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MY27 RENAULT 5 E-TECH GAINS RANGE WITHOUT PRICE RISE https://evne.ws/2z3h3

POLSTAR CUTS CANADIAN PRICES BY UP TO C$15,000 https://evne.ws/8v08l

VOLKSWAGEN STARTS ID. CROSS PRODUCTION AT NAVARRA https://evne.ws/5zedu

VOLKSWAGEN CANCELS PLANNED EXTRA WOLFSBURG SHIFTS, INCREASES EV PRODUCTION https://evne.ws/0ow72

LEAPMOTOR PASSES 1,000 EUROPEAN RETAIL LOCATIONS https://evne.ws/pdi2n

EVS FAIL MOTS LESS OFTEN THAN PETROL ABOVE 120,000 MILES https://evne.ws/cnuc8

ENBW OPENS 480 KW CHARGING PARK https://evne.ws/vsx58

CHINA OPPOSES REPORTED EU HYBRID LIMITS https://evne.ws/3rbyo

BRUEGEL PUTS EU BATTERY RULE COST AT €2,100 https://evne.ws/hbjxz

SCARINGE SAYS R3 WILL BE PRICED BELOW R2 https://evne.ws/vm82r

RENAULT 5 E-TECH GAINS RANGE WITHOUT PRICE RISE
Renault’s MY27 Renault 5 E-Tech will retain its £21,495 UK starting price and £3,750 Electric Car Grant eligibility, while the 40kWh version offers up to 197 miles WLTP and 52kWh models increase to 259 miles through aerodynamic and battery-electronics improvements. New features include automatic SmartMode drive-mode selection, a cooled Qi2 magnetic wireless charger, upgraded 4G/5G eCall and optional Google Gemini integration, with orders opening on 22 September 2026.

POLSTAR CUTS CANADIAN PRICES BY UP TO C$15,000
Polestar has introduced limited-time Canadian incentives including C$10,000 Alternative Cash on the 2027 Polestar 4, up to C$15,000 off the Polestar 3 and either 0% financing with a C$5,000 EV bonus or C$8,000 Alternative Cash on the Polestar 2 Long range Dual motor. None qualifies for Canada’s federal EV incentive because transaction prices remain above C$50,000, while China-built Polestar 2s can now enter Canada under the 49,000-vehicle quota at the 6.1% tariff rate.

VOLKSWAGEN STARTS ID. CROSS PRODUCTION AT NAVARRA
Volkswagen has begun series production of the ID. Cross electric SUV at its Navarra plant in Spain, alongside the Škoda Epiq, with launches planned across 34 countries and German pricing eventually starting at €27,995 for the entry-level Trend. Front-wheel-drive versions offer 85kW, 99kW or 155kW outputs with 37kWh or 52kWh batteries, providing up to 427km WLTP range and DC charging at up to 105kW.

VOLKSWAGEN CANCELS PLANNED EXTRA WOLFSBURG SHIFTS, INCREASES EV PRODUCTION
Volkswagen’s German battery-electric order intake has overtaken combustion-engine orders, prompting the company to cancel planned extra shifts at its combustion-only Wolfsburg plant while adding shifts for EV production at Emden. Four small EVs produced in Spain have accumulated more than 100,000 pre-orders, including over 40,000 for the ID. Polo, while German BEV registrations rose 75.1% year on year in August to 68,930 vehicles and a 32.4% market share.

LEAPMOTOR PASSES 1,000 EUROPEAN RETAIL LOCATIONS
Leapmotor says its European network reached 1,020 retail locations across 36 countries in September 2026, roughly two years after launching European sales through its Stellantis joint venture. The network now covers around 80% of the region and puts customers an average 22-minute drive from a retailer, giving the relatively new Chinese brand access to Stellantis’s established sales and after-sales infrastructure.

EVS FAIL MOTS LESS OFTEN THAN PETROL ABOVE 120,000 MILES
Analysis of more than 45 million MOT tests by New AutoMotive found electric cars were 25% less likely than comparable petrol cars to fail once mileage exceeded 120,000 miles, with EV failure rates remaining around 16% from roughly 60,000 miles while petrol and diesel rates continued rising. EVs nevertheless recorded around 1.8 times as many tyre defects as petrol vehicles, while hybrids also performed strongly and in several categories had lower failure rates than both petrol cars and BEVs.

ENBW OPENS 480 KW CHARGING PARK
EnBW has opened its first public charging park using XCharge C7 chargers rated at up to 480kW, with 12 charging points at its Stuttgart headquarters site and capacity to expand to 20. The company plans to deploy 480kW technology at a double-digit number of charging parks by the end of 2026, while the new site also includes seating, vending facilities, an automated toilet and a 16kWp solar canopy.

CHINA OPPOSES REPORTED EU HYBRID LIMITS
China has strongly opposed reports that the EU asked it to voluntarily restrict hybrid-vehicle exports to around 15% of the European market, although neither side has confirmed such an agreement. China’s commerce ministry said voluntary export restrictions would violate WTO rules and fair-competition principles, while the foreign ministry said Beijing would protect the interests of Chinese EV companies affected by EU measures.

BRUEGEL PUTS EU BATTERY RULE COST AT €2,100
Bruegel estimates that requiring EU-origin battery cells for vehicles receiving certain forms of public support could increase production costs by around €2,100 for an EV with a 60kWh battery, based on estimated cell costs of €85/kWh in Europe versus €50/kWh globally. The proposed Industrial Accelerator Act remains under negotiation and would apply only to specified procurement and support programmes, while Bruegel stresses that its €2,100 figure is a production-cost estimate rather than a prediction of the retail-price increase consumers would pay.

SCARINGE SAYS R3 WILL BE PRICED BELOW R2
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says the forthcoming R3 will be priced materially below the R2 and that a later R4 will move the price point lower again, although Rivian has announced pricing for neither vehicle. The R2 Standard is expected by late 2027 at $45,000 with more than 275 miles of estimated range, while R3 production details remain limited and Rivian’s Georgia factory, intended to build R2 and R3 vehicles, is targeted to begin production in 2028.

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GEELY CLAIMS UP TO 2.2 MW CHARGING FOR GALAXY E5 https://evne.ws/zmked

NIO HANDS OVER 150,000TH THIRD-GENERATION ES8 https://evne.ws/m60gl

BYD REMOVES CHINA, SURVEILLANCE FROM AUSTRALIAN PRIVACY POLICY https://evne.ws/goymj

BYD HAN PROTOTYPE SPOTTED WITH ROOF LIDAR https://evne.ws/g0t72

NEXT BYD SEAGULL IMAGES SHOW MEGAWATT FLASH-CHARGER https://evne.ws/01lbg

HONGQI OPENS TIANGONG 07 PRE-SALES FROM 169,900 YUAN https://evne.ws/diely

LEAPMOTOR UNVEILS LEAP 5.0 AND CTC 3.0 https://evne.ws/g0mbt

CATL STARTS HUNGARY CELL PRODUCTION TRIAL https://evne.ws/9pzz9

99-MOVIDA DEAL AIMS FOR LOWER-COST ELECTRIC-VEHICLE RENTALS https://evne.ws/uqcnf

Can you help me make more podcasts? Consider supporting me on Patreon as the service is 100% funded by you: https://EVne.ws/patreon

You can read all the latest news on the blog here: https://EVne.ws/blog

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EUROPE’S BATTERY-ELECTRIC CAR REGISTRATIONS RISE 52% IN AUGUST https://evne.ws/fn5vz

FORD BEGINS CHINA PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC TRANSIT CITY FOR EUROPE https://evne.ws/dn8vf

ABC TEST ACCESSES BYD SHARK 6 LIGHTS, LOCKS AND MICROPHONE https://evne.ws/6cpvi

BYD CUTS DOLPHIN ESSENTIAL TO A$28,888 DRIVE-AWAY https://evne.ws/ukzay

GWM HI4-T FROM $47,990 FOR ELIGIBLE ABN BUYERS https://evne.ws/bbdjm

US DIESEL STOCKS TIGHTEN AS STATION OUTAGES REMAIN LOCAL https://evne.ws/0njem

BMW ADDS THIRD SHIFT TO MEET iX3 DEMAND
BMW has added a third shift at its Debrecen factory in Hungary, taking iX3 production to 24 hours a day after European orders reached 100,000 and the plant built its 50,000th car by late July. More than 5,000 employees have supported what BMW calls its fastest-ever ramp-up at a new plant, which will add a second, as-yet-unnamed Neue Klasse EV in autumn 2026.

EUROPE’S BATTERY-ELECTRIC CAR REGISTRATIONS RISE 52% IN AUGUST
European battery-electric car registrations rose 52% year on year to 245,120 in August 2026, giving BEVs a 29% market share as the wider new-car market grew 4.6%. Chinese brands more than doubled registrations to a record 11.7% share, led by BYD, Chery and SAIC, while petrol registrations fell 14% and diesel 20%.

FORD BEGINS CHINA PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC TRANSIT CITY FOR EUROPE
Ford has begun production of the battery-electric Transit City at JMC’s Xiaolan plant in China, with an initial batch of about 1,000 vans destined for Europe and other developed markets before the end of 2026. The van uses a 56 kWh usable LFP battery and 110 kW motor, targets up to 254 km WLTP range, and offers up to 8.5 m³ of cargo space or 1,600 kg payload in chassis-cab form.

ABC TEST ACCESSES BYD SHARK 6 LIGHTS, LOCKS AND MICROPHONE
An ABC Four Corners investigation found that a cybersecurity specialist could access selected functions on one BYD Shark 6 without a password, including its locks, lights, infotainment, location and microphone, although he could not access the brakes or cameras. BYD says Australian vehicle data is stored domestically and has denied transferring it to Chinese authorities, while a revised privacy policy permits overseas transfers where allowed by law without establishing that such transfers have occurred.

BYD CUTS DOLPHIN ESSENTIAL TO A$28,888 DRIVE-AWAY
BYD has cut the Australian Dolphin Essential to A$28,888 drive-away for eligible orders placed by 15 December 2026, down from A$29,990 before on-road costs and following a similar discount for the Atto 1 Essential. The Dolphin Essential retains its 70 kW motor, 44.9 kWh LFP battery and 340 km WLTP range, with BYD giving no Australian launch date for the updated version already sold in China.

CHINA’S OPERATING AND PLANNED SODIUM-ION CAPACITY TOPS 400 GWH
China has more than 400 GWh of operating and planned sodium-ion battery factory capacity compared with just 11 GWh outside the country, according to CRU data reported by the Financial Times. Sodium-ion offers abundant raw materials and strong claimed cold-weather performance but lower energy density than lithium-ion, while Western projects have struggled to scale and GM-backed Peak Energy currently expects to rely initially on imported Asian cells.

GWM HI4-T FROM $47,990 FOR ELIGIBLE ABN BUYERS
GWM has opened Australian orders for the Cannon Hi4-T plug-in hybrid ute at a temporary A$47,990 drive-away price for eligible ABN buyers, combining a 2.0-litre turbo engine and electric motor for 310 kW and 750 Nm. Its 33.1 kWh battery provides a claimed 115 km NEDC electric range, while 110 kW DC charging, mechanical four-wheel drive with low range, 3,500 kg towing capacity and 6 kW vehicle-to-load distinguish it from rivals such as the BYD Shark 6.

US DIESEL STOCKS TIGHTEN AS STATION OUTAGES REMAIN LOCAL
Photos of individual US filling stations running out of diesel reflect genuine local outages, but GasBuddy says its data show no widespread national shortage despite exceptionally high prices. US distillate inventories are unusually low, refineries are running near capacity and international demand for US diesel is strong, leaving little supply buffer and pushing refining margins to record levels without evidence that the country is running out of diesel.