Scooter Doll

This week, prominent Chinese EV automaker NIO and CATL, the world’s leading battery manufacturer, announced a new strategic partnership to combine and standardize their respective industries technologies and implement the “largest and most advanced battery swap network for passenger vehicles.”

A relatively young boatbuilder called Sialia Yachts is assembling an impressive portfolio of all-electric luxury vessels boasting some of the best power and range we’ve seen in the marine industry. These Sialia yachts, like the all-electric 57 Deep Silence, offer a one mega-watt-hour (MWh) battery capacity and 400 kW motors capable of transporting a dozen passengers long distances.

We EV enthusiasts have heard it all from the haters before. “What are you gonna do with all those batteries?” “There’s just not enough range,” and, of course, “Charging takes so much longer than a gas station visit.” As previously teased, Chinese auto conglomerate BYD has introduced a new 1,000-volt EV platform that can enable charging rates as fast (or perhaps faster) than a trip to the gas station. We’re talking five minutes.

Build Your Dreams (BYD) is gearing up for what has the makings of an epic launch event this coming Monday. The Chinese automaker announced several incoming debuts coming early next week, including a new “BYD Super e-Platform,” described as a “new benchmark in electric.” What’s most interesting, however, is that BYD is teasing a new ultra-fast EV charger with up to 1,000 kW of power – that’s twice as powerful as the current best on the market.

Yangwang is gearing up to officially launch its long-teased U7 sedan—a third flagship model for BYD’s high-end performance sub-brand. When it hits the market in China later this month, the U7 promises competitive luxury and “groundbreaking technology.”

Mere weeks after signing an agreement with Utah Aerospace and Defense to bring Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to the state, eVTOL and eCTOL developer BETA Technologies demonstrated the capabilities of its aircraft through a series of successful flights over the course of three days.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) residential customers can now take advantage of incentives in the thousands off the price of qualifying GM Energy home charging and energy management products. GM has joined PG&E’s vehicle-to-everything (V2X) pilot program, enabling energy customers to bundle their GM Energy systems and eventually get paid to supply excess energy back to their local grid.

A new niche EV brand, Longbow, has emerged into the public eye, hailing itself as ” the first-ever British electric sports car manufacturer. ” It has unveiled its first two featherweight models, inspired by British automotive icons and designed with real-road performance and the overall driver experience in mind. Despite debuting today, the limited hand-built production of these two featherweight EVs is expected to begin relatively quickly, and they start at a price that doesn’t just cater to the affluent.

What’s better than an all-electric boat? An all-electric boat with a hot tub in it. Niche boatbuilder Spacruzzi made waves (but limited wake) last year with an electric hot tub boat model showcased around the US, including Lake Tahoe and even on the Chicago River. For 2025, Spacruzzi has introduced a sleeker and more refined version of its electric boat and opened its waiting list for a limited number of builds scheduled for this year.

German automaker Volkswagen has presented a world premiere of a new all-electric show car called the ID. EVERY1. This new entry-level Volkswagen BEV model will evolve into a production version soon and is expected to start at an MSRP of 20,000 euros ($21,500).

Starting today, the fully autonomous Waymo One ride service is available exclusively to customers in Austin, Texas through the Uber app. Today’s news builds upon Waymo’s existing partnership with Uber and is a milestone in the robotaxi startup’s expansion to new cities around the US.

Solar EV startup Aptera Motors has shared its latest monthly progress update, which is one of the most exciting ones in a while. Aptera shared footage of its first production-intent validation vehicle testing in real-world conditions around the Mojave Desert. This milestone is another (small) step forward as Aptera hopes to reach SEV production.

During a recent trip to Spain for Kia EV Day 2025, I got a chance to test drive the new EV3 compact SUV before it hits the US market. Be sure to check out my video below as well.

Kia recently held its annual EV Day event overseas, and we were one of the select outlets invited to attend in person. During that time, Kia executives outlined the Korean brand’s global EV strategy, which reiterated its unwavering approach to going all-electric, bolstered by several new models that made global debuts, including the Concept EV2, PV5 lineup, and the Kia EV4, which we learned will officially be sold in the US.

Less than a year after its initial reveal, Hyundai officially launched its off-road-friendly IONIQ 5 XRT variant in the US and invited us to Palm Springs to test it out. This is a Hyundai IONIQ through and through, but it features some unique design upgrades, including a new drive mode to help it tackle tougher terrain than its siblings.

As we get ready to exit month two of 2025, the opportunities to test drive model-year BEVs are starting to arise. The most recent was a trip to Palm Springs, California, to test out the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5. This flagship BEV saw a mid- refresh for 2025, so I didn’t experience the most drastic of changes compared to previous versions. In the places where Hyundai did improve the IONIQ 5, however, I noticed savvy upgrades that took customer feedback into consideration and made an already high-quality BEV even better.

Renault Group is ringing in a new era of all-electric commercial vehicles, which will begin next year. The French automaker revealed the names and styles of three new all-electric light commercial vehicles (LCVs) that will feature a new skateboard platform and plenty of modularity for future fleets.

Japanese eVTOL developer SkyDrive shared two exciting developments today. First, it has officially received a G-1 certification in Japan for its flagship “SKYDRIVE” eVTOL. This is a step forward for the aviation startup working toward commercial eVTOL operations in Japan and the US. In the meantime, SkyDrive also shared its first real-world images of its aircraft, including one in the air.

The details of Chinese EV automaker NIO’s ultra-affordable sub-brand, Firefly, continue to trickle in from overseas. A spy image of the interior of the first Firefly model is spreading like wildfire across Chinese social media, sharing our first look at its front seat.

OEM alliance and EV charging juggernaut IONNA has announced a key milestone today, transitioning from public beta testing in the US to a full-scale national release. The EV charging joint venture intends to deploy over 1,000 bays in the US this year en route to tens of thousands more this decade and has teased some exciting tech to make the overall experience more familiar for American drivers.

As we enter the second month of 2025, Honda is inching closer to commencing BEV production at its long-standing US plant in Marysville, Ohio, later this year. That $1 billion transition will begin with the assembly of the recently confirmed Acura RSX EV, followed by the first two models in Honda’s 0 Series lineup. Before that happened, however, Honda gave an exclusive tour of its new EV Hub in Ohio, which included an innovative new approach to modular vehicle assembly, massive mega press machines, and an insightful look into the positive impact Honda has established amongst the residents of The Buckeye State. You can view my whole tour expeirience in the video below.

Polestar has unveiled a new collection of one-off “Arctic Circle” EVs designed to showcase the brand’s performance DNA. The rally-inspired upgrades have now been applied to the Polestar 2, 3, and 4 EVs and were put through their paces in the frigid Arctic before they make their public debut at an ice race in Austria. See more in Polestar’s video below.

Nascent electric hydrofoil boat builder Vessev shared another key milestone this week, putting its first electric hydrofoiling boat into commercial operations. Ferry transport company Fullers360 is now operating the ultra-efficient VS–9 vessel to transport tourists and other passengers.

Young Electric Boat Racing League E1 continues to expand its lineup of race teams as it approaches its second UIM E1 World Championship Season in 2025. Several big names in sports and entertainment signed on for season 1, but this next Championship series includes a new name – LeBron James, who will lead Team AlUla.