BRIEFLY: Kia, BYD, Oil Shocks & more | 27 Apr 2026

It's EV News Briefly for Monday 27 April 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

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KIA CUTS EUROPE PRICES TO FIGHT CHINESE
Kia CEO Song Ho-sung announced a deliberate price-cutting strategy at the company's Investor Day, narrowing the price gap with Chinese rivals like BYD from 20–25% to 15–20%. Despite reporting a quarterly profit decline on 24 April due to higher European sales incentives, Kia says its solid profit base can sustain the strategy, with the upcoming EV2 small SUV set to challenge the BYD Dolphin Surf directly.
BYD DENZA Z TAKES AIM AT TESLA
BYD unveiled the production Denza Z at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show — an all-electric supercar with around 1,000 hp, a sub-two-second 0–60 mph claim, and three variants including a coupe and convertible. Estimated at around $65,000 in China, it targets the Tesla Roadster 2 and is prioritised for European sales, with a Goodwood Festival of Speed debut planned and full technical details due in July 2026.
OIL SHOCK COULD SPEED UK EV UPTAKE
Rising oil prices following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz are shifting the economic case toward EVs, accelerating a consumer tipping point already supported by better batteries. A large EV fleet could transform UK grid stability through vehicle-to-grid systems, with Ofgem estimating that half of projected EVs on V2G by 2030 could provide 16GW of flexible capacity — five times the projected output of Hinkley Point C.
PHEVS COST MORE TO BUY AND RUN
ECIU data shows eight of the UK's 10 best-selling PHEVs carry a higher sticker price than comparable EVs, with an average gap of £4,150 or 10%, even as the average new EV has fallen below the average new petrol car for the first time. Real-world PHEV fuel costs run 490% above official figures, pushing annual fuelling costs to around £1,030 — £620 more per year than an equivalent EV — making total cost of ownership over £1,000 per year higher than going fully electric.
OMODA & JAECOO HITS ONE MILLION SALES
Omoda & Jaecoo reached one million cumulative global sales in April 2026, just three years after its international debut, recording monthly sales of over 60,000 units in March and operating across 69 markets with 1,364 dealers. Europe drove 41.5% of total global sales, with a 246% year-on-year rise in March, and the brand ranked sixth in the UK with a 4.7% market share — with Omoda & Jaecoo now targeting one million annual sales by 2027.
GWM PULLS ORA 03 FROM UK
GWM has withdrawn the Ora 03 electric hatchback from the UK market after only 542 units were registered across all of 2025 and just 26 in Q1 2026, ending a four-year run for the model originally launched as the Funky Cat. No new stock will be supplied, with the car available only from existing dealer inventory as GWM shifts focus to a broader European growth strategy.
LEAPMOTOR B05 TARGETS EUROPE WITH LOW PRICES
Leapmotor's B05 compact hatchback will launch in Europe starting at €26,900 in Italy, undercutting every major rival by at least €10,000, including the Volkswagen ID.3 at €40,990, the BYD Dolphin at €35,000 and the MG4 at €34,000. At 4,430 mm long with rear-wheel drive, 160 kW, a 0–100 km/h time of 6.7 seconds and DC fast charging peaking at 174 kW, it combines size, performance and price in a package that directly targets the mainstream European EV market.
US EV MAKERS PRESS DIRECT SALES FIGHT
US EV makers including Tesla, Rivian and Lucid are escalating efforts to bypass the dealer franchise model, which still controls 96% of