When journalists first get behind the wheel of a new car, they are often limited to short test drives during launch events. During an initial summer drive, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 made a strong impression – including surprisingly low energy consumption. But how does that first impression hold up over 1,800 kilometres on German motorways in colder conditions? We put it to the test.
Category: Electrive
Will the EU strategy overturn Germany’s electric vehicle incentives?
The EU Commission’s ‘Industrial Accelerator Act’ was initially expected on February 25, but the strategy paper is now set to be presented on March 4. A draft from the Commission is already causing a stir, because it jeopardizes the German government’s planned EV subsidies in their current form. Read more…
Could Stellantis soon adopt Leapmotor technology?
According to insiders, the multi-brand group Stellantis is considering using the electric vehicle technology of its Chinese partner Leapmotor to reduce costs for its European mass-market brands such as Fiat, Opel, and Peugeot. Read more…
China introduces new regulations for autonomous driving
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has presented a draft of new safety requirements for highly automated and autonomous driving systems, set to be implemented by July 1, 2027. The regulations specifically target vehicles operating at SAE Level 3 and Level 4 automation. Read more…
Last Mile Solutions integrates Tesla Supercharger network
Last Mile Solutions has expanded its MSP offering to include Tesla Superchargers. Through a direct peer-to-peer connection, Last Mile Solutions partners gain access to over 20,000 Superchargers at approximately 1,500 locations across Europe. Read more…
Zimbabwe imposes export ban on raw lithium and lithium concentrate
The landlocked country of Zimbabwe, located in southern Africa, has imposed an immediate export ban on raw minerals and lithium concentrate. Western critics had previously accused the government of allowing Chinese investors to export raw lithium from Zimbabwe to China. Read more…
Smatrics EnBW opens two charging parks in Northern Italy
Smatrics EnBW is extending its Austrian fast-charging network towards northern Italy. The two new sites in Trezzo sull’Adda and Gruaro each offer 16 charging points for passenger cars. The partially covered charging parks provide up to 400 kW of power. Read more…
Arnold Clark Charge opens 60th UK location
Arnold Clark Charge has reached a new milestone: the opening of its 60th UK charging hub. It’s part of a nationwide expansion for the car dealership Read more…
BYD launches 2026 Seal in the UK
BYD UK has announced pricing and specifications for the 2026 Seal with a series of changes. Prices start from £45,730, and the vehicle is already available to order from local retailers. Read more…
India: Tata.ev partners with Shell for 21 Mega Charging Hubs
Tata.ev, officially Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML), has partnered with Shell to expand its fast-charging network in India. The duo plans to establish 21 Mega Charging Hubs across key metro cities and major highway corridors as part of this initiative. Read more…
Mercedes, Stellantis, Uber and others invest in Wayve
February has already seen the third massive funding round in the autonomous driving sector: British company Wayve has secured around one billion euros from financial investors and strategic partners including Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Stellantis, Uber, Nvidia, and Microsoft. Read more…
Liverpool receives first of 100 electric double-deckers
The first of over 100 electric double-decker buses have arrived in Liverpool. Over the coming months, dozens more electric buses from British manufacturers Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) are expected to be delivered. Read more…
Three battery-electric Yutong coaches deployed in Austria
Austrian company Dr. Richard Gruppe has put its first electric coaches into operation. As of now, the largest private bus company in the German-speaking region operates three electric coaches from Yutong. Read more…
MG2 to be unveiled later this year
Initial rough details about the MG2 electric city car are emerging: Prices for the new entry-level model from SAIC’s brand are expected to start at around £20,000 pounds—approximately €23,000 euros. The MG2 is set to be unveiled in the second half of 2026 but will not be available until 2027. Read more…
Fraunhofer reveals collaborative project ‘ProBatman’ on direct battery recycling
The Fraunhofer Research and Development Center for Electromobility (FZEB) is working on efficient and sustainable solutions for battery recycling in Germany through its research and development. Now, another collaborative project for the direct recycling of battery materials has been launched with industry partners. Read more…
21 countries, 73,500 km: Scania engineer on electric long haul
Over 2.5 years, Scania Senior Engineer Anders Gaasedal has turned a pilot-series battery-electric truck into a rolling roadshow, travelling to 21 countries and 73,500 km. In an interview, the 45-year-old engineer explains why he ‘trusts the numbers,’ how charging changed since 2023, and what matters for fleets. Read more…
FEV analysis identifies cost advantages for range-extender electric trucks
FEV Group has analysed the cost potential of range-extender trucks and concludes that EREV models could lower total cost of ownership by up to 33 per cent compared to diesel equivalents, depending on the duty cycle. Yet despite the projected savings, such trucks are barely available on the market today. Read more…
Germany: Metzger Spedition adds fourth electric truck
Metzger Spedition GmbH from southern Germany has added a MAN eTGX to its fleet, where it joins three Volvo FH Electric trucks already part of the fleet. Within the next three years, the logistics company plans to put six additional electric trucks into operation – and to electrify at least 50 per cent of its entire truck fleet by 2030. Read more…
Price drop for Audi E5 Sportback in China
The Chinese joint venture between Audi and SAIC has significantly reduced the prices of its all-electric flagship model, the AUDI E5 Sportback. Until March 31, the prices are approximately 3,700 euros lower than before. Weak sales figures are reportedly the reason for this adjustment. Read more…
Grünheide: Musk puts Tesla plant expansion at risk amid union dispute
Works council elections are due in early March at many German companies, including Tesla’s Gigafactory in Grünheide. In a video message to employees, CEO Elon Musk has now weighed in on the vote, cautioning that the planned expansion of the site could be jeopardised if the plant does not remain, in his words, ‘free from external influences.’ The remarks add fresh tension to the ongoing debate over union involvement at the Brandenburg facility. Read more…
