Monday, 12 October 2026

In Australia, AGL Energy has joined a coalition of retailers, charging operators and industry bodies opposing a draft rule that would let electricity networks own and run EV chargers. The company argues that EV charging should stay a competitive market rather than become a regulated network service funded through electricity bills.

Separately, a paper published in Nature proposes an intelligent adaptive energy management framework for a 1 MW hybrid solar-grid EV DC fast-charging station equipped with 600 kWh of energy storage. In MATLAB/Simulink simulations, the framework achieved 87.8% renewable energy utilization, a 4.2:1 grid export-to-import ratio and a 71.8% average daily solar contribution.

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng has unveiled an autonomous ride service under the Xpeng Yoyo brand, opening registration for the first external users in China, according to electrive.

Access is initially restricted to users with an invitation code, electrive reported. The operating area currently covers only parts of Guangzhou, where the robotaxis are manufactured.

Xpeng plans to provide the vehicles and required technology, while external partners handle fleet operations, according to electrive.

A defect petition accuses Tesla Robotaxis of speeding through active school zones, and NHTSA has opened a file to decide whether to investigate, according to Electrek.

The Office of Defects Investigation opened the file, DP26010, on October 9, Electrek reported.

NHTSA puts the affected fleet at about 1,000 vehicles, comprising Model Y and Cybercab, according to Electrek.

The evidence supporting the petition is limited, per Electrek: three social media videos linked in the petition, alongside four incidents in NHTSA's own tally.

Vietnamese public transport operator Transerco has deployed 53 electric buses in Hanoi, according to electrive. The new fleet replaces diesel buses on four routes across the capital.

Cau Buou Bus Enterprise commissioned 28 medium-sized electric buses on October 6 for routes 22A and 22B, electrive reported. Route 22A runs from Gia Lam Bus Station to Kien Hung Urban Area, while route 22B connects Giap Bat Bus Station to Do Nghia.

Southern Hanoi Passenger Bus Enterprise began operating the remaining 25 electric buses the same day, serving routes 30 and 50, according to electrive. Route 30 links My Dinh Bus Station with Gamuda Urban Area, and route 50 connects Long Bien with An Lac Urban Area in Hoai Duc.

Tesla has renamed its FSD (Supervised) driver assistance system to "Tesla Assisted Driving" after a demand from the German federal government, as it seeks EU-wide approval, according to electrive.

The renaming was a condition set by German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger, who considered the FSD name misleading, electrive reported. According to Bilger, Tesla agreed to the new name and has already applied it in Europe, though not worldwide.

EU-wide approval requires a qualified majority of at least 15 of the 27 member states, representing at least 65% of the EU population, according to electrive.

Citroën unveiled its electric 2CV Concept at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, according to electrive.

The production version is expected to weigh around one tonne, electrive reported, achieved through the elimination of unnecessary functions.

The production model is expected to arrive by 2028 and will comply with EU electric-car regulations under the M1E category, according to electrive.

Brazilian electric motorcycle and battery-swapping company Vammo has surpassed 10 million battery swaps, according to Electrek. The São Paulo-based company reported the milestone as it prepares to extend its model beyond its home city.

Vammo has reached EBITDA profitability, Electrek reported.

The company has grown to more than 10,000 active riders, according to Electrek.

LG's manufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, is expanding from electric vehicle battery production into grid-storage battery production, a shift that could help America power the AI boom and compete with China. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the plant last month as it moved beyond making batteries only for electric vehicles.

The expansion targets the electricity demands of artificial intelligence. Batteries can help bring power online faster by relieving pressure on an already strained grid and getting more capacity out of existing power plants and transmission infrastructure, according to the report. AI data centers require large amounts of reliable, around-the-clock electricity.

Charging demand is sharpening the strain on power systems. A single EV charger can draw up to 2.25 MW of power, according to the Khan report on the EV charging speed race.

Secondhand Ford F-150 Lightnings move off US lots in roughly 20 days, well under half the 44-day average for used vehicles nationwide, Electrek reported.

Demand picked up on the used market once new versions of the electric pickup ran out, according to Electrek. Dealers are listing the trucks at 50% to 60% off sticker price.

Used F-150 Lightning prices have climbed 4% since the start of the year, Edmunds.com reported.

US electric vehicle sales reached an estimated 266,630 units in the third quarter of 2026, according to Kelley Blue Book figures cited by Electrek.

Through Q3, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 held the top two positions in US EV sales, ranking first and second respectively, Electrek reported.

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 was the best-selling EV not made by Tesla, ranking third with 31,112 units sold through September, according to Electrek.

Swiss retailer OTTO'S is converting its entire truck fleet to electric drive, according to electrive. The company will run 22 all-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 trucks to supply more than 140 branches in Switzerland with goods.

Most of the electricity for the fleet will come from the photovoltaic system at the company's headquarters, electrive reported. The 22 trucks will be supplied with solar energy from the company's own rooftops.

OTTO'S says the eActros 600 has a range of up to 500 kilometres, which lets it cover most routes without intermediate charging stops. "Around 80 per cent of all daily transport routes fall within this distance," OTTO'S CEO Mark Ineichen said, according to electrive.

Renault Group and Électricité de France (EDF) will launch a bidirectional charging offering in France next summer, according to electrive. The solution bundles an electric vehicle, a wallbox, and intelligent charging management.

The package targets private customers and will be distributed through Renault Group's dealer network, electrive reported. It includes installation of a home charging station, carried out by IZI and EDF, along with an intelligent charge management service.