Europe drove global EV sales in April as China exports surged
Global EV sales reached 1.6 million units in April 2026, bringing total sales for the year so far to 5.6 million, according to new data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
Electrek
California bets on sodium-ion batteries for extreme heat regions
California renewable energy developer Juniper Energy has partnered with Alsym Energy to deploy 500 MWh of sodium-ion battery storage projects across California.
BYD launches new Seagull with LiDAR for $13,000, setting a first for entry-level EVs [Video]
Rivian rolls out ‘Hey Rivian’ AI assistant with full vehicle control
Rivian is rolling out its new AI-powered voice assistant to all Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 owners as part of its latest over-the-air software update. The feature, activated by saying “Hey Rivian” or holding the left steering wheel button, requires an active Connect+ subscription.
The assistant is notable because it can actually control your vehicle’s core functions — something that Tesla’s competing Grok assistant still cannot do months after its own launch.
Corrupt DoT head takes oil money to film reality TV show during oil price spike
Sean Duffy, whose transportation expertise comes from being a contestant on the reality TV show Road Rules, is going back to his roots and filming a reality TV show while on the job.
But, as is fitting for the corrupt cabal he’s a member of, he’s made sure to let companies he’s supposed to regulate pay for his family’s vacation. And he’s doing this right as he works his hardest to ensure that your roadtrips are less attainable, with higher energy prices across the country as the direct and intended result of his policies.
Lectric Memorial Day offers $694 bundles + up to $500 off e-bikes, Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD robot mowers, more
We’ve got plenty of low prices filling our Tuesday Green Deals, with our headliner being Lectric’s newly launched Memorial Day e-bike sale that is offering up to $694 FREE bundles alongside up to $500 price cuts, with my all-around pick being the XP4 Folding Utility e-bikes getting up to $473 in FREE gear starting from $999. There’s also Mammotion’s Memorial Day savings event, with its newest LUBA 3 AWD robot lawn mowers getting FREE garage attachments for the dock station – and they’re all at their best prices starting from $2,099. We also spotted low prices hitting meross’ new two-zone Wi-Fi smart water timer, as well as the budget-friendly Gotrax Dolphin e-bike, Autel’s 80A level 2 EV charger, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s first-ever deals on the new Velotric GoMad Utility e-bike, the latest EcoFlow 48-hour power station flash sale that ends tonight, 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.
This chic beach car EV concept even has a pickup bed [Images]
Tesla moves Basic Autopilot features to paid FSD where available
Tesla has quietly removed Basic Autopilot from its online configurator in the Netherlands. New orders now only offer Full Self-Driving (Supervised) — no free driver-assistance tier at all.
The change makes the Netherlands the first European market where Tesla has stripped Basic Autopilot from the buying experience, mirroring the controversial move it made in North America back in January.
Ford explains every Mustang Mach-E has a distinct ‘personality’
Didn’t you know your vehicle has its own personality? Ford said all 2026 Mustang Mach-E’s have a unique “personality,” and it’s not just a different look. Here’s how they compare.
Tesla finally launches Supercharger virtual queue pilot after fights broke out
Tesla is now testing a virtual waitlist feature at five Supercharger locations, allowing drivers to join a queue through the Tesla app instead of physically lining up at crowded stations.
The pilot comes over a year after Tesla promised the feature following a viral video of a fight between Tesla owners at a full Supercharger station.
Waymo recalls 3,791 robotaxis over flooded road incident, deploying OTA software fix
Waymo has filed a voluntary recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) covering 3,791 robotaxis after one of its vehicles drove into a flooded road in San Antonio last month. No one was injured.
The key detail: the recall is a software fix that will be deployed over the air to Waymo’s entire fleet — no vehicles need to visit a service center. Waymo has already implemented interim constraints while the full remedy is finalized.
Toyota and Lexus just made EV road trips way easier
Tesla invests $250M more in Giga Berlin battery cells, boosting capacity to 18 GWh
Tesla announced today that it will invest almost $250 million more in battery cell production at its Grünheide factory outside Berlin, more than doubling planned capacity to 18 gigawatt hours per year and creating over 1,500 battery-related jobs.
The investment comes just two months after the automaker successfully scared workers away from IG Metall in a contentious works council election — a vote where CEO Elon Musk explicitly threatened to halt expansion if the union gained control.
Tesla Robotaxi’s ‘convenience issues’ are hiding the real safety bottleneck
A new Reuters investigation documents long wait times, surface-street-only routing, and near-zero vehicle availability across Tesla’s three-city “Robotaxi” service. These all look like convenience problems — but they’re really symptoms of a safety system that can’t scale.
Elon Musk himself told investors at the Q1 2026 earnings call that safety validation is the limiting factor. The “convenience issues” riders are experiencing are the direct result of those safety constraints manifesting as a degraded user experience.
Zenobē keeps “Winnings” with Australian electric truck deal
Zenobē recently announced plans to make a $100 million investment into the Australian market – and that investment is quickly bearing fruit in the form of a new strategic partnership with Aussie appliance brand Winnings.
After cops failed to catch hooligan bike riders, state asks locals for help
Police departments around the country are increasingly finding themselves in a difficult position when it comes to illegal electric motorbike riders tearing through neighborhoods, parks, and bike trails. In one Colorado town, officials are now trying a new strategy after struggling to catch many of the riders themselves: asking residents to help identify them.
The UK delivers Europe’s largest vanadium flow battery system
London-listed Invinity Energy Systems has delivered 20.7 megawatt-hours of vanadium flow batteries to the Copwood VFB Energy Hub in East Sussex. Once the project enters service later in 2026, Invinity says it will be Europe’s largest vanadium flow battery installation.
The new BMW iX3 costs nearly $1,000 a month to lease
Duracell taps Driivz to power its new EV fast charger network
Duracell is getting into EV charging in the UK, and it’s partnering with EV charging software company Driivz to help run the network.
Ford launches Ford Energy subsidiary to build 20 GWh of battery storage annually
Ford has officially unveiled Ford Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary that will manufacture and sell U.S.-assembled battery energy storage systems (BESS) for utilities, data centers, and large industrial customers. The new unit plans to produce 20 GWh of energy storage annually from its Kentucky gigafactory.
The move formalizes what has been months in the making — Ford’s pivot from struggling EV battery overcapacity to the booming grid-scale energy storage market, where demand is surging thanks to AI data centers and renewable energy buildout.
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