Scooter Doll

Veteran robotaxi developer Zoox has announced an expansion of its testing fleet to a seventh US market. This latest addition marks Zoox’s (potential) entry into the southeastern United States as its team begins to map out the area ahead of bona fide autonomous robotaxi rides.

XPeng Motors has pulled the sheet off the top-tier variant of one of its newest and best-selling BEV models. During an event in China earlier today, XPeng unveiled the MONA M03 Max with a slew of new color combinations, enhanced pure vision ADAS, and the full version of the Chinese automaker’s Tianji cockpit system.

Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has posted another interesting facet into the design of the American automaker’s upcoming R2 BEVs. As you’ll see below, the Rivian R2’s body harness has been significantly reduced in size, weight, and connections to enable lower assembly costs and an overall more environmentally friendly build.

About one year after first catching wind that EV newcomer Xiaomi Automobile was working on an SUV we’d come to know as the YU7, the company is finally set to officially unveil the new model in China. This will be a direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y and has the potential to reimagine the all-electric SUV market in China.

The title says it all. Heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes ripped through the Midwest Thursday evening, leaving thousands of homes without power or internet. Luckily, my home dodged severe damage, but I was without power and internet for days. Luckily, I had my Rivian R1S in the garage that I used as a backup energy source, which I documented below (because I honestly had nothing else to do without power and internet).

eVTOL developer Archer Aviation has signed on as the official air taxi partner of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. As a partner to the event and Team USA, Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft will transport VIPs, fans, and athletes around event venues in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

It’s been less than a month since XPeng Motors began teasing a new camouflage sedan codenamed the E29. This morning (or this evening if you’re in China), XPeng unveiled the mystery sedan as its next-generation P7. This vast redesign of the Chinese automaker’s flagship BEV sedan is a bona fide stunner, and makes me wish I could drive one of my own in the US.

The development of Rivian’s R2 validation builds continues to progress. We know so because the American automaker’s founder and CEO, RJ Scaringe, continues to pepper us with welcome updates with plenty of fantastic images. The latest post features the inner workings of Rivian’s Maximus drive unit, which will propel the upcoming R2 EVs when they hit the market next year.

Less than a year after announcing an order for 27 electric seaglider planes from REGENT Craft, advanced air mobility (AAM) specialist UrbanLink has nearly doubled that order size to support plans for high-frequency commercial flights around the southeastern United States.

Global research firm Rho Motion has shared its monthly global EV sales report for April, which details continued long-term growth. While global EV sales are down compared to March 2025, the year-over-year tally remains strong, despite uncertainty amid the threat of tariffs and trade wars.

After recently announcing plans to expand its market presence in Europe, Chinese EV Automaker XPeng Motors has officially opened up shop in Italy, one of the top five markets in the region. The move supports XPeng’s plans to have at least half of its sales come from markets outside of China.

A new company out of Germany called ONOX is bringing sustainable technology to the agriculture industry. After garnering design awards, the ONOX electric tractor prototype is in operation overseas as its makers look to scale and bring its unique modular design, complete with swappable battery packs, to farms everywhere.

Global Chinese auto group Geely Auto has signed an agreement with Jameel Motors to help distribute its New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) to customers around Poland.

While the current majority in DC shared intentions to likely kill the existing $7,500 federal EV tax credit, some language in a (very fluid) proposal suggests that not all automakers will be immediately affected. For example, Rivian is an American automaker whose sales are young enough that US consumers might still be able to take advantage of the tax credit, and that could also include the upcoming R2 EVs.

Young EV startup Slate Auto is gaining significant interest from the US consumer market, just weeks after it emerged out of stealth with a bare-bones all-electric pickup. The company just announced its “Blank Slate” EV has already garnered 100,000 reservations.

Less than a year after officially launching in the US, the 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron has received its safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). According to the German automaker, its compact luxury crossover has been awarded Top Safety Pick+ status—the highest possible rating from the IIHS.

A young marine electrification specialist called E-Dolphin is… making waves… with its flagship product – a 160-horsepower electric watercraft called the S300. Aside from a futuristic design with 90s-style neon green speckled flair, this vessel supports DC fast charging and can reach speeds over 55 mph.

Federal tax credits are starting to waver under the current administration, but as of May 2025, you can still take advantage of up to $4,000 off the purchase of a used EV. If you’d rather not listed to me talk, you can skip right to all the BEVs and PHEVs that currently qualify by clicking here.

AeroHT, the eVTOL and “flying car” business arm of XPeng, announced it is one step closer to bringing its “Land Aircraft Carrier” to customers in China. The powers that be accepted the unique NEV/eVTOL combo vehicle’s production certificate application, moving AeroHT toward its next step before mass production.

Xiaomi Automobile, the young EV business spun out of the Chinese smartphone giant, has earned the respect of Nürburgring, one of the world’s longest and most renowned permanent race tracks. After catching the public’s attention during a lap at Nürburgring last year, Xiaomi has signed on as a long-term premium partner to the track, which includes naming rights on the Grand Prix Circuit and more.

CATL, the world’s leading battery manufacturer, continues proving why it’s the best with the biz. Today, the company unveiled a 20-foot-tall energy storage system (ESS) called the TENER Stack, which, according to CATL, offers breakthroughs in storage capacity, deployment flexibility, safety, and transportation efficiency. It also has the energy storage capabilities to charge 150 EVs.

EV fast-charging startup Gravity is taking its talents to the West Coast. This morning, the company announced a massive US expansion that will bring 500 kW piles capable of 5-minute EV fast charging to eight locations around the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

We’ve said it before and will say it again: Build Your Dreams (BYD) is coming. The Chinese automaker continues to gain momentum in global NEV sales and does not expect to hit the brakes anytime soon. According to multiple sources, BYD aims to have half of its vehicle sales come from other markets outside China within the next five years.

I recently had the opportunity to test out the new Vortex plug adapter from Lectron, which enabled me and my CCS-equipped Rivian to access the Tesla Supercharger network. In my opinion, a NACS to CCS adapter is a vital tool for any BEV owner, and this one from Lectron is simple and effective to utilize.