FridayMay 22, 2026 10:00 am

EV Transition Reaches Tipping Point in China and Europe

Electric vehicle sales in China as well as Europe have crossed a critical threshold that researchers say has initiated an irrevocable transition away from internal combustion engine vehicles to EVs. Analysis of global sales data from 2016 through 2023 shows electric vehicle adoption ramping up exponentially in 32 nations, with the worldwide fleet doubling every 18 months.  The transition appears to have reached a point where it will continue accelerating on its own momentum, though current growth rates still fall short of what climate targets require.  The U.S., China, and the European Union dominate sales, with electric vehicle fleets doubling every 1.7, 1.0, and 1.3 years respectively. Traditional combustion engine car sales began declining steadily…

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ThursdayMay 21, 2026 10:00 am

Congressional Bill Seeks to Impose Annual Fee on EVs for Road Maintenance

Bipartisan House legislation that would impose a $130 annual charge on electric vehicles and $35 on certain plug-in hybrids has been introduced. Brought forth by Representatives Rick Larsen and Sam Graves, the measure is part of a five-year highway reauthorization totaling $580 billion before current law expires on September 30 and is designed to fund transport infrastructure repairs.  The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee plans to consider the proposal Thursday, with supporters arguing electric vehicles should contribute to maintaining roads they use.  Federal road repair funding comes primarily from diesel and gasoline levies that battery-powered vehicles avoid entirely. The proposed charges would increase by $5 yearly starting 2029, reaching $150 for fully electric models and…

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TuesdayMay 19, 2026 10:00 am

BYD Could Take Over European Factories of Legacy Automakers

After operating in relative obscurity in the Asian market for well over a decade, Chinese automaker BYD has been making major waves across the global automotive market and is poised to make a big move in Europe. The largest electric vehicle firm in China, BYD is the only automaker that routinely outcompetes Tesla in battery electric vehicle sales, a feat legacy automakers with decades more experience have been unable to replicate. BYD is now in discussions with Stellantis and a number of European manufacturers about acquiring or leasing idle factory space across the continent. The talks were confirmed last week…

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FridayMay 15, 2026 10:00 am

To Counter Chinese Competition, Toyota Doubles Down on EVs

After over a decade of actively avoiding the growing battery electric vehicle sector, Japan is finally making forays into BEV production to deal with the threat posed by China’s behemoth EV industry. Toyota was one of the very first automakers to produce an alternative energy vehicle, the Prius, but the Japanese automaker stuck with the infamous hybrid over fully electric cars while other automakers were investing billions of dollars into BEV production. Now the largest carmaker on the globe has decided to focus on electrified cars to remain competitive with Chinese automakers like BYD and maintain its position as a…

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ThursdayMay 14, 2026 10:00 am

China to Regulate EV Battery Recycling

Chinese authorities are implementing regulations to formalize electric vehicle battery recycling markets as informal operations have captured roughly 70% of retired battery volumes, creating safety and environmental concerns. New EV battery recycling rules would require end-of-life batteries to remain with vehicles through authorized recycling channels, rather than entering unregulated networks where small operators disassemble and resell components.  The initiative aims to establish producer responsibility systems while addressing the competition formal recyclers face from lower-cost informal operators.  China dominates global electric vehicle production and builds over 70% of worldwide EVs. At that scale, projections cited by state news agency Xinhua forecast retired EV batteries to surge from 1.1 million tons in 2025…

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TuesdayMay 12, 2026 10:00 am

How Legacy Car Firms are Slowing the EV Transition

A new survey of German car industry managers suggests the sector is further into its electric vehicle transition than public debate tends to imply, with a small group of slower-moving firms distorting the wider picture and potentially dragging down the broader shift. The research was carried out jointly by the University of Sussex and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, drawing on responses from 74 industry managers gathered toward the end of 2025.  Sixty-one percent of the companies surveyed were moving quickly toward electrification, while the remaining 39% were classified as slow transformers. Just one in eight had yet to make any move in…

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FridayMay 08, 2026 10:00 am

EVs Take 98% Share of New Car Registrations in Norway in April

Norway recorded a 98.6% EV share of new passenger car registrations in April, breaking the prior record of 98.4% set just one month earlier. Of April's 11,103 registrations, 10,952 were fully electric, while just 87 were diesel and 31 petrol, according to the OFV, Norway's Road Federation.  In the eastern county of Østfold, just south of Oslo, the EV share reached 99.3%. Finnmark, which posted the country's lowest regional figure, still reached 95.1%. OFV director Geir Inge Stokke noted it was the first time Norway had set consecutive monthly EV records. The EV share had surpassed 95% in every county in the country, and Stokke notes that…

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ThursdayMay 07, 2026 10:00 am

A Comparison of Ownership Costs Between Used EVs and Gas Cars

Used electric vehicle sales are climbing sharply as prices close in on those of comparable gas-powered models. In March, used EV sales were 27.7% higher than the same month a year prior and 53.9% above February's total, according to the Cox Automotive EV Monitor. A key factor behind the supply surge is the volume of vehicles leased between late 2022 and the end of 2023. Most of those agreements run three years, and the cars are now flowing back onto dealer lots in large numbers. Data from Edmunds shows that EVs are expected to account for 8% of all lease…

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TuesdayMay 05, 2026 10:00 am

Xiaomi Opens EV Development Facility in Germany as it Targets European Market

Xiaomi is laying the groundwork for a European push, having opened an EV research and design center in Munich last year. The facility, headed by former BMW executive Rudolf Dittrich, focuses on adapting Xiaomi's vehicles to European safety standards, charging infrastructure, and consumer expectations. Germany is slated to be the company's debut overseas market when international sales begin in 2027.  The Chinese technology giant arrived at Auto China 2026 in Beijing carrying considerable momentum. Founder and CEO Lei Jun drew large crowds at the company's booth, his celebrity standing in China on full display. Weeks earlier, he had piloted a Xiaomi SU7 Pro the roughly 810 miles from Beijing to…

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FridayMay 01, 2026 10:00 am

EV Exports Drive Chinese Trade Surplus with the EU

China's trade surplus with the European Union reached a new quarterly record in early 2026, with electric and hybrid vehicle exports a central driver. Mercator Institute for China Studies’ analysis of customs data found that Chinese exports to the EU totaled close to $148 billion in the period. Imports from the bloc came in at approximately $65 billion, leaving a surplus of roughly $83 billion, with the full-year 2025 surplus setting a record at around $431 billion. Chinese EV and hybrid sales to Europe nearly doubled in the period, from approximately $11 billion to just over $20 billion. That represented…

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