The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB has produced its first electrically functional lithium-ion battery cell. This marks the first time a continuous process chain using exclusively European equipment, from electrode production to the charged cell, has been implemented. Read more…

Aiming for a stronger foothold in Southeast Asia, Xpeng plans to localise its EVs in Malaysia from 2026, following a similar move in Indonesia earlier this year. It will pursue an asset-light strategy, outsourcing local assembly operations rather than setting up its own facility. Read more…

Sweden is the first country to receive the green light for its Climate Social Plan under the EU’s new Climate Social Fund. As part of this, over 500 million euros in funding will be provided to enable more affordable access to electric cars, particularly for low- and middle-income households. Read more…

Ahead of the market launch of the ID. Polo next year, Volkswagen has released further details about its electric compact car. This includes performance data for the four drivetrain and two battery variants. Read more…

Deutsche Bahn plans to integrate around 3,000 buses with electric or hybrid drives, as well as 300 combustion-engine buses, through framework agreements with multiple manufacturers by 2032. The primary supplier is MAN, while BYD will deliver a smaller fleet of electric intercity buses. Prior to the deal with BYD, the EVG union had raised objections. Read more…

DHL has put eight Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 trucks from its partnership with commercial vehicle lessor Hylane into operation. These are the first battery-electric trucks rented out by the former pure hydrogen specialist. Simultaneously, DHL has increased its order with Hylane from the original 30 to 42 e-trucks. Read more…

The Battery Cell Recycling Competence Center (Cell Recycling Competence Center; CRCC) in Salching, Lower Bavaria, announced about a year ago, has now commenced operations. There, BMW and Encory are implementing direct recycling to recover battery raw materials. Read more…

French battery manufacturer and Renault partner Verkor has officially opened its battery cell factory in northern France. The plant in Dunkirk has an initial annual capacity of 16 GWh, with plans to expand to 50 GWh by 2030. Read more…

Last week, the EU Commission proposed a 90 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions as a target for 2035. Sebastian Bock of Transport & Environment has now calculated what impact this figure could have. Read more…

According to the ‘Christmas Peace’ agreement in 2024, the Zwickau electric car plant was supposed to lose all models except the Audi Q4 e-tron to other locations. However, during a recent works meeting, management announced that the Cupra Born will continue to be produced in Saxony long-term, and the ID.3 will also continue to roll off the production line there. At least for now. Read more…

Nio’s new entry-level brand, Firefly, has begun production of the right-hand-drive Firefly EV. The company will export the first batch to Singapore, its first market in Southeast Asia. Read more…

The Orbit Clipper, the first fully electric ferry in Great Britain, has completed its maiden voyage. Its regular service is scheduled to begin in February 2026, when it will cross the river with a capacity of 150 passengers and 100 bicycles, operating every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends. Read more…

The Orbit Clipper, the first fully electric ferry in Great Britain, has completed its maiden voyage. Its regular service is scheduled to begin in February 2026, when it will cross the river with a capacity of 150 passengers and 100 bicycles, operating every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends. Read more…

Adelaide’s public transport bus fleet has begun a new phase of electrification. Operator Adelaide Metro has taken delivery of the initial two vehicles from supplier Scania, marking the start of a rollout that will see 60 electric buses operating across the network by mid-2026. Read more…

Seat and Cupra have inaugurated their battery system assembly plant in Martorell. There, it will assemble up to 300,000 battery systems per year for the Volkswagen Group’s electric compact cars built in Spain. Read more…

French automaker Renault is discontinuing its electric car-sharing services and slowing down the expansion of fast-charging stations under its Mobilize division, which focuses on new mobility solutions. With this move, the company aims to redirect investments toward more profitable business areas. Read more…

Tesla’s sales in the USA fell to a nearly four-year low in November, despite the automaker introducing new, more affordable versions of its high-volume models. Oddly enough, as the overall U.S. electric vehicle market declined across all brands, Tesla’s market share still increased. Read more…

Scania and Swedish mining operator LKAB are intensifying their collaboration to further electrify transport in mining. A new, fully electric 8×4 heavy-duty dump truck with two steerable front axles – the first of its kind in the world from Scania – has started operations at LKAB’s mine in Malmberget in northern Sweden. Read more…

EV manufacturer Rivian, a key partner of Volkswagen, unveiled its own in-house developed silicon chip at its first ‘Autonomy & AI Day’. Rivian also outlined a roadmap for next-generation vehicle autonomy and showcased an advanced software architecture based on artificial intelligence. Read more…

Grab Vietnam and Charge+ have signed a partnership to develop an electric vehicle charging and battery swapping network in Vietnam. The collaboration targets electric cars, motorcycles and e-scooters, supporting Grab drivers and wider EV adoption in line with Vietnam’s net-zero ambitions. Read more…