Monday, 7 September 2026

Operating an electric car in the EU cost 33% less than running a gasoline car in 2025, according to the ICCT thinktank's 'EV Transition Check' study, reported by electrive.

The gap holds even for drivers without home charging. Electric cars charged exclusively at public stations, which are generally more expensive, still came in 28% cheaper to operate than petrol cars, the study found.

The spread widened at the start of 2026. Energy costs for combustion engine cars rose by 12% to 36%, while costs for battery electric vehicles remained largely unchanged, according to the ICCT figures cited by electrive.

Purchase economics have moved in the same direction. Battery costs fell 35% globally between 2020 and 2025.

Heavy freight has crossed the same line in at least one national market. In Germany, buying and running an electric truck in long-haul transport already costs 11% less than a diesel truck, helped by toll exemptions.

Fully electric powertrains held an 18% market share in Europe in 2025, per the study.

Battery-electric cars took 25.6 per cent of UK registrations across the first eight months of 2026, according to electrive, citing the SMMT. That falls short of the 33 per cent headline mandate requirement, the trade body warns.

August supplied the strongest monthly reading. Registrations of purely electric cars in Great Britain totalled 28,063 for the month, a rise of 27.7 per cent against August a year earlier, electrive reported.

Electric van registrations climbed 25.9 per cent in August to 2,395 units, a record 16.3 per cent share of that segment.

Commercial vehicles remain the weaker half of the picture. Electric models hold 11 per cent of the overall commercial vehicle market year to date, less than half the 24 per cent ZEV Mandate target set for 2026, according to electrive.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, called August "a bright spot for the new car market" and another strong month for electric car uptake, saying motorists are responding to the choice and offers on sale.

The two shortfalls differ in scale. Car uptake of 25.6 per cent runs under the 33 per cent headline requirement, while the 11 per cent commercial running share against a 24 per cent target leaves a far steeper climb for the remainder of the year.

Monthly growth outpaces the cumulative averages. Cars grew 27.7 per cent in August year on year, and vans grew 25.9 per cent over the same comparison.

Volkswagen has taken more than 30,000 orders across Europe for the ID. Polo, according to electrive, which reported the carmaker's confirmation of the figure.

Order books opened in April, after the model's world premiere, electrive said.

The cheapest version, the ID. Polo Trend, became configurable from EUR 24,995. That variant pairs a 37 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery with an 85 kW motor and a WLTP range of 323 kilometres, per electrive.

Demand is running higher still at Škoda, which reports more than 35,000 orders for the Epiq, electrive said.

Audi will open orders for its entry-level A2 e-tron on September 10, 2026, with the base 125 kW version carrying the 52 kWh battery priced at EUR 38,200 (USD 45,000) in Germany, according to Electrek.

Electrek reported that the 140 kW variant reaches a WLTP range of up to 401 miles (646 km), helped by a drag coefficient of 0.24. Energy consumption is 12.8 kWh per 100 km on the WLTP cycle, which Electrek said makes the car the most efficient series-production Audi built to date.

The model line spans four power levels of 125, 140, 170 and 240 kW, paired with three battery options of 52, 61 or 84 kWh, per Electrek.

Charging on the largest pack runs at up to 183 kW on DC, taking the 84 kWh battery from 10% to 80% in about 29 minutes, according to Electrek.

Production sits at Audi's Ingolstadt plant in Germany, with first customer deliveries expected to begin in December 2026, Electrek reported.

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner described the A2 e-tron as "more than a new model," calling it the brand's "renewal," according to Electrek.

Ola Electric has launched the S1Z, its first electric scooter built around lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells developed and manufactured in-house in India, according to electrive.

The scooter comes in two battery sizes, 3.1 kWh and 5.1 kWh, both using 46-series LFP cells, electrive reported. The smaller pack delivers a stated range of up to 179 kilometres on a single charge, while the larger pack raises that to 301 kilometres, an increase of 68 per cent, according to the same report. Charging the 3.1 kWh version from 0 to 80 per cent takes 5 hours and 42 minutes.

Pricing was set at an introductory 79,999 rupees for the 3.1 kWh variant and 99,999 rupees for the 5.1 kWh variant, electrive reported.

The cell work is split across two sites. Ola Electric developed the LFP cells at its Battery Innovation Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and produces them at the Ola Gigafactory in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, according to electrive. That vertical integration is the substance of the launch: the company is one of India's leading electric two-wheeler brands, and the S1Z is its first model to carry cells it makes itself.

Investors responded. On Monday, the first full trading day after the launch, Ola Electric shares climbed as much as 8.1 per cent on the BSE before closing 5.3 per cent higher, electrive reported.