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?

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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.

SHProshots

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

Owners primed to collect their brand-new Mustang Mach-Es have been turned away by dealers after Ford issued a stop-sale notice due to the crossover’s defective door lock software, which can lead to entrapment. Existing cars will soon be hit with a recall to remedy the same issue.

It’s the Software, Not the Lock Mechanism

The problem isn’t the locks themselves, but the software that tells them how to operate. As some Mach-E owners have discovered, should the 12-volt battery run out of juice, the door locks will retain their last position, whether that’s locked or unlocked, potentially leaving a driver unable to access the car’s interior.

Also: New Lawsuit Might Force Ford To Change Mustang Mach-E Door Handles

And although most people caught on the inside of the car when the power dies would be able to operate the mechanical door release handle, not everyone can. Babies and young children strapped in child seats would be stuck, and with summer coming, that’s not just inconvenient, but downright dangerous. It reportedly already happened to at least one family.

Fix Coming Soon, But Not Over-the-Air

Ford is working on a software fix to be rolled out in Q3, which is only a few weeks away. However, until that arrives, dealers are not allowed to sell or even demonstrate new examples of the EV to prospective buyers, as multiple posters on the Mach-E forum learned this week.

When the update does become available current owners will be invited to get the same fix. Unfortunately for time-strapped drivers, it won’t be an over-air job, and will require a trip to a dealer where technicians will update both the powertrain control module and secondary on-board diagnostic control module.

But a software update is unlikely to satisfy the plaintiffs in a California class action lawsuit who argue that the automaker should have fitted the Mach-E with a traditional keyhole to allow easy access in power-off emergencies.

Instead, anyone trying to retrieve something from the inside of their electric Mustang currently has to access the battery through a special service hatch and charge the battery. Or just hurl a brick through the window, depending on how desperate they are.

According to an email that Ford sent to dealers this week, 196,911 Mustang Mach-Es are affected in the United States, which is a sizable chunk of vehicles. We reached out to Ford for a comment, and the company confirmed all the above, adding that it is “not aware of any reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition.”

Is It Time for a Keyhole in All Cars?

Ford says it’s working on a fix, but for now, the lack of a keyhole is making a lot of people wonder: Should modern cars have one? Sure, it might seem old-fashioned, but in an age when digital systems control almost everything in our cars, a manual backup could make a lot of sense. What do you think? Should a keyhole be mandatory in all cars? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Tesla’s Cybertruck isn’t officially homologated for Europe, and even if it was available, it’d be too wide for many of the continent’s roads. But a French startup called ÆMotion has come up with a very different EV, one that looks weirdly reminiscent of Elon Musk’s most angular creation and definitely doesn’t have to worry about anyone calling it fat.

What Exactly Is This Thing?

Imagine a Renault Twizy that leans into corners like a motorcycle and you’ve pretty much described the new machine from ÆMotion. It has four wheels, like the Renault axed in 2023, but at just 790 mm (31 inches) wide it’s 300 mm (12 inches) narrower and is steered by handlebars rather than a steering wheel.

Also, yes, that company name, with its stylized A-E ligature, definitely feels like something Elon Musk would give to a child or a satellite. For the curious, according to Wikipedia, Æ (and its lowercase counterpart æ) began as a mashup of the letters a and e, representing the Latin diphthong ae. Over time, it graduated from decorative ligature to full-blown letter status in several languages.

Related: $7,700 Ark Zero EV Looks Like A Pixar Car Made Real

The Cybertruck-like enclosed bodywork has scissors doors and a roof to protect its rider (driver?) and the passenger directly behind them from rain, and seatbelts and front and rear crash structures to protect them in an accident.

AEMotion

ÆMotion claims accidents are much less likely to happen than when riding a traditional motorcycle thanks to the stability that four wheels provide. However, considering there’s no need for the rider to put his feet down when stopped, it seems odd that your legs are exposed by a gap in the bodywork.

Cranked into a turn the quad will lean to a maximum of 35 degrees, and top out at 72 mph (115 km/h), though most will spend their lives at much lower speeds, weaving through gaps in urban traffic that even the Twizy can’t leverage. A fixed battery gives a range of 124 miles (200 km) or riders can opt for a lighter battery that only lasts 44 miles (70 km) but can we swapped out for another when flat.

Although it looks like a motorcycle, or one of the weird quadricycles that can be driven in some European countries by kids as young as 14, the ÆMotion requires riders posses a conventional car licence, known in France as the Permis B. The company has no prices on its website but NewAtlas claims the startup is initially planning to hook users in with a €200 ($231) per month deal, which sounds expensive to us.

An average zero to 60 mph (97 kmh) time of less than 3 seconds means Ferraris are never slow off the mark. But Maranello just put the brakes on its new EV, pushing the launch back two years, according to a new report.

Ferrari will still launch its first electric car, the Elettrica, in spring 2026 after kick-starting the teaser campaign for it into life this fall. But the company’s second EV, which was also due for release the same year, won’t now see the light of day until 2028, Reuters says.

Related: Ferrari’s First EV Could Supercharge Its Sales In The World’s Biggest Market

According to the author’s two sources, Ferrari ascertained demand was too weak to risk pressing ahead with the scheduled debut, a viewpoint shared by other automakers operating in the luxury-performance space. Lamborghini recently delayed its first EV from 2028 to 2029, Maserati axed development of its electric MC20, Aston Martin’s boss has said buyers don’t want electric cars and brands like Porsche have rejigged their plans to adapt future EVs to take combustion engines.

Ferrari has only confirmed that it’s working on one EV, but Reuters claims that first car, co-designed by former Apple design boss Jony Ive, is merely a “symbolic milestone” model to introduce us to the idea of an electric Ferrari and will be built in small numbers. The report describes the EV as costing over $500,000 and being “larger than normal” but definitely not an SUV.

It claims the second, delayed, electric car is the one that could really change things for Ferrari, or it might have, if the Italian supercar brand could find enough people who wanted it. Although the report gives no indication about what form the second EV will take, it says Maranello had planned to make 5-6,000 units over a five-year model life, but can’t envisage selling that many in the current climate. Ferrari declined to comment when asked about the allegations.

At least a delay will give Ferrari plenty of time to get the EV right before showing it to the world. Late last year we reported on claims that Porsche was delaying its electric Boxster and Cayman due because it was struggling to make the heavier electric sports cars handle as well as the outgoing combustion versions.

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Posh Citroen spinoff, DS Automobiles, has been showing off its new flagship, a blocky-looking coupe crossover whose powertrain lineup consists solely of electric options. But a DS chief has let slip that the company is keeping its options open amid volatility in the electric car market.

When asked by Autocar at the international press drive event about the chance of the No8 being reconfigured to work with a combustion engine, DS product chief Cyprien Laurentie admitted that “it’s always a possibility.”

Related: DS No8 Breaks Cover As The New French Electric Flagship

The DS No8 currently comes with a choice of single-motor, front-wheel drive, and dual-motor, all-wheel drive power. Base versions generate 227 hp (169 kW / 230 PS) or 242 hp (180 kW / 245 PS) plus an extra 30 hp (22 kW / 30 PS) from a temporary boost function, and top-flight models make 345 hp (257 kW / 350 PS), or up to 370 hp (276 kW / 375 PS) with the boost function enabled.

Laurentie highlighted the impressive 466-mile (750 km) range as one reason the No8 required “no real compromise” on the part of its driver in its current electric-only configuration, and described it as “perfect for commuting and travelling.”

But DS has struggled for years to get a foothold in the premium market, and it isn’t above changing course if the EV-only experiment with the No8 doesn’t work. “We will keep a close eye on the market and adapt if necessary,” Laurentie told Autocar.

Adapting for combustion power wouldn’t necessarily be that complicated. The No8 is built on the same STLA Medium architecture as the Peugeot 3008, a car that takes advantage of the platform’s flexibility to offer buyers a choice of mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric powertrains.

Citroen’s C5 Aircross uses the same building blocks and is also available with a mix of power options, though the PHEV’s feeble 53-mile (85 km) range looks off the pace in an era when the best plug-ins can travel 50 percent further on electric power. And having a second-rate combustion setup might not be any help to DS when it’s battling well-established premium opposition.

Do you think DS should stick to its EV guns, or would it be better to spread its bets and greenlight a hybrid model to sit alongside the current electric-only No8?

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If you like the idea of owning a wagon with electric power you’re not short of options in 2025 – at least in Europe. The Audi A6 e-tron Avant, BMW i5 Touring and Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo heading our money-no-object list. Rewind three years, and Peugeot’s E-308 SW was one of only a couple of options, but now with middle age approaching the affordable electric wagon pioneer is getting a makeover.

Spied parked up in a Stellantis R&D facility, this SW – Peugeot says the letters stand for Station Wagon – has the automaker’s trademark crystal-effect camouflage wrap on its nose and tail. And it’s irritatingly good at its job, keeping the details of the styling tweaks mostly safe from prying eyes.

Related: The First Electric GTI Isn’t From VW, It’s From Peuegot

But we can see that the fenders, hood and headlight shape don’t appear to have changed, and it’s just possible to make out the new grille, which consists of a series of upright bars, just like on the facelifted 2008 SUV. It’s possible that the 308 could adopt a similar DRL claw arrangement to the 2008, swapping the current car’s single downward swipe for three.

It looks like the rear changes could be even more discrete, the contours of the bodywork beneath the camouflage suggesting tweaks will be limited to new rear light signatures and possibly a new profile for the section of lower bumper located between the fog and reverse lights.

Potential Powertrain Upgrades

But those minimal styling updates might be hiding some more substantial changes under the skin. Right now the only powertrain setup available in the E-308 is a single 154 h (156 PS) / 115 kW) electric motor that’s pulls its charge from a small 54 kWh battery that gives a range of around 254 miles (409 km).

But since the E-308 was launched we’ve been introduced to several newer single-motor Stellantis EVs built on the same E-CMP platform with far more power. Peugeot’s own E-208 GTI, for example has 276 hp (280 PS / 206 kW), so it’s possible the E-308 SW could get the option of that powertrain – potentially with GTI branding. And the E-208 GTI’s Abarth’s 600e cousin additionally offers a 237 hp (240 PS / 177 kW) motor that could also work in the 308.

A Facelift for the Entire Family

Whatever new goodies the E-308 adopts, you can expect them to be shared with its hatchback sibling. The design updates, meanwhile, will likely make their way to the combustion 308 as well, with an expected rollout in early 2026.

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How much would expect to pay for shiny new midsize or large SUV? Around $40,000 at best, and perhaps as much as $70k, right? Now imagine bagging something like that for just $7,000, the kind of money that right now would get you into a 15-year-old Toyota Corolla with almost 200,000 miles (320,000 km) on the odometer.

It sounds absurd, but one senior auto exec thinks it’s a real possibility. Not in the US or Europe, unfortunately, but in China, where the auto industry is on the verge of imploding due to a price war that will inevitably wipe out multiple brands over the next few years.

Why Leapmotor’s Boss Thinks Costs Will Tumble Down

Leapmotor CEO Zhu Jiangming said in a recent interview that it would be “reasonable for automakers to sell a mid-to-large SUV for 50,000 yuan (7,000 USD)” in the future. Those are the kind of numbers that would make a Western car boss like Ford’s Jim Farley laugh out loud – and, in the future, probably burst into tears at the prospect of a possible takeover. And remember, Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, owns 20 percent of Leapmotor.

Also: EV Discounts Hit Record High In China And That’s Bad News

Just ask the likes of Volvo or MG, to name but two legacy brands that were bought, and saved, by the Chinese. Or Jaguar and Land Rover, two of the British crown’s jewels, that are owned by Tata Motors (whomever said history is not without a sense of irony was dead right). Sadly for Saab that was condemned under GM’s stewardship, its own rescue attempt was too little, too late; then again, in the industry, we’ve learned to never say never…

Cars As White Goods? But Of Course They Are!

Back to Zhu Jiangming’s claims. One may dismiss them how much they want, but he has some proven case studies from other industries to back up the theory. It’s all to do with how advancing technology and the integration of chips could radically reduce the build costs for modern vehicles. Zhu cited the case of electronic products such as big 100-inch TVs, which now sell in China for less than $850, CarNewsChina reports. Or air conditioning units that can now be bought for just over $150.

Leapmotor still has some way to go before it can start advertising BMW X5-sized SUVs for $7,000. Its six-seat C16 costs from $24,000-27,000, Autohome says, yet it’s already a bargain by US pricing standards.

You Want A Battle? Here’s A War

Zhu’s comments will no doubt have been met with some serious eye-rolling by Wei Jianjun, CEO of rival carmaker Great Wall Motor. He recently warned about the dangers of China’s auto price war, suggesting the industry had its own version of Evergrande, the Chinese property developer that went bust last year.

Wei didn’t name the company but following online speculation that he’d been referring to BYD, who recently cut the price of its Seagull EV to less the equivalent of $7,700, that firm’s general manager Li Yunfei publicly refuted the idea the country’s auto sector was in crisis.

Buckle Up Dorothy, Cause Market Share Is Going Bye-Bye

That remains to be seen, but some things are already clear. First, the Chinese are on a roll, and the rest of the world is already considering them to be an existential threat. The switch to electrification all but eliminated any advantages established automakers had during the ICE period (if you’ll excuse us the pun) and leveling up the playing field.

And with competitive products and significant price advantages on their side, brands from the People’s Republic are laughing all the way to the bank.

Also: Toyota’s New Model Y Rival Just Launched In China For Less Than A Used Corolla

Sure, there will be some form of consolidation among them, but that will be little comfort to Western companies that seem to be fighting a losing battle. Even US President Donald Trump, who initiated a head-on collision, soon realized that this course of action wouldn’t work against China anyway, so he seems to have backtracked .

This leaves Europe, which has close to no bargaining chips and is already facing financial turmoil, as the one likely to be left standing in this round of musical chairs. Its biggest player by far, the VW Group, is in all hands on deck mode as it fights in multiple fronts to ensure it survives with as less damage as possible.

What about Stellantis, you ask? Well, if you’ve been reading the news lately you must have gotten the general picture – but the details are a different story worth another, rather big, article…

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The Cupra Born is one of our favorite small EVs. It takes the competent but slightly ordinary VW ID.3 and adds some sparkle to the exterior design and interior quality, and both of those attributes could be about to get another boost as part of a midlife refresh.

The VW ID.3 and Cupra Born don’t only share a platform as most VW Group products do. They share so much even the doors are interchangeable, and while it looks like those doors won’t be receiving any changes a part of a 2026 facelift, the bodywork and trim either side of those doors have definitely gone under the knife.

Related: The Next Cupra Leon Will Be EV Only

Eye-scrambling camouflage hides the finer details, but new lights and bumpers will make an appearance when the updated EV is revealed later this year. Images of the facelifted car’s nose indicate a taller lower grille with a new outline and a vertical vent at each outer edge of the front bumper, just ahead of the front wheels.

And the rear shots appear to show a new design of diffuser within the rear bumper, this time with a pronounced lip at the bumper corners to make the German-built Spanish hatch look tougher and lower.

The Born doesn’t need a ton of work because it still looks modern and already has most of the corporate family face now seen on models like the Tavascan and Terramar and soon to debut on the Raval subcompact EV. And Cupra already updated the Born’s interior in 2024 with VW’s bigger 12.9-inch central touchscreen.

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The ID.3 also got the same screen in 2024, but only the Cupra features an e-boost function (optional in some countries) to increase power over the equivalent VW model. While base models in Spain come with a single 201 hp (204 PS / 150 kW) motor, UK models skip that and go straight for the 228 h (231 PS / 170 kW) version that’s a stepping stone to the 322 hp (326 PS / 240 kW) VZ hot hatch introduced last year.

We’re not expecting big changes to those power outputs, but it’s possible Cupra’s engineers could liberate a few more range miles from the 59, 77 and 79 kWh batteries. The Born with the longest legs at present is the VZ, which can go for 366 miles (590 km) before a charge is needed.

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VW has promised to put its legendary GTI badge on a production EV before the end of the decade, but one of its biggest hot hatch rivals, a brand with its own back catalog of GTI heroes, has only gone and beaten it to the punch.

Peugeot revealed the E-208 GTI at this year’s Le Mans 24H in France, bringing the GTI badge back to its lineup after a six-year absence and using it on an electric car for the first time. The regular 208 is available with petrol or ICE power, so Peugeot has hinted that it could also create a 208 GTI with a combustion engine in the future, but for now, it’s going all-in on electric.

Related: Peugeot E-3008 And E-5008 Gaining New Performance Variant

The 208/e-208 is built around a version of the e-CMP Stellantis platform used on cars like the Fiat 600 and Alfa Romeo Junior, and so it comes as no surprise that the e-208 GTI shares much with the hot electric version of those cars, the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce.

It gets the same single electric motor that sends 276 hp (280 PS / 206 kW) and 255 lb-ft (345 Nm) to the front wheels, though Peugeot claims a small performance advantage, saying the GTI gets to 62 mph (100 kmh) in 5.7 seconds, rather than the 5.9 seconds it takes the Alfa and Abarth.

Outmoves the Mini JCW

That makes the E-208 GTI Peugeot’s quickest accelerating GTI ever, and quicker than all three electric Mini Coopers. The punchiest of those, the 258 hp (262 PS / 192 kW) JCW  is 0.2 seconds slower to 62 mph, though it will pull clear of the Pug at the top end, reaching 124 mph (200 kmh), rather than 112 mph (180 km) before a limiter stops the fun.

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Both have 54 kWh (gross) batteries, but the JCW does more with it, stretching a charge up to 226-250 WLTP miles (364-402 km) while the Pug is reaching for the plug at just 217 miles (350 km). Charge speeds are nothing special, Peugeot claiming a 20-80 percent fill takes “less than” 30 minutes, which is on a par with the JCW, though the 208 proves faster in AC hook-up situations and is the only one to offer standard V2L.

Retro design cues

A 30 mm (1.2 inches) suspension drop and a track widened by 56 mm (2.2 inches) at the front and 27 mm (1.06 inches) at the rear give Peugeot’s latest GTI the kind of square stance that made the classic 205 GTI 1.9 a visual knockout. The 18-inch wheels even pay homage to the 1.9’s rims with their multi-hole design and a center badge whose red GTI letters look like the ones on the badge fitted to the 205’s C-pillar.

There’s more red on the stretched arch flares, the outer portions of the grille, the headlights, and on the four-piston brake callipers, which grab 355-mm rotors. And the red-fest continues inside with red ambient lighting and digital displays (both can be changed to other colors), red floor mats and seatbelts, red stitching on the dashboard and also on the sports seats whose central red stripe again riffs on the design 205 1.9’s half-leather chairs, while the mesh-effect pattern tips a hat to the 1.6 versions’s cloth seats.

With all those nods to Peugeot’s greatest ever hot hatch, let’s hope the driving experience lives up to the promise when the GTI goes on sale later this year, probably priced around £36,000. Besides the better brakes, the GTI package includes retuned springs and dampers, a new rear anti-roll bar, track-friendly Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, and reworked steering assistance, so the signs are good. But the proof is going to be in the driving. How do you rate the E-208’s chances of going down in history as another GTI icon?

Peugeot

Volkswagen’s long-anticipated ID.2 electric hatchback has been snapped for the very first time with its production body giving us a glimpse of what will become the brand’s most affordable EV yet when it debuts, possibly late this year. That title may be short-lived though, as VW is already planning an even cheaper and smaller model, the ID.1, set to follow within a year or two of the ID.2’s debut, or whatever name the company ultimately gives it.

Previous sightings of the ID.2 were actually of early-stage mule prototypes based on the bigger ID.3, but this ID.2 prototype has the real sheet metal. Not that VW wants you to know it. The German automaker pulled its usual trick of adding stickers to disguise the secret EV as an existing VW car, in this case the sixth-generation Polo.

Related: VW ID.2 Might Have A Shot In America, But ID.1 Is ‘Highly Unlikely’

The upper and lower grilles on this test car, as well as the front and rear headlights, have all been altered through the use of stickers. Even the rear door handles are stickers – the real ones are hidden in the door frame above the window line.

Once you know what you’re looking for though, it’s not hard to see that the ID.2all concept’s slim grille, horizontal rear light bar, and classic VW arrow-shaped rear quarter panel are all present underneath the slim disguise.

The muscular fenders, wheels stuffed right into each corner, and kicked-up swage line have made the transition from auto show to street, but the production ID.2’s hood is shorter, separated from the grille/badge by a plastic panel, which helps cut repair costs in a minor front-end crash.

Built on VW’s Entry-Level EV Platform

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The ID.2 is the first of a family of small VW EVs built around a new entry-level version of the automaker’s MEB electric car platform. While single-motor versions of existing MEB cars like the ID.3, ID.4, and ID.Buzz are rear-wheel drive, the ID.2, its SUV spinoff, and even smaller ID.1 will be front-wheel drive.

They’ll also switch from today’s NCM battery to a cheaper LFP type to help bring the cost of the ID.2 down to around €25,000 and enable VW to battle a raft of new low-cost EVs being launched in Europe by its rivals.

A GTI Variant, But Probably Not This One

VW has even vowed to give us an ID.2 GTI, showing us an ID.GTI concept back in 2023, and this prototype’s forged wheels, roof spoiler, and sporty bumpers give us an idea of how it might look. However, the GTI concept had an even more extreme body kit, and that, together with this prototype’s smallish front brake setup and leads us to think we’re looking at a less extreme ID.2.

But don’t expect it to be called that when it arrives. VW is dropping its ID badges and giving the production ID.2 and its siblings real names.

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