RENAULT 5 E-TECH GAINS RANGE WITHOUT PRICE RISE
Renault’s MY27 Renault 5 E-Tech will retain its £21,495 UK starting price and £3,750 Electric Car Grant eligibility, while the 40kWh version offers up to 197 miles WLTP and 52kWh models increase to 259 miles through aerodynamic and battery-electronics improvements. New features include automatic SmartMode drive-mode selection, a cooled Qi2 magnetic wireless charger, upgraded 4G/5G eCall and optional Google Gemini integration, with orders opening on 22 September 2026.
POLSTAR CUTS CANADIAN PRICES BY UP TO C$15,000
Polestar has introduced limited-time Canadian incentives including C$10,000 Alternative Cash on the 2027 Polestar 4, up to C$15,000 off the Polestar 3 and either 0% financing with a C$5,000 EV bonus or C$8,000 Alternative Cash on the Polestar 2 Long range Dual motor. None qualifies for Canada’s federal EV incentive because transaction prices remain above C$50,000, while China-built Polestar 2s can now enter Canada under the 49,000-vehicle quota at the 6.1% tariff rate.
VOLKSWAGEN STARTS ID. CROSS PRODUCTION AT NAVARRA
Volkswagen has begun series production of the ID. Cross electric SUV at its Navarra plant in Spain, alongside the Škoda Epiq, with launches planned across 34 countries and German pricing eventually starting at €27,995 for the entry-level Trend. Front-wheel-drive versions offer 85kW, 99kW or 155kW outputs with 37kWh or 52kWh batteries, providing up to 427km WLTP range and DC charging at up to 105kW.
VOLKSWAGEN CANCELS PLANNED EXTRA WOLFSBURG SHIFTS, INCREASES EV PRODUCTION
Volkswagen’s German battery-electric order intake has overtaken combustion-engine orders, prompting the company to cancel planned extra shifts at its combustion-only Wolfsburg plant while adding shifts for EV production at Emden. Four small EVs produced in Spain have accumulated more than 100,000 pre-orders, including over 40,000 for the ID. Polo, while German BEV registrations rose 75.1% year on year in August to 68,930 vehicles and a 32.4% market share.
LEAPMOTOR PASSES 1,000 EUROPEAN RETAIL LOCATIONS
Leapmotor says its European network reached 1,020 retail locations across 36 countries in September 2026, roughly two years after launching European sales through its Stellantis joint venture. The network now covers around 80% of the region and puts customers an average 22-minute drive from a retailer, giving the relatively new Chinese brand access to Stellantis’s established sales and after-sales infrastructure.
EVS FAIL MOTS LESS OFTEN THAN PETROL ABOVE 120,000 MILES
Analysis of more than 45 million MOT tests by New AutoMotive found electric cars were 25% less likely than comparable petrol cars to fail once mileage exceeded 120,000 miles, with EV failure rates remaining around 16% from roughly 60,000 miles while petrol and diesel rates continued rising. EVs nevertheless recorded around 1.8 times as many tyre defects as petrol vehicles, while hybrids also performed strongly and in several categories had lower failure rates than both petrol cars and BEVs.
ENBW OPENS 480 KW CHARGING PARK
EnBW has opened its first public charging park using XCharge C7 chargers rated at up to 480kW, with 12 charging points at its Stuttgart headquarters site and capacity to expand to 20. The company plans to deploy 480kW technology at a double-digit number of charging parks by the end of 2026, while the new site also includes seating, vending facilities, an automated toilet and a 16kWp solar canopy.
CHINA OPPOSES REPORTED EU HYBRID LIMITS
China has strongly opposed reports that the EU asked it to voluntarily restrict hybrid-vehicle exports to around 15% of the European market, although neither side has confirmed such an agreement. China’s commerce ministry said voluntary export restrictions would violate WTO rules and fair-competition principles, while the foreign ministry said Beijing would protect the interests of Chinese EV companies affected by EU measures.
BRUEGEL PUTS EU BATTERY RULE COST AT €2,100
Bruegel estimates that requiring EU-origin battery cells for vehicles receiving certain forms of public support could increase production costs by around €2,100 for an EV with a 60kWh battery, based on estimated cell costs of €85/kWh in Europe versus €50/kWh globally. The proposed Industrial Accelerator Act remains under negotiation and would apply only to specified procurement and support programmes, while Bruegel stresses that its €2,100 figure is a production-cost estimate rather than a prediction of the retail-price increase consumers would pay.
SCARINGE SAYS R3 WILL BE PRICED BELOW R2
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says the forthcoming R3 will be priced materially below the R2 and that a later R4 will move the price point lower again, although Rivian has announced pricing for neither vehicle. The R2 Standard is expected by late 2027 at $45,000 with more than 275 miles of estimated range, while R3 production details remain limited and Rivian’s Georgia factory, intended to build R2 and R3 vehicles, is targeted to begin production in 2028.
