ev.news Briefly: Ford Fathom, US Charging, Tesla & more | 14 Oct 2026

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FIAT PREPARES SMALL EV ALONGSIDE PANDA Fiat is developing an affordable small electric car, potentially named Koala, using a platform co-developed with Leapmotor and shared with Citroën's new 2CV project, with Italian production planned from 2028. Citroën is targeting a €15,000 price, although Fiat hasn't confirmed pricing, and both cars could benefit from proposed EU rules giving qualifying small EVs extra credit towards manufacturers' fleet-emissions targets. BP PULSE OPENS 24-BAY MELBOURNE AIRPORT CHARGING HUB bp pulse has opened its first large Australian charging hub at Melbourne Airport, offering 24 publicly accessible bays with 150 kW and 300 kW chargers, operating around the clock and powered by the airport's solar farms. The facility supports Chargefox payments and discounted charging for eligible Uber drivers, although rideshare drivers cannot use it as an airport waiting area unless actively charging. GM POSTS RECORD $50BN QUARTER, WARNS ON EV COSTS General Motors reported record quarterly revenue of $50 billion and adjusted earnings of $4.1 billion, driven by profitable pickup trucks, despite Chevrolet Equinox EV deliveries falling 92.4% against an unusually strong year-earlier quarter. Following more than $11 billion in EV-related charges, GM expects to reduce annual EV operating losses by $1 billion to $1.5 billion this year, with further improvements anticipated from 2027 and more efficient platforms arriving later. ENGLAND REMOVES PLANNING STEP FOR PAVEMENT EV CHARGING Drivers in England can now install qualifying pavement charging gullies without planning permission, potentially saving £300 in installation costs and enabling households without driveways to access cheaper domestic electricity instead of public charging. Highway authority approval remains mandatory, conservation areas retain planning requirements, and eligible households can separately claim grants of up to £500 towards permanent cross-pavement charging installations until March 2027. LI AUTO PLANS UK LAUNCH IN AUTUMN 2027 Chinese manufacturer Li Auto plans to enter Britain in autumn 2027 with an as-yet-unnamed model, following its European debut in Norway and the Netherlands earlier that year with the Li 6 electric SUV. The Li 6 offers a 96 kWh battery, 800-volt architecture and up to 640 km WLTP range, while Li Auto is establishing European software, servicing and parts infrastructure ahead of introducing at least one additional model annually through 2029. UK PRIVATE EV FLEET GROWS BY ALMOST 100,000 The number of privately registered electric cars in Britain increased by almost 100,000 during the second quarter of 2026, supported by a used-EV market recording 110,761 transactions, up 67% year on year. Comparable used EVs now cost just 1% more than petrol equivalents, against a 25% premium for new cars, while home charging can save drivers approximately £1,000 annually on 10,000 miles, although ultra-rapid public charging remains more expensive than petrol. BMW iX5 REACHES 464 kW IN CHARGING DEMONSTRATION BMW demonstrated a reported 464 kW charging peak for its forthcoming iX5 60 xDrive using equipment not yet commercially available in America, with its 144 kWh usable battery capable of charging from 10% to 80% in a claimed 22 minutes. The new 800-volt SUV features higher-density cylindrical battery cells, an estimated EPA range of up to 435 miles and a starting US price of $79,800 when deliveries begin in early 2027. ARENA COMMITS A$4M TO FLEET GRID TRIAL Australia's renewable energy agency ARENA is providing A$4 million towards JET Charge's three-year REVS2 project, which will equip up to 130 Australian Capital Territory government fleet vehicles with bidirectional charging to test exporting electricity back to the grid. Running until 2029, the trial will investigate whether appropriately designed electricity payments and reliable integration between vehicles, chargers and grid systems can make fleet-based energy services commercially viable

GEELY XINGYUAN PRODUCTION HITS 1 MILLION Geely has produced its millionth Xingyuan just over two years after launch, although Chinese retail sales fell 9.6% to 310,391 in the first nine months of 2026. The affordable electric hatchback, priced from 61,800 yuan ($9,300) with up to 480 kilometres of CLTC range, is now sold in more than 30 countries as the E2 or EX2, with Brazilian production scheduled to begin in December. FIREFLY PLANS 60 KWH BATTERY WITH OWNER UPGRADES Nio's Firefly brand plans to introduce a 60 kWh CATL battery on 23 October, increasing CLTC range from 420 to 560 kilometres while allowing existing owners to upgrade through compatible fifth-generation Nio battery-swapping stations. The upgrade could benefit owners of the 90,000 Firefly vehicles already delivered, although battery pricing, rental terms and the limited availability of compatible swapping stations will determine its appeal. BYD BRINGS FLASH CHARGING TO THE SEAGULL BYD has launched its second-generation Seagull electric hatchback from 65,900 yuan ($9,900), with Flash Charging versions starting at 75,900 yuan ($11,400) capable of charging from 10% to 70% in five minutes at dedicated stations. The redesigned car introduces rear-wheel drive, independent rear suspension, five seats and up to 420 kilometres of CLTC range, as BYD attempts to reverse a 33% sales decline in the first nine months of 2026. NIO GROUP CLAIMS QUARTERLY LEAD OVER GERMAN RIVALS Nio claims its three brands collectively outsold BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi individually in China during the third quarter, citing 111,638 insurance registrations across Nio, Onvo and Firefly compared with 107,210 for BMW and Mini. BMW separately reported 114,355 deliveries using a different measurement, but Nio's expanding portfolio illustrates the growing competitive pressure on German premium manufacturers as China's luxury-car retail market contracted 29% in September. XIAOMI REGISTERS SU9 LUX NAME Xiaomi has registered the SU9 LUX trademark, fuelling speculation about a larger luxury saloon with additional rear-passenger space, potentially related to camouflaged vehicles previously identified as the SU7L. However, Xiaomi also registered SU7 LUX and has not confirmed either production name or its connection to the test vehicles, leaving the proposed model's identity and specifications uncertain. FANGCHENGBAO SALES PASS 600,000 BYD's Fangchengbao brand has surpassed 600,000 cumulative vehicle sales, with September deliveries reaching 43,181, up 79% year-on-year, largely driven by the Titanium 7 family SUV. The brand is expanding beyond its off-road origins with the Formula S electric saloon and Formula S GT estate, priced from 189,900 and 219,900 yuan respectively, although their combined first-month deliveries of 663 show the challenge of entering the premium passenger-car market. BYD AND LI AUTO EXPAND GULF SALES BYD is expanding its Saudi Arabian dealership network towards 10 locations, while Li Auto has introduced its L9 in the UAE with adaptations for extreme heat, local charging systems and Arabic-language functionality. Limited charging infrastructure remains a constraint, with Saudi operator EVIQ reporting 134 chargers across 56 locations against its ambition of more than 5,000 by 2030, favouring plug-in hybrids and range-extenders during the market's development. CHERY TAKES EXLANTIX TO AUSTRALIA IN 2027 Chery plans to introduce its premium Exlantix brand in Australia around mid-2027 with the ES GT electric shooting brake and ET large SUV, both already demonstrated in right-hand-drive form. The ES GT is expected to feature an 800-volt architecture, while the ET is available overseas in electric and range-extended forms, with expansion into New Zealand and the UK also planned as Chery targets higher-priced international markets. CHINESE EV FIRMS EXPAND EUROPEAN PRODUCTION Chinese EV and battery manufacturers reportedly have 26 factories operating or under construction across Europe, including

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