Monday, 20 July 2026

Volt has begun operating a charging hub at 2E Jalan Papan in Jurong that the company describes as Singapore's largest public electric bus charging site, according to electrive. The facility is set up to top up ComfortDelGro Bus electric vehicles that run routes across western Singapore.

Installed capacity at the site reaches 2.76 MW, enough to charge 46 EVs at the same time, electrive reported. The chargers come in two ratings, 120 kW and 360 kW, and Volt has not said how many of each it has deployed.

Construction is proceeding in phases. When the build is finished, the hub is designed to handle up to 70 EVs at once, though Volt has given no completion date, according to electrive.

Those figures trail what Volt outlined when it first announced the project in July 2024. The company then said the site would accommodate up to 80 electric buses simultaneously and carry five 360 kW ultra-fast chargers in its opening phase, electrive reported.

Volt runs close to 500 chargers at more than 150 locations around Singapore, and more than half are DC fast chargers, according to electrive.

Volt Executive Director Lim Yong Wei said the opening marks a step in the company's expansion of EV charging infrastructure.

Xpeng set a starting price of EUR 35,600 for the L03, according to electrive, placing it below the Tesla Model Y at EUR 39,990 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at EUR 41,900.

The L03 uses a 400-volt architecture rather than the 800-volt setup on the larger G6, electrive reported. Despite that, it reaches up to 236 kW charging power. That allows a 20 to 80 per cent charge in 18 minutes and a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 20 minutes, according to electrive.

First deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, electrive reported. Xpeng offers a seven-year or 160,000 km warranty on the vehicle and eight years on the battery.

On automation, Xpeng has tied the move to higher levels to a Europe-wide legal framework it does not expect before 1 January 2027, according to electrive. As a result, the L03 offers only Level 2+ in Germany.

Horse Powertrain unveiled the D20 Methanol range-extender powertrain at Auto China 2026, according to electrive. The drive unit is designed for range-extended electric vehicles.

The system delivers up to 105kW and combines a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a generator, and power electronics in a package weighing 170kg, electrive reported. It was shown for the first time at the event.

The engine is built to run on 100 per cent methanol, according to electrive. A high-energy ignition system enables lean combustion and reliable cold starts at temperatures as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius.

Horse uses an axial flux generator design. According to electrive, that layout results in a 46 per cent shorter build length and a 63 per cent higher volumetric power density than comparable radial flux generators.

Horse states the electrical efficiency of the drive system at 96.4 per cent, with fuel-to-electricity efficiency of 47 per cent, electrive reported.

In laboratory tests, a 40kWh battery could be fully recharged using 19.6 litres of methanol, according to electrive.

Horse Powertrain is a joint venture between Renault and Geely that specialises in internal combustion engine technologies.

Xpeng launched the L03 electric SUV-coupe in Europe this week at a starting price of EUR 34,990, undercutting the Tesla Model Y by roughly EUR 3,400 in Germany and by around USD 10,000 in Norway, according to Electrek.

The Chinese automaker unveiled the L03 at its Global Brand Event in Munich and opened orders across more than 60 markets at once, its biggest global launch to date, Electrek reported.

Electrek said Tesla's German configurator now lists the Model Y from EUR 38,970 after a price adjustment last month, leaving the L03 EUR 3,370 cheaper.

The pricing gap widens in Norway. Electrek reported that the country began phasing out its electric vehicle value-added tax (VAT) exemption this year, applying 25% VAT to any portion of a purchase price above 300,000 kroner. At 299,900 kroner, the L03 sits under that threshold by 100 kroner.

On specifications, Electrek said the L03 uses a 400-volt architecture, charges at up to 236 kW, and moves from 10% to 80% in 20 minutes.

A range-extender version, which Xpeng calls the L03 Power X, follows this fall from EUR 38,600 in Germany with a claimed total range of up to 1,000 km, according to Electrek.

The launch builds on rising volumes. Xpeng registered more than 4,600 vehicles in Europe in June, a fourth straight monthly record, Electrek reported, citing industry registration data.

In the United States, the Tesla Model Y Standard starts at USD 39,990 before a USD 1,390 destination fee, according to Electrek.

CleanTechnica published a piece arguing that battery-electric heavy trucks are the next chapter of China's transport transition after electric cars. The commentary is credited to Ray Wills and Peter Newman.

According to the article, if the electric car was the opening chapter of China's transport shift, battery-electric heavy trucks represent the next stage, now moving from promise to industrial reality.

The piece characterizes China's transport shift as occurring within what it calls the fastest energy transition in human history.

MOIA has opened an autonomous ride-pooling trial across selected areas of Winterhude, Barmbek and Wandsbek, with a safety driver kept aboard and no fare charged during the launch phase, according to electrive.

The trial sits within the ALIKE project, backed by funding from the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, electrive reported. Plans for the project call for up to ten autonomous ID. Buzz vehicles.

MOIA runs the service on its own technology platform, which ties together the ID. Buzz AD, Mobileye's automated driving system, fleet management and operational processes, according to electrive.

The company set out a wider deployment target in April, announcing a tie-up with US provider Beep to assemble a fleet of up to 5,000 autonomous shuttle vehicles for public transport across ten years, electrive reported.

Further pilots are in preparation across Germany, Norway and the USA, according to electrive.

The Kia EV2 Long Range has reached buyers, carrying a 61 kWh battery rated for a WLTP driving range of 281 miles, according to Electrek.

Electrek reported that the Long Range pairs its 61 kWh battery with a 135 hp (99.5 kW) front-mounted motor, described as slightly detuned to squeeze out more efficiency.

In Germany and other European markets, the EV2 Air lists from EUR 33,490 (USD 38,300) with a WLTP range of 281 miles (453 km), Electrek reported. UK buyers pay from GBP 27,995 (USD 37,700) for the EV2 Air with the 61 kWh battery, before government incentives, according to Electrek.

A long-range EV2 GT-Line prototype covered 428 km (265 miles) at the NAF Summer El Prix, Electrek reported, matching 102% of its expected WLTP combined range figure.

Kia said in April the EV2 with the 42.2 kWh battery was in production in Slovakia, with the 61 kWh Long Range and the GT-Line following in June 2026, according to Electrek.

Tesla shareholders have submitted nearly 300 questions for the company's July 22 earnings call through the Say Technologies platform, according to Electrek. The volume points to investor pressure over autonomy targets that the company has yet to hit.

The two most-supported questions on the shareholder Q&A portal each represent 4.8 million TSLA shares, Electrek reported, while the third-place question represents fewer than 975,000 shares. The gap shows where the largest blocks of investor interest are concentrated.

Much of the scrutiny centers on the robotaxi program. Tesla's Austin service, described by Electrek as its flagship, still operates with only about 20 vehicles more than a year after launch. In April, according to Electrek, Tesla softened its robotaxi expansion timeline for five announced cities, shifting from a firm "1H 2026" to a vaguer "preparations underway".

The autonomy questions carry hardware baggage. Musk has confirmed that Hardware 3 vehicles cannot deliver unsupervised full self-driving, according to Electrek, despite Tesla having sold those cars for years while promising they had everything needed for full autonomy.

The stakes are tied directly to Musk's compensation. The USD 1 trillion pay package that Tesla shareholders approved in November links his payout to an USD 8.5 trillion market cap and milestones that include 1 million robotaxis and 1 million Optimus bots, Electrek reported.

On the delivery side, Tesla posted its best-ever second quarter with 480,126 deliveries, according to Electrek.

Elsewhere in Musk's holdings, SpaceX absorbed xAI in a USD 1.25 trillion all-stock deal in February, Electrek reported.

Honda will discontinue the Prologue after the 2026 model year, concluding sales of the vehicle later this year, according to electrive.

The Prologue entered the US market in March 2024 as Honda's first volume-production battery-electric vehicle for North America, electrive reported. The SUV is built on GM's Ultium platform at the Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico, the same facility that produces the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq.

Honda delivered more than 80,000 Prologues between the 2024 launch and mid-2026, according to electrive. During the first half of 2026, Prologue sales fell 48 percent year-on-year. Around 100,000 vehicles reportedly remain available in dealer stock.

The decision follows Honda's move to end production of the Acura ZDX, another GM-based electric vehicle, in 2025, electrive reported.

Honda recently announced plans to launch 15 new hybrid models globally by 2030.

Volvo Cars has started handing over its EX60 electric mid-size SUV to customers in Europe, according to electrive. Production of the model runs at the Torslanda plant, and the vehicle is now offered across the region.

The EX60 is the first Volvo model to use the SPA3 electric vehicle platform, which runs an 800-volt architecture, electrive reported.

The P12 AWD version tops the range with a 112 kWh battery, 500 kW of power and up to 810 kilometres of range, according to electrive. Peak charging reaches 370 kW, letting the all-wheel-drive versions move from 10 to 80 per cent in 18 to 19 minutes.

Volvo Cars put around ten billion Swedish kronor, roughly EUR 930 million, into the Torslanda site, electrive reported. The spending brought a modernised paint shop, an upgraded final assembly line, megacasting capability and on-site battery assembly.

EX60 pricing begins at USD 58,400 before delivery charges in its US market listing, according to electrive. It becomes the first Volvo there to fit a North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector as standard, opening direct use of Tesla's Supercharger network without an adapter.

Erik Severinson, Chief Commercial Officer at Volvo Cars, described the start of deliveries as a major point for the company and its buyers.

US all-electric vehicle sales reached 462,892 units in the first half of 2026, a drop of 23.8 percent against the same stretch a year earlier, according to Cox Automotive.

Quarterly numbers show the losses narrowing. First-quarter sales ran 27.3 percent below the prior year, and second-quarter sales trailed by 20.5 percent, according to Cox Automotive.

EVs held 6 percent of the market in the latest quarter, according to Cox Automotive. That is down from a peak of 11 percent last year, when buyers rushed to purchase before the tax credits lapsed.

Federal EV tax credits ended on Sept. 30 of the prior year, according to Cox Automotive's Stephanie Valdez Streaty. The credits covered up to $7,500 on a new car or light truck and $4,000 on a used vehicle, and had been set to run until 2032.

Tesla held its position atop the EV market even as sales dropped 10.9 percent, according to Cox Automotive.

Cox projects hybrid sales to rise 9 percent in 2026, outpacing the broader car and light-truck market, which it sees growing about 2 percent.

California has introduced a $3,500 credit for first-time EV buyers, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

First-half 2026 US sales of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 reached 20,730 units, a 9% gain over the roughly 19,000 sold in the same stretch a year earlier, according to Electrek.

Hyundai's steepest climb came from the IONIQ 9, which Electrek reported grew 380% through the first half of the year to 4,858 units sold. Hyundai builds both the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9 at its Metaplant America facility outside Savannah, Georgia.

Toyota's bZ trailed the IONIQ 5 over the same window at 17,553 units, per Electrek.

Several rival nameplates lost ground. Chevy Equinox EV sales at GM fell 62% in Q2 to 6,660, and reached 16,249 for the first half, a 41% drop from a year earlier, Electrek reported.

Ford moved 11,632 Mustang Mach-Es through June, down 47% year over year, while Honda Prologue deliveries slid 48% to 8,407 units, according to Electrek.

MAN Truck & Bus is putting EUR 1 billion into its Kraków plant in Poland, upgrading the site for output of trucks built on the TRATON Modular System, according to electrive.

Series assembly of the MAN eTGL begins at the site in mid-July, with the medium-duty eTGM to arrive later in the year, electrive reported. The move makes Kraków MAN's second electric truck plant, after Munich, where the heavy-duty eTGX and eTGS already roll off the line.

Across the eTGL, eTGM, eTGX and eTGS, the company's electric lineup will span gross vehicle weights from 12 to 50 tonnes, according to electrive.

New halls will lift the Kraków footprint from 130,000 to about 270,000 square metres, close to double the current area, electrive reported.

MAN signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Polish government, with Poland's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Andrzej Domański, present, according to electrive.

Earlier in the year, the company reached a framework deal with the TIP Group for up to 1,800 trucks over three years, electrive reported. Those deliveries reach 18 European countries and mix battery-electric and diesel models.

Tesla will open its first location in Latvia on August 21 as a pop-up store at the Spice shopping center in Riga, according to Electrek, which reported the announcement on Friday. The move opens a market where Tesla vehicles already sell without any official presence.

The Model 3 already leads Latvia's electric vehicle registrations at 1,212 units, per Electrek, despite Tesla having no prior official operations in the country. In Latvia, the Model 3 starts at EUR 30,990 for the rear-wheel-drive version and reaches EUR 48,990 for the Performance trim, excluding 21% VAT, according to Electrek.

Battery-electric vehicles held about 7% of Latvia's market through the first eleven months of 2025, with sales up 27% year-over-year, Electrek reported.

Tesla is also launching in Uruguay, where it will sell the Model 3 and Model Y directly, with units shipped from Gigafactory Shanghai, according to Electrek. The company named Joaquin Lizarralde as country manager for both Argentina and Uruguay in late June, treating the region as a single operational zone, Electrek reported.

Uruguay generated 99% of its electricity from renewables in 2024, making it the most renewables-powered market Tesla sells in anywhere, according to Electrek. EVs made up roughly 20% of Uruguay's vehicle market in 2025 and climbed to 29% by April 2026, per Electrek, one of the highest adoption rates in the Americas.

Battery-electric vehicles outsold gasoline cars in Germany in June, according to Electrek. BEVs recorded 84,057 sales, narrowly ahead of conventional hybrids at 83,315.

Gasoline cars sold 60,796 units, diesel 33,862, and plug-in hybrids 32,212, Electrek reported.

BEVs took a 28.4% market share, the largest of any powertrain, according to Electrek. Plug-in hybrids added another 10.9%, bringing the plug-in total to 39.3%.

The rise in BEV sales cut the average CO2 emissions of new cars in Germany by 13.6% year over year, Electrek reported.

Despite the sales lead, BEVs and PHEVs combined account for about 6% of the total installed base of cars on Germany's roads, according to Electrek.

Tesla has entered Uruguay and lowered prices in Chile as it extends its push across South America, according to CleanTechnica.

The brand arrived in the Colombian market seven months ago, CleanTechnica reported. Tesla launched the Model 3 below USD 30,000 and the Model Y below USD 32,500 in Colombia, according to CleanTechnica.

The Uruguay arrival and the Chile price cuts form the latest steps in that regional expansion.