BMW’s M division isn’t the only automaker injecting new energy into the performance wagon segment. So is its big rival from Affalterbach, Mercedes-AMG, as these shots of the new CLA 45 shooting brake show.

We’ve already spotted the sedan version of the AMG CLA 45 EV multiple times, plus wagon-bodied, non-AMG variants of the combustion CLA. But this is our first sighting of the hot EV with the long-roof body.

Related: The Baby AMG EV Just Got Real With Three Motors And A Secret Weapon

All of those cars, plus some SUV-shaped spin-offs our spy photo teams have yet to track down, are built on the same versatile platform that’s capable of handling combustion and electric powertrains. Hottest of the lot are the 45 EV versions of each body style, which are believed to get a triple-motor setup that delivers at least 500 hp (507 PS / 373 kW).

But it looks like the torque-vectoring motors aren’t the only thing the wagon has in common with its notchback brother. We’ve spied a deployable spoiler on CLA sedan prototypes, but now Mercedes has, ahem, extended the courtesy to the wagon.

The wing at the top of the load lugger’s rear hatch doesn’t look as big as the one on the sedan – which is rumoured to double as an airbrake – or appear to extend as far into the airflow, but there’s no doubt that it’s an active, rather than passive aero device.

We’d normally only expect to see the wing extended at freeway speeds, so perhaps the test driver has pressed a button to manually raise it in this case, or has a track-type mode selected where the wing is permanently poking above the roof.

Other giveaways that we’re looking at the AMG variant of the CLA wagon include the monobloc brake callipers behind the forged alloy wheels at the front. And the blanked grille and lack of tailpipes tell us it’s definitely an EV, though we expect AMG to deliver combustion versions of the CLA, too.

Exactly what engine will power those ICE models remains to be seen. A recent report claimed AMG was ditching the unpopular four-cylinder hybrid engine in the C63, and suggested the entire M139 2.0 engine family, including non-PHEV versions, would be phased out. That could mean the next ICE CLA 45 will get a warmed-over version of the 1.5-liter hybrid powertrain coming to non-AMG CLAs.

Baldauf

What a difference a couple of years can make. In 2023, Tesla was crushing it in Europe, the Model Y was on its way to becoming the first ever EV to top the continent’s year-end best sellers league table, and VW announced it was pausing production of the ID.3 and its Cupra Born electric twin due to slow sales. But just two years later, Volkswagen is reveling in a surge of EV demand that has helped it overtake its American rival.

Related: Tesla’s European Sales Bloodbath Continues, But One Country Is Over Hating Musk

According to the latest figures, the VW Group delivered 4.41 million vehicles of all energy types around the world in January-June, a 1.3 percent increase on 2024’s total. But global BEV sales were up a staggering 47 percent, reaching 465,000 (464,200 if you discount commercial trucks), and in Europe they rocketed by 89 percent to 347,900 deliveries.

Tesla Falls Behind in Europe

Though Tesla hasn’t broken out its European sales figures, it has confirmed that global sales fell 14 percent to 384,000 in the first half of the year. And Dataforce numbers revealed that Tesla had only sold 76,400 units in Europe between January and the end of May, a period in which the core VW brand alone shifted 122,600 EVs. The report says VW tied with Tesla in March’s sales race but trounced it in every other month, selling three times as many cars in April, for example.

Delivering more electric cars is important for VW’s image as it continues to put distance between itself and the Dieselgate scandal that keeps coming back to life via various ongoing court cases. And it’s also crucial if VW is to meet the EU’s draconian CO2 fleet limits.

VW GROUP EV SALES

But VW’s sales success is the result of discount campaigns on cars like the ID.3 hatch, Handelsblatt cautions, and that is putting pressure on Wolfsburg’s bottom line. A senior VW exec told Handelsblatt the company is still making money on its EVs, but that the operating margin is below the 6.5 percent return target it has set for 2029.

VW is hoping its new range of affordable EVs on sale from next year, including the ID.2 and Cupra Raval, will help improve the health of those margins.

VW GROUP EV SALES BY BRAND

Modern cars are subjected to all kinds of crash scenarios before they’re legally allowed on US streets, and they protect us far better than an old car ever could. But a higher force must have been protecting the driver of a Model Y in California who walked away from an accident that by all rights should have resulted in a one-way ticket to the morgue.

The images of the wrecked Model Y from the CHP are truly jaw-dropping and show a pre-facelift Model Y doing its best impression of a monorail carriage.

Related: See What Happens When Two Cars Hit A Chinese EV In A Triple Crash Test

The side of the car is entirely undamaged, and you could almost say it looks like it slid sideways against the guardrail, neatly pushing the barrier in. But no, the guardrail isn’t crushed by the car, it’s running literally right through the thing. In the front, right down the center, and out the back.

A Rare Kind of Collision

According to the California Highway Patrol in Los Banos, where the crash took place on I-5, the driver “for unknown reasons” allowed his EV to veer off the road and through the road’s center divide where it crashed into the guardrail. The force of the collision pushed the rail through the Tesla’s nose and then its firewall, before it exited out the rear. Thank heavens no one was sitting in the center seat on the rear bench.

CHP Los Banos

The driver was saved by the conventional two-seat layout up front, but looking at the crumpled state of the rail that’s exited out the back, gives us an idea of the amount of energy that was involved in the collision, and how close they came to getting hurt or killed.

“Lucky for the driver he only sustained minor injuries and was able to walk away,” Los Banos police said in a Facebook post. “Driving a vehicle requires 100% attention to the road. Avoid distractions and focus on driving.”

We don’t know why the driver left the road, but with so much Tesla ADAS technology at his disposal, it should never have happened in the first place. This time he was lucky, but you get the feeling he might have used up all nine lives at once on this incident.

We’ve already driven Kia’s EV5 electric SUV in Australia, but now the Korean automaker is getting ready to bring its Tesla Model Y fighter to Europe. Ahead of sales starting in Q4, Kia has revealed spec details of the Euro-market EVs, and right away it’s apparent that buyers looking for one particular option won’t find it.

While Aussie buyers can choose from both single and dual-motor configurations, Europeans won’t be able to order one of the dual motor, all-wheel drive models from launch. The 308 hp (312 PS / 230 kW) AWD version is coming, along with a more powerful, also-AWD GT performance model, but neither will be on the menu until 2026.

Related: Kia’s New ICE Minivan Looks Like A Crossover EV

Which means anyone in the UK or EU jumping on the first chance to order an EV5 will have to settle for a single 215 hp (218 PS / 160 kW) motor driving the front wheels. Zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) takes a leisurely 8.4 seconds in the front-driver, though based on our Australian review there’s still a surprising amount of torque steer to contend with.

Sticking with one motor does at least keep the weight down, and that’s good for electric range. Both the base model and the plusher GT-Line get the same 81.4 kWh battery, which uses NMC chemistry, not the LFP type used in other regions, and delivers up to 329 miles (530 km) of electric range.

We say ‘up to’ because that number relates to the Base trim. The GT-Line’s bigger (19- versus 18-inch) wheels and extra equipment cost it 15 miles (25 km), and the 20s on the upcoming GT range-topper will hurt the range numbers further.

Like the EV3, the EV5 misses out on the trick 800-volt electrics fitted to the EV6 and EV9, meaning a 10-80 percent fill takes around 30 minutes rather than under 20. But you still get Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability to keep your bikes, laptops and fridges going when you’re camping or working away from home.

Kia EV5 Base

The dashboard consists of of a 5.3-inch climate screen sandwiched between a pair of 12.3-inch displays: one for gauge cluster duties and another a touchscreen that you might not have to come into contact with very often thanks to the inclusion of the Chat GPT-powered Kia AI assistant. Another touchscreen is located at the back of the console so rear-seat passengers can adjust the tri-zone climate system to their liking.

Kia is pitching the EV5 as an electric alternative to its massively popular Sportage, though the newcomer is a significant 70 mm (2.76 inches) longer overall and its wheelbase is bigger by the same amount. But it’s even more likely that potential buyers will compare the EV5 with the facelifted Tesla Model Y.

We can’t fully size the pair up until later in the year when Kia reveals its prices, but we already know the base RWD, Long Range Tesla’s 5.9-second zero to 62 mph time kicks the Kia into next week, while its 311-mile (500 km) range is in the right ballpark. Which would you pick?

Kia EV5 GT-Line

Porsche is set to unveil its first electric Cayenne later this year and will preview a camouflaged version at this month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. But the EV has already been seen in action at another British hillclimb where it smashed an SUV record by 4 seconds and jumped off the line as fast as the slick-shod purpose-built racecars running at the same event.

The location for the runs was the historic Shelsey Walsh hillclimb, which claims it’s the oldest motorsport venue in the world still using its original course – it held its first event in 1905. Gabriela Jílková, a development driver for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, hurled the EV up the twisty 1,000-yard (914 m), 16.7 percent grade road in 31.28 seconds, destroying the 35.53-second record previously set by a Bentley Bentayga.

Related: Porsche’s Electric Cayenne Dash Packs Four Screens And Barely Any Buttons

Official time-keeping data also showed the Cayenne covered the first 60 yards (18.3 m) in only 1.94 seconds, a time equaled at the event only by single-seater racecars with slick tires, despite the Porsche making do with road-legal summer rubber.

Porsche didn’t reveal how much power the record-breaking Cayenne prototype had at its disposal, but we do know some key details thanks to a video in which former Top Gear host Richard Hammond got to try the EV before handing it over to the Jílková for the Shelsey runs.

Hammond confirms that the Cayenne features Porsche’s Active Ride suspension, a system that appears on the Taycan, but not on the Macan EV whose platform the Cayenne shares. He also notes that the synthesized sounds the EV makes in its Track mode sound a bit like a combustion V8’s and says he was told the power output would be greater than the 730 hp (739 PS / 544 kW) generated by the punchiest of the ICE Cayennes, the turbo E-Hybrid.

Potentially of more interest to anyone with boats or trailers to haul is the news that the Cayenne Electric – depending on spec – has a towing capacity of 7,716 lbs (3,500 kg). While certain EVs like the GMC Hummer can pull more (12,000 lbs / 5,440 kg), the Cayenne Electric’s rating matches the tow rating of both the Rivian R1S and the combustion Cayenne which will continue to be sold alongside the new EV.

To prove the point Hammond used the Cayenne to drag his heavy, vintage Lagonda, and claimed the electric motors made light work of hills.

Porsche

Porsche has recommitted to building combustion cars in response to slower than expected growth in the luxury electric sector, but it’s still got plenty of EVs in the pipes, including the Cayenne Electric that debuts at the back of this year.

Also: Porsche’s Electric Sports Cars Delayed Again As Problems Mount

These new spy shots give us our best look yet at the first Cayenne EV, including how the Macan Electric’s big brother will look inside. We hope you like screens, because the Cayenne has four of them packed into a dashboard and console that offers plenty of familiar Porsche design cues, but some new ones as well.

More Screens, Fewer Buttons

There are three screens on the upper level of the dashboard, one a curved non-touchable display set back from the main dash that serves as a configurable gauge cluster. Next to that are two touchscreens – one in the center, one above the glovebox – that are housed under a single piece of glass to make it look like one huge display stretches across two-thirds of the interior.

But unlike the Macan, the Cayenne has a fourth tablet-sized touschcreen located lower down on the console, which will presumably handle climate and seat heating/cooling duties. Physical buttons appear to be in short supply, though we can see four toggles that look like they’ll be used for nudging the temperature up and down, and a thumbwheel volume control.

SHProshots

A Porsche Sport Chrono clock sits on top of the dash, a feature that dates back to the introduction of the 997-generation 911 in 2004, and the Cayenne Electric adopts the dash-mounted toggle gearshifter used on all of Porsche’s most recent four-door cars. But the shape of the console is new, a pronounced hump just below the dash possibly making room for a smartphone charging tray underneath.

Familiar Platform, Fresh Execution

This prototype stepped out wearing no bulky disguise and just some fake headlight, DRL and grille stickers to hide the true details of a front end that’s likely to look very similar to the Macan Electric’s. And that’s not all they share. The Cayenne EV isn’t an electrified version of the ICE Cayenne, but is built on a stretched version of the VW Group PPE platform found under the Macan EV as well as Audi’s A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron.

The Cayenne should borrow some of the Macan’s motors, though it’ll likely skip the RWD versions’s 335 hp (340 PS / 250 kW) unit and kick things off with the 402 hp (406 PS / 300 kW) from the Macan 4. At the other end of the scale a full-house Turbo will easily eclipse the 630 hp (639 PS / 470 kW) Macan Turbo.

Coming in 2026, Starting Around $90K

Watch out for the first zero-emissions Cayenne’s global debut later this year and expect to see the EVs on the street in 2026 priced from around $90,000, though a well-optioned Turbo will probably set you back well past the $130,000 mark.

SHProshots

Rally successes in the 1950s, ’60s, and early ’70s helped put Alpine on the map, and now the brand has released the competition-ready A290 Rallye to remind us that going electric is no barrier to sending mud, snow, and gravel flying.

Related: The Man Behind Ferrari’s SF90 Is Now Building Alpine’s SF90 Rival

The Rallye isn’t some wild Group B-style monster, but an entry-level rally car that’s eligible for entry in local competitions. So it sticks fairly close to the road-going A290 hot hatch, which together with its Renault 5 brother pulled off a victory in the 2025 Car of The Year competition.

Powertrain Tweaks and Track-Focused Hardware

That means it has a single motor under the hood that sends the same 217 hp (220 PS / 160 kW) to the front wheels as the top-spec production A290 (the entry-level road car makes do with 178 hp / 180 PS / 132 kW). But the ponies reaching those wheels are now dished out by a ZF mechanical limited-slip differential, and the rest of the chassis features some key upgrades that ought to keep it on the wiggly and narrow.

ALP Racing Suspension shocks control wheel and body movements, the 18×8-inch Evo Corse wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport A tires, and the front brakes are upgraded from 320 mm rotors and four-piston callipers to 350 mm discs and six pots. Alpine’s engineers have also tweaked the ABS setup and fitted a hydraulic handbrake to boost agility on hairpin bends.

Purpose-Built for the Stage

FIA compliance and common sense mean the Rallye has Sabelt bucket seats and a welded roll cage, but there’s one more tweak that’s got nothing to do with safety and everything to do with putting on a good show for watching rally fans.

The A290 already features a synthesised soundtrack, but for the Rallye Alpine, a new external sound generator was developed that emits noises which change depending on the EV’s speed and throttle position.

Price, Availability, and What Comes Next

The €59,990 (equal to about £51,900 / $70,800) price puts it at the accessible end of the customer rally car scale, although it’s still 40 percent more expensive than a stock A290 with the more powerful of the two available motors. But besides the upgrades, you’re also buying an A290 that is hand-built in the competition workshop at Alpine’s Jean Rédélé factory in Dieppe.

Alpine is unveiling its first electric racer aimed at private customers at the Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie this weekend, after which it’ll be trucked to the UK for an appearance at Goodwood, followed by a showing at the Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine.

Furthermore, A290 Rallye buyers will get the chance to compete in a one-off event in France later this year, which Alpine promises will be backed by technical support and, just as importantly, a specific charging infrastructure.

Alpine

As demand patterns shift in the auto industry, the tension between future-focused electric vehicles and proven combustion models continues to shape manufacturing plans.

Toyota has always been a strong believer in that a multi-energy approach is best, which is why you’ll find EVs, hydrogen fuel-cell cars and combustion models in its showrooms. But the brand is experiencing such a massive demand for one particular ICE SUV it was forced to press pause on a planned new EV to make room.

Related: Akio Toyoda Says EVs Are Dirtier Than You Think

An electric SUV that was to be built at the automaker’s Princeton, Indiana, plant from 2027 now won’t start rolling off the line until 2028, according to a Bloomberg report. And that line has been switched to Toyota’s Georgetown site, where another EV will start production in the back end of 2026, around six months later than planned.

This is bad news for EV fans, but could be good news for anyone looking to buy a Grand Highlander in the next couple of years.

There are a couple of reasons for the delay and switcheroo, one of which is that EV sales haven’t taken off in the way Toyota – and every other automaker – thought they might. Although the brand’s own bZ4X had a great first quarter, and the facelifted model, now called simply bZ, is a much stronger proposition, the overall US EV market is growing at a slower rate than in previous years.

Hybrids and Gas Models Are Still Pulling Ahead

And going hand-in-hand with that is the much faster growth being experienced by the hybrid segment and the continued appeal of simple gas cars, trucks and SUVs. Toyota’s Grand Highlander – which is available in gas and hybrid forms – has proved such a hit with buyers that the automaker desperately needs to make more of them.

The Grand Highlander was Toyota’s second-best-selling non-truck model in June, deliveries jumping 92 percent when, at the same time, even the number one spot RAV4 was down 4.5 percent.

The rush to pick up one of the midsize SUVs left dealers with just a three-day supply at the end of that month, Bloomberg reports, and switching production of the delayed-to-’28 EV will ensure Toyota has plenty of spare Grand Highlander capacity at Georgetown going forward.

Toyota

Any investors praying Tesla’s awful sales performance in the first quarter of 2025 was merely a blip have just had their hopes dashed. The troubled automaker announced its Q2 numbers and they show an even bigger year-over-year decline than the ones covering January to March.

Also: A Model Y Drove 30 Minutes To Deliver Itself To Its New Owner

Global deliveries declined 14 percent in Q2, falling from 410,244 to 384,122, making the most recent quarter’s performance marginally worse than Q1’s. For that period Tesla recorded a 13 percent drop after sales sunk by 50,000 to 336,681 units.

Sales Still Centered on Model 3 and Model Y

Tesla didn’t offer a complete breakdown of its Q2 numbers by model or region, but it did reveal that the Model 3 and Model Y accounted for practically all of its sales. The automaker delivered 373,728 Model 3 and Y EVs, and only 10,394 of its other cars, which include the Model S, Model X and Cybertruck, combined. The electric automaker also said it produced over 410,000 vehicles of all types.

Although delivery figures aren’t exactly the same as sales numbers, they’re close enough to give us a solid idea of the problems faced by Tesla, and the buying public’s apathy for its cars. Those problems include widespread dislike of Tesla CEO Elon Musk due to his vocal right-wing opinions and association with DOGE and the Trump administration, which is one of the reasons sales have cratered in Europe in recent months.

TESLA Q2 SALES

Intensifying Competition in China and Beyond

And in China, a key market for Tesla, the American brand is battling against a slew of hi-tech rivals that seem intent on pushing prices downwards to the detriment of profitability. Some of those same Chinese rivals are also now causing Tesla problems in other markets. In April BYD sold more EVs than Tesla in Europe, where the Model Y and 3 are struggling to regain their sales form despite recent facelifts.

Although Tesla’s Q2 performance looks dire, the figures aren’t as bad as some analysts had feared. And Deepwater Asset Management’s Gene Munster predicted the quarter represented a bottoming out for Tesla, which could bounce back in future periods, CNBC reports. Tesla will announced its complete Q2 financial results on July 23.

Tesla’s new Model Y only made its debut a few months ago, but faced with flagging sales and aggressive rivals, the automaker is already making changes to make it and the Model 3 more appealing to buyers – specifically Chinese buyers.

Long Range AWD versions of the facelifted Model Y and Model 3 sold in China now go further on a charge and are faster from stoplights thanks to minor tweaks announced this week. Without changing the size of the battery, Tesla now claims the Y can do 466 miles (750 km) on a single charge, up from 447 miles (719 km) under China’s CLTC testing cycle.

Related: A Model Y Drove 30 Minutes To Deliver Itself To Its New Owner

And the Model 3 enjoys an even bigger boost, gaining 25 miles (40 km) to take total claimed range to 468 miles (753 km), though these numbers are Chinese CLTC figures and not comparable with more honest EPA estimates. Tesla quotes 327 miles (526 km) for a US-spec Y LR AWD and 346 miles (557 km) for a Model 3.

The Model 3 is also much faster following Tesla’s spec adjustment, needing just 3.8 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 km/h), rather than 4.4 seconds. It’s not clear how this was achieved, but Car News China speculates it could be because Tesla has made standard the Sports acceleration feature that was previously a ¥14,100 ($2,000) option.

The Model Y is far less speedy, requiring 4.3 seconds. Neither of those acceleration figures matches up with the numbers Tesla advertises in Europe, where the Model 3 claims a 4.4-second 0-62 mph time, but the Y is said to need 4.8 seconds.

The upgrades come at no extra cost on the Model Y, which stickers at ¥313,500 ($43,800), but they add ¥10,000 ($1,400) to the price of a Model 3 Long Range AWD, which is now ¥285,500 ($39,900). For context, the equivalent Model Y in the US is $2,310 cheaper than in China, though only when factoring in the $7,500 federal tax credit, while the Model 3 is just $90 more expensive.

It remains to be seen whether these upgrades will make their way to other markets. Tesla hasn’t confirmed any plans yet, but buyers in Europe and North America will likely be watching closely to see if the same range and performance improvements roll out beyond China.

Tesla

Unless your daily commute involves chasing down a Cannonball Run record, chances are you’re not rolling around with a 70-gallon (265-liter) fuel cell in your car. Most of us don’t need to knock out 1,860 miles (3,000 km) in one uninterrupted stretch. But according to Huawei , that kind of range might soon be possible in an electric vehicle.

The Chinese tech giant claims its new battery technology could enable a future mid-size EV to cover that distance on a single charge.

Related: BYD’s New 1,000 kW EVs Fill Up As Fast As Gas Cars

Like Toyota, VW, BMW, Stellantis and other big players in the tech and automotive space, Huawei has spent the last few years working on solid state batteries, which most experts agree will bring a step-change in EV usability. And this month Huawei filed a Chinese patent for solid-state battery chemistry that comes with some bold claims.

The cells, whose sulfide electrodes are doped with nitrogen to reduce lifespan-shortening side reactions, have an energy density of 400-500 Wh/kg, the filing says, or triple the figure for current conventional cells. Huawei reckons that would allow a typical midsize sedan to cover 1,860 miles on a single charge. Oh, and that charge – to full, not 80 percent – would  take just five minutes.

The 1,860-mile figure would be based on China’s hopelessly optimistic CLTC calculations, so would probably translate to a 1,300-mile (2,090 km) EPA number. Slightly less spectacular, sure, but still around three times what the rangiest 2025 EVs can deliver on a single charge.

It all sounds incredible, but I have some reservations about it actually happening, and not because I doubt Huawei’s tech. No one buying an EV is going to need to travel that far between charges, especially if that EV can be charged in less than five minutes (being able to do that depends on having the infrastructure, but there’s no doubt that will come). And automakers won’t want to build one, anyway, since associated costs will be, at least at first, quite high.

Even in a future where we can sleep while our car does the driving, we’re still going to need bathroom breaks and to stretch our legs with a quick stroll to keep the DVT at bay. And making an EV with an unnecessarily long range means making an unnecessarily heavy and expensive EV because batteries are heavy and expensive, though Huawei expects prices and weights to fall. As TG notes, even with the clever cells, an 1,860-mile EV would still need a battery pack that weighed as much as a Mitsubishi Mirage.

What’s far more likely is that automakers will use the tech to put smaller, cheaper batteries in their cars that still deliver plenty of range – say 600 miles (1,000 km) – but make those cars lighter, and so more efficient, and also less expensive to build and buy. When automakers can deliver an EV that costs less than a gas car, goes further in one hit and refuels faster, electric cars will really take off, infrastructure willing.

Toyota has already talked of its future EVs having a 750-mile (1,200 km) range and that sounds like more than enough to us. What do you think the optimum range is for a family-sized electric car?

Source: Car News China

VW has reportedly delayed the launch of its vitally important ID.2 electric hatch from 2025 to 2026, but we’ll still learn plenty about it this fall because Cupra is pushing ahead with the reveal of the Raval, its version of the ID.2, which is seen here during testing.

The Raval, ID.2 hatch, an ID.2 crossover and Skoda’s upcoming Epiq SUV are all built around a new, shorter version of VW’s MEB electric car platform. In addition to being resized to suit cars smaller than the Golf-sized ID.3, the tiniest of VW’s current EVs, the new architecture also places a single motor at the front driving the front wheels, the reverse of the main MEB platform where the motor is at the rear.

Related: VW’s Cheapest EV Yet Hides In Plain Sight Behind Someone Else’s Face

Both the Raval and ID.2 have been shown in concept form powered by a  single 223 hp (225 PS / 166 kW) electric motor, and VW’s ID.GTI concept teased a 429 hp (435 PS / 250 kW) dual-motor configuration. However, most versions of both cars will be packing far less firepower because the key draw of the Raval and ID.2 won’t be big power figures but a low starting price: the pair is expected to start at around €25,000 (£21k, $29k).

To hit that target, the base models will reportedly come with a small 38 kWh battery whose 186-mile (300 km) range will make it best suited to urban work, while an available 56 kWh pack will be capable of running 273 miles (440 km) between charges. A 125 kW peak charge capacity means a 10-80 percent fill should take around 20 minutes.

This Raval prototype hasn’t dropped much disguise since we last saw one, but the close-up shot of the front end reveals plenty about how the finished car will look when the covers are pulled off at the IAA auto show in Germany this fall. Poking out from behind the fake headlight stickers are the real lights, which appear to be triangular, and different in shape to the ones seen on the Raval concept car.

The close-ups also show that Cupra’s engineers have tried to obscure both the vertical air vents at each corner and much of the large black grille with white-painted plastic. Another deviation from the concept is the hood, which is more inset and has a pronounced M-shape at its leading edge, a result of the V8-style twin hood bulges.

In keeping with its more flamboyant design, the Raval should also be a little sharper to driver than the ID.2 courtesy of Cupra’s traditionally more aggressive suspension setup. So, if you were in the market for a small EV, would you go for the Raval or wait for the ID.2?

SHProshots

EVs are quieter, smoother and more refined than gas cars and, provided they’re showing plenty of available range miles, far more relaxing for the person behind the wheel. But it can be a different story for anyone riding shotgun or in the back, as evidenced by multiple social media posts from passengers asking if it’s normal to feel more carsick in the back of an electric car.

Related: Honda Engineers Fight EV Nausea With Clever Acceleration Mapping

According to scientists who spoke to The Guardian, those green-faced EV riders aren’t imagining it. Humans could very well find themselves experiencing motion sickness in an electric vehicle even when its full performance is not being deployed, despite having spent decades traveling in a combustion-powered car without an issue.

EVs Change How People Experience Motion

There are a few potential reasons for this, some of which are related to the way the driver interacts with the EVs controls, and others due to how our brains process the signals we’re receiving while being transported.

Let’s take the driver first. If you’ve ever driven an EV, you’ll know that, unlike ICE cars, they produce all of their torque instantly and that characteristic is what gives them so much energy off the line and at low speeds.

Some early EVs had horribly jumpy throttle tip-in as a result, and while most automakers have now worked out how calibrate the right pedal response to make getting on the gas smoother, a driver who has only recently switched from a gas car might still be struggling to apply the throttle smoothly. Their best bet is to engage the Eco mode, which always has a soggier throttle.

Regenerative Braking Is a Hidden Culprit

It’s a similar story with slowing down due to an EV’s regenerative braking, especially if the driver has the regen level set high or is using a one-pedal mode. As soon as they lift off the gas, the car begins to slow down noticeably, meaning they have to be very measured with their foot movements to prevent passengers feeling sick.

And even then, the sustained deceleration – which is very different to the brief, but more aggressive deceleration we’re used to in ICE cars – can still make us nauseous.

Part of the problem is also that our brains are used to picking up signals from the sound, vibrations and movements delivered by cars with petrol engines. It’s something we’ve spent years subconsciously learning. But EVs don’t give out those same signals.

Our Brains Weren’t Built for Silent Speed

“Greater sickness in EVs can be attributed to a lack of previous experience, as both a driver and as a passenger, where the brain lacks accuracy in estimating the motion forces because it relies on previous experience in other types of cars,” William Emond, a PhD student researching car sickness told The Guardian.

“When discovering a new motion environment, the brain needs to habituate because there is no knowledge of previous experience in such a context. This is, for example, why almost everyone becomes sick in zero-gravity environments,” he explained.

Some experts have suggested that carmakers could help cut down on passenger sickness by incorporating visual signals inside the cabin such as changes to ambient lighting to help tell our brains what’s about to happen.

Do EVs make you feel carsick, or are you just sick to death of them in general? Either way, we want to hear from you. Let us know in the comments: is it motion sickness or EV fatigue?

High-performance EVs aren’t just for flagship models and six-figure price tags. AMG’s next move brings some of that top-shelf energy to something a little smaller and a bit more within reach.

This week’s big AMG news is the Concept GT XX that’ll morph into the all-new 2027 GT, a slippery production EV targeting the Porsche Taycan. But when that lands, the GT won’t be the only fast four-door electric coupe with AMG badges. It’ll be joined by the smaller, slightly more affordable CLA 45 with EQ Technology.

Related: Mercedes Will Fix New CLA EV’s Charging Crisis From Next Year

Though not as exotic as its big brother, the CLA 45 EQ will still have some similar performance tricks up its sleeve, including an active rear spoiler, which our spy photographers snapped in detail for the first time during a recent Nurburgring test.

Hidden Aero Tricks Come Into View

The disguise on earlier prototypes made it look like the cars were fitted with a fixed, ducktail rear wing to help keep their rear tires pressed into the pavement. But now we have confirmation that what they’ll actually have is an electrically or hydraulically operated rear wing that moves up into the airflow automatically at speed or can be manually operated by a button on the dashboard.

Personally, I preferred the ducktail idea, though being able to retract the spoiler so it fits flush when not needed is vital to cut drag and maximize efficiency. Some reports have also suggested the wing might function as a mini air brake, an idea AMG has used before on cars like the SLR.

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Another bit of tech the CLA 45 EQ will inherit from the AMG GT and the upcoming GT SUV is axial flux motors developed by Mercedes-owned British brand Yasa. These motors are much lighter and more compact than the conventional units used in the regular CLA unveiled this year, and Autocar’s sources say there’ll be three of them onboard the baby AMG to give true torque vectoring capability.

The same reports suggest a power figure upwards of 500 hp (507 PS), which doesn’t sound like much by modern EV standards, but does represent a healthy improvement on the 349 hp (354 PS) of the CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology. However, Yasa’s motors generate lots of torque and don’t weigh much, meaning AMG might have come to the conclusion it doesn’t need to match the circa-641 hp (650 PS) of Hyundai’s upcoming Ioniq 6 N to beat it on the road.

Charging Woes, Soon to Be Solved

Non-AMG CLAs feature fast-charging 800-volt electrics but are currently unable to use 400-volt charging stations. Even so, Mercedes should have fixed that ludicrous situation by next year, so CLA 45 EQ buyers will have more charging choices. Not that it will have to plug in very often. A range of at least 400 miles (644 km) seems plausible based on the 479-mile (771 km) legs of the dual-motor CLA 350.

That kind of practicality, plus organ-pulverizing straight-line speed, a drift mode, and a V8 soundalike digital backing track could make AMG’s baby sedan one of the best enthusiast EVs around when it goes on sale next year.

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When the first pictures of Mercedes-AMG’s new Concept AMG GT XX landed yesterday, the headlights seemed the least interesting thing about it when there was so much else to grab our attention. But those rather ordinary-looking headlights are hiding one of the XX’s most interesting features, and it’s got nothing to do with LEDs and light beams.

Because in the rush to check out the eye-catching rear lights, the digital display board mounted between them, the glass-free rear end and the aero wheel covers that can move in and out, it was easy to miss a mention of an unusual addition to the front light units designed not to help the concept see, but be seen – or heard.

Related: You Won’t Recognize AMG’s Cars Two Years From Now

Each of those lights has a loudspeaker fitted to its side surface to project fake engine sounds. The small speakers use the body of the headlight units as a traditional speaker cavity to amplify the bass frequencies, something essential if, like AMG, you want to replicate the growl of a classic V8.

Those riding in the car, which previews next year’s production AMG GT, a rival to the Porsche Taycan, will also hear sounds, though they’ll be delivered through the cabin speakers. The ones at the front are designed to be heard by people outside the XX, which is essentially Mercedes admitting that EVs’ naturally silent personalities are too dull.

But the noises also serve another purpose besides letting the driver show off. EVs are required by law to make some external noise to warn pedestrians of their presence, and giving the XX a moody growl seems like a more appropriate way of doing that in a 1,341 hp (1,360 PS / 1,000 kW) EV than some random bings and bongs.

AMG says the concept’s three Yasa motors deliver a 224 mph (460 kmh) top speed, and the 114 kWh battery could theoretically charge at more than 850 kW, which would add 249 miles (400 km) of range in just 5 minutes. Although there are no public chargers that fast in Europe or America, the Chinese have developed some, and Mercedes is confident they’ll become the norm in the future.

Mercedes AMG

It’s two years since Hyundai revealed its epic Ioniq 5 N and three since Kia gave us the first EV6 GT, but only now is Genesis, the Korean conglomerate’s luxury maker, about ready to show us what kind of performance EV it can whip up using the same basic electric building blocks.

The GV60 Magma – Magma being the Genesis brand’s new performance label – is scheduled to make its global debut at next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, a year on from the original concept’s reveal at the same location.

Related: This Is The Face Of Genesis’s Fastest Car Yet

While previous spy shots show the production EV won’t look exactly like the concept, new images confirm one element that has definitely made the cut with only subtle changes. That’s the rear spoiler, which was hidden under disguise or just absent on earlier prototypes. Here it’s still covered in camouflage wrap, but the shape is on on full view, revealing horn-like end planes that are even bigger than the concept’s.

As well as being bigger, those end planes are also more vertical, which could be a result of aerodynamic analysis, or simply because Genesis or its customer clinic participants now think they look better this way. Also present is a rear diffuser mounted below the bumper, and the concept’s roof-mounted fins.

These look similar to the ones on a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a car whose vertical wheelarch wings seem to have inspired the lower parts of the Magma’s arch extensions (though it’s hard to make out on these pictures).

The Magma will probably use the same 84 kWh battery as the Ioniq 5 N and EV6 GT, though considering their unimpressive 200-mile (320 km) real-world range, it would benefit from something bigger. Following a recent EV6 GT update both of those cars make 641 hp (650 PS / 478 kW), but some reports suggest Genesis will push the needle further to cement its position as the performance leader of the group.

We’re also expecting to see the virtual gear shift function that proved such a hit when the 5 N first appeared.

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European car buyers took Tesla on a few dates these past few years and even uttered the L-word in 2023, making the Model Y their favorite car. But now they’re fully ghosting the American EV brand. New figures show Tesla sales in the region (EU, plus the UK and European Free Trade Association areas) fell 27.9 percent in May, the fifth consecutive month the automaker has posted declining numbers in Europe.

The fall wasn’t as severe as experienced in other months. In January, for example, sales dropped by 45 percent, in February they were down 40 percent, and in April they proved disastrous, with deliveries halving. But the pattern is undeniable, and though the introduction of the facelifted Model Y in the spring lessened the angle of the slide, it couldn’t level it out or reverse its trajectory. Tesla sales are down 37.1 percent since the start of the year, ACEA says.

Related: A Chinese Brand Did The Unthinkable To Tesla In Europe

And it’s not like Tesla can blame its abysmal performance on a declining European EV market. Sales of electric cars in Europe actually jumped by 27.2 percent in May, rising by almost the same amount that Tesla’s have fallen. That gain means EVs accounted for 15.4 percent of the European car market last month, up from 12.5 percent a year prior.

Sales of hybrid cars continue to grow (by 14.2 percent) and now make up the biggest single slice of the car market pie (34.1 percent in May), ahead of petrol vehicles (28.5 percent). Plug-in hybrids are also still making real headway – they were up 46.1 percent, though they’re still in the minority with a 9.4 percent share (up from 6.5 percent).

While Tesla had an awful May, BMW’s Mini brand enjoyed a very different experience, its sales leaping 29.1 percent. Alfa celebrated to the tune of 21.5 percent, China’s SAIC, which owns the MG brand, also grew its sales 22.5 percent, and Cupra was up 32.4 percent. It was a different story at sister brand Seat, though, which suffered a 25.4 percent decline.

European car sales May 2025

European car sales YTD

Lead image Tesla

While some brands’ commitment to the EV causes has wavered recently, Skoda is showing no sign of taking its foot off the electric gas pedal. The VW-owned Czech brand has five new EVs coming through in the next couple of years, including the little Epiq, which has been spied testing for the first time.

We’ve not heard much from the small electric crossover since Skoda revealed it in March of 2024, but a full production debut was always planned for this year and these images confirm we won’t have long to wait for the €25,000 ($29,000) EV to arrive in showrooms.

Related: New Skoda Epiq Is A €25Κ Small Electric SUV Arriving In 2025

Designed to slot below the larger Karoq-sized Elroq, which was also revealed in 2024 but is already on sale, the Epiq uses a different version of VW’s MEB platform. While the Elroq is related to VW’s ID.3 and nominally rear-wheel drive, the Epiq is more closely aligned with the upcoming ID.2 and gets the newer front-wheel drive MEB architecture that’ll also be used on the Cupra Raval.

Visually, the Epiq fully embraces Skoda’s Modern Solid design language, borrowing heavily from the big 7S concept unveiled in 2022. At around 4.1 m (161.4 inches) long, it only occupies the same amount of road space as the little Fabia hatch, but Skoda says that the EV will provide an “epic amount of space” for passengers and a relatively huge 490-liter (17.3 cu-ft) trunk will ensure they’ll have plenty of space for their luggage.

Baldauf

The interior features a large tablet touchscreen, which is thankfully backed up by a row of hard buttons further down the console. Skoda hasn’t revealed much in the way of technical spec other than to say it would offer a 250-mile (400 km) driving range and bi-directional charging.

Even so, based on what we know about the new MEB Short platform, we think the Epiq will come with a choice of 38 kWh and 56 kWh batteries and higher-spec models are likely to feature a single 222 hp (226 PS / 166 kW) motor driving the front wheels that will allow it to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 7 seconds.

It looks like a compelling package, one that could help Skoda claim another famous scalp. It was the fourth-best-selling brand in Europe last year, and its 767,000 tally put it only 8,000 cars away from third-placed BMW. That’s an incredible achievement for a company that was once the butt of jokes.

Skoda

Shopping around for insurance quotes for my 17-year-old learner driver son here in the UK, I found several companies offering cover at half the price of the big names. But when I re-ran the quotes again to see how much the premiums would change when he’d passed his test, the ‘bargain’ policies had ballooned to 10 times the price of the other initially more expensive rivals.

Also: Mazda’s Sportier 6e Sedan Launches With A Price Tag That Feels Like A Typo

Now some experts claim that China’s bargain EVs might also come with a hidden cost buyers won’t discover until much later – or until it’s too late.

Experts Worry About Compromising Security

The difference is that the claimed cost wouldn’t be financial, but made up of data and control. Some security professionals have raised concerns that the modern generation of ‘smart’ Chinese EVs could potentially allow carmakers and hackers, or more specifically China’s ruling forces, to spy on drivers, monitoring where they go, what they do, who they communicate with and about what.

A few experts have gone further, warning that smart EVs could even be remotely controlled, which could cause chaos in busy cities if they were immobilized, or even enable bad actors to use cars as remotely-operated weapons. It’s concerns like these – and not just fears for the longevity of America’s domestic auto industry – that prompted the Biden Administration to increase tariffs on China’s EVs.

In the UK, military and intelligence bosses were ordered this year not to discuss any sensitive work issues while riding in EVs, and vehicles containing Chinese components are now banned from some military facilities, BBC News reports.

When In Rome (Or Beijing)…

But it’s easy to see how buyers, particularly in China, would be seduced by the bargain prices of a modern EV. While the People Republic’s EVs look good value in Europe, a big chunk of their advantage has been nixed by import tariffs. But in their home market, which is in the grip of an aggressive price war, buyers must think it’s Christmas every time they check out a local dealership.

Mazda’s stylish new EZ-6, is a BMW 3-Series rival but is priced from only ¥161,800 ($22,500), and Toyota’s bZ5 SUV starts at just ¥129,800 ($18,100) – half the price of Tesla Model Y . Cars like these offer a huge bang for the buck if you’re willing to take the chance on the security risk.

Also: Chinese EVs Banned From Military Sites Amid Fears They’re Watching Every Move

The Chinese government claims there is no risk, telling BBC News that accusations of espionage were “absurd” and made without any supporting evidence, and that businesses operating abroad are required to comply with local laws. That view is supported by some independent security experts who suggest China and its carmakers want to maximize economic growth and aren’t Bond-level bad guys obsessed with surveillance.

Would security concerns put you off buying a Chinese EV, or would the lure of a $20k price be too much to overlook?

Like it or not, BMW M’s best-selling vehicle is an EV, the i4 M50, which was recently upgraded to become the i4 M60. And there’s plenty more where that came from, including a fully electric M3 and the musclebound electric SUV you see here.

The big drilled brake discs and huge wheels make it clear we’re looking at a performance variant of the upcoming iX5, BMW’s first ever electric X5. And based on what we know of the brand’s current naming strategy, we think it’s likely an iX5 M70.

Related: BMW’s Baby M SUV Might Be Lurking Under This iX3

The 23-inch, five-spoke forged rims are wrapped in Michelin tires rated to over 150 mph (240 km/h), and we’ve no doubt the M70 will be capable of sailing past that speed – and then some in case BMW doesn’t restrict it. Odds-on it’s powered by the same dual-motor powertrain setup that’s already seeing action in the i7 M70, where it makes 650 hp (659 PS / 485 kW) and can send the sedan to 62 mph (100 kmh) in 3.7 seconds. Let’s hope BMW can use its latest battery technology to improve on the i7’s M70’s range, which the EPA says is just 268-285 miles (431-459 km).

Like the i7, the new iX5, which will also be available in combustion form, relies on an updated version of the existing CLAR architecture. That’s a major difference between the X5/iX5 and the X3/iX3; on the smaller SUV the combustion car is CLAR-based but the iX3 moves to BMW’s Neue Klasse platform.

But even if it’s not Neue Klasse under the skin, the X5 will still look the part, borrowing design cues from the iX3, which was previewed by last year’s Vision Neue Klasse X concept, including a visor-like front-end. These pictures show the project is still at a relatively early stage, so the lights aren’t representative and there are some riveted panels on the bodywork and heavy camouflage on the bumpers.

The iX5 and this M70 variant should arrive next year in time to battle Porsche’s first ever Cayenne Electric and give existing electric SUVs like the Lotus Eletre a hard time. But the good news for combustion fans is that both the BMW and Porsche will also be available in ICE forms, and even Lotus is working on a hybrid version of the Eletre in response to a slowdown in luxury EV uptake and steep tariffs.

Photos SHProshots