Friday, 30 October 2026

Ford wants utilities to help make bidirectional EV charging cheaper for everyone, according to CleanTechnica.

The Ford Fathom electric pickup truck carries a built-in inverter for bidirectional EV charging, CleanTechnica reported. The vehicle is still under camouflage, and Ford is promoting the inverter feature ahead of a full reveal.

Toyota sold 309,766 battery electric vehicles globally, including Lexus, in the first nine months of 2026, according to Electrek. That figure represents a 127.4% rise from the same period in 2025.

The gains in electric vehicles came alongside a slide in overall sales. According to Electrek, slumping demand for gasoline and hybrid vehicles in China pushed Toyota's global sales lower for three consecutive months.

In China, Toyota sold just over 1.05 million vehicles in the first nine months of 2026, down 18.9% from the same period a year earlier, Electrek reported.

An Post and DHL Express Ireland are taking part in a project that links EV fleet depots directly to Ireland's electricity flexibility markets, according to electrive. The connection lets operators adjust charging demand in response to grid conditions and potentially earn new revenue.

The pilot covers three An Post sites in Cork and Galway and one DHL Express site in Dublin, electrive reported.

Across those depots, the participating fleet comprises 211 EVs and 181 charging points, with up to 500 kW of flexible electricity demand, according to electrive.

VIOTAS will enable the depots to take part in EirGrid's electricity flexibility markets, electrive reported.

The UK government has confirmed GBP 100 million to reduce charging bills for drivers who rely on lower-powered public chargers close to home, electrive reported, aimed mainly at those without off-street parking.

Spending will run across two years from spring 2027, according to electrive.

The grant covers chargers on residential streets where vehicles can be left to charge over several hours or overnight, a UK Treasury statement said. The Treasury put the expected benefit at roughly GBP 150 a year for affected drivers, according to electrive.