Monday, 10 August 2026

A driverless battery-electric bus built by UNVI with software from Imagry is due to begin service in Germany during the third quarter of 2026, the first vehicle from a joint development programme between the Spanish bus manufacturer and the software firm, electrive reported.

Measuring 10.3 metres and classified in the M3 category, the bus carries autonomous driving technology installed by UNVI and supplied by Imagry.

No high-definition mapping sits behind the driving stack. Imagry's software works from onboard sensor data alone, which the company describes as a way to cut the work involved in commissioning new routes.

Type approval work is already framed around European rules: the vehicle has been readied for Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) under the GSR2 safety requirements, according to electrive.

UNECE adopted the first internationally harmonised regulatory framework covering automated driving systems (ADS) from SAE Level 4 in mid-July, backed by the EU, US, China and Japan, electrive reported.

Students at Clemson University in the US state of South Carolina have built a solar-integrated electric vehicle, Deep Orange 17, designed to generate more energy than it uses over a typical day of urban commuting, pv magazine reported.

The car carries more than 1,700 solar cells built into its exterior surfaces, according to pv magazine, allowing it to harvest energy both parked and in motion.

Weight is the other half of the design. The vehicle comes in at approximately 550 kg, roughly one-fourth the mass of many similarly-sized production vehicles, pv magazine reported.

Modeling of the vehicle across the tested locations found it capable of producing enough excess solar energy to add an average of 50 km of driving range during a daily 20 km commute, according to pv magazine.

The project was developed with BMW's research and development team, and researchers from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE assisted with the solar PV system, pv magazine reported.

The vehicle is scheduled to feature at the 2027 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to pv magazine.

BYD collected more than 1,000 cumulative orders for its Racco mini EV in the model's first two weeks on sale in Japan, the carmaker announced on Monday, according to Electrek.

The company described that as the fastest pace for any model it has introduced to date. Electrek reported that BYD launched the Racco on July 28, its first electric kei vehicle, designed for Japan's tiny-car market that has long been dominated by domestic brands including Nissan, Honda, Toyota, and Suzuki.

Buyers skewed heavily toward the top of the range. About 80% took the more expensive Racco 300 Premium trim, 14% chose the Plus, and the remaining 6% took the base 200 model, per Electrek.

The 300 Plus and Premium versions carry a 35.84 kWh battery rated for up to 320 km of range on the WLTC cycle. BYD said that makes the Racco the first kei EV in Japan to offer more than 300 km.

The order target for the model is far above the opening fortnight. BYD is aiming for 10,000 cumulative Racco orders by the end of 2026, Electrek reported.

SAIC-Volkswagen has submitted the ID. ERA 5X compact SUV for regulatory approval in China, according to electrive. The model is the first fully electric vehicle in the China-specific ID. ERA series and Volkswagen's first built on the Compact Main Platform.

The filing lists a 4.56-metre-long compact SUV built on the new Compact Modular Platform (CMP), electrive reported. Output is 155 kW, with a top speed of 175 kph.

The vehicle will run a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery supplied by CATL, according to electrive.

The ID. ERA 5X sits inside a broader Volkswagen product push in China. The model offensive targets 30 new vehicles in the country by 2027, electrive reported.

Tesla used up its allocation under California's MyFirstEV rebate program in five days, Electrek reported. Eligibility for Tesla purchases began August 3, and by August 8 nothing was left, with roughly USD 18 million in state and matching rebates estimated to have gone to Tesla vehicles.

Buyers took about half of what Tesla had been assigned during the first three days, according to Electrek.

California seeded the program with USD 135.5 million. Participating automakers put up one dollar for every state dollar, lifting the total to about USD 271 million.

That pot is shared among roughly 13 automakers. Electrek calculates the split at about USD 9 million in state funds per brand, before each manufacturer adds its match.

Eligibility is limited to first-time EV buyers. A used EV under USD 25,000 qualifies for USD 1,750 off, while a new EV priced below USD 50,000 draws USD 3,500.

The first brands to go live were Tesla, Hyundai, and Lucid, per Electrek. Ford, Rivian, Chevy, and Kia join later in August. Toyota, Honda, and Subaru begin in September.

One exemption narrows who can sell above the cap: EV-only automakers headquartered in California escape the USD 50,000 ceiling. Rivian and Lucid meet that test. Tesla does not, having relocated its headquarters to Texas in 2021.

Second-quarter registrations for Tesla in California reached 45,953 vehicles, an increase of 11.8% from a year earlier, the California New Car Dealers Association reported.

Beijing Automobile Works Co. Ltd. introduced its brand to Indonesia at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang, according to CleanTechnica.

The carmaker built its right-hand-drive entry around three vehicle categories: electric passenger vans, city commuters and commercial delivery trucks, CleanTechnica reported.

The Indonesian business runs through a local subsidiary, PT BAW Automobile Trading Indonesia, per the same report.

The show in Tangerang served as the launch venue for the brand's arrival in the Indonesian market.