ev.news Briefly: Global Sales, Ultium Cells, ID.3 Neo & more | 14 Aug 2026
It's ev.news Briefly for Friday 14 August 2026, only todays headlines and nothing else, in just 4 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show. Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the ev.news Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/evnews GLOBAL EV SALES RISE, BUT CHINA RETREATS Global EV sales hit 1.85 million in July 2026, up 9% year on year but down 10% on June, with China falling 5% to around 980,000 even as NEVs took a record 60.4% of its new vehicle sales and NEV passenger exports jumped 147.8% to 540,000. Europe rose 33% to 450,000 and other markets 97% to 280,000, while North America fell 27% to 140,000 as the US decline widened beyond 30%. ULTIUM CELLS TO RESTART OHIO OUTPUT Ultium Cells restarts battery-cell production next week at its Warren, Ohio plant after a seven-month shutdown blamed on falling EV demand and the cancelled $7,500 federal tax credit. The GM–LG joint venture site makes large-format NCMA pouch cells with over 45GWh annual capacity for nearly all GM EVs, and expects headcount to reach 1,400 after cutting roughly 1,330 jobs at closure. VOLKSWAGEN OPENS ID.3 NEO UK ORDERS Volkswagen opened UK orders for the ID.3 Neo on 13 August 2026 from £33,080, or £31,580 after the Government's £1,500 Electric Car Grant, with 50, 58 and 79 kWh batteries giving up to 390 miles and DC charging from 100 kW to 183 kW. The revised hatchback gains new LED headlights, an illuminated badge, the return of physical buttons and rotary controls, a new Innovision system with an in-car app shop, and a 3.6 kW V2L adapter. TESLA PLANS 124-STALL SUPERCHARGER IN SOUTHERN SAN FRANCISCO Tesla filed plans on 26 May 2026 for a 124-stall Supercharger at 75 Waterloo Street in southern San Francisco, one of the largest globally and unusual for sitting inside a city rather than beside a highway. The site draws entirely from the grid with no solar canopies or Megapack storage, and includes a 416-square-foot building with two restrooms, vending machines and water fountains open 24 hours. CHARGING FAILURES HIT SIX-YEAR LOW Public charging failures fell to 12% in the second quarter from 14% a year earlier and 19% in 2023 and 2024, the lowest in the six-year history of JD Power's study, which credited faster chargers and larger destination-style sites. Ionna led DC fast-charger satisfaction on 807 out of 1,000, ahead of Mercedes-Benz on 797, Rivian on 755 and Tesla on 701, against a segment average of 666. CHINESE CAR MAKERS BUILD IN AFRICA Chinese car makers are opening African factories to absorb domestic overcapacity and sidestep European and North American trade barriers, with Chery buying Nissan's Rosslyn plant near Pretoria in July and BAIC and Great Wall already operating on the continent. South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana are drawing investment through rebates, tax breaks and import bans on fossil-fuel cars, though weak grids, thin charging infrastructure and policy uncertainty still deter long-term commitment. GAC ADDS 44KWH AION UT WITH 320KM (199 MILES) WLTP RANGE IN LATE 2026 GAC will add a 44kWh lithium iron phosphate entry version of the Aion UT with an estimated 320km (199 miles) WLTP range, priced under AUD$30,000 before on-road costs. It sits below the 60kWh Premium and Luxury at AUD$31,990 and AUD$35,990, answering cheaper rivals such as BYD's AUD$23,990 Atto 1 Essential and Geely's AUD$26,490 EX2 Complete. HONGQI TO ENTER AUSTRALIA IN 2027 Hongqi will launch in Australia under the HQ name in January 2027 via Sydney distributor Greentech, starting with the E-HS9 large three-row electric SUV. Entry cars use a 99kWh NMC battery for 465km (289 miles) WLTP and higher trims a 120kWh pack for 515km (320 miles), with six- or seven-seat layouts and twin 16.2-inch displays, but no announced pricing. XCHARGE POWERS ELECTRIC AIRPORT FIRE ENGINE XCharge North America has deployed a 400-kW ultra-fast charger at Dallas Love Field Airport to serve Dallas Fire-Rescue's Rosenbauer Panther 6×6 Electric, billed as the world's first fully electric aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle. The airport handles almost 18 million passengers a year, and XCharge argues electrification reduces the logistical and environmental risks of moving and storing liquid fuel around aircraft operations. One flag: the GAC headline says late 2026, but the copy says "late next year" — from an August 2026 dateline those are a year apart. Worth resolving before publication.
