Oil kings shifting to electric vehicles, an electric R8 Gordini, Volkswagen selling more electric cars than gasoline ones, and a Japanese Twingo with better features than its French counterpart... Welcome to Regen No. 83
Too busy? Regen summarizes the key developments in electric vehicles for you every Sunday in just a few lines.
New Electric Cars and Announcements
If even they are getting in on it… Or how oil funds the shift away from oil: the world’s top crude oil exporter launches its own national car brand with two 100% electric vehicles.
Incidentally, this same investment fund is the majority shareholder in Lucid, which finally reveals its prices in France ahead of the World Motor Show. The starting price remains almost “reasonable” compared to what German brands in the same segment offer.
Otherwise, since we’re talking about luxury, Bentley has finally taken the plunge. The Torcal, the brand’s first 100% electric model, unsurprisingly builds on the base of the electric Porsche Cayenne, only in a less attractive version.
This one really caught us off guard! Renault is bringing back the R8 Gordini as a small electric coupe. Yes, as you might guess, it’s a concept car meant to generate buzz, with unfortunately no chance of going into production.
Less glamorous but more practical, Renault will produce two new electric models in Spain.
Nissan is bringing out an old name with the new Pixo, which is essentially a slightly modified electric Twingo, complete with a standard 50 kW DC fast charging feature as an extra bonus.
At Alpine, there are new updates for the A290 and A390, with a Collection trim available for the city car and more customization options for the crossover. However, there are no engine upgrades under the hood.
Citroën is turning the C3, C3 Aircross, and Ami into little off-roaders with an Outdoor trim.
Finally, for those who found the Rafale Atelier Alpine too subtle, here’s the Hypnotic limited edition if you have an extra 3,300 euros to spare at purchase.
Industry, Economy, and Regulations
Electric vehicles continue to gain momentum in Europe, with 243,207 new registrations, representing a 52.2% increase year over year. But of course, “it’s just a trend and it will disappear in three years” (I swear I read that somewhere).
In Germany, Volkswagen is now receiving more orders for electric vehicles than gasoline-powered ones. Domestic orders for electric cars surged by 62% in August, with electric vehicles accounting for 44% of new registrations there.
A somewhat tired giant waking up with the help of a Chinese company—this inspires ideas: after partnering with Volkswagen, XPeng aims to sell its technologies to other automakers, including European ones.
Well, since it’s a celebration, we’ll spoil it a bit—otherwise it wouldn’t be fun. That’s my sadistic side.
But still, the celebration benefits some people, isn’t that surprising? Insurance agent—what a great job, really.
We don’t care; we have new, solid evidence that electric vehicles hold their value better than gasoline-powered ones. Jean-Diesel, please…
Finally, our beloved country’s passion for gas stations never fades, even when electric vehicles are discussed.
News on batteries and charging
Updates on the race to develop faster charging: after BYD achieved 10% to 70% charge in 5 minutes, Geely is set to break the 4-minute mark.
This leads us to a concerning topic: according to the Backbone Coalition, Europe has only three years left to save its battery industry.
In terms of charging networks, Sorégies is acquiring the entire French network of bp pulse, including 32 operational stations, over 600 charging points, and 14 sites under development.
More oddly, here’s a little story from the bigger picture we love: the summer capital for fast charging is located in Haute-Marne.
It’s less funny now — arrests for cable theft from charging stations keep coming, but convictions are still pending: 9 million euros in damages, over 427 complaints, and only one conviction so far...
The price war in charging services continues among discount retailers: Lidl announces 18 cents per kWh on its AC chargers up to 22 kW via its app, one cent cheaper than Leclerc, and 0.29 euros for DC charging.
Finally, a clever idea from Marseille: PESS Energy fills containers with used electric car batteries to replace generators at festivals and construction sites.
Pro Tips
Good news for fleet managers: 82.56% of electric cars registered by companies in the first half of 2026 have an eco-score, up from just over half in 2024, according to Arval Mobility’s research.
In the heavy-duty segment, Taiwanese company Zerova is showcasing a 1,440 kW MCS charger for trucks and buses at the IAA in Hanover. It features 1,500 amps and a liquid-cooled cable (so those who try to cut it will get a free shower—what a great life, right?).
EREV-style hybrids are facing resistance in the truck industry: Mahle is adding a small internal combustion engine to electric trucks to achieve a range of over 800 kilometers.
This Week’s Figure
340. That’s the horsepower output of the new version of the VW ID.Buzz Cargo. In other words, it has roughly the power of a Porsche 911 Carrera S from 10 years ago...
This Week’s Infographic
That’s all from me for today. See you next Sunday for another issue of Regen!