Electrek

Tesla is building a purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle, a company policy advisor told lawmakers in Washington, DC, on Monday.

But Tesla gave no timeline, no vehicle, and no details, and it’s not clear the “active product” is anything more than the Robovan it unveiled nearly two years ago.

Toyota’s luxury marque is bringing back its iconic supercar, but this time it’s all-electric. The Lexus LFA made its debut at the Goodwood FOS, revealing its low-slung design and fake V-8 roar.

Paper Transport (PTI) announced today that it is evaluating the Tesla Semi Long Range in dedicated operations in the Chicago market, becoming the latest fleet to put Tesla’s electric Class 8 truck to work in daily freight.

The Wisconsin-based carrier, which has logged more than 87 million miles on compressed and renewable natural gas, is adding battery-electric to a sustainability push it has been running for over 15 years.

A Bengaluru startup called Vimag Labs just secured its fifth Indian patent for an electric motor that runs without any rare-earth magnets, using software and power electronics to generate its magnetic field instead.

It’s a small, $5-million company taking a swing at a problem that has stumped Tesla, GM, and every major automaker for years: how to build a competitive EV motor that doesn’t depend on China.

Samsung has completed its own version of Tesla’s AI5 self-driving chip and is preparing to start production at its foundry in Taylor, Texas, on the company’s latest 2-nanometer process, according to industry officials.

The move confirms Samsung is building AI5 on 2nm — a node that had been expected to debut with Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chip, not this one.

Germany is preparing to tighten the rules governing shared electric scooters, proposing new legislation that would make rental operators like Lime and Bolt directly liable for damages caused by their vehicles.

The conversion van experts at Vantrack say they’re ready to deliver on the promise of Kia’s own WKNDR concept with a new electric camper van based on the popular Kia PV5 Passenger – but unlike the concept that inspired it, this van is headed for production.

Merceds took the wraps off its new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, with jaw-dropping specs, staggering acceleration, and rising Formula 1 star Kimi Antonelli behind the wheel.

American Truck Simulator’s players can finally get a taste of what it’s like to climb into the cab of a new Volvo VNL or (more significantly) a VNR Electric semi trucks as the big BEV become the first-ever electric truck to be featured in the over-the-road driving game.

Swiss electric scooter maker VMAX has launched the new VX2 Lite, a commuter-focused electric scooter that packs premium features like full suspension, a 56-mile (90 km) maximum range, and up to 1,400W of peak motor power into a relatively lightweight package.

Tesla says “Cybercab employee rides at Giga Texas” are “starting soon” — its first stated step toward putting people inside the wheel-less, pedal-less robotaxi.

But the announcement, spread across two Tesla accounts and roughly 2.9 million combined views, is thinner than it sounds. It’s not clear whether Tesla means Cybercabs running a real ride service in Austin or simply driving employees around a factory parking lot.

As communities across the US continue grappling with the rapid rise of electric bikes and scooters, one Oregon sheriff’s office is introducing a new tool designed to help identify trouble spots before someone gets hurt.

Lithium-ion has long dominated home battery storage, but sodium-ion is starting to make its move. Sodium-ion battery startup UNIGRID has shipped the first units of its Na+Casa residential battery, with the first systems now installed in homes across Europe.

Elon Musk told Tesla staff to move to using Grok, the AI model from his own xAI (now folded into SpaceX), according to a memo sent to employees on Friday.

The push comes days after Tesla capped employee spending on third-party AI tools — and it lands even though Musk himself concedes Grok is not as good as its rivals.

BYD’s low-cost Seagull EV, sold as the Dolphin Surf in Europe, is getting another update with a longer body and a more powerful motor.

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Rivian going back to the stock market market, Xiaomi going big, and a $14,000 tiny EV in the US.

Tesla is still the king, accounting for about 50% of the US EV market, but a handful of brands are finally gaining traction with new models now on sale.

Xiaomi has revealed the SkyNomad N90, the first model in its new SkyNomad series and the company’s first extended-range electric vehicle. CEO Lei Jun posted the first official exterior images today, and a new regulatory filing confirmed the full specs.

The N90 is a full-size, three-row SUV with a claimed combined range of more than 1,500 km (932 miles), aimed squarely at Li Auto and Huawei-backed Aito in China’s fast-growing EREV market.

Closing out this week’s Green Deals is the newly launched Lectric 250th Anniversary Sale with up to $464 increased savings from its July 4th deals on three e-bikes – the XP4 750, Xpress2, and Xpeak2 – all starting from $1,299. We also have a weekend flash sale from EcoFlow with offers like the 716Wh RIVER 2 Pro 700 Portable Power Station bundled with a waterproof and dustproof bag at a new $369 low, among others. You can also score EGO’s 3,200 PSI Electric Pressure Washer with 2x batteries at a new $679 low, as well as Anker’s eufy SoloCam E42 4-Cam Kit with Homebase 3 at $470 (plus tons of other security device deals), or we also have some exclusive alternator charger deals from Bluetti, a camping-ready telescopic light, some outdoor wall light upgrades, and more. As always, you can find the latest hangover deals down at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s full lineup of EcoFlow Outdoor Season Sale deals, the Velotric Discover 2 commuter e-bike at $1,799, 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.

Ahead of the updated 2027 model, sales of Volkswagen’s electric minibus bounced back, rising 120%. Meanwhile, the ID.4 is on a brief hiatus as it undergoes a major refresh.

Australia just posted its biggest month ever for electric car sales, and for the first time seven different EVs each cleared 1,000 units in a single month.

Every one of them is either Chinese-owned or Chinese-built — and that includes the Tesla Model Y that topped the chart, which rolls off the line in Shanghai.

BYD Energy Storage has landed a contract to supply 11.275 GWh of battery storage for Masdar’s Round the Clock (RTC) project in Abu Dhabi — one of the single largest energy storage procurements ever signed.

The RTC project pairs a 5.2 GW solar array with a 19 GWh battery system, making it the world’s largest combined solar-plus-storage plant. BYD’s award covers the majority of that storage.

Yamaha has officially entered India’s increasingly competitive premium electric scooter market with the launch of the new Aerox-E, an electric version of its popular sporty maxi-scooter. Rather than chasing outright affordability, Yamaha is targeting riders looking for performance-focused urban transportation with premium features.

That has resulted in a more premium scooter, but also one of the highest scooter price tags in the country.

Global EV sales topped 2 million in June, but the headline numbers hide a widening split between the world’s biggest markets.