The most powerful GTI in history is electric, EDF driving for BYD, Tesla drivers taking naps behind the wheel, and Brussels targeting Chinese hybrids... Welcome to Regen No. 82
Too busy? Regen summarizes the key headlines in electric vehicle news for you every Sunday in just a few lines.
New Electric Cars and Announcements
Volkswagen is bringing back the GTI, and it’s a great idea. The result? With 320 horsepower under the hood, the most powerful GTI ever produced is electric. All that’s left is to name it Golf, and the circle will be complete. For reference, the original Golf GTI had 110 horsepower, reached 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds, and was considered the pinnacle of mass-market sports cars (at a time when a Porsche 911 SC had 204 horsepower).
But VW isn’t focusing solely on performance. The German giant has just unveiled the Mission Efficiency, 80% built from components of the ID.Polo—a road-going prototype that traveled from Wolfsburg to Vienna covering 1,278 km with 7.51 kWh/100 km of energy consumption, largely thanks to a Cx value of 0.158, without particularly challenging the terrain.
Denza claims to have the longest range in the world with its Z9S. 1,100 km according to the Chinese CLTC cycle, which should translate to around 900 km under WLTP standards—on par with the new BMW i3—but at a significantly lower price. Personally, I find this Z9S more aesthetically successful than the Z9GT from which it derives.
At Mercedes, the electric Class C comes in an entry-level version priced at 62,999 €. “Entry-level” with 421 horsepower and 682 km of WLTP range—we’ve seen worse sacrifices than this.
The Japanese cousin of the Scénic, assembled in Douai, comes equipped with a 67 kWh LFP battery offering a range of 472 km. Including discounts and incentives, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross starts at 29,990 €.
The longest-running saga in electric vehicle history may be coming to an end: the Tesla Roadster finally has a launch date, October 1st. Nine years after the first prototype, with perhaps a remotely controlled hover flight as a demonstration.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi launches its second brand in China, Skynomad, with an SUV that features range extender technology and a tent hidden under its roof. It’s 5.29 meters long, has seven seats, a 9-liter fridge, and a combined range of 1,705 km. No European release is planned at the moment.
In the meantime, Kia adds a hybrid Seltos to an already crowded category of compact SUVs. Just another one.
Industry, Economy, and Regulations
Chinese brands now account for over 10% of new car sales in the broader European market. This growth is driven mainly by hybrid vehicles. Brussels is only slowly realizing this and threatens to impose taxes on Chinese hybrids if Beijing does not curb its exports.
Back home, this week’s controversy is worth its weight in… peanuts? No—kilowatt-hours: EDF, which is 100% state-owned, offers a EU subsidy to buyers of BYD vehicles—365 euros for individuals and 555 euros for professionals. Naturally, there is strong outrage from both the left and right (yawns).
Another sensitive issue is the coexistence between French and Chinese interests at Stellantis. Well, in my humble opinion, things look messy soon…
In fact, the Chinese are no longer just testing the waters. Xiaomi is partnering with eight major German distributors to prepare its entry into Europe.
Has Lucid finally found a real market? The American automaker and Bolt are preparing 25,000 autonomous vehicles for Europe, with 100,000 vehicles targeted by 2035.
At Audi, the A4 e-tron is still falling behind. Meanwhile, the BMW i3 has arrived, and the Mercedes CLA has been available at dealerships for months, not to mention the numerous other electric sedans flooding the market. Audi’s agenda seems to lack logic in recent years.
The best atmosphere in Wolfsburg: 30,000 orders for the ID.Polo. The 10-month delivery time mentioned across the Rhine? Volkswagen France says it’s four months. And if the Mission Efficiency concept intrigued you, don’t miss this look back at 60 years of Volkswagen’s obsession with efficiency, from the XL1 to today.
In Japan, there’s a subsidy of up to 7,300 euros for an electric car—provided it’s kept for four years; otherwise, a pro rata refund is required.
In the United States, at least 43 videos show Tesla drivers asleep behind the wheel with FSD activated, prompting an Illinois lawmaker to demand answers from NHTSA. It should be noted that some trick the interior camera with a photo or even a fake head. Still, given how some drivers behave, one might think it’s actually better if they sleep.
News on batteries and charging
BYD promises its first solid-state battery vehicle by 2027, though large-scale production is targeted for around 2030. Solid-state batteries, a technology that keeps getting pushed to next year — even by BYD this time.
Read on for Chargemap’s summer review. In short, electric vehicle users drove more this summer and charged less often, indicating that the market is gradually maturing.
Pro Corner
The IAA Transportation week is underway in Hanover, bringing plenty of news on trucks, starting with CATL, which promises 1,000 km of range for heavy vehicles with its new battery.
The Tesla Semi is finally arriving in Europe, and our reporters have tested it out.
On the other side, competitors didn’t wait. MAN claims 720 km range for its eTGX, with over 600 km in real-world conditions. Volvo has started producing its truck with a 700 km range. Meanwhile, BYD reports 400 km of additional range in just 20 minutes with its new ETT 44. In the passenger transport sector, MG has introduced an electric bus with a 489 kWh battery offering 650 km of range.
In the commercial vehicle category, the Renault Trafic electric was named Vehicle of the Year 2027, while Kia unveiled the PV7, a large commercial vehicle using 800 V technology with over 460 km of range.
This Week’s Figure
3.33 euros. That’s the cost per 100 kilometers for a Tesla Model 3, according to one of our readers who shared his experience in our columns.
This Week’s Infographic
That’s all from me for today. See you next Sunday for another issue of Regen!