With its sci-fi-look face, Hyundai’s Staria looked like a minivan from 10 years in the future when it debuted in 2021. The only think missing from the picture was an electric drivetrain, but these spy shots shows that won’t be the case in the near future.

Our photo team snapped a prototype Staria EV wearing German license plates and testing on European roads. The test van was dressed in double disguise consisting of an eye-scrambling wrap across the bodywork and Hyundai’s usual collection of black nylon panels at the front and back ends.

Related: 2026 Hyundai Staria Electric Minivan Has The VW ID. Buzz In Its Sights

With so much of the Staria covered up it’s hard to work out how the EV will look. Or it would be if we hadn’t already seen the whole car without a stitch of disguise, as it was spied in a Koean parking garage at the beginning of the year.

Those pictures show Hyundai‘s new EV will ditch the current Staria’s giant black grille for more painted plastic, but leave an ugly rectangular cooling slot in the center and two more rectangular vents below. I don’t know about you, but I think the 2021 model with its jumbo grille is a far better looking machine.

We’re still to learn about the exact battery and powertrain setup, but we do have some clues about what to expec, courtesy of the Staria-based ST1 box van and chassis cab and its badge-engineered brother, the Iveco Moody. The Moody comes with a single electric motor delivering 215 hp (160 kW / 218 PS) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque and a choice of 63 kWh or 76 kWh batteries, the latter delivering a WLTP range of 320 km (199 miles).

We’d be surprised if the Staria didn’t improve on both the battery capacity and range with the help of the Ioniq’s 84 kWh pack, while retaining the V2L capability and 800-volt technology for fast charging. The Moody can add 62 miles (100 km) of range in just 10 minutes when hooked up to a 350 kW charger.

The Staria EV should be revealed later this year, but until then buyers will have to content themselves with a choice among a 3.5-liter V6, a 1.6-liter hybrid or a 2.2-liter diesel powertrain.

Image credits: SHProshots, Clien

The first of BMW’s Neue Klasse EVs drops this fall, and it’s not only the exterior styling, dashboard layout and electric platform that’s new. So is the soundtrack for this new generation of electric vehicles, and BMW has given us a glimpse of what kind of noises to expect when we eventually slide behind the wheel of the 2026 iX3 and 2027 i330 sedan.

This isn’t the first time BMW has created unique soundtracks for its EVs. It famously commissioned Hans Zimmer to come up with signature sounds for the i4 and i7. But the automaker claims the new HypersonX soundscape developed by BMW’s own Sound Design Studio is even more complex and nuanced.

Related: BMW Confirms iX3 Debut In September, Will Launch Over 40 New Models By 2027

Neue Klasse cars benefit from a new audio control unit that brings a greater dynamic range, BMW claiming that although the new soundscape uses fewer notes than older systems, it delivers more color and depth to give a more natural feel.

43 Layers of Motion

HypersonX has 43 different sound signals and driving sounds for the cars’ Personal Mode and Sport Mode settings and when the driver accelerates the car shifts through three-dimensional sound layers to create a sensation of speed.

The team didn’t only spend time working out how to make the EVs feel exciting at full throttle, but also how they sound when you first open the door and any time you’re inside. BMW says it drew inspiration from art, science, light and nature, and even used sounds created using a choir made of development team members.

“The unique sound spectrum of HypersonX plays a major role in giving a Neue Klasse model its own, highly distinctive character acoustically,” says Renzo Vitale, Creative Director of Sound Design BMW Group.

“Through our focus on precision, warmth, and lightness, we can create a direct emotional connection between the driver and their vehicle.”

The first production BMW to benefit from HypersonX is the iX3 SUV, the electric brother to the recently-facelifted X3, which is scheduled to make its debut this September.

Skoda began teasing its new three-row electric SUV last month, which means a debut is probably imminent. But while the marketing team is stirring up some excitement, the Czech company’s engineers are making sure future owners don’t get a dose of the wrong kind of excitement when towing a large trailer.

Related: Skoda Teases Electric Seven-Seat SUV Rival To Kia EV9

SUVs are popular for their high driving position and generous interior space, but many owners buy traditional ICE-powered utilities because even those without body-on-frame construction can make for useful towing vehicles. And if automakers want to present EVs as serious alternatives to combustion vehicles, they need to be be able to haul trailers, boats and caravans, too.

The Towing Potential of EVs

In some ways, EVs make great tow vehicles. They’ve got tons of low end torque, the power delivery is smooth, and brake regeneration can prevent the conventional brakes from ever becoming overloaded. But because they are heavy, their towing capacity is usually lower than that of an equivalent ICE machine.

This new Skoda SUV, a production version of 2022’s Vision 7S concept which could be called the Space, is an electric alternative to the seven-seat combustion-powered Kodiaq. The Kodiaq is built on VW’s MQB Evo platform and in all-wheel drive vRS guise has a maximum towing capacity of 2,500 kg (5,510 lbs). But its electric counterpart rides on the MEB platform, the same one used by the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID.Buzz, and neither of those EVs can legally haul as big a load.

ICE Beats EV For Towing

The dual-motor Enyaq tops out at 1,200 kg (2,650 lbs) for a braked trailer, and Europe’s dual-motor Buzz can tow 1,800 kg (3,970 lbs) when fitted with the smaller 79 kWh battery, or only 1,600 kg (3,530 lbs) with the 86 kWh pack. But one of the Skoda’s key rivals could be Kia’s EV9, and that is rated at an impressive 2,500 kg (5,512 lbs).

In reality, if Skoda’s big EV can pull 1800 kg, that might be enough for many buyers not looking to drag huge boats, caravans and car trailers around. However, they’ll have to accept a sizeable drop in driving range when they’re hooked-up.

Many owners of MEB-platform EVs, including the VW ID.4 and Buzz, have documented their experience with towing in online forums, and according to their results, it’s not unusual to see a 50-60 percent reduction in range when pulling even an 820 kg (1,800 lb) trailer.

A 150-Mile Range?

Skoda claims a maximum range of 334 WLTP miles (537 km) for the AWD Enyaq in optimum weather conditions and when not towing, and the bigger seven-seater in these spy pics could be good for 370 miles (596 km) if it matches the claims for the 7S concept, which had an 89 kWh battery. But you could still be looking at a tow range of less than 150 miles (240 km) unless you keep the speed way down.

Sure, ICE-powered SUVs also take a big mpg and range hit when towing (though usually less than 50 percent), but they don’t have to worry about where to charge, or deal with the fact that unlike petrol stations, charging ones are generally not set up to deal with vehicles towing something behind them. So, would you buy an EV if you knew you wanted to tow things?

Images: Baldauf, Skoda

Almost 18 months after the Cybertruck finally went on sale in December of 2023, Tesla has finally gotten around to launching a more affordable entry-level model. But the downgraded spec of the Cybertruck Long Range makes you wonder whether you might want to give it a miss.

Not Quite a Bargain, But Better Than Nothing

A simple, single-motor, rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck was always part of the plan. And while the 2025 Long Range’s price of $69,990 plus $2,245 destination and order fees (but before the $7,500 tax credit) is far from the $39,990 that Elon Musk promised this specific trim would cost back in 2019, it still represents a $10,000 savings compared to the existing bi-motor AWD model. It also comes in at $30,000 less than the absurdly expensive Cyberbeast.

More: Tesla Quietly Pulls Cybertruck’s $16K Range Extender After Taking $2,000 Deposits

And there are other upsides apart from that price. Losing the front motor and driveshafts helps cut the curb weight (Tesla doesn’t specify by how much), enabling the Long Range to secure a 350-mile (563 km) EPA driving range. That’s for an LR with no tonneau cover – order the optional $750 soft tonneau and the electric range climbs to 362 miles (583 km), well above the 325 miles (523 km) claimed for the AWD.

The Catch: A Lot of Equipment Compromises

But from there on things don’t look so good for the Long Range’s chances of snaring buyers. To get that price down Tesla has de-contented the Cybertruck so hard that you’ll be reminded every time you jump in it that you were too tight-fisted to go for the AWD.

Out go the vegan leather seats in favor of simple cloth versions that are still heated, but no longer ventilated, and you’re downgraded to puny 18-inch wheels unless you splash for the optional 20s fitted as standard on the AWD. But the $3,500 cost of doing that really eats into the price differential. Other kit to go includes the height-adjustable air suspension, which is replaced by simple steel springs, and the hi-fi’s speaker count is halved to seven.

Slower and Less Capable

And even if you’re the kind of driver that never gets into the right pedal hard enough to notice or care that the zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) time has grown from 4.1 to 6.2 seconds, you probably are going to care that the tow rating has been decimated. AWD Cybertrucks can haul 11,000 lbs (4,990 kg) but the Long Range is only good for 7,500 lbs (3,402 kg), and there’s a 265 lb (120 kg) payload reduction to factor in, too.

Throw in the loss of the bed’s electrical outlets and the fact that you have to pay extra for a soft tonneau when the AWD gets a retractable one as standard, and the Long Range’s appeal really does start to wane. Tesla would argue that what matters here is that the LR is competitive with mid-ranking Ford F-150 Lightnings, which accelerate slightly faster but don’t go as far on a charge. What do you think? Was the entry-level Cybertruck worth the wait?

Cybertruck Long Range now available

– $62,490 (incl. Federal Tax Credit)
– 362 mi of range (est.) w/ Soft Tonneau
– 6' x 4' bed
– 7,500 lbs towing capacity pic.twitter.com/ZP5S5uxHiY

— Tesla (@Tesla) April 11, 2025

MG’s Cyberster electric sports car helped make a splash for the brand, but it’s never going to sell in the millions. But here’s another Cyber-branded MG that might. It’s the Cyber X, and MG has just dropped teaser images of the boxy SUV ahead of its global reveal at the Shanghai Auto Show on April 23.

A series of silhouetted and darkened pictures show the second car from MG’s Cyber family from the side, the front- and rear-three-quarter angles. The X’s fashionably square nose and upright tail say this is a car designed for a younger crowd than the one usually seen in MG showrooms.

Related: MG Cyber GTS Concept Hints At Production Cyberster Coupe

A full-width LED light bar stretches across the Cyber X’s face, with an illuminated MG octagon mounted just below it and flanked by two smaller LEDs. The fenders are flared above the wheels, door handles are sunk flush with the door skin, and a pair of roof rails underlines the go-anywhere vibe. At the rear, the waistline rises to meet the chunky D-pillar, and there’s another full-width LED bar and illuminated MG badge rounding out the show at the tail.

We’ll have to wait until the day of the show to make a final assessment on the design, but from what we can see here, the mix of tech and tough will find the Cyber X plenty of admirers. It’s eerily reminiscent of the new Smart #5, which could be handy because the newly-launched Geely SUV is likely to be one of the X’s key rivals.

Tech details are practically non-existent at this stage, but Chinese reports say that the X will be one of the first cars to benefit from SAIC’s new E3 platform, which features cell-to-body construction where the battery pack is made part of the car’s structure in an effort to cut weight.

The E3 architecture is capable of handling both electric and hybrid powertrains, though right now we don’t know whether the X will offer both or only one of those options. A closed grille suggests we’re looking at an EV. Car News China claims the X will feature semi-solid-state batteries, advanced drive assist features, and sophisticated phone-to-car integration.

We’ll be seeing more than the Cyber X from MG during this year and next. The automaker is preparing to roll out more than half a dozen new cars, including a second-generation MG4, a revised Cyberster, and four EVs, including a pair of sedans and a pair of SUVs. Not all are guaranteed to come to Europe, but our hunch is the Cyber X will find it worth the trip.

Images: MG/SAIC

Launching a new brand into an established market is a brave move with no guarantee of success. But if she has any doubts about Denza’s chances in Europe, BYD boss Stella Li isn’t letting on, claiming in a recent interview Denza’s new vehicles were ‘ten times better’ than than those they aim to outpace, and which include the likes of Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and possibly even Porsche.

BYD’s gains in Europe with its own EVs and PHEVs gives Li reason to be confident. But Denza is shooting for a totally different, more image and status-conscious audience. A premium brand designed to slot between everyman BYD and pricey YangWang, Denza will take on established European names like Mercedes, which could be embarrassing for Benz because Denza started off as a BYD-Daimler co-op before BYD carried on alone.

Related: Chinese Brand Mercedes Created With BYD Is Now Coming For Mercedes In Europe

The Z9 GT is odds-on the first Denza to hit European roads later this year and will offer a more coupe-like alternative to cars like the Audi A6 and A6 e-tron Avant, and BMW 5-series and i5 Touring. A sporty shooting brake whose Porsche Panamera-like profile is the work of former Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini designer Wolfgang Egger, the Z9 is a triple-motor EV with 952 hp (965 PS / 710 kW). An 858 hp (870 PS / 640 kW) 2.0-liter PHEV is also available.

‘This car is really ten times better than the competition,’ Li told Car Magazine at the Denza brand launch at Milan Design Week. ‘We have a lot of unique features the other legacy brands do not have.’

Tech-Forward, Price-Savvy Strategy

Those features are not limited to aggressive pricing, though you can be sure Denza’s cars will offer more standard equipment at a much lower cost than than their rivals to help hook buyers in. Technology is a big focus: the Z9 will crab-walk and slow-motion drift into parking spaces and round tight turns, tricks you won’t find on premium Western cars (check out the video below).

‘We are confident that buyers will find distinctive, unique appeal in the car’s mix of sophisticated, elegant design, strong performance and astounding technology,’ Li said, adding that Denza’s superior customer service will be key to it carving market share.

European pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but in China, the Z9 GT starts at 334,800 yuan and tops out at 414,800 yuan (around $45,800 to $56,800). That’s a serious value play when you consider the Panamera Sport Turismo and Taycan Cross Turismo start at 1,008,000 yuan ($138,000) and can balloon past 1,500,000 yuan ($205,000) depending on options.

Credit: BYD/Denza

Mazda’s first crack at building an electric SUV, the quirky and range-challenged MX-30, was too weird for its own good, but the EZ-60 revealed this week in China plays it straight and that looks like a smart strategy.

Images released ahead of a full debut at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month show a bigger SUV with conventional doors, but just enough of a sporty Mazda vibe to tempt a few prospective Tesla Model Y buyers to switch sides.

Related: Four Mazda Models Are Being Discontinued This Year, But One Could Return

The EZ-60 is a production version of last year’s Arata concept, and will be renamed CX-6e for sale outside China, reflecting its position in the lineup as an electric alternative to the combustion CX-60. The final design stays close to the concept’s and features a much more assertive face than its Tesla rival, frameless door glass, camera-based mirrors, a coupe-like rear with a sloping roofline and dramatically angled D-pillar. 

Mazda hasn’t confirmed it’ll come to Europe but a debut there is all but inevitable given the region is one of the strongest markets for EVs and Mazda has already committed to launching its 6e sedan (known as the EZ-60 in China) in Europe later this year. We’d be amazed if it isn’t on sale in Europe in 2026.

Shared Platform, Familiar Hardware

Both sedan and SUV are built around architecture from Chinese automaker Changan, whose Deepal S07 is already engaged in a battle with the Model Y, and coming to Europe before the end of 2025. We’ll have to wait until the EZ-60’s full reveal on April 23 to find out the exact specs, but we’re expecting substantial similarities to the 6e when it comes to battery and motor details.

For reference, the European-market 6e sedan has a choice of 68.6 and 80 kWh batteries and comes with a choice of two different motors. Both are single-motor setups driving the rear wheels, one serving up 241 hp (244 PS) and the other, 255 hp (258 PS). Electric range varies from 300 -345 miles (483-555 km), though the heavier and less aerodynamically efficient SUV probably won’t be quite so long-legged.

Charging and Range-Extender Tech

Deepal’s platform isn’t as advanced as Hyundai-Kia’s and can only charge at 200 kW, although that puts it on par with many European carmakers. But the architecture is versatile enough that the S07 is also offered with a 1.5-liter range-extender combustion engine in China, though Mazda won’t be borrowing that tech because it already offers the CX-60 as a PHEV.

Unfortunately for American buyers, the CX-6e won’t be crossing the Pacific. Since it’ll be built in China, it faces steep import barriers and little incentive under current US EV tax credit rules. For now, it looks like this one’s staying in markets where Mazda’s EV strategy is already gaining traction.

Tesla’s sales sank alarmingly in Q1, falling 13 percent to 337,000, a fact that on its own would be enough to make Volkswagen’s German execs crack a wry smile. But what they’ll really have them bro-hugging in Wolfsburg is knowing that Tesla’s misfortune is almost certainly linked to VW posting record EV sales figures over the same period.

Related: Tesla’s European Sales Have Collapsed, Down 45% As EV Market Surges 31%

Sales of fully-electric VW Group vehicles jumped 59 percent in the first three months of the year, reaching 216,800 compared with 136,400 in Q1 2024. By comparison, Tesla reported 336,681 deliveries in the same period, down 13 percent from last year. But even that success is dwarfed by what happened in Europe.

EV Momentum in Europe

EV sales there exploded by 113 percent to 158,100, up from just 74,400 a year earlier, no doubt helped by widespread dislike of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, particularly in Germany, where Musk came out in support of the far-right AfD party. A poll last month found 94 percent of Germans wouldn’t buy a Tesla due to the CEO’s antics. That sentiment appears to be hitting where it hurts: in Q1, Tesla’s sales in Germany plummeted 62 percent compared to the same period last year.

Strong Gains in the US, Trouble in China

US sales also grew significantly, Americans taking home 19,900 EVs, representing a 51 percent increase. But there was bad news from China where EV sales plummeted 37 percent to 25,900 units. And although the global EV sales result is definitely worth celebrating, it ought to be viewed in the context of the sales of vehicles of all power types.

VW GROUP EV SALES

That number did improve, but only by 1.4 percent to 2.13 million units, the decline in demand for combustion cars offset by both the surge in demand for EVs and a 15 percent uptick in PHEV sales. Overall sales in China were down 7 percent, the only region to see a fall.

VW’s Top-Selling EVs

VW’s best-selling EV globally was the ID.4/ID.5, which racked up 43,700 sales, followed by the ID.3 hatch with 28,100 deliveries. Audi’s Q4 e-tron – a reskinned ID.4 – placed third with 22,800 sales, the Skoda Enyaq found 20,200 buyers and VW’s ID.7 scored 19,100 sales.

Porsche’s Macan Electric only ranked seventh with 14,200 sales but since it wasn’t on sale in Q1 2024 its appearance in this year’s Q1 helped Porsche’s EV deliveries jump by 326 percent.

EV SALES BY BRAND

Kia’s EV rollout shows no sign of slowing down, and the automaker isn’t scared to push into segments it’s never played in before, including electric trucks. The Korean company confirmed that it would launch an electric pickup in North America, and it should be here within the next couple of years.

Related: Kia Confirms First Midsize Pickup For America

Trucks are consistently some of the best-selling vehicles in the US, and although Kia doesn’t have any on sale in America, it recently revealed the aesthetically-challenged Tasman that’s already earmarked for sale in Australia, another nation of truck lovers.

Skipping the Tasman, Straight to EV

But it looks like Kia isn’t interested in bringing the Ford Ranger-rivaling Tasman to the US, and will instead jump straight into the electric pickup market with an entirely different truck. We already knew, thanks to a spy video captured last year by Kindel Auto, that an EV was in development, with the prototype showing a more conventional Kia front-end design, and intel suggesting body-on-frame construction.

No details on its size were given today, but Kia CEO Ho Sung Song had previously expressed a desire to sell a mid-size truck to the US – one that would be built in the US, probably at Hyundai’s Georgia plant, to avoid both the older Chicken tax on imported light trucks and Trumps new import tariffs. Hyundai should get its own version of the pickup.

Kia’s statement says the pickup will be built on a new platform and be ‘designed for both urban and outdoor use.’ It described the model as ‘innovative,’ claiming it would have best-in-class interior and cargo space, a ‘robust’ towing system, be capable off road and have advanced media and safety systems.

Big Goals in a Small Market

Kia says its long-term goal is 90,000 annual sales and a 7 percent market share of the overall truck market. Ford only sold 7,187 examples of the F-150 Lightning in Q1, and Tesla shifted fewer than 12,000 Cybertrucks, so Kia is really aiming high with its new electric hauler.

But electric pickup choices are few and far between, and there are literally no options for anyone wanting a midsize or smaller electric truck, meaning Kia could be shooting at an open goal if it gets the thing to market quickly.

But how quickly it’ll come, Kia didn’t say. Based on last year’s spy shots, we’d say a 2026 or 2027 debut looks realistic. We’re hoping it has some of the butch attitude of the new Tasman Weekender revealed this week (pictured below), but we’re still not sure about that face.

Americans have been slower to switch on to the idea of owning an electric car than their British, European and Chinese counterparts, and now it looks like what interest they did have has already peaked and is sliding in the opposite direction.

While EV sales were up last year, the rate of take-up has slowed and the percentage of US drivers who either own an EV are open to buying electric has fallen over the last 24 months according to a new study. In 2025 barely more than half of American drivers give consideration to EV ownership, a Gallup poll found.

Related: Just 5% Of Americans Surveyed Want An EV As Their Next Car, But Is That Really True?

In 2023 the percentage of drivers who’d said they’d already switched to an EV or were genuinely think about making their next purchase an EV stood at 59 percent. When Gallup asked the same question in 2025 that number had dropped to just 51 percent.

You’d think that Elon Musk must surely take some credit for that fall. The Tesla CEO’s support for right-wing politicians last year hardly endeared his cars to a traditionally left-leaning EV audience, and this year’s controversial DOGE efficiency drive for the US government has only cemented his toxic reputation.

The Slide Started Before Trump (And DOGE)

And worries that EV tax credits could be axed and charging infrastructure growth stifled under the Trump administration might also look like viable causes for the slump. They’ve surely affected EV sales, but what’s interesting is that Gallup had already detected a slump in EV consideration long before Trump had taken office.

The percentage of US drivers who were open to buying electric had dropped to its current 51 percent level in the 2024 study, meaning that consideration has stayed steady since – despite the factors we just mentioned.

Throwing a magnifying glass on the changes between 2023 and 2025 reveals that women’s interest in EVs declined more than men’s (-7% vs -5%), and that interest among 18-34 year-olds fell by 11 percent compared with between 4 and 5 percent for older groups.

EV consideration among drivers who identified as Democrats slumped 11 percent, and the interest for Independents fell 7 percent. But the percentage of US drivers who aligned themselves with the Republican party and said they either owned an EV or were thinking about buying one grew 2 percent – that White House Tesla informercial clearly reached a few people as well as making everyone else retch.

Hybrid interest is rising

Although America’s interest in EVs seems to have flatlined, that doesn’t mean interest in electrification has done the same. Gallup also polled people on their attitudes to hybrids and found that the percentage who would consider one stood at 65 percent, 14 percentage points higher than for EVs.

The study found that older, wealthier and right-leaning voters were far more likely to consider a hybrid than an EV, whereas the gap between the two power sources was close for younger, less affluent and left-aligned drivers.

Interest in electric cars 2023-2025 – Gallup Poll

Interest in hybrids vs EVs, 2025 – Gallup Poll

JLR has been forced to temporarily pause its deliveries to the US due to Donald Trump’s import tariffs – tariffs that could make life difficult for the all-electric 2028 baby Defender EV that’s been spied testing for the very first time.

Due to launch in 2027, the chunky-looking electric SUV is much smaller than the Defender we know today, which will also get its own EV variant. And while it shares some visual similarities, like the wide hips when viewed from the back, plus flared fenders, an upright tail, and a long, flat roof, it will have its own style.

Related: Smaller ‘Defender Sport’ Will Reportedly Join Land Rover Lineup In 2027

Compared with the current Defender, this Skoda Kodiaq-sized prototype has a sportier rake to its windshield, slimmer headlights, and the C-pillar leans forward, rather than straight up. And under the skin, it’s a totally different animal, riding on the new EMA platform JLR will deploy for various new EVs, including the Evoque, Velar, and Discovery Sport. 

The company has so far only confirmed those three vehicles, but these pictures prove a Defender spinoff is also on the cards, and that move makes perfect sense since the Defender is the strongest sub-brand in the carmaker.

Featuring 800-volt tech for rapid charging that could allow the EVs to chow down on 350 kW for sub-18-minute refills, the models will all be built at JLR’s Halewood plant on Merseyside in the north west of England and use batteries produced in its new Somerset facility several hours further south.

Some rumors suggest the baby Defender could be called Defender 80 or Defender Sport when it hits the road ready to battle Mercedes’ upcoming baby G-wagon. The second of those names would make sense for a couple of reasons. Land Rover already used the Sport suffix on a Discovery spinoff, so buyers should easily understand it, and this prototype’s rising waistline and slanted C-pillar are two design details seen on the Discovery Sport.

Whatever it’s called, we’re expecting the smaller Defender to debut in 2027 as a 2028 MY vehicle, where it’ll undoubtedly be a hit in the UK, which is still lapping up EVs. But unless the current US tariff situation changes, this baby Defender could have a very grown-up sticker price in American showrooms.

Images: Baldauf

It turns out the unstoppable rise of Chinese EV exports might not be so unstoppable after all. For Western carmakers fretting about the growing threat posed by a maturing Chinese industry, we’ve got some welcome news. Exports of EVs from the Asian country have dropped by almost one fifth.

The number of electric vehicles leaving the country was down by 18 percent to 92,625 in February compared with the same month in 2024. That’s according to numbers from China Customs crunched by the analysts at Bloomberg.

Related: Locked Out Of The US, Chinese Carmakers Are Taking Over The Middle East, Latin America, Africa And Asia

A combination of tariffs on Chinese imports in Europe, the loss of government incentives, a rise in demand for PHEVs and a drop in demand for Tesla’s cars through a combination of people waiting for the facelifted Model Y and not wanting to be associated with CEO Elon Musk are partly to blame.

A Bigger Dip in Key Markets

The overall -18 percent figure disguises some much more worrying drops in demand in some key markets. Because while Thailand’s 17 percent slide to 6,252 units tallies with the total reduction, in some countries the number of imports from China halved – and it’s worth noting that some of those exports are of Chinese-built EVs with Western names.

According to Bloomberg, exports to Korea plummeted 51 percent to 3,151 units and Spaniards showed an almost equal disinterest in buying Chinese EVs: exports to Spain were down 49 percent to 2,664. Belgium’s drop in demand wasn’t quite so bad in pure percentage terms, but looks far more serious when you see just what a big player the country is in China’s export program. It accounted for 10,105 of the 92,625 cars exported in February.

Chinese EV exports by country

Exports to the UAE also make for grim reading. They were down 20 percent to 3,231 units, but not everyone was giving China’s EVs the cold shoulder. The number of cars landing in the UK fell a comparatively modest 2.9 percent to 8,362 and the Philippines was only down 0.9 percent to 8,225.

Some countries even experienced a big jump in a positive direction. Indonesia was up 79 percent, Turkiye was up 131 percent and Mexico just couldn’t get the things off the boast fast enough. Exports there were up 623 percent – though only to 7,847, putting it behind Belgium, Britain and the Philippines.

But looking at the numbers according to region rather than specific countries shows exports were down everywhere except Africa, which still only accounts for one in every 73 Chinese exports, so isn’t worth getting too excited about just yet. Asia remains the biggest destination for exports, taking half of all the EVs moved out of China and exports there dropped only 2.7 percent. But in Europe, which takes almost a third of the 93k total, they fell 30 percent, having only been down 14 percent in January.

Chinese EV exports by region

When Skoda revealed its Elroq electric SUV last October, it omitted to tell us anything about the version enthusiasts really care about, the Elroq vRS. But today we got to see the hot Skoda inside and out, and find out that it’s the company’s fastest-accelerating production car ever.

Base Elroqs come with a range of single-motor, rear-drive powertrains that top out at 282 hp (286 PS / 210 kW), though a dual-motor Elroq 85x is planned. But the vRS earns its three letters by adopting the 335 hp (340 PS / 250 kW) dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain from sister brand VW’s ID.4, which rides on the same MEB architecture.

Related: Skoda’s New Elroq EV Aims For The Mainstream Sweet Spot

A zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) time of 5.4 seconds makes the Elroq vRS a tenth faster than its Enyaq vRS big brother, previously the brand’s fastest model. The petrol-powered 261 hp (265 PS) Octavia vRS and Kodiaq vRS are much slower, both needing 6.4 seconds to hit the same marker, while the most potent non-RS Elroq takes 6.6 seconds.

A mid-five sprint time isn’t particularly mind-bending for a modern performance EV, but it’s enough to let you tease hot hatches like the Honda Civic Type R from the lights. Don’t expect to hang with the Honda when the road gets twisty, though, with its revised steering, bigger brakes, available DCC adaptive shocks, and stiffer suspension that’s dropped 15 mm at the front and 10 mm at the back, the vRS ought to be more fun than the RWD Elroq 85.

Visual upgrades include sporty black accents on the mirror caps, badges, and window trim, and wheels measuring up to 21 inches across. But even if pedestrians don’t notice them as you glide by, they might notice the synthesised soundtrack. Inside, you get Suedia microfibre upholstery with lime green contrast stitching, carbon-effect trim, a perforated-leather steering wheel and sport seats with an optional massage function.

If there’s a downside to all this vRS fun, it’s the inevitable reduction in driving range all performance EVs suffer from versus their slower stablemates using the same battery. In the Elroq’s case, the battery has a 79 kWh net capacity and a range of 340 miles (547 km)  – not bad, but a non-vRS Elroq Edition 85 stretches a charge another 20 miles (32 km), admittedly helped by having only one motor to lug around.

To make amends, the vRS gets a charging speed upgrade. Depending on the model, the Elroq charges at 145, 165, or 175 kW, but the vRS can chow down on 185 kW, dropping the 10-80 percent charge time from 28 minutes to 26 minutes.

Mazda’s attempt at electrification hasn’t been great so far. The MX-30 BEV was criticized for its tiny driving range, and the CX-60 PHEV we ran for six months was as refined as crude oil. But Mazda could become a serious contender for EV buyers when the CX-6e arrives in the next 18 months to take on the Tesla Model Y.

These spy shots show the compact electric SUV, which Mazda teased last week, on test for the first time, and from what we can see, it looks very close to the Arata concept Mazda debuted in 2024. It’s got the same deep bumper design with an almost Cadillac-like grille treatment and a two-deck lighting arrangement, in which ultra-slim DRLs peak menacingly from beneath the leading edge of the hood.

Related: Here’s Everything We Know About the Mazda CX-6e

The rising waistline and relatively low roofline create shallow windows, which won’t be much fun for kids trying to see out but, together with the aggressively sloped rear window, do give the CX-6e an almost coupe-like appearance, particularly with the supercar-style openings in the C-pillar.

With the heavy disguise in place, there’s no way to see if this prototype has illuminated ‘Mazda’ lettering across its tail as the concept did, but since Porsche, VW, and others are already lighting up their brand marks, we doubt Mazda will want to miss out. Whether the production SUV also gets the concept’s illuminated lettering in the door sills remains to be seen. But the show car’s camera-based door mirrors have definitely made the cut, even if the street versions are a little chunkier.

Mazda can take credit for the way the CX-6e and its 6e sedan brother look, but not large portions of what’s going on under the skin. The duo has been developed around the EPA1 platform from China’s Changan, the same hardware already used by machines like the Deepal S07, a sporty SUV that went on sale in its home market in 2023.

If the CX’s dimensions match up with the S07’s, Mazda’s Model Y fighter will come in around 4,750 mm (187 inches) long and ride on a 2,900 mm (114.2-inch) wheelbase. Based on the S07’s spec, it could be offered with 68.8 kWh and 80 kWh battery options and a single, rear-mounted electric motor producing between 215-255 hp (160-190 kW / 218-255 PS). We’ll have to wait to see exactly what outputs and range Mazda’s version delivers.

Mazda has never revealed any interior images of the Atara but it’s safe to assume it will borrow heavily from the 6e sedan, which has already been unveiled in production form and features a high-quality cabin with a big 14.6-inch central touchscreen.

The CX-6e will be offered in Europe by 2027 and could cause more trouble for Tesla’s Model Y, whose moment in the spotlight appears to be over. But the fact that it’s made in China means this stylish electric SUV will be off limits to US buyers, who’ll have to wait for the electric SUV Mazda is developing by itself.

Images: SHProshots

Remember the outcry from enthusiasts when Ford unveiled the Mach-E in November 2019? They were worried Ford wanted to replace the iconic pony car with an EV but the automaker assured them that wasn’t going to happen. Five and half years later, however, fresh data from Ford shows it’s now the Mach-E that’s the sales winner and the gas-powered car that’s the niche proposition. Are we looking at the end of the road for the ‘real’ Mustang?

Ford’s registration figures reveal Mach-E sales grew 21 percent in Q1 2025 versus Q1 2024, the total number of deliveries jumping from 9,589 to 11,607, no doubt helped by incentives and the threat of federal tax credits going away. Still, that’s a healthy gain. While that was happening sales of the classic Mustang slid by 31.6 percent, dropping from 13,707 to 9,377. That means the Mustang EV is now more popular than the gas car, and by a wide margin.

Related: Ford Mach-E Sales 62% Up This Year, Mustang Keeps Losing To Itself

So modern electric vehicles good, retro-style gas cars bad, right? It’s not quite that simple, because sales of Ford’s F-150 Lightning EV dropped 7.2 percent in Q1 to 7,187 units, and Bronco registrations blew up by 35.4 percent to 32,595 units. The Bronco is now almost as popular as the more affordable Bronco Sport (33,363; up 5.7 percent) and Escape (37,357; up 2.1 percent).

Ford’s (combustion) F-series trucks also increased their sales by a whopping 24.5 percent to 190,389, helping Ford truck deliveries boom by 15 percent. But that wasn’t enough to prevent total sales of Ford-branded vehicles dropping 1.2 percent to 477,560 in the first quarter. Lincoln sales, by the way, dropped 4.7 percent to 23,731.

It’s said that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and again and hoping for a different result. And it’s looking like Ford’s new-for-’24 Mustang didn’t really offer anything meaningfully new to help keep interest high. Sure, the $325k GTD is entering new territory, but the regular models didn’t.

Which isn’t to say they’re bad cars. We just drove a Mustang GT and found it great fun. But the sales figures prove buyers are looking elsewhere for their kicks at a time when the Mustang has almost no direct opposition, its Dodge (ICE) and Chevy rivals having both been axed.

What do you think is the answer to Ford’s Mustang sales crisis? Is it more power for the base cars, more frugal engines, a four-door coupe or maybe a lifted crossover body? Or should Ford have retired the Mustang at its 50th birthday and focused exclusively on improving the Mach-E and extending its family?

Ford sales Q1 2024 vs Q1 2025

Porsche already has one electric SUV in its lineup – the Macan Electric – but it’s about to give it a big brother in the form of the 2026 Cayenne Electric, which debuts late this year. Our spy photographers have captured a pair of prototypes testing, but far from being identical twins, they feature some important differences.

Both models are still wearing the fairly heavy camouflage we’ve seen on previous prototypes over the past 12 months. The disguise covers parts of the front and rear bumpers and the lower sections of the doors. But it doesn’t prevent us noticing that only one of the SUVs has what appears to be active aero flaps in the lower bumper, just like the ones seen on the new 911 GTS T-Hybrid. It also has a splitter attached to the lowest point of the bumper, suggesting it’s a performance version, perhaps a GTS.

Related: 2027 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Goes Electric In New Spy Shots

The other Cayenne doesn’t have the lower lip spoiler or the same active aero slats (though it’s possible they could still move). Instead it has a less macho bumper with horizontal bars and the ADAS sensor stands proud of the bumper surface, rather than being recessed, as on the other SUV.

This less performance-focused bumper appears to provide a better approach angle, so we could be looking at an off-road-themed Cayenne. That idea is backed up by the slightly flared rear arch lips on this Cayenne, which aren’t present on the one with the GTS aero flaps. Further confusing matters, only the non-flap SUV has boxy vents below its taillights.

When the full bumper disguise comes off we’re expecting to see a split headlight arrangement, just like the one on the Macan Electric and Audi’s Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron. Those three are based around the same VW Group PPE platform that will also be used for the Cayenne EV in both standard and Coupe forms.

Entry-level Cayennes will probably also share their powertrains with mid- or high-spec Macans, which feature a 509 hp (516 PS / 380 kW) bi-motor setup in 4S trim and 630 hp (639 PS / 470 kW) in Turbo guise. And given the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S serve up 872 hp (884 PS / 650 kW) and 939 hp (700 kW / 952 PS), we imagine the hot Cayennes will be similarly potent.

The Cayenne Electric isn’t the only EV Porsche is working on. All-new, all-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman sports cars are on the way, and were set to debut this year, but that launch could be pushed back to 2026 as Porsche grapples with a performance EV market that hasn’t matured the way it hoped when it began planning these models more than five years ago.

Images: SHProshots

Another Tesla Cybertruck has been wrecked, and this time it’s not because it’s been attacked by vandals angry at the automaker’s CEO Elon Musk, or due to some alleged failure of the driver-assist systems. Instead, a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen was the culprit after its driver reportedly suffered a medical emergency, plowing into no fewer than seven vehicles. The Cybertruck took the worst of it, with its bed ripped clean off in the chaos.

Footage and images from the scene show a dark-colored Cybertruck brandishing promotional graphics for Keane Landscaping (they say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, right?) cut in half in the road outside the Dallas Cowboys HQ.

Related: Someone Egged A Cybertruck And Wiped Dog Poop On It

The front end of the truck appears untouched, but everything behind the rear seats is gone, including the bed, frame, and the suspension, motor, and wheels, which can all be seen lying several feet away. Of the eight vehicles involved in the smash, the Cybertruck definitely came off worst, but that doesn’t mean the other cars which, like the Tesla, were all parked and unoccupied, didn’t take some serious hits.

A Ford Mustang, F-series truck, Hyundai Santa Fe, Tesla sedan, and others received major panel damage, but spare a thought for the Mercedes G-wagon, which was given such a smack it was flipped onto its roof and can be seen being righted in CBS’s video.

Police say the accident in Frisco, Texas, was the result of the Mercedes G-Wagen driver suffering a medical episode while behind the wheel last Friday, driving at the intersection of Avenue of the Champions and Cowboys Way. The driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to news reports, and won’t be charged with any driving offenses.

Looking at the amount of damage caused, he must have really hoofed that right pedal, with disastrous, but thankfully not fatal consequences. We imagine that in the future, car safety systems might be able to spot and prevent accidents like this, but until that happens, you might want to stay clear of powerful trucks with super-fast acceleration and curb weights flirting with the 6,000-pound mark, especially if you’re on foot.

Image credit: Dianne Everett/CBS News

Modern solar panels are vastly more efficient than those 20 or 30 years ago, but they’re still prevented from operating at peak performance 24/7 by bad weather and nighttime darkness. Just imagine if you could collect all that solar energy uninterrupted from space. Well, China thinks it can.

Chinese scientists plan to build a huge solar power station that will sit more than 20,000 miles (32,000 km) above the surface of the Earth, measuring around 0.6 miles (1 km) across when fully built. In addition to getting access to constant sunlight, space-based solar stations enjoy energy density that’s 10 times greater than what you might get from the roof-mounted solar panels on your house because the sunlight in space is that much more intense.

More: Electric Fiat 500 Drives At Highway Speeds Without Running Down The Battery Thanks to Inductive Charging

Wondering how all those lovely clean Watts are pumped back to Earth? It’s done by converting the electricity into microwave radiation, which is then beamed to a fixed antenna on terra firma, Popular Mechanics explains. And the man behind the technology says it’s no, er, flight of fancy.

“We are working on this project now,” Long Lehao, a rocket scientist and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), told SMCP. “It is as significant as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a geostationary orbit 36,000km (22,370 miles) above the Earth.”

Three Gorges Dam on Yangtze River (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Big Ambitions, Even Bigger Engineering

China’s Three Gorges Dam (pictured above) is a hydroelectric power station that opened in 2012 and whose 100 billion kWh annual power generation capacity makes the Hoover Dam look like a dripping tap. Long claims the energy collected in one year from the space station would be “equivalent to the total amount of oil that can be extracted from the Earth.”

More: World’s First Permanently Electrified Road For EV Charging On The Move

The Three Gorges was such a mammoth project that it took 18 years to complete, and there would be no quick turnaround on the solar space station project, either. The massively complex build process required to get all of the solar station’s parts into orbit – including developing a heavy-lift rocket for the job – means it’ll be years before it’s powering our lights and electric cars.

But if it works? It could light up cities, power EVs, and quietly reshape how we think about renewable energy—without ever casting a shadow.

Opening image is a rendering

Some Tesla owners disgusted at CEO Elon Musk’s DOGE work for the US government, are selling their EVs, and some non-Tesla drivers are vandalizing the automaker’s EVs and property to show their displeasure. Now New York lawmakers are planning their own attack on Musk by attempting to remove Tesla’s right to sell directly to customers in the state.

Democrat senators are pushing to rescind permits granted in 2014 that allow Tesla to sell directly to consumers. Like several other US states, New York normally forbids direct sales, requiring automakers to sell through dealers. Even other EV makers such as Lucid and Rivian, which sell directly in other states, are not allowed to in New York.

Related: Trump Supporter Pulls Taser At Tesla Protesters, But Grandma Isn’t Having It

State Sen. Pat Fahy is leading the charge to rip up Tesla’s right to operate at five locations, but the five permits wouldn’t disappear altogether. Instead, they could be offered to rival brands, though some lawmakers and dealer groups believe the permits should be axed because they give too much power to a small number of people.

A similar bill designed to end Tesla’s direct-sales freedoms has been introduced in Washington state, and a bill proposing sales limits be raised for direct-to-consumer outlets has stalled, Politico reports. And none of this is rooted in hatred for Tesla itself, but for the man at the head of the company.

Since President Trump moved back into the White House, Musk has focused his energy on the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), whose federal cost-cutting drive has left thousands of people unemployed. He has also caused outrage by attempting to win DOGE employees access to sensitive tax information of millions of Americans.

And restricting Tesla’s sales isn’t the only way lawmakers could hit Musk in the pocket. Fahy – an EV advocate – and other senators have written to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, asking him to sell off Tesla shares owned by the New York State pension fund.

Automakers take all kinds of prototypes to the Nurburgring, including SUVs and minivans, because the 12.8-mile (20.6 km) track is as useful for testing a car’s endurance and its handling balance. But some cars absolutely need to work at the Ring because their reputation depends on it, and the 2028 BMW M3 EV is one of them.

The M3 going electric is a big deal, the biggest since BMW replaced the original lightweight four-cylinder homologation special E30 for the fatter, six-cylinder E36 that seemed more like a GT car in comparison. M bosses know the M3 EV will be scrutinized like no M car before it, putting M’s credibility on the line.

Related: This Is What BMW’s First Electric M3 Sounds Like

We’ll have to wait until next year at the earliest to know for sure how good or bad the electric M3 is, but things are looking positive so far. For one, the EV rides on BMW’s Neue Klasse architecture, which debuts on the iX3 SUV later this year and will be rolled out to the 3-series in 2027 and the M3 a year later.

The M3 could also get a four-motor electric drivetrain with up to 700 hp (710 PS), an output that’s way down on both the 1,341+ hp (1,360 PS / 1,000 kW) BMW previously claimed its could squeeze from a future performance EV, never mind the 1,527 hp (1,547 hp / 1,138 kW) of Xiaomi’s record-breaking SU7 Ultra.

However, it’s probably going to feel ample just about everywhere except the looong final straight on the Ring, where you can never have too much power. A Hyundai Ioniq 5 N only has 641 hp (650 PS / 478 kW), and I never climb out of one of those feeling shortchanged.

And with torque vectoring capabilities and a new central control unit keeping the motors and chassis in sync, it might end up being one of the most fun EVs on sale, regardless of price and power. Mind you, it’s going to have some stiff competition in that regard from Alpine’s next A110 and the upcoming Porsche Cayman EV.

Disgusted that BMW is taking the M3 down the electric route? Don’t worry, the ICE M3 isn’t going anywhere, at least not for a while. Today’s CLAR-platform car will be made over with Neue Klasse styling to closely resemble the EV, and its inline six will gain mild-hybrid assistance to boost mpg and push power beyond the 543 hp (550 PS) of the current M3 daddy, the CS. Both will wear simple M3 badges, despite BMW having trademarked the iM3 name.

Images: Baldauf