It seems not every Tesla employee in Germany keeps their speed thrills on the autobahn. Reports from the company’s Gigafactory near Berlin suggest that some workers have been pushing their luck in the car park, with local officials now stepping in to curb the growing problem.

The employees are facing scrutiny from the local works council after repeated instances of staff driving at speeds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph) through the site’s parking lot. Conditions have apparently become so unruly that speed bumps are now being considered to rein things in.

Too Fast, Even for Tesla

According to Handelsblatt, staff were recently summoned to a meeting bluntly titled ‘Racetrack South Parking Lot,’ following claims that a few overzealous drivers have turned the area into an unofficial circuit.

Now it’s unclear if the workers are driving so quickly because they can’t wait to head home after a long shift, or because they’re that keen to clock in each morning. Given the long days Tesla is known for, it’s probably safe to assume the first.

Read: Tesla Sales Collapse In Two Of Europe’s Biggest Markets As Chinese Rival Pulls Ahead

To restore order, the works council recently installed digital speedometer signs reminding staff of the 30 km/h (18 mph) limit. Early signs suggest those reminders might not be enough, and further measures could be on the horizon.

Speaking with the German newspaper, the works council revealed that it is meeting with its design team about potentially making the driving lanes through the parking lot narrower and adding new zebra crossings. If these measures also fail to slow down drivers, then speed bumps may need to be installed.

“If we don’t get this under control, then at some point we’ll have to talk about speed bumps,” said the representative for works council. “And I don’t think any of us wants to do that.”

They also reminded the workforce that there’s a perfectly good outlet for their need for speed. “The highway is ten meters away, you can really blast through it in a fast car, that’s fun too. But please…wait this short distance before you step on the gas. Thank you!”

A Pattern of Odd Headlines

This isn’t the first unusual story to come out of Tesla’s German facility. In mid-2024, reports surfaced that around 65,000 coffee mugs ordered for the plant had mysteriously vanished. At the time, roughly 12,000 employees worked there, suggesting that, statistically speaking, each person had made off with about five Ikea mugs.

Sources: Handelsblatt

While carmakers keep tripping over themselves to pack ever-bigger screens and overcomplicated digital gimmicks into their cabins, a handful of budget models seem content to sit that trend out. One Reddit user in Germany stirred a discussion after noticing that the entry-level version of a Stellantis SUV doesn’t have an infotainment system or touchscreen of any kind and, unsurprisingly, their post went viral.

The model in question is the Opel Frontera, a revived nameplate that shares absolutely nothing with its old-school, ladder-frame predecessor based on the Isuzu MU. Instead, this new generation trades toughness for a modern, urban-friendly setup, sharing its platform with the Citroen C3 Aircross.

More: Stellantis’ Rugged SUV Could Rival Dacia’s Budget Off-Roader

According to Opel’s official German configurator, the base Frontera Edition leaves out several features available in the higher GS and Ultimate trims.

Simple Tech For Bigger Savings

Despite its minimalist approach, the most affordable Frontera still includes a 10-inch digital instrument cluster. However, where you’d usually find a touchscreen on the glossy black dashboard, there’s a smartphone holder instead.

The crossover comes with a basic radio, a microphone for voice commands and calls, and two front speakers that only function when a phone is connected via Bluetooth. A USB Type-C port offers quick charging on the move, while the manual air-conditioning system keeps things old-school with rotary dials on the center console.

Buyers who want more can opt for the Tech package, which adds the 10-inch touchscreen, DAB radio, navigation, a rearview camera, wireless charging, and a front armrest with storage. The Comfort package brings heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and automatic climate control, while the Design package adds a white roof, black roof rails, and matching white details for the 16-inch steel wheels.

Pricing The Basics

So how affordable is the entry-level Frontera? In Germany, the Edition trim starts at €24,190 ($28,300) for the Hybrid 110 with the 1.2-liter engine, and climbs to €31,190 ($36,500) for the Electric Extended Range 113 PS model. The optional Tech and Comfort packages add €1,000 ($1,200) each, while the Design pack will set you back another €450 ($525).

More: Stellantis Turns Its Cheapest SUV Into A Tree House With A View

Further up the range, the GS trim adds between €3,500 and €3,700 ($4,100) to the entry-level price, while the Ultimate trim costs only €300 ($350) more than the GS.

Interestingly, in France, the Frontera Edition includes an infotainment display as standard, even with a slightly lower base price of €23,845 ($27,900). Other small Opel models like the Corsa and Mokka also include screens across all trims.

Screen-Less Models Are Trending

Of course, Opel isn’t alone in the “screen-less” concept. Several automakers now offer base trims that rely on smartphone docking stations instead of built-in displays. Dacia has led the charge, with all its models, aside from the Bigster, offered in a basic “Essential” specification without a touchscreen.

Within the Stellantis family, the same philosophy applies to the Citroën C3, C3 Aircross, and Fiat Grande Panda, all of which share the Smart Car platform with the Frontera.

More: Dacia’s Tiny EV Declares War On Europe’s Overpriced Cars

A host of upcoming budget urban EVs, like the VW ID.Up (ID.Every1) and the Renault Twingo, are also expected to let drivers use their smartphones for multimedia and navigation. This will allow automakers to offer them at a lower starting price.

Do You Really Need A Screen?

While many buyers love the look of large infotainment systems, some prefer the simplicity of using their own device, which can be easily updated over time. There’s also a practical advantage: without a screen dominating the dashboard, essential controls like heating and ventilation remain physical, straightforward, and easy to use.

Beyond Europe, you’ll find countless screen-less models in Japan, India, Southeast Asia, and South America. In contrast, Chinese buyers have access to massive screens and high-tech features in the vast majority of passenger vehicles.

Opening Photo: Reddit

Volkswagen has already learned the hard way that drivers aren’t keen on haptic controls, which is why the brand is reversing course and slowly, but gradually restoring physical buttons to the steering wheel. But a new patent filing shows the company is also exploring a different direction altogether, and this latest idea could prove even more frustrating than haptics ever were.

Read: VW Getting Rid Of Dreaded Touch-Sensitive Controls On Steering Wheels

The patent, filed earlier this month in Germany, describes a setup where a universal toggle switch would be fitted to the steering wheel, along with an eye-tracker in the center of the dashboard.

To operate basic features such as headlights or windshield wipers, the driver would need to look at the function they want and then activate it via the steering-wheel toggle.

Eyes On Everything

This setup could combine the eye-tracker with voice control, so you may not have to rely solely on your eyes to control a function. At least in theory, that is.

While Volkswagen’s system is certainly intriguing, it appears overly complicated and is likely to make errors. After all, if you quickly glance at the sunroof, hoping to slide back the sunshade, what’s going to prevent the system from thinking you actually want to open the roof, not just the shade?

Volkswagen argues in its patent filing that “an increasing number of functions/setting options leads to a deeper menu structure (softkey) or a multiplication of control elements (hardkey). The user is increasingly distracted from the traffic situation during operation.”

The reasoning isn’t wrong, but replacing simple buttons with a system that guesses your intentions feels like a recipe for distraction in its own right.

Back To Buttons

Importantly, we don’t actually expect to see VW employ a system like this anytime soon, if at all. The company is already committed to bringing back physical buttons for many important controls, including on the steering wheel and several key toggle switches below the infotainment screens of its next-generation models. The recent ID.Every1 Concept previewed these new buttons.

As for eye-tracking controls, they remain more of a speculative experiment than a real-world feature. If they ever do appear in production cars, don’t expect it to be anytime soon.

VW ID.Every1 Concept

Sources: Patent Office , Motor1,

If you want to get behind the wheel of a Tesla Cybertruck in Germany, you’re out of luck. Not only is the electric pickup not directly sold by Tesla in the country, but it also fails to comply with European Union safety regulations. And based on a recent document shared online, it seems that not even US military personnel will be permitted to drive the Cybertruck on German roads.

The guidance, shared this week by the U.S. Army Customs Agency, sets out the reasons the Cybertruck is officially barred in Germany.

Rules For Imported Vehicles

Under an agreement between the US military and the German Federal Ministry of Transport (FMoT), American service members can bring in personal vehicles from the US and drive them locally without having to meet all European safety standards. That arrangement, however, doesn’t stretch to the Cybertruck.

Watch: Even With Rubber Edges, Critics Want Tesla’s Cybertruck Off Europe’s Roads

According to the agency’s letter, US Forces had asked the FMoT whether military personnel would be allowed to import the truck. The answer was a firm no.

The rejection centers on “significant passive safety concerns.” The Cybertruck lacks EU type-approval because its sharp-edged stainless steel bodywork doesn’t comply with safety standards designed to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. The agency states the truck “deviates significantly” from EU legal requirements and that “safe operation in German public road traffic…is not ensured.”

Attention Not Welcome

Beyond the safety issues, the document also highlights that the Cybertruck would inevitably attract unwanted attention in traffic, which conflicts with the purpose of USAREUR-AF cover plates intended for force protection. As the Customs Agency explained, “For the above reasons, U.S. Army Customs Agency will not issue import certificates for Tesla Cybertrucks.”

The US Army Customs Agency added that any military personnel who do personally import a Cybertruck to Germany risk having to ship it back to the United States at their own expense.

It’s not just in the United States where Tesla is facing scrutiny over its electric door handles. Shortly after it was revealed that safety regulators in the US were probing the door handles of the Model Y following several disturbing incidents of parents not being able to access their kids inside the cars, police in Germany connected the same design to a crash that left a driver and two children dead earlier this month.

Read: Electric Door Handles Face Global Scrutiny After Deadly EV Crashes

On September 7, the Tesla veered off the side of a road and quickly burst into flames. Images shared online indicate that it was a Model S, meaning it features the completely electric, pop-out door handles. A man who witnessed the crash, Roman Jedrzejewski, ran over to the scene of the crash and attempted to save the occupants, but couldn’t find any way to open the doors.

Trapped Inside

“I just took the fire extinguisher and ran over. But … It didn’t help,” he told German media, reports the New York Post. “I wanted to save people. I tried to open the car, but that didn’t work either. It was already so hot from the fire, but the right side of the car was still relatively undamaged. Damn it, I didn’t help. It didn’t work. The car was half hanging in a tree at head height and was burning at the front. But you just couldn’t get it open, I wanted to pull the children out.”

One of the passengers, a 9-year-old child, managed to escape. The driver, a 43-year-old man, and two other 9-year-olds could not get out and lost their lives in the blaze.

Local outlet Ruhr Nachrichten reported that firefighters struggled to bring the fire under control as it kept reigniting, most likely because the battery pack had entered thermal runaway. The flames only subsided once the vehicle was completely destroyed.

Recurring Concerns

This is not the first time that the pop-out door handles of the Model S have been linked to a death. In early 2019, a man was killed after crashing his Model S into a palm tree. Police were reportedly unable to open the car’s door handles before the flames took hold and burned the vehicle.

Also: Tesla Is Rethinking The Design Of Its Door Handles

Facing mounting criticism and pressure, Tesla says it is now working on a new design for its door handles. Engineers are developing a single-button system that combines manual and electronic releases, designed to make exits easier not only for drivers but for rescuers trying to reach them.

Is BMW preparing a completely new four-door sedan to expand its Neue Klasse family? The upcoming all-electric i3 sedan is already confirmed to join the lineup, following the second-generation iX3, but BMW’s own website now features something unexpected: a sporty Neue Klasse-inspired model that, unless we’re mistaken, has never appeared before.

This mystery car has been added to the German page for the new iX3 and serves to showcase some of the iX3’s driving assistance systems. The short clips, which are entirely animated, preview features like the radar cruise control, automatic sign recognition, and BMW’s new autonomous lane change function. It also shows how BMW’s Parking Assistant Professional system works, allowing vehicles to be pulled in and out of parking spaces using the BMW app.

Read: The iX3 Is BMW’s Neue Klasse Future Now With A Surprising Price Tag

The vehicle created to showcase these driving and parking assistance systems carries the Neue Klasse design language, yet it looks noticeably different from the new i3, seen both in repeated concept form and more recently, in camouflaged pre-production guise.

Up front it wears stylized kidney grilles paired with slim LED headlights, while along the sides the smooth surfacing is complemented by flush door handles. At the rear, narrow taillights complete the look, and overall the car appears wider and more substantial than the i3. Another noteworthy detail is the use of production-style exterior mirrors, a feature not typically seen on more far-fetched concept cars.

Digital Stand-In or Hidden Teaser?

These vehicles are typically referred to as computer-generated concepts, although it is a little weird that it went to the trouble of designing a new concept just for this purpose, rather than using the iX3 to showcase these autonomous functions. Then again, it might stem from an earlier development sketch of the upcoming i3, whether from the concepts that preceded it or as part of the design process for the production model.

Perhaps a New i4, or Maybe Nothing at All

Could a vehicle resembling this make it to production? There’s always a chance, especially if BMW is considering a successor to the i4 Gran Coupe, as the proportions and stance suggest it could serve as a sportier counterpart to the i3. On the other hand, the company may have no intention of adding another all-electric sedan to the Neue Klasse range, choosing instead to let this computer-generated design influence smaller styling elements across future models.

We’ve reached out to BMW and will update this story if we hear back. In the meantime, what’s your verdict on this concept? Would you want to see BMW put something like it into production?

Sources: BMW, Carbuzz

Volkswagen has been busy showing off shiny new EVs like the upcoming ID. Cross in concept form and confirming an all-electric Polo, but behind the scenes the story isn’t quite so polished. VW will reportedly delay the launch of at least two upcoming models, citing production snags, softening demand, and mounting cost pressures.

First Victims: ID. Roc and ID. Golf

The first model expected to be hit by the delay is believed to be the ID. Roc. Although VW hasn’t officially confirmed it yet, the SUV is set to debut as the first vehicle on the new SSP platform and was originally due in fall 2029. Unnamed inside sources told Germany’s Handelsblatt that its launch has slipped to summer 2030. The ID. Golf is also reportedly being pushed back to around 2030, despite earlier plans for a release later this decade.

Read: Next VW Golf EV Will Ride On Rivian’s Electric Architecture

Money, or a lack thereof, is thought to be one of the major reasons behind the schedule change. VW is currently preparing an important roundtable meeting of its Supervisory Board to determine the capacity utilization of all of its global factories and to financially plan for the next five years. The company cut costs by €15 billion ($17.5 billion) last year and is planning even more cuts this year.

According to Handelsblatt, VW is eager to pour billions into new platforms and plant retooling, but it needs to tread carefully with the funds available. One plan had been to move production of the combustion-powered Golf from Wolfsburg, Germany, to a facility in Mexico by 2027, clearing space for SSP-based EVs like the ID. Roc. That shift, however, may also face delays.

Overinvested In EV Dreams

As a result, Wolfsburg may not see EV production until 2028 at the earliest. Similarly, Volkswagen could push back plans to shift ID.3 and Cupra Born production from Zwickau to Wolfsburg, originally targeted for 2027.

According to a company insider, electric car sales haven’t been as strong as VW had hoped. “While unit sales are increasing, our original investments were geared toward significantly higher volumes. We are completely overinvested,” the insider told the German publication.

Update: Stellantis has clarified that CEO Antonio Filosa’s remarks were focused on Leapmotor’s sales performance in Germany in August and not the entire year. He was specifically referring to the Leapmotor T03, which ranked as the country’s best-selling Chinese electric vehicle that month, while Leapmotor overall claimed the top spot as Germany’s best-selling Chinese battery-electric brand, again for August.

“Antonio Filosa’s statement about Leapmotor’s sales of battery electric vehicle (BEV) in Germany in the month of August 2025 are accurate and confirmed by the national industry’s database (KBA),” the Stellantis spokesperson told us.

“In August 2025, in Germany, Leapmotor was the best-selling Chinese BEV brand and Leapmotor T03 was the best-selling Chinese BEV” he explained. The spokesperson also added,, “All other assessments from the competition cannot be linked to what was stated yesterday by our CEO”.

Original story continues below.

It seems a brewing rivalry has spilled into the press. Chinese automaker BYD has pushed back against comments attributed to Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, reportedly made on Thursday in reference to Leapmotor, though the original source of his remarks is still unclear. We’ve reached out to both sides for clarification.

A Question of Interpretation

According to BYD, Filosa was quoted as saying that “in Germany Leapmotor sold more than BYD.” While Stellantis does not own Leapmotor outright, it holds a minority stake and controls exports outside China through Leapmotor International, a joint venture in which Stellantis has a 51 percent share.

The Chinese automaker disputes the claim, citing its own sales data that show it still has a clear lead. Along the way, BYD also couldn’t resist pointing out how its numbers stack up against Stellantis’ own brands.

According to BYD, they sold 8,610 vehicles in Germany between January and August 2025, which is a far cry from the 3,536 sales of Leapmotor over the same period. These numbers can be broken down to 5,852 BEVs and 2,757 PHEVs for BYD, versus 3,088 BEVs and 448 PHEVs for Leapmotor.

More: Europe’s EV Buyers Are Dumping Tesla And China Couldn’t Be Happier=

We checked the official registration data from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), which confirm a similar picture. Between January and August 2025, BYD recorded 8,563 new registrations, compared with 3,531 for Leapmotor. In August alone, the gap narrowed, though BYD still came out ahead with 1,114 units versus Leapmotor’s 826.

It is possible the remarks were lost in translation, or that Filosa simply misspoke in Leapmotor’s favor. He may also have been referring to narrower metrics that have not yet surfaced. While overall sales figures for August are available, the detailed breakdown between BEVs and PHEVs has not been published. A clearer picture should emerge once both companies respond to requests for clarification.

BYD Compares Itself to Alfa Romeo and Jeep

While January–August sales alone would have been enough to counter the CEO’s alleged remarks, BYD went further, highlighting its performance against Stellantis-owned Alfa Romeo and Jeep.

The Chinese automaker bragged about outselling Alfa Romeo in Germany so far in 2025, a curious flex given the two brands operate in completely different segments and court completely different buyers. More specifically, the Italian marque reportedly sold 5,226 units, 5,222 according to KBA, including just 140 BEVs (Junior Elettrica) and 34 PHEVs (Tonale PHEV).

In the same vein, BYD said it sold more EVs and PHEVs than Jeep, 350 BEVs and 569 PHEVs, and claims it is closing in on overall volume, only 278 units behind. KBA data indicate that Jeep sold 8,884 units in Germany between January and August 2025, which is 321 more than BYD, a small gap that may reflect different cuts of the data or timing.

A Significantly Wider Range Of Products

A quick look at their local websites proves that BYD has a significantly larger lineup in Germany compared to Leapmotor. BYD currently offers the Dolphin Surf, Dolphin, Atto 2, Atto 3, Sealion 7, Seal, Seal U, and Tang EVs, plus the Seal U DM-i and Seal 6 DM-i PHEVs in the German market.

On the other hand, Leapmotor is currently limited to the T03 urban EV, the B10 electric crossover, and the C10 SUV in electric and range-extender versions. The range will expand soon with the the new B05 electric hatchback that debuted in Munich.

It will be interesting to see whether the marketing war between the two Chinese brands will continue with more statements in the future, and how both of them will evolve in terms of sales in export markets. On the global stage, however, the contest is lopsided: in the first half of 2025 BYD sold 2,145,954 vehicles, nearly ten times Leapmotor’s 221,664.

For years, solid-state batteries have been viewed as the holy grail for battery-electric vehicles, promising better driving range, quicker charging, and improved safety. While it’s taken longer than many had predicted for solid-state battery packs to hit the market, Mercedes-Benz has demonstrated just how transformative the technology could be.

Read: Lucid Shatters World Record With A Drive So Long It Seems Impossible

The German automaker is testing solid-state packs in specially prepared EQS prototypes. One of these cars recently drove from Stuttgart, Germany, through Denmark, and into Malmo, Sweden, covering an impressive 748.8 miles (1,205 km) on a single charge, without stopping to plug in.

Solid-State Advantage

Compared to the battery in a standard EQS, Mercedes says its solid-state pack delivers 25 percent more energy while remaining similar in weight and size. The pack was developed in partnership with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains and the company’s F1 technology center in the UK, using lithium-metal cells supplied by U.S.-based Factorial Energy.

The 748.8 miles (1,205 km) driven in this EQS prototype exactly matches a recent Guinness World Record set by a Lucid Air Grand Touring, which covered the same 748.8 miles (1,205 km) on a single charge. What makes the feat notable is that Lucid’s car used a conventional 117 kWh lithium-ion battery, while Mercedes managed it with a solid-state pack that still had energy left over.

Range To Spare

Had Mercedes-Benz wanted to continue its journey with this EQS, it could have. They claim that at the end of the trip, the prototype had an estimated range of 85 miles (137 km) left. In theory, that means the electric sedan could have traveled up to 834 miles (1,342 km) without charging, well beyond anything currently on the market.

“The solid-state battery is a true gamechanger for electric mobility,” member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Markus Schäfer, said. “With the successful long-distance drive of the EQS, we show that this technology delivers not only in the lab but also on the road. Our goal is to bring innovations like this into series production by the end of the decade and offer our customers a new level of range and comfort.”

The arrival of the new all-electric Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology marks more than just a significant model launch. It also signals the start of what Mercedes describes as the largest product offensive in its history.

Read: Star-Stricken Mercedes GLC EV Has A Grille Big Enough To Swallow A BMW iX3

Over the next three years, the company plans to launch more than 40 new models while working to significantly cut production costs. At the same time, it is making the controversial shift away from a pure luxury focus in order to pursue higher-volume, more affordable vehicles aimed at strengthening its financial position.

To prepare itself for a slew of new models, Mercedes has invested more than €2 billion ($2.3 billion) in its European assembly plants. Once the production ramp-up of the new electric CLA is completed at its Rastatt site in Germany, the brand will start building the GLC EQ in Bremen as well as the all-electric C-Class EQ in Kecskemét.

Expanding the Lineup

At the same time, the carmaker’s Sindelfingen plant will begin producing new electric models from Mercedes-AMG, including the production version of the recently unveiled Concept AMG GT XX.

While speaking at the launch of the new electric GLC, Mercedes-Benz chief executive Ola Källenius noted that “with the new electric GLC, the biggest product launch in our company’s history continues to gain momentum.”

Among the lesser-publicized additions is the upcoming VLE, an all-electric luxury MPV developed on the company’s new Van Electric Architecture. Designed to carry up to eight passengers, it highlights Mercedes’ intent to cover a broad range of segments. The lineup also expands with an electric “baby” G-Class SUV, a refreshed S-Class, next-generation versions of the GLA and GLB, and more.

Digitialization and AI

As Mercedes ramps up the production of several new models in Europe, it’ll integrate its MO360 and MO360 Data Platform production ecosystems into the plants, allowing for ‘digital twins’ of the sites to be made, where future improvements can be tested and verified before being implemented into the plants.

More: Mercedes Drops The “L-Word” And Is Ready To Flood The Streets With Mainstream Cars

Mercedes-Benz has also said that it will decrease production costs by 10 percent between 2024 and 2027. In addition to using digitalization to help achieve this, Mercedes will use artificial intelligence, increase the use of renewable energy, and push for greater production and logistics efficiency.