Electrek

On today’s totally true episode of Quick Charge, Fred returns from the Beijing Auto Show with a fresh look at the future of the car business, and a test drive in a 2nd generation Xiaomi SU7 does nothing to convince him that China hasn’t just set the bar even higher.

GM is continuing its shift to Tesla’s NACS charging standard, and the 2027 Chevy Blazer EV is next in line.

Tesla has produced the first Semi truck off its new high-volume production line at Gigafactory Nevada, marking a critical milestone for the long-delayed electric truck program.

The automaker shared an image of the truck on its official Tesla Semi account on X, confirming volume production is now underway at the dedicated 1.7-million-square-foot factory.

Ford (NYSE: F) reported Q1 2026 earnings after the market closed, beating top and bottom lines due to a $1.3 billion one-time tariff refund and improvements with the Novelis plant recovery.

Rocsys launched the M1, which it calls the world’s first hands-free charging system capable of serving multiple bays in robotaxi depot operations. A single overhead-mounted unit can charge vehicles across up to 10 bays without human intervention.

The Dutch-American company also announced a $13 million Series A extension, bringing total funding to $56 million, as it prepares to scale the system across North America and Europe starting in 2027.

Rivian is scaling up in Southern California with a big expansion of its Caruso partnership, adding two showrooms and lining up more than 150 fast chargers across some of LA’s busiest retail properties.

We’ve got some big sales – both long-term and soon-to-end – leading our mid-week Green Deals. Things start with the Ride1Up Spring Into Action Sale with up to $700 e-bike savings across various models, with a notable price cut on the Prodigy V2 Brose Step-Thru Mid-Drive 9-Speed e-bike to a new $1,795 low. We also have two sales on power stations – the first being Anker’s 72-hour SOLIX flash sale with four 3,072Wh to 4,608Wh units seeing up to 55% discounts + our exclusive bonus savings code – all starting from $1,282. Secondly, there’s Jackery’s Mother’s Day Sale lineup with up to 54% discounts on power stations starting from $129, with the Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Station seeing a drop to a new $899 low. We also have major savings on and EGO carbon fiber string trimmer with 2x batteries, a 40V Greenworks hedge trimmer, three variations of a Birdfy smart bird house, a BougeRV camping area light and alternate power bank, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s drop of the Heybike Mars 3.0 e-bike bundle back to its $1,199 low for the first time in 2026, the EcoFlow flash sale offers that will be ending tonight, 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.

Just over a week after its official debut, Hyundai showcased the IONIQ 3 standard version for the first time.

MDB Transportation, a Southern California drayage operator, has launched a three-week pilot running a Tesla Semi on active port freight lanes — marking the second port trucking company to put the electric Class 8 truck to work hauling containers.

The Compton-based carrier is testing the Semi in one of the most demanding urban freight environments in the country, tracking energy efficiency, cycle time, and driver experience throughout the deployment.

BYD launched the Song Ultra EV in China, starting at just under $22,000. The new EV is one of the first to be equipped with its Blade Battery and Flash Charging, enabling recharge times in as little as 5 minutes. In just one month, the electric SUV secured over 60,000 orders.

The new entry-level EV is finally here. Volkswagen opened pre-orders for the ID. Polo on Wednesday, starting at 33,795 euros ($40,000). The promised base version at 25,000 euros ($29,000) will follow shortly.

I test-drove Xpeng’s new VLA 2.0 autonomous driving system in Beijing last week, and after 40 minutes of navigating one of the most aggressive driving environments in the world, I didn’t have to intervene once.

This is a major development. Tesla has been the clear leader in advanced driver-assist systems in consumer cars, but Xpeng’s latest update proves that lead is shrinking fast — and in some ways, it’s already gone.

JackRabbit has made a name for itself by doing things differently in the e-bike world, and now the company is taking that same unconventional approach into cargo territory. This week, the San Diego-based micromobility brand unveiled the new MG Cargo, an ultra-lightweight cargo e-bike that aims to deliver serious hauling capability without the size and weight penalty that typically comes with the category.

Tesla posted on X that it plans to expand FSD V14 Lite to HW3 vehicles in international markets — but only after the US rollout is complete and with no timeline attached.

The vague commitment comes as HW3 owners across Europe and other international markets are in open revolt after Tesla launched FSD abroad exclusively for HW4-equipped vehicles.

Ann Arbor is about to test a new way to power homes — and it could become a model for other cities.

Starting this week, energy management company FranklinWH will begin installing solar + battery storage in homes across Ann Arbor, Michigan, as part of a pilot run by the city’s Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility (A2SEU).

The new 2026 Toyota bZ has an EPA-estimated driving range of up to 314 miles, but real-world testing suggests it can go even further.

Walmart has partnered with ABB E-mobility to install its A400 All-in-One DC fast chargers at seven Walmart locations in the Phoenix area. The Arizona sites, along with stores in Colorado, Florida, and Georgia, are part of a broader US-wide Walmart-ABB launch.

Nio’s budget sub-brand Onvo officially launched the L80, a five-seat electric SUV priced from 245,800 yuan (~$36,020), undercutting Tesla’s Model Y by 17,700 yuan (~$2,400) in China.

The L80 opens pre-orders immediately, with first deliveries scheduled for May 15 — adding another aggressive competitor to the most contested EV segment in the world’s largest auto market.

The ID. Polo is set to kick off a new chapter at Volkswagen as the first model from its new family of entry-level EVs.

Our Tuesday Green Deals are here, and headlining is Heybike’s 5th Anniversary Sale with up to $800 e-bike savings, which is giving folks a chance to score the Mars 3.0 Folding Fat Tire e-bike with a FREE pannier bag at its $1,199 low for the first time in 2026, among others models. We also have Segway’s ongoing Navimow Earth Day Sale with up to $349 savings on robotic lawn mowers for various yard sizes starting from $679, as well as Lectric’s refreshed 72-hour Lightning Deal Sale with up to $439 savings on the XP4 750 and XPress 750 e-bikes at $1,299 (plus 30% savings on all the brand’s extra batteries). EcoFlow also launched a 48-hour flash sale that has dropped the DELTA 3 Ultra Plus Power Station to its $1,399 low + three other offers, and we spotted EGO’s highly advanced Select Cut and Touch Drive cordless electric mower bundle at one of its best prices, with plenty more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Jackery 72-hour Mother’s Day flash sale (and the overall sale), the new low on Aiper’s IrriSense 2 smart irrigation system, 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.

The 2027 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Calligraphy Performance Black Ink edition is more than just another blacked-out model, and we were invited to see it in person at Hyundai’s plant in Savannah, Georgia.

GM beat first-quarter earnings expectations after winning a US Supreme Court decision to refund around $500 million from the Trump Administration’s tariffs.

A billion-dollar valuation is a headline that’s hard to ignore. And when it’s attached to a new e-bike brand spun out of a company like Rivian, it’s even harder not to get swept up in the excitement.

But zoom out for a moment, and a more complicated picture starts to emerge.

The new PV5 is Kia’s first entry into the commercial vehicle space, and the company had ambitious plans to sell some 4,000 of the boxy EVs to UK fleets in 2026. Well, it’s April – and it looks like Kia is going to have to build a lot more than that if it’s going to meet demand.