The English coastal town of Southend-on-Sea is gearing up to install a major charging infrastructure overhaul. Over 3,000 public charging stations are to be installed, for which the council has selected Zest as its official partner. Read more…

The charging software provider Pionix has completed a funding round worth more than €8m. Pionix will use the capital to scale its products for EV charging worldwide on the open-source “EVerest” stack. Read more…

The fast-charging provider Fastned has expanded its charging network with three new locations. The first new charging hub was built as part of the Deutschlandnetz. This is located at the Löwenburg parking area on the A2 near Porta Westfalica. Two additional locations were commissioned in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. Read more…

Dutch public transport operator EBS has ordered 73 electric buses from Chinese manufacturer BYD, which are expected to enter service in the province of Zeeland from December 2026. The first vehicles are scheduled to arrive as early as next summer. Read more…

Toyota has introduced the Urban Cruiser and begun local assembly of the updated bZ4X in Indonesia. Both models arrive in single configurations aimed at the local market, with final assembly of the bZ4X now taking place in Karawang and the Urban Cruiser imported from India. Read more…

Polestar and Volvo are rolling out new bi-directional charging options in the US. Both brands now offer vehicle-to-home capability using dcbel’s Ara system, giving drivers backup power and potential savings while supporting smarter home energy use. Read more…

The GAC Group has commissioned a facility for the production of solid-state batteries. According to Chairman Feng Xingya, it is currently producing small batches of “automotive-grade solid-state cells with capacities above 60 Ah”. The company plans mass production for 2027-2030. Read more…

SAIC partner Qingtao Power has reportedly brought its new production line for pure solid-state batteries in Anting, China, into operation. SAIC expects to receive regular series deliveries of batteries from Qingtao’s production from 2027 onwards. Read more…

Volkswagen is apparently losing its chief strategist Stefan Weckbach. Apparently, the manager is set to move to a competitor, which is now causing some discord in Wolfsburg. Read more…

The UK government has released a new “Critical Minerals Strategy” aimed at cutting dependence on foreign suppliers and securing materials essential for, for example, electric vehicles. The plan includes producing 10% of national mineral demand domestically and at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium by 2035. Read more…

With the introduction of Nissan’s newest Leaf generation, prices for the UK have been announced. The base price for the Leaf now starts from £32,249, and qualifies for the £3,750 discount under the Electric Car Grant. Read more…

Changan has taken over a Beijing Hyundai factory in Chongqing and will use it to produce vehicles for its Deepal brand in future. The main aim is to increase production capacity, as Changan is reaching its limits. Read more…

The British government will likely increase subsidies for electric vehicles and secure them until 2030. And it could introduce a new per-mile tax on EVs at the same time – a levy that is meant to mirror the fuel duty on petrol and diesel cars. Read more…

Chinese carmaker Leapmotor has unveiled its new A10 model at the Guangzhou Auto Show. Customers can now place pre-orders for the compact BEV, which in its most expensive version is set to cost less than 100,000 yuan (about €12,200). Leapmotor plans to offer the A10 outside China as well, although under a different name. Read more…

The North American fast-charging joint venture Ionna, formed by BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Toyota, has announced an investment of more than US$250 million in charging infrastructure in California over the next three years. Read more…

Finnish technology company Donut Lab has unveiled DonutOS. The software platform aims to revolutionize nothing less than “the conception, development, and realization of electric vehicles.” Read more…

Tesla’s first third-party owned Superchargers are now operational in Florida. The eight charging stalls are located in Land O’Lakes, Bexley, and are branded as Suncoast Charging, a Florida-based EV charging company. Read more…

A new consortium of Scottish logistics and charging businesses have joined forces to trial electric trucks and shared charging hubs. Called SCALE (Scotland Charging to Accelerate Logistics Electrification), the consortium is being led by electric truck charging specialist Voltempo. Read more…

Audi’s subsidiary of the same name is planning to launch its second series on the Chinese market in 2026. An initial concept for the electric SUV was presented at Auto Guangzhou. A range of 700 kilometres and 800-volt technology are promised. Read more…

After the company’s autonomous shuttles have been operating regularly in Las Vegas since September, Zoox is now also launching in the Californian tech metropolis. It is starting with free trial rides for registered ‘explorers’. Read more…