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XIAOMI SU7 FACELIFT GETS GOOD FIRST REVIEWS https://evne.ws/4uSOoS6
XIAOMI BECOMES BYD’S TOP OUTSIDE BATTERY BUYER https://evne.ws/4c5v6BA
CHINA’S VEHICLE EXPORTS SURGE IN FEBRUARY https://evne.ws/3NCIVhz
AUDI OPENS A6L E-TRON PRE-SALES IN CHINA https://evne.ws/4dcewB1
AION UT JOINS GAC OUTPUT AT GRAZ https://evne.ws/41fsWt7
CHERY OPENS FULWIN T9L PRE-SALES https://evne.ws/4dJkf1h
CHINA’S SHOOTING BRAKES CROWD INTO VIEW https://evne.ws/4dc4Q9D
CHINESE CARMAKERS OVERTAKE JAPAN GLOBALLY https://evne.ws/3NGEEty

CHINA: Xiaomi SU7 Reviews, EV Exports Surge and Audi A6L Etron | 26 Mar 2026

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AFEELA EV PROGRAMME SCRAPPED https://evne.ws/47PAQgg
MG TEASES SOLIDCORE BATTERY https://evne.ws/40OT3Xw
EV CAR/VAN CONVERSIONS FROM RENAULT AND VOLVO https://evne.ws/4t5SG6X
AUSTRALIAN FUEL SHORTAGES SPREAD WITHOUT SUPPLY LOSS https://evne.ws/4uQBVOI
VAUXHALL ASTRA FACELIFT STARTS AT £29,995 https://evne.ws/3Pyu0pa
UK PLEDGES £1 BILLION FOR FLEET ELECTRIFICATION https://evne.ws/47Sm8oI
SK SIGNET STARTS TEXAS BUILD OF 400-KW CHARGER https://evne.ws/4uQBqUQ
ROLLS-ROYCE OPENS ELECTRIC COACHBUILD PROGRAMME https://evne.ws/4t4DXZT
FERRARI TUNES LUCE FOR FEEL, NOT FIGURES https://evne.ws/4bxsmNg
XPENG AUSTRALIA DISTRIBUTOR ENTERS ADMINISTRATION https://evne.ws/4c2I5nw

DAILY: Sony Honda Scraps Afeela, MG Teases Solid State For Europe and EV Cars Become Vans | 25 Mar 2026

It's EV News Briefly for Wednesday 25 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDaily


AFEELA EV PROGRAMME SCRAPPED
Sony Honda Mobility has scrapped its Afeela EV programme after Honda's broader EV strategy reassessment — which included a writedown of up to 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) — left the joint venture with no viable route to market. The Afeela 1, priced from $89,900 with deliveries planned for late 2026, has been cancelled alongside a second model targeting 2028, with California reservation holders receiving full refunds.
MG TEASES SOLIDCORE BATTERY
MG Motor has opened a third European engineering centre in Frankfurt and unveiled SolidCore, a semi-solid-state battery cell using a manganese-based cathode, semi-solid electrolyte shield, and graphite anode — claiming improvements in safety, range, durability and cold-weather performance without providing specific figures. MG claims to be the first automaker to mass-produce a semi-solid-state battery, though the distinction from a similar cell already in China-market MG4s since December 2025 remains unclear; SolidCore is expected in European EVs by end of 2026.
EV CAR/VAN CONVERSIONS FROM RENAULT AND VOLVO
Renault has revealed an electric Twingo van conversion developed for EDF, doubling load capacity from 360 to 797 litres via a removable rear seat, mesh bulkhead, and cargo cage — though the concept remains unlikely to reach UK sale. Volvo UK is already in market with the EX30 Cargo, a fleet-only compact van offering 1,000 litres of capacity, 390kg payload, and a top dual-motor variant producing 423bhp with a 0–62mph time of 3.6 seconds.
AUSTRALIAN FUEL SHORTAGES SPREAD WITHOUT SUPPLY LOSS
Panic buying — not supply disruption — has left over 500 petrol stations across Australia short of at least one fuel grade, with New South Wales worst affected at 289 sites, including 164 diesel-dry locations pushing diesel prices above $3 per litre. Authorities have not declared a national fuel emergency or introduced rationing, with Victoria's Energy Minister confirming the strain is entirely driven by consumer behaviour rather than any import disruption.
VAUXHALL ASTRA FACELIFT STARTS AT £29,995
The facelifted Vauxhall Astra starts at £29,995 across mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full EV variants in both hatchback and Sports Tourer estate, with the PHEV's battery growing from 12.4kWh to 17.2kWh for 52 miles of official electric range and a BiK rate of 10% — undercutting the Golf eHybrid by £6,490. The Astra Electric uses a 154bhp motor with 55.4kWh usable battery, 281 miles of quoted range, and 100kW DC charging covering 20–80% in around 30 minutes.
UK PLEDGES £1 BILLION FOR FLEET ELECTRIFICATION
The UK government has committed £1 billion to commercial fleet electrification, with the Zero Emissions Truck and Van scheme covering up to 40% of purchase costs — reaching £81,000 for the heaviest electric trucks and £5,000 for vans, though reduced from a previous maximum of £120,000 for trucks over 26 tonnes. A separate £170 million uplift to the Depot Charging Scheme allows businesses to reclaim up to 70% of depot charging installation costs, capped at £1 million per application.
SK SIGNET STARTS TEXAS BUILD OF 400-KW CHARGER
SK Signet has begun production of a 400-kW all-in-one DC fast charger at its Texas facility, using silicon carbide electronics to achieve 96.5% conversion efficiency while reducing its physical footprint by up to 54% versus its predecessor. A

BRIEFLY: Sony/Honda, MG, EV Vans & more | 25 Mar 2026

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RISING PETROL PRICES BOOST ULTRA-FAST CHARGING CASE https://evne.ws/3PHuskW
BYD ADDS FREE FLASH CHARGING TO SONG ULTRA EV https://evne.ws/4lRzsj8
XIAOMI DEFIES CHINA EV MARGIN SQUEEZE https://evne.ws/40TQCms
BAIC SHOWS 450 KM SODIUM-ION BATTERY https://evne.ws/4rP7dmn
CHERY SETS OUT RHINO BATTERY RANGE https://evne.ws/4uRtoLm
FREELANDER RETURNS ON MARCH 31 https://evne.ws/47WS0sn
XPENG BRINGS TURING CHIP TO MONA M03 https://evne.ws/3PxewSi
XPENG MONA D02 SUV BREAKS COVER https://evne.ws/4syN9pG
NIO ES9 SPY SHOTS REVEAL FLAGSHIP SUV https://evne.ws/4sxnoWz

CHINA: Petrol Prices vs Charging, Xiaomi Defies Profit Squeeze and BAIC Sodium Ion Battery | 25 Mar 2026

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BMW SETS 18 MARCH FOR I3 DEBUT https://evne.ws/3N5nIwz
EU EV PRICES FALL AS RULES BITE https://evne.ws/4sMS5qx
TESLA WINS UK POWER SUPPLY LICENCE https://evne.ws/4sKchta
UK MAKERS BEAT 2024 ZEV TARGET https://evne.ws/4sNf5pg
GREEN NCAP LINKS WITH CHARIN ON CHARGING TESTS https://evne.ws/4bs39lV
ARVAL DATA SHOWS STRONG EV BATTERY LIFE https://evne.ws/4rDpzH1
AUSTRALIA EV TAX BREAK FACES BUDGET THREAT https://evne.ws/4uuCOwt
ŠKODA POSTS RECORD 2025 RESULTS https://evne.ws/4lEqW74
SEAT SEES 2026 PROFIT LIFT AFTER TARIFF CUT https://evne.ws/4sNbS9d
NISSAN LEAF BATTERIES RETURN AS VIGO CHARGERS https://evne.ws/417maoX

DAILY: BMW i3 Debut, EV Prices Fall As Rules Tighten and Tesla Wins Power Licence | 16 Mar 2026

It's EV News Briefly for Monday 16 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDaily


BMW SETS 18 MARCH FOR I3 DEBUT
BMW will unveil the fully electric i3 sedan on 18 March, extending its Neue Klasse platform into the compact sedan segment, with assembly already underway at its Munich plant and series production expected to begin in late autumn. The i3 50 xDrive will be the first version to reach customers, featuring an 800V platform with up to 400kW peak charging and an expected range exceeding the iX3's 805km rating.
EU EV PRICES FALL AS RULES BITE
EU EV prices fell by an average of €1,800 in 2025, a 4% drop that ended five consecutive years of rising prices, taking the average to €42,700, driven by tighter CO2 emissions targets forcing carmakers to compete on price. T&E expects further price falls as more budget EVs launch, with affordable and mass-market EVs projected to outsell large and premium vehicles by 2027, alongside full price parity with ICE vehicles across all segments.
TESLA WINS UK POWER SUPPLY LICENCE
Tesla has been granted an electricity supply licence by Ofgem, allowing Tesla Energy Ventures to sell power directly to homes and businesses across England, Wales and Scotland from 11 March 2026, completing a six-year effort to become a full-service energy provider in Britain. Ofgem approved the licence despite over 8,400 objections citing Elon Musk's political activities, ruling that Tesla met all statutory requirements, and Tesla must now comply with standard UK consumer protection and billing obligations.
UK MAKERS BEAT 2024 ZEV TARGET
UK car makers met their 2024 ZEV mandate obligations despite a raw EV sales mix of 19.8% falling short of the 22% headline target, by using CO2 credits under the Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme to reach an effective 24.1%. The result gave manufacturers surplus credits to carry into future compliance years, with the government set to begin a ZEV mandate review later in 2026 and findings due in the first half of 2027.
GREEN NCAP LINKS WITH CHARIN ON CHARGING TESTS
Green NCAP and the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN) have agreed to collaborate on EV charging interoperability and performance transparency, with the goal of giving consumers independent, verified data on how well EVs work with charging infrastructure. The CharIN Label will be referenced within Green NCAP's Driving Experience assessment for electric vehicles, with testing following CharIN's own processes or recognised partner organisations.
ARVAL DATA SHOWS STRONG EV BATTERY LIFE
Arval's analysis of 24,000 battery health certificates across 11 European countries found that EV and PHEV batteries decline by just 1% per 25,000km after an initial drop, with vehicles reaching 160,000km or six years of service still retaining battery health above 90%. Newer-generation models outperformed older ones by two to three percentage points, and the entire fleet comfortably exceeds the incoming Euro 7 requirement of 72% battery capacity retention at eight years or 100,000 miles.
AUSTRALIA EV TAX BREAK FACES BUDGET THREAT
Australia's Electric Vehicle Discount, which allows workers to reduce their tax bill by purchasing a new EV through salary sacrificing, is under review with reports suggesting the upcoming federal budget could remove it. Renewable energy advocates are opposing any scrapping of the scheme, arguing the timing is particularly poor given rising global fuel prices.
ŠKODA POSTS RECORD 2025 RESULTS
Škoda posted record 2025 results with revenue up 8.3% to €30

BRIEFLY: BMW, EV Prices, Tesla Energy & more | 16 Mar 2026

Can you help me make more podcasts? Consider supporting me on Patreon as the service is 100% funded by you: https://EVne.ws/patreon [https://evne.ws/patreon]
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BYD STUDIES CANADA PLANT, REJECTS JOINT VENTURE https://evne.ws/4bL1069
MERCEDES WEIGHS DEEPER GEELY TIES IN CHINA https://evne.ws/4s7Kymg
VOLKSWAGEN ANHUI SETS FOUR 2026 LAUNCHES https://evne.ws/4uqQ2dn
BYD FANG CHENG BAO LAUNCHES TI3 FLASH EDITION https://evne.ws/4sNYK3Y
BYD FILES SEAL 06 DM-I WAGON https://evne.ws/4lx5Xmw
BYD SEAL 08 FILED FOR Q2 2026 https://evne.ws/4sfjdPf
BYD SETS SONG ULTRA EV LAUNCH DATE https://evne.ws/4sdS0fB
LEAPMOTOR BRINGS LIDAR TO A BUDGET EV https://evne.ws/3PkHHrB
ONVO PREPARES LIDAR L60 https://evne.ws/40C9ne3
CHINA CLIMATE PLAN KEEPS ITS OPTIONS OPEN https://evne.ws/3Niy9Nl
HORMUZ SHUTDOWN HITS CHINESE CAR EXPORTS https://evne.ws/4sQTXyL

CHINA: BYD Studies Canada Plant, Mercedes Weighs Geely Tie-Up and VW ID.Unyx 8 Production Begins | 16 Mar 2026

Daily news about electric cars, plug-in vehicles, sustainable transport and how we power it all.

Martyn Lee

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