest slice of Europe's new car market. The strategy is elegant: turn company cars into a conveyor belt that pushes affordable electric vehicles into the hands of ordinary drivers within a few years.
If Europe wants to change what people drive, it should start with the cars that businesses buy in bulk, run hard and swap out quickly so the rest of us can buy them second hand.

The Commission agrees with that much. Its proposal for a Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation, tucked into the EU’s automotive package, aims to push corporate fleets towards zero and low emission vehicles from 2030.
Transport & Environment, the clean transport group that spends its days reading the small print, has now read it. It likes the premise. But it does not like the numbers.

DAILY: Volvo EX60 Sales Above Expectations, Cupra Raval Looks Ready and Denmark Hits 80% EV | 04 Mar 2026 Mar 04, 2026

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VOLVO ADDS CAPACITY TO BUILD EX60 https://evne.ws/4bm6X9s
VOLVO PUSHES NEW UX TO 2.5 MILLION CARS https://evne.ws/4711jr1
CUPRA RAVAL SPIED UNCOVERED AHEAD OF MARCH 2026 REVEAL https://evne.ws/4baSYlP
DENMARK HITS 81.6% BEV SHARE IN FEBRUARY https://evne.ws/408faIb
2026 WORLD CAR AWARDS SHORTLISTS TILT ELECTRIC https://evne.ws/4aRjthc
2027 BMW IX4 SET FOR X4 REPLACEMENT https://evne.ws/4bpmZiM
BARCELONA TO PAY €600 FOR ELECTRIC MOPED SWAPS https://evne.ws/4ba0mhe
ENBW SIGNS MULTI-YEAR XCHARGE DEAL FOR HYPERNET https://evne.ws/4cXlCJu
STELLANTIS SETS 2026 SPAIN BUILD FOR LEAPMOTOR B10 https://evne.ws/3OYSK9K
THATCHAM TARGETS EV WRITE-OFFS WITH REPAIR BLUEPRINT https://evne.ws/40LvazS

BRIEFLY: Volvo, Cupra, Denmark & more | 04 Mar 2026 Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

It's EV News Briefly for Wednesday 04 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

VOLVO ADDS CAPACITY TO BUILD EX60
Volvo will extend production at its Torslanda plant to meet surging demand for the all-electric EX60 SUV, which has seen strong early orders across Europe. German wait times now stretch up to 17 months, prompting Volvo to negotiate shorter summer breaks with unions, mirroring BMW’s own ramp-up for the iX3.
VOLVO PUSHES NEW UX TO 2.5 MILLION CARS
Volvo is rolling out a major over‑the‑air update to around 2.5 million vehicles, bringing its latest infotainment system from the EX30, EX90 and EX60 models to cars as old as 2020. The update ushers in a unified user interface and, later this spring, a switch from Google Assistant to the more conversational Google Gemini AI.
CUPRA RAVAL SPIED UNCOVERED AHEAD OF MARCH 2026 REVEAL
Cupra’s upcoming Raval — its most affordable EV yet — has been spotted fully uncovered during Scandinavian winter testing. Riding on the new MEB+ platform with two battery options, it launches mid‑2026 from around £23,000 to rival the Renault 5 and Peugeot e‑208 in the urban EV segment.
DENMARK HITS 81.6% BEV SHARE IN FEBRUARY
Battery‑electric vehicles made up 81.6% of Denmark’s new car sales in February, surging to 94.4% among private buyers. The shift reflects strong government incentives and rapid public adoption as EVs become the mainstream choice in the Danish market.
2026 WORLD CAR AWARDS SHORTLISTS TILT ELECTRIC
Electric models dominate the 2026 World Car Awards shortlist, with the BMW iX3, Nissan Leaf and Mercedes‑Benz CLA leading major categories. Luxury and performance finalists like the Lucid Gravity and Hyundai Ioniq 6 N further show how EVs now span every segment from affordable urban cars to high‑end models.
2027 BMW IX4 SET FOR X4 REPLACEMENT
BMW’s 2027 iX4 coupe SUV is testing in Sweden, set to replace the X4 with two all‑wheel‑drive variants and a 108 kWh battery offering up to 800 km WLTP range. It adopts BMW’s latest design language and a minimalist cabin similar to the iX3, with a large central screen and refreshed controls.
BARCELONA TO PAY €600 FOR ELECTRIC MOPED SWAPS
Barcelona will grant residents €600 to trade in petrol mopeds for new electric ones starting March 2026, covering up to 40% of the purchase price. With €15 million in funding through 2030, the scheme could replace around 24,000 mopeds and is open on a first‑come, first‑served basis.
ENBW SIGNS MULTI-YEAR XCHARGE DEAL FOR HYPERNET
German utility EnBW has sealed a multi‑year deal with XCharge to supply 400 kW DC fast chargers for its HyperNet network after successful trials. The high‑power C7 units, supporting dual CCS connectors and liquid‑cooled cables, will serve high‑throughput highway and hub charging locations.
STELLANTIS SETS 2026 SPAIN BUILD FOR LEAPMOTOR B10
Stellantis will start producing the Leapmotor B10 electric SUV in Spain in late 2026, marking the brand’s European manufacturing debut. The €29,990 model anchors Leapmotor’s expansion through Stellantis’s joint venture, which now runs over 800 European sales points and continues rapid growth.
THATCHAM TARGETS EV WRITE-OFFS WITH REPAIR BLUEPRINT
Thatcham Research has launched an EV Blueprint to stop repairable electric cars being written off after minor crashes by improving safety, diagnostics and battery repair standards. The plan calls for modular, serviceable battery designs, open diagnostic tools, and replaceable safety components to cut repair costs and extend EV lifespan.

DAILY: Renault Attacks ‘Fake PHEVs’, Norway EV Share Recovers and Electrics Becoming More Attainable | 03 Mar 2026 Mar 03, 2026

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Can you help me make more podcasts? Consider supporting me on Patreon as the service is 100% funded by you: https://EVne.ws/patreon
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RENAULT CHIEF ATTACKS “FAKE” PHEVS, EYES RANGE EXTENDERS https://evne.ws/47mn04F
NORWAY’S EV SHARE RECOVERS AND HITS 98% https://evne.ws/4bhtPqF
NORWAY PASSES ONE MILLION BATTERY-ELECTRIC VEHICLES https://evne.ws/4rcnKQV
EV UPTAKE SPREADS BEYOND WEALTHIER EARLY ADOPTERS https://evne.ws/4b7EfrP
QUANTUMSCAPE UNVEILS PRODUCTION LINE IN CALIFORNIA https://evne.ws/4clEcuA
KIA UK SETS EV2 FIRST DRIVE WEEKENDS https://evne.ws/3OL6JQE
BMW TEASES FOUR-MOTOR ELECTRIC M3 AT NÜRBURGRING https://evne.ws/4rbwFlM
ROYAL ENFIELD SETS 2026–2027 EV AND ICE PUSH https://evne.ws/4sm0ocC
NEXT POLESTAR WILL BE SPORTIER AND ON CHINESE PLATFORM https://evne.ws/4aWi213
ITALY LAUNCHES FIRST OFFICIAL ELECTRIC PORSCHE CLUB https://evne.ws/4s6OEvb

BRIEFLY: Renault, Norway, Mainstream Buyers & more | 03 Mar 2026 Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

It's EV News Briefly for Tuesday 03 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

RENAULT CHIEF ATTACKS "FAKE" PHEVS, EYES RANGE EXTENDERS
Renault CEO François Provost has condemned short-range plug-in hybrids from German and Chinese manufacturers as "fake PHEVs" that discourage regular charging and undermine consumer and regulatory confidence in electrified vehicles. Renault is exploring range-extender EV (EREV) technology for its next-generation electric platform — underpinning models like the Scenic successor — where a combustion engine acts only as a generator for trips up to 1,000km, and Provost is pushing for EREVs to be explicitly permitted for sale in the EU and UK beyond the 2035 all-BEV mandate.
NORWAY'S EV SHARE RECOVERS AND HITS 98%
Norway registered 7,272 new passenger cars in February 2026, with BEVs accounting for 7,127 of them — a 98.01% market share — as the market began to stabilise after a turbulent end to 2025 driven by expiring VAT exemptions. OFV Director Geir Inge Stokke compared the post-surge normalisation to the period following the 2022 VAT reform, with diesel, petrol PHEVs, hybrids, and pure petrol cars dividing up the remaining 2% between them.
NORWAY PASSES ONE MILLION BATTERY-ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Norway's battery-electric passenger car fleet has crossed one million, with 951,300 BEV passenger cars and 50,300 BEV light commercial vehicles (LCVs) on the road, representing 32.4% of all passenger cars in the country's 2.94 million-strong fleet. Oslo leads with a 48.9% BEV share in its passenger car fleet and is expected to crack 50% before summer, while rural Finnmark trails at 12.2%, and the Norwegian EV Association's Christina Bu says the LCV transition — currently at just 9.7% — urgently needs to accelerate.
UPTAKE SPREADS BEYOND WEALTHIER EARLY ADOPTERS
Research from charging firm char.gy and think tank New Automotive shows that EV adoption in England, once closely tied to wealth as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation, has spread significantly into poorer areas by Q3 2024–2025, with growth rates converging across most neighbourhoods. Used BEV transactions surged 45.7% in 2025 to a record 274,815 units, lifting used BEV market share to 3.5%, and with more than two million plug-in vehicles now on UK roads, the main remaining challenge is delivering reliable, affordable on-street charging in the most disadvantaged communities.
QUANTUMSCAPE UNVEILS PRODUCTION LINE IN CALIFORNIA
QuantumScape officially inaugurated its Eagle Line — a highly automated solid-state battery pilot production facility in San Jose, California — on February 4, 2026, designed not for mass production by QuantumScape itself but as a scalable blueprint that licensing partners, including Volkswagen (which has invested over $300 million), can replicate at gigawatt-hour scale in their own plants. With roughly $850 million in liquidity but a history of burning over $100 million annually and Volkswagen having scaled back its involvement in 2023 after missed timelines, QuantumScape's strategy pivot toward licensing means the next 18–24 months are critical for securing a major customer agreement.
KIA UK SETS EV2 FIRST DRIVE WEEKENDS
Kia UK will run First Drive Weekend events for the EV2 across nearly all 190 UK dealers from April 16 to June 27, 2026, offering structured 30-minute accompanied drives ahead of first deliveries expected later in the year. The EV2 is a compact SUV just over four metres long built on the 400V E-GMP platform, supporting 10%–80% DC rapid charging in around 30 minutes, with two battery options (42.2kWh and 61.0kWh) and an expected starting price of around £25,000 — potentially undercutting rivals like the Renault 5 and Ford Puma Gen-E after the UK's £3,750 plug-in vehicle grant.
BMW TEASES FOUR-MOTOR ELECTRIC M3 AT NÜRBURGRING
BMW M has released camouflaged footage of the electric M3 prototype — codenamed ZA0 — lapping the Nürburgring, featuring a unique four-motor all-wheel-drive setup with a front-motor decoupling mode for rear-wheel-drive capability that doesn't appear on any other Neue Klasse model. The ZA0 uses a bespoke battery pack with more than 100 kWh of net energy capacity not shared with regular i3 variants, with production targeted for March 2027 — well after the standard i3 sedan, which entered pre-series production at BMW's Munich plant in February 2026.
ROYAL ENFIELD SETS 2026–2027 EV AND ICE PUSH
Royal Enfield is launching its first electric motorcycles under a new sub-brand called Flying Flea, starting with the minimalist urban C6 in 2026 and followed by the scrambler-inspired S6 in 2027, both sharing a common battery architecture that signals a modular platform approach. The brand is also developing an electrified Himalayan adventure bike, pushing its EV ambitions beyond city commuting into a segment that demands tougher performance credentials around weight, range, and durability.
NEXT POLESTAR WILL BE SPORTIER AND ON CHINESE PLATFORM
Polestar will replace the Polestar 2 in 2027 with a lower, sportier saloon that will be meaningfully longer than today's 4.6-metre car — potentially rivalling the BMW 3 Series — with UK pricing expected to start just below £50,000. The new model shifts to a Geely Holdings group-wide platform shared with Volvo, Lotus, Lynk&Co, and Zeekr, developed at "China speed" in a 30-month cycle versus the typical five-to-seven-year European timeline, with software-defined vehicle capability and advanced central computing at its core.
ITALY LAUNCHES FIRST OFFICIAL ELECTRIC PORSCHE CLUB
Registro Italiano E-motion has become the world's first Porsche club built exclusively around battery-electric vehicles, earning official recognition from Porsche after beginning life as a pandemic-era chat group for Italian Taycan owners in 2021. The club's inaugural tour brought together 131 participants and 73 vehicles — a mix of 42 Taycans and 31 Macan Electrics, including two Taycan Turbo GT Weissach models — on a multi-day Alpine drive from Porsche Experience Center Franciacorta in northern Italy to the Hans Peter Porsche Traumwerk museum near Salzburg, Austria.

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