Automotive

There’s a fairly wide spectrum of moped-style electric bikes these days. Some are essentially conventional e-bikes wearing motorcycle-inspired designs, while others lean so heavily into the mini-moto…

Defender is preparing to launch its first fully electric SUV, a compact off-roader that’s expected to debut by the end of the year. more…

Tesla is rolling out a new version of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software that can take control of your car to avoid a crash, even when you’re driving manually. The automaker announced the…

The entire US auto industry is back at it again, lobbying Congress to stifle competition and ensure that Americans remain stuck with overpriced, second-rate, highly-polluting vehicles. The auto industry is rapidly moving towards electrification, and everyone knows it. This has been the case for more than a decade now, and smart countries and companies have worked to get themselves prepared for the future.

Tesla’s Cybercab is already under federal investigation. NHTSA opened an audit into how Tesla certified the vehicle the same day the company started putting passengers in it in Austin. The probe targets the exact thing that makes the Cybercab unusual: it has no steering wheel, no pedals, and no mirrors, and Tesla certified it as road-legal anyway.

Tesla said today that its Robotaxis have driven a total of 1 million miles without a human driver supervising them. The number is more than double what we heard at the last check-in just six weeks ago, as Tesla finally shifts away from human “safety drivers.” Tesla launched its Robotaxi service in Austin last June, and it got off to an interesting start. The system made several goofs, only had a few cars available, and cars were monitored by a “safety driver” sitting in the front seat with access to some vehicle controls if anything looked like it was going wrong.

Tesla has started distributing a “Robotaxi interest form,” collecting interest from fleet buyers who would want to build a Robotaxi network or provide related infrastructure services. It’s the first step in allowing non-Tesla entities to make money off of Tesla’s FSD driver-assist software… but the owners who were promised they could make passive income with their cars are still out of luck.

BMW electric vehicles at an IONNA station (Source: BMW) IONNA is giving Labor Day road-trippers a pretty awesome charging deal: From Friday, September 4, through Monday, September 7, charging across its entire network will cost just $0.20 per kWh, plus tax.

VW could stop building cars at four German plants as it prepares to cut another 50,000 jobs worldwide – bringing its total planned workforce reduction to around 100,000. The automaker’s supervisory board unanimously approved its sweeping Future Plan 2030 on Thursday. It calls for fewer workers, models, options, managers, and investments as Volkswagen tries to cut costs and catch up with faster-moving Chinese rivals.

The PV7 was spotted testing days after Kia previewed the larger electric van for the first time, and it makes the PV5 seem tiny. Kia prepares to launch the PV7, its second electric van

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Toyota bZ are on sale for Labor Day to clear inventory for the incoming 2027 models. Labor Day is on Monday, and automakers are preparing as usual with a slew of incentives and discounts to make room for the new 2027 model-year vehicles.

Equinor’s largest US battery energy storage project to date is now operating in South Texas, adding 100 megawatts (MW) of flexible capacity to the state’s fast-growing power grid. The Citrus Flatts Energy Center is a 100 MW/200 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery in Harlingen, Cameron County. It was built and is operated by East Point Energy, Equinor’s wholly owned US battery storage subsidiary. East Point acquired the project from Black Mountain Energy Storage in late 2023. Citrus Flatts is East Point’s second battery to reach commercial operation, following the 10 MW/20 MWh Sunset Ridge Energy Center in Frio County last year. Equinor says the two battery storage projects can collectively supply enough electricity to power around 30,000 Texas homes for up to two hours.

The Mercedes EQA, Hyundai IONIQ 5, and BMW i4 hold onto their battery health better than any other electric car, according to the largest independent study of used-EV batteries ever run. That’s the ranking that falls out of 500,000-plus battery tests published by Austrian diagnostics firm AVILOO, which measured 20 popular EVs at up to 150,000 km (93,000 miles) of use.

August sales numbers from the UK show a rosy picture for electric car sales, with BEVs being the most common powertrain and making up 30% of the market, up from 23% a year ago. The number is well ahead of the pace required to meet the UK’s current somewhat-ambitious target of 80% EV sales by 2030… so why is the UK government considering softening that target?

Our Thursday Green Deals this week are largely stuffed with power station deals/sales, starting with the exclusive $1,000 savings our readers can get on the 5,040Wh Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus Portable Power Station at a $2,499 2026 low. Right behind that spotlight is Jackery’s full Labor Day Sale lineup with up to 50% savings, including some first-time offers like the expanded 4,096Wh HomePower 2000 Plus V2 bundle at $1,579. We also have Segway’s Labor Day EV Sale with up to 50% savings starting from $160, a roundup of Anker eufy security camera Labor Day deals with up to 43% savings starting from $60, and a 24-hour deal on EcoFlow’s 499Wh RIVER 2 Max Lite (500) Power Station, and more below. As always, you can find the hangover deals from the last three days at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s exclusive Bluetti Elite 100 Mini 1,004Wh power station launch deals, the Anker SOLIX Labor Day Sale lineup with exclusive bonus savings, and more. Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Toyota is refuting a report claiming that it’s pushing back the launch of its first three-row electric SUV, the Highlander EV, again. Toyota’s 3-row Highlander EV put on the back burner

Xiaomi Auto confirmed it will start selling electric vehicles in Europe, including Germany, in 2027, and it’s already lining up the dealers to sell them. At IFA Berlin today, the Chinese automaker signed memoranda of understanding with eight of Germany’s largest dealer groups. They’re its first retail partners on the continent.

California scored a win for clean air today, as a DC court blocked a republican attempt to end the state’s clean air standards. It’s not the first time California has prevailed in a similar case against similar illegal attacks meant to impose more pollution. There’s a bit of history here, and I’ll try to recap it quickly.