ev.news

TESLA HALTS MODEL 3 PREMIUM ORDERS WITH QUOTA UNUSED
Tesla has stopped taking Canadian orders for both versions of the Model 3 Premium, claiming its allocation is exhausted despite government figures showing 33,069 of 33,397 Chinese EV import quota places remain available. Canadian rules permit officials to reserve allocations, but no Tesla-specific limit has been disclosed, raising questions about how manufacturers are being granted access to the country's import quota.
US EV SALES REBOUND AS TOYOTA AND RIVIAN GAIN
US electric vehicle sales rose 7.7% quarter-on-quarter to 266,630 in Q3 2026, lifting market share to 6.5%, although volumes remained 38.6% below last year's incentive-driven peak. Rivian gained 45.7% and Subaru grew 31.5%, while Tesla retained approximately 54% market share despite a 19.7% decline in deliveries.
SMART OPENS #2 PRE-ORDERS FROM €19,990
Smart has opened European pre-orders for its new #2 two-seat electric city car, priced from €19,990 in Germany, with a 35.8 kWh LFP battery, 60 kW rear motor and provisional 290 km WLTP range ahead of wider availability in 2027. All four trims share the same battery and motor, with higher specifications adding equipment and faster AC charging rather than additional range, while every version supports 65 kW DC charging and vehicle-to-load functionality.
MERCEDES OFFERS GERMAN EV OWNERS PAID GRID SUPPORT
Mercedes-Benz is introducing bidirectional home charging in Germany, initially for the electric GLC and C-Class, allowing owners to earn an estimated €500 annually by making their batteries available for grid services. The system requires an 11 kW DC wallbox and compatible electricity tariff, with introductory wallbox pricing of €1,990 potentially allowing customers to recover their investment within four years, according to Mercedes' estimates.
SKODA PRICES EPIQ SPORTLINE AT £32,450
Skoda has priced its Epiq SportLine compact electric SUV at £32,450 in the UK, offering a 55 kWh battery, 155 kW motor, approximately 270 miles of provisional range and 10–80% charging in as little as 24 minutes. The sportier specification adds Matrix LED headlights, 19-inch wheels, electrically adjustable sports seats and vehicle-to-load capability, with first customer deliveries expected in early 2027.
RENAULT CUTS 4 E-TECH PRICE BY €1,810
Renault has reduced the German starting price of its 4 E-Tech electric SUV by €1,810 to €27,690, while improving aerodynamic efficiency and increasing WLTP range to 310 km for the 40 kWh version and 415 km for the 52 kWh model. Drivers also gain manually activated battery preconditioning for more convenient fast charging, making the lower purchase price the most significant improvement in the car's competitiveness against combustion alternatives.
RENAULT SETS €47,000 LAUNCH PRICE FOR NEW ELECTRIC TRAFIC
Renault's new electric Trafic van will initially launch in France at €47,000 before VAT with an 81 kWh battery, up to 470 km of provisional WLTP range and 800-volt charging capable of adding 280 km in 20 minutes, while a cheaper €41,500 version with a 60 kWh battery follows in early 2027. Built alongside diesel Trafics at Sandouville, the electric van offers up to 1.3 tonnes of payload, with Renault estimating total ownership costs up to 10% lower than a comparable diesel.
RENAULT DEMANDS MORE DISTINCT CARS FROM PARTNERS
Renault CEO François Provost wants future vehicles manufactured for Nissan, Ford and Mitsubishi to look and feel more distinctive, acknowledging that the Nissan Micra shares too much of its interior and exterior design with the Renault 5. The strategy aims to preserve the manufacturing savings of shared electric platforms while ensuring partner brands retain their own identities, although greater differentiation will increase production costs.
VALEO PLANS OPEN-SOURCE DRIVING AI
Valeo and research laboratory KE:SAI plan to release an open-source AI driving system, including its code, trained models and datasets, allowing manufacturers to develop and customise autonomous driving technology without relying entirely on proprietary software suppliers. The compact system is intended to work across different vehicles and sensor configurations, but remains a development project requiring extensive validation before any production deployment.
TOMTOM SAYS EV NAVIGATION SETUP NOW TAKES MINUTES
TomTom has launched a self-service platform that it claims reduces the time manufacturers need to configure EV-specific navigation services from months to minutes, using vehicle specifications and real-world driving data to calculate energy consumption and charging requirements. Its routing system incorporates more than 2.3 million charging connectors across 117 countries, potentially allowing manufacturers to introduce tailored EV navigation more quickly without establishing that range predictions are necessarily more accurate.
LUCID AIR US SALES FALL 80.0%, COX ESTIMATES
Lucid's Air electric saloon suffered an estimated 80% year-on-year collapse in US sales to just 506 vehicles during Q3 2026, according to Cox Automotive, while the Gravity SUV recorded 2,202 sales but could not prevent the company's combined US volume declining 14.9%. Alternative estimates differ on the model breakdown, although both suggest Gravity is becoming Lucid's main retail product, while official global deliveries fell 6.7% to 3,806 vehicles.
BMW PLANS OVER €100M FOR ELECTRIC DRIVE COMPONENTS
BMW will invest more than €100 million at its Steyr factory in Austria to manufacture inverter power modules for its next-generation electric drivetrains, with production scheduled to begin in summer 2029. Although the facility continues producing more than one million petrol and diesel engines annually, the investment strengthens BMW's internal control of critical EV technology and demonstrates how established combustion-engine factories are increasingly developing electric manufacturing capabilities.
VOLVO EX60 PRODUCTION PROBLEMS DELAY US DELIVERIES
Volvo's EX60 electric SUV is reportedly suffering battery installation and electric motor manufacturing bottlenecks at its Swedish factory, restricting production to approximately one-tenth of the planned 2,000 vehicles weekly and delaying substantial US deliveries until the first half of 2027. Volvo is prioritising European demand, leaving American customers with limited availability of the EX60 following the discontinuation of the EX30 and EX40 in the US, making manufacturing capacity rather than demand the immediate constraint on growth.

TESLA HALTS MODEL 3 PREMIUM ORDERS WITH QUOTA UNUSED
Tesla has stopped taking Canadian orders for both versions of the Model 3 Premium, claiming its allocation is exhausted despite government figures showing 33,069 of 33,397 Chinese EV import quota places remain available. Canadian rules permit officials to reserve allocations, but no Tesla-specific limit has been disclosed, raising questions about how manufacturers are being granted access to the country's import quota.
US EV SALES REBOUND AS TOYOTA AND RIVIAN GAIN
US electric vehicle sales rose 7.7% quarter-on-quarter to 266,630 in Q3 2026, lifting market share to 6.5%, although volumes remained 38.6% below last year's incentive-driven peak. Rivian gained 45.7% and Subaru grew 31.5%, while Tesla retained approximately 54% market share despite a 19.7% decline in deliveries.
SMART OPENS #2 PRE-ORDERS FROM €19,990
Smart has opened European pre-orders for its new #2 two-seat electric city car, priced from €19,990 in Germany, with a 35.8 kWh LFP battery, 60 kW rear motor and provisional 290 km WLTP range ahead of wider availability in 2027. All four trims share the same battery and motor, with higher specifications adding equipment and faster AC charging rather than additional range, while every version supports 65 kW DC charging and vehicle-to-load functionality.
MERCEDES OFFERS GERMAN EV OWNERS PAID GRID SUPPORT
Mercedes-Benz is introducing bidirectional home charging in Germany, initially for the electric GLC and C-Class, allowing owners to earn an estimated €500 annually by making their batteries available for grid services. The system requires an 11 kW DC wallbox and compatible electricity tariff, with introductory wallbox pricing of €1,990 potentially allowing customers to recover their investment within four years, according to Mercedes' estimates.
SKODA PRICES EPIQ SPORTLINE AT £32,450
Skoda has priced its Epiq SportLine compact electric SUV at £32,450 in the UK, offering a 55 kWh battery, 155 kW motor, approximately 270 miles of provisional range and 10–80% charging in as little as 24 minutes. The sportier specification adds Matrix LED headlights, 19-inch wheels, electrically adjustable sports seats and vehicle-to-load capability, with first customer deliveries expected in early 2027.
RENAULT CUTS 4 E-TECH PRICE BY €1,810
Renault has reduced the German starting price of its 4 E-Tech electric SUV by €1,810 to €27,690, while improving aerodynamic efficiency and increasing WLTP range to 310 km for the 40 kWh version and 415 km for the 52 kWh model. Drivers also gain manually activated battery preconditioning for more convenient fast charging, making the lower purchase price the most significant improvement in the car's competitiveness against combustion alternatives.
RENAULT SETS €47,000 LAUNCH PRICE FOR NEW ELECTRIC TRAFIC
Renault's new electric Trafic van will initially launch in France at €47,000 before VAT with an 81 kWh battery, up to 470 km of provisional WLTP range and 800-volt charging capable of adding 280 km in 20 minutes, while a cheaper €41,500 version with a 60 kWh battery follows in early 2027. Built alongside diesel Trafics at Sandouville, the electric van offers up to 1.3 tonnes of payload, with Renault estimating total ownership costs up to 10% lower than a comparable diesel.
RENAULT DEMANDS MORE DISTINCT CARS FROM PARTNERS
Renault CEO François Provost wants future vehicles manufactured for Nissan, Ford and Mitsubishi to look and feel more distinctive, acknowledging that the Nissan Micra shares too much of its interior and exterior design with the Renault 5. The strategy aims to preserve the manufacturing savings of shared electric platforms while ensuring partner brands retain their own identities, although greater differentiation will increase production costs.
VALEO PLANS OPEN-SOURCE DRIVING AI
Valeo and research laboratory KE:SAI plan to release an open-source AI driving system, including its code, trained models and datasets, allowing manufacturers to develop and customise autonomous driving technology without relying entirely on proprietary software suppliers. The compact system is intended to work across different vehicles and sensor configurations, but remains a development project requiring extensive validation before any production deployment.
TOMTOM SAYS EV NAVIGATION SETUP NOW TAKES MINUTES
TomTom has launched a self-service platform that it claims reduces the time manufacturers need to configure EV-specific navigation services from months to minutes, using vehicle specifications and real-world driving data to calculate energy consumption and charging requirements. Its routing system incorporates more than 2.3 million charging connectors across 117 countries, potentially allowing manufacturers to introduce tailored EV navigation more quickly without establishing that range predictions are necessarily more accurate.
LUCID AIR US SALES FALL 80.0%, COX ESTIMATES
Lucid's Air electric saloon suffered an estimated 80% year-on-year collapse in US sales to just 506 vehicles during Q3 2026, according to Cox Automotive, while the Gravity SUV recorded 2,202 sales but could not prevent the company's combined US volume declining 14.9%. Alternative estimates differ on the model breakdown, although both suggest Gravity is becoming Lucid's main retail product, while official global deliveries fell 6.7% to 3,806 vehicles.
BMW PLANS OVER €100M FOR ELECTRIC DRIVE COMPONENTS
BMW will invest more than €100 million at its Steyr factory in Austria to manufacture inverter power modules for its next-generation electric drivetrains, with production scheduled to begin in summer 2029. Although the facility continues producing more than one million petrol and diesel engines annually, the investment strengthens BMW's internal control of critical EV technology and demonstrates how established combustion-engine factories are increasingly developing electric manufacturing capabilities.
VOLVO EX60 PRODUCTION PROBLEMS DELAY US DELIVERIES
Volvo's EX60 electric SUV is reportedly suffering battery installation and electric motor manufacturing bottlenecks at its Swedish factory, restricting production to approximately one-tenth of the planned 2,000 vehicles weekly and delaying substantial US deliveries until the first half of 2027. Volvo is prioritising European demand, leaving American customers with limited availability of the EX60 following the discontinuation of the EX30 and EX40 in the US, making manufacturing capacity rather than demand the immediate constraint on growth.

BYD LAUNCHES DA HAN WITH 1,008 KM CLTC RANGE
BYD has launched its flagship Da Han electric saloon from 235,900 yuan ($35,200), offering a 102.3 kWh Blade Battery, up to 1,008 km CLTC range (816 km WLTP), and claimed 10–97% charging in nine minutes using dedicated flash chargers. The 5.26-metre luxury EV features standard air suspension, rear-wheel steering and lidar-based driver assistance, with a 570 kW all-wheel-drive version accelerating to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds, as BYD seeks to reverse a 71% decline in existing Han sales.
TESLA MODEL Y TOPS CHINA’S SEPTEMBER SALES
Tesla’s Model Y became China’s best-selling passenger vehicle across all powertrains in September with 50,359 sales, ahead of the Geely Xingyuan’s 44,275, despite being the most expensive vehicle in the top ten. New-energy vehicles reached a record 67% of passenger-car retail sales even as the overall market contracted 28% year on year, although Tesla remained fourth among NEV manufacturers behind BYD, Geely and Leapmotor.
BYD PLANS GOD’S EYE FOR EUROPE IN 2027
BYD will introduce its lidar-based God’s Eye B urban driving assistance to Europe in 2027, beginning with the Denza Z9 GT through an over-the-air update, enabling supervised navigation through junctions, roundabouts and city traffic. The Level 2 system uses lidar, 11 cameras and radar sensors with continuous driver monitoring, while rival Xpeng is also preparing European urban-navigation assistance for early 2027.
CHERY OVERTAKES GEELY IN CHINA’S NEV EXPORTS
Chery has overtaken Geely to become China’s second-largest new-energy passenger vehicle exporter, shipping 85,990 vehicles in September, up 25.7% from August, compared with Geely’s 72,893. BYD remains the dominant exporter with 174,277 September shipments and a 31.1% market share, having exported more than 1.3 million NEVs during the first nine months of the year.
XIAOMI’S RANGE-EXTENDERS LIFT SEPTEMBER DELIVERIES
Xiaomi delivered 40,015 vehicles in September, up 32.7% month on month, as its newly launched Sky Nomad N70 and N90 range-extended SUVs contributed 12,444 sales while deliveries of its battery-electric SU7 and YU7 both declined. Despite securing more than 70,000 locked-in orders for the new SUVs, Xiaomi has delivered just 286,490 vehicles against its 550,000 annual target, requiring monthly deliveries to more than double during the final quarter.
XPENG X9 AND AION UT EARN FIVE-STAR RATINGS
The Xpeng X9 and GAC Aion UT have achieved five-star ANCAP safety ratings under tougher 2026 testing requirements, scoring 91% and 90% respectively for crash protection, although their Safe Driving scores were substantially lower at 56% and 68%. The smaller Aion UT combines its safety credentials with a 60 kWh battery and 430 km WLTP range, while ANCAP has urged manufacturers to restore physical controls for essential functions including wipers and demisting.
XPENG SEEKS 500,000 ANNUAL EUROPEAN SALES
Xpeng aims to sell 500,000 vehicles annually in Europe by 2030, representing half its planned global sales, and is exploring expanded European manufacturing capacity with Magna in Austria and other potential partners. Magna already builds several Xpeng models in Graz, but the manufacturer's European deliveries have totalled just over 60,000 since 2020, highlighting the scale of production expansion required to achieve its ambition.
BYD’S LARGER SEAGULL ARRIVES AT DEALERS
BYD’s second-generation Seagull has arrived at Chinese dealerships ahead of launch, growing 425 mm to 4.21 metres and offering 30 kWh or 39.2 kWh batteries with up to 420 km CLTC range (344 km WLTP). Expected to cost below 100,000 yuan ($14,900), the electric hatchback promises 10–97% flash charging in nine minutes, bringing ultra-fast charging technology into the affordable EV segment as BYD attempts to reverse a 66.5% decline in Seagull deliveries.
CHINESE EXPERT WARNS OF BATTERY-RECYCLING COSTS
China’s battery-recycling industry faces rising compliance costs, volatile raw-material prices and immature commercial models as increasing numbers of EV batteries reach retirement, according to Pan Wang of the China Automotive Technology & Research Center. Although revised recycling regulations took effect in April and recovered lithium, nickel and cobalt offer growing environmental benefits, the industry must overcome economic uncertainty to establish a sustainable supply of recycled battery materials.

FORD OPENS $29,945 FATHOM SIGN-UPS WITHOUT RANGE FIGURES
Ford has opened an invitation list for its $29,945 Fathom electric pickup, with official pre-orders expected in early 2027 and deliveries later that year, but no range, charging or payload figures yet. The four-door truck will debut Ford’s Universal EV platform with a 400-volt system and lithium-iron-phosphate battery, leaving buyers unable to assess its practicality ahead of a full reveal expected before year-end.
US FAST CHARGING PASSES 80,000 PORTS AS USAGE RISES
America’s public fast-charging network has passed 80,000 ports after adding 4,106 in the third quarter, while charging sessions rose 26% year on year to 50.4 million. Some 73% of new ports were rated at least 250 kW, but average charging prices rose to $0.540 per kWh and about 90% of new stations opened in urban markets, leaving rural coverage uneven.
TESLA PAUSES CANADIAN MODEL 3 ORDERS UNTIL MARCH
Tesla has suspended Canadian orders for its lower-cost, Shanghai-built Model 3 until March 2027 after exhausting its import allocation, although around 33,000 permits remained within Canada’s national quota. Its expected return follows the quota reset, but China’s export VAT rebate cut from 13% to 9% on 1 April 2027 could subsequently pressure pricing; Tesla has announced no related increase.
JAGUAR'S ELECTRIC RELAUNCH DRAWS OVER 50,000 SIGN-UPS
Jaguar’s electric relaunch has attracted more than 50,000 registrations of interest, around 80% from newcomers, as its Type 01 four-door GT targets a more exclusive luxury market with Bentley as its reference point. The electric-only strategy depends on converting that interest into purchases at higher prices, with Jaguar’s managing director previously estimating that up to 85% of existing buyers could leave.
ICAUR V25 SPOTTED CHARGING IN BRITAIN
A camouflaged iCaur V25 range-extender has been photographed charging in Britain, suggesting Chery’s off-road brand may be preparing a UK launch, although none is confirmed. It combines a petrol generator, two electric motors and a 33.7 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, with a reported 130-mile electric range on an unspecified test cycle; a battery-only version is expected, but its market availability remains unclear.
GM WEIGHS STARTUP ACCESS TO $145M BATTERY LAB
General Motors is considering opening its $145 million battery laboratory in Warren, Michigan, to help startups develop cell-manufacturing skills, but no programme has been approved and access is not imminent. Construction is expected to finish in December, with development work covering lithium manganese-rich and sodium-ion batteries, although GM’s existing sodium-ion partnership with Peak Energy concerns grid storage rather than an announced EV battery.
SOLAR AND BATTERIES HELP TEXAS THROUGH SUMMER HEAT
Solar and batteries helped Texas’s grid through a relatively uneventful summer despite hotter weather and rising demand, with 3,440 MW of solar added in the first half of 2026 and utility-scale storage reaching 33.1 GWh. Storage can shift low-cost electricity into peak periods, while solar and storage projects can be built faster than gas plants, but transmission bottlenecks still constrain delivery to areas needing the power.
MERCEDES TESTS E-CLASS-SHAPED CAR WITHOUT VISIBLE EXHAUSTS
Mercedes has been photographed testing an E-Class-shaped vehicle without visible exhaust outlets at the Nürburgring, prompting speculation about a more conventionally styled electric successor to the EQE. Such a model could attract buyers seeking familiar saloon styling with electric propulsion, but the sighting does not confirm a launch.
VOLKSWAGEN'S US EV SALES FALL 90% AFTER SUPPLY CUTS
Volkswagen’s US EV sales fell 90% to 1,421 in the third quarter after it ended US-specification ID.4 production to make room for petrol SUVs and halted ID. Buzz imports. Supply cuts make this a poor standalone measure of EV demand, although discounts up to $12,500 indicate stock-clearing difficulties; an electric ID. Tiguan is expected next year, while the ID. Buzz is not due back until the 2028 model.
BMW GROUP EV DELIVERIES RISE 7.2% DESPITE OVERALL DECLINE
BMW Group’s fully electric deliveries rose 7.2% to 110,257 in the third quarter, representing 20% of the total, while overall deliveries fell 6.3% and combustion-engined vehicles, including hybrids, collectively declined. Europe led electric growth with a 37.5% increase and more than 100,000 orders for the Neue Klasse iX3 within a year, while a China-specific version is planned for November as the group faces a 24.8% overall delivery decline there.
GRID BATTERY FAILURE RATE FALLS 98% PER GWh
EPRI reports a 98% fall in the global failure rate of lithium-ion grid-storage batteries per gigawatt-hour between 2018 and 2025, a capacity-adjusted measure concerning stationary storage rather than electric-car batteries. Newer installations generally performed better and 93% of reviewed incidents caused no injuries or fatalities, but indoor facilities had higher failure rates and damage, with some older plants potentially needing safety upgrades or early retirement.

FORD OPENS $29,945 FATHOM SIGN-UPS WITHOUT RANGE FIGURES
Ford has opened an invitation list for its $29,945 Fathom electric pickup, with official pre-orders expected in early 2027 and deliveries later that year, but no range, charging or payload figures yet. The four-door truck will debut Ford’s Universal EV platform with a 400-volt system and lithium-iron-phosphate battery, leaving buyers unable to assess its practicality ahead of a full reveal expected before year-end.
US FAST CHARGING PASSES 80,000 PORTS AS USAGE RISES
America’s public fast-charging network has passed 80,000 ports after adding 4,106 in the third quarter, while charging sessions rose 26% year on year to 50.4 million. Some 73% of new ports were rated at least 250 kW, but average charging prices rose to $0.540 per kWh and about 90% of new stations opened in urban markets, leaving rural coverage uneven.
TESLA PAUSES CANADIAN MODEL 3 ORDERS UNTIL MARCH
Tesla has suspended Canadian orders for its lower-cost, Shanghai-built Model 3 until March 2027 after exhausting its import allocation, although around 33,000 permits remained within Canada’s national quota. Its expected return follows the quota reset, but China’s export VAT rebate cut from 13% to 9% on 1 April 2027 could subsequently pressure pricing; Tesla has announced no related increase.
JAGUAR'S ELECTRIC RELAUNCH DRAWS OVER 50,000 SIGN-UPS
Jaguar’s electric relaunch has attracted more than 50,000 registrations of interest, around 80% from newcomers, as its Type 01 four-door GT targets a more exclusive luxury market with Bentley as its reference point. The electric-only strategy depends on converting that interest into purchases at higher prices, with Jaguar’s managing director previously estimating that up to 85% of existing buyers could leave.
ICAUR V25 SPOTTED CHARGING IN BRITAIN
A camouflaged iCaur V25 range-extender has been photographed charging in Britain, suggesting Chery’s off-road brand may be preparing a UK launch, although none is confirmed. It combines a petrol generator, two electric motors and a 33.7 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, with a reported 130-mile electric range on an unspecified test cycle; a battery-only version is expected, but its market availability remains unclear.
GM WEIGHS STARTUP ACCESS TO $145M BATTERY LAB
General Motors is considering opening its $145 million battery laboratory in Warren, Michigan, to help startups develop cell-manufacturing skills, but no programme has been approved and access is not imminent. Construction is expected to finish in December, with development work covering lithium manganese-rich and sodium-ion batteries, although GM’s existing sodium-ion partnership with Peak Energy concerns grid storage rather than an announced EV battery.
SOLAR AND BATTERIES HELP TEXAS THROUGH SUMMER HEAT
Solar and batteries helped Texas’s grid through a relatively uneventful summer despite hotter weather and rising demand, with 3,440 MW of solar added in the first half of 2026 and utility-scale storage reaching 33.1 GWh. Storage can shift low-cost electricity into peak periods, while solar and storage projects can be built faster than gas plants, but transmission bottlenecks still constrain delivery to areas needing the power.
MERCEDES TESTS E-CLASS-SHAPED CAR WITHOUT VISIBLE EXHAUSTS
Mercedes has been photographed testing an E-Class-shaped vehicle without visible exhaust outlets at the Nürburgring, prompting speculation about a more conventionally styled electric successor to the EQE. Such a model could attract buyers seeking familiar saloon styling with electric propulsion, but the sighting does not confirm a launch.
VOLKSWAGEN'S US EV SALES FALL 90% AFTER SUPPLY CUTS
Volkswagen’s US EV sales fell 90% to 1,421 in the third quarter after it ended US-specification ID.4 production to make room for petrol SUVs and halted ID. Buzz imports. Supply cuts make this a poor standalone measure of EV demand, although discounts up to $12,500 indicate stock-clearing difficulties; an electric ID. Tiguan is expected next year, while the ID. Buzz is not due back until the 2028 model.
BMW GROUP EV DELIVERIES RISE 7.2% DESPITE OVERALL DECLINE
BMW Group’s fully electric deliveries rose 7.2% to 110,257 in the third quarter, representing 20% of the total, while overall deliveries fell 6.3% and combustion-engined vehicles, including hybrids, collectively declined. Europe led electric growth with a 37.5% increase and more than 100,000 orders for the Neue Klasse iX3 within a year, while a China-specific version is planned for November as the group faces a 24.8% overall delivery decline there.
GRID BATTERY FAILURE RATE FALLS 98% PER GWh
EPRI reports a 98% fall in the global failure rate of lithium-ion grid-storage batteries per gigawatt-hour between 2018 and 2025, a capacity-adjusted measure concerning stationary storage rather than electric-car batteries. Newer installations generally performed better and 93% of reviewed incidents caused no injuries or fatalities, but indoor facilities had higher failure rates and damage, with some older plants potentially needing safety upgrades or early retirement.