Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Ford is examining a plan to restart its dormant factory near Chennai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, as an electric vehicle manufacturing hub, according to a Fortune India report cited by electrive. Production at the site stopped four years ago.

Electrive, relaying industry estimates, put the cost of an integrated EV and battery manufacturing hub at 150 to 200 billion rupees, or about EUR 1.4 to EUR 1.8 billion. The publication cautioned that these figures are industry estimates rather than company guidance.

The only sum Ford has confirmed is 32.5 billion rupees, about EUR 294 million, tied to a memorandum of understanding signed with the government of Tamil Nadu in October 2025, electrive reported. A Ford spokesperson told electrive that the plans announced last year for export-only powertrain manufacturing remain unchanged.

Ford sold its Sanand plant to Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML) in 2023 but retains ownership of the Chennai-area facility, according to electrive.

The UK Department for Transport has confirmed plans to introduce new permitted development rights for cross-pavement EV charging solutions in England, according to electrive.

Secondary legislation to bring the changes into force is expected to go before Parliament in Autumn 2026, electrive reported.

Oversight of individual installations will remain with local authorities under Section 178 of the Highways Act 1980.

EVA England said around four in ten UK households do not have off-street parking, a group for whom kerbside routing of a home charging cable has been a practical barrier to switching to an electric vehicle.

NHTSA issued a formal Special Order on September 10 demanding that Tesla show under oath how the Cybercab, a vehicle with no steering wheel, no pedals, and no mirrors, complies with federal safety standards written for human drivers, according to Electrek.

The order runs to 21 detailed requests and is signed by NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser, Electrek reported. Tesla has until September 30 to respond, and failing to answer fully and truthfully carries penalties of up to USD 139 million. Falsifying or withholding information in the sworn response can bring criminal penalties, including a fine or up to 15 years in prison.

The regulatory move followed the launch of paid service. Tesla began commercial Cybercab service in Austin on September 3, and NHTSA opened Audit Query 26002 hours later, per Electrek.

At the center of the dispute is a rule the Cybercab's design cannot meet on its face. FMVSS No. 135 requires that service brakes shall be activated by means of a foot control, and the Cybercab has no foot control.

Electrek noted that a separate pathway already exists for driverless vehicles. In July, NHTSA granted Amazon's Zoox a temporary Part 555 exemption covering eight federal standards, allowing paid rides in its no-controls pods, capped at 2,500 vehicles a year, running through 2028.

BYD's Denza brand has priced its new all-electric N8L SUV from 299,800 yuan, or about USD 45,000, according to Electrek. The Flagship trim sits at 329,800 yuan, or about USD 49,000.

Electrek reports both versions carry a 130.15 kWh BYD Blade Battery 2.0, delivering a CLTC range of up to 960 km. The SUV runs on an 800V electrical architecture paired with BYD's Flash Charging technology, which the company says takes the battery from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes.

The N8L is not a new nameplate. Denza first launched it in October 2025, initially offered only as a plug-in hybrid, per Electrek. The newly revealed variant is the all-electric version of that existing PHEV.

Lidl Netherlands has opened a fast-charging hub for electric trucks at its Waddinxveen distribution centre, bringing dedicated charging infrastructure to all six of the retailer's regional logistics centres, according to electrive.

The completed network gives Lidl what the company describes as the prerequisites to supply all 440 of its Dutch branches electrically starting in 2027, electrive reported.

At the Almere hub, Lidl combines CCS fast chargers with an MCS charging point expected to deliver up to 1.2 MW in the future, according to electrive.

Access extends beyond Lidl's own fleet. The retailer says the Waddinxveen infrastructure will be open to freight forwarders and other local companies at favourable rates with guaranteed charging times, alongside Lidl and its transport partners, electrive reported.