VOLKSWAGEN CONFIRMS NEXT ID. BUZZ WITH COST CUTS PLANNED Volkswagen has confirmed a second-generation ID. Buzz using its SSP platform to reduce production costs, although a lower showroom price and launch date remain unconfirmed. Deliveries rose 102% to 60,700 in 2025, with Cargo versions accounting for around 46%, making commercial buyers central to the successor’s prospects alongside families attracted by its design. BMW IX5 DRIVES 500 MILES WITHOUT CHARGING BMW’s battery-electric iX5 completed an 805-kilometre California journey without charging, with an estimated further 50 miles remaining, although undisclosed driving conditions limit what the demonstration proves. The US specification combines a 144.0 kWh usable battery with up to 460 kW DC charging and a claimed 22-minute 10–80% charge, while BMW’s separate 435-mile EPA-procedure estimate remains uncertified. RENAULT 5 TURBO 3E NEARS COMPLETION FOR 2028 DELIVERIES Renault’s 5 Turbo 3E is nearing completion ahead of 2028 deliveries, with 1,980 cars planned at prices from €160,000 and full personalisation expected to open in mid-2027. Its bespoke Alpine-developed platform and 410 kW twin rear in-wheel motors target electric-car collectors, supported by a 70.0 kWh usable battery, provisional WLTP range exceeding 248 miles and claimed 15-minute 15–80% charging. SMART CONFIRMS BRABUS VERSION OF ELECTRIC TWO-SEATER Smart has confirmed a Brabus version of its electric #2 two-seater, returning the performance badge to a compact urban car, although power, price and launch timing remain unannounced. Standard-model pre-orders open in spring 2027 with a starting price below £20,000, a 60 kW rear motor, 35.8 kWh LFP battery and provisional 180-mile WLTP range, but these are not confirmed Brabus specifications. MODEL Y TOPS GERMANY’S SEPTEMBER CAR CHART Tesla’s Model Y led Germany’s September car registrations with 8,038 vehicles, while battery-electric registrations rose about 95% to 88,599, taking 34.5% of the market and outselling non-hybrid petrol and diesel cars combined. Battery-electric cars also reached 48.7% of private registrations, although Tesla’s quarter-end delivery pattern tempers the monthly result and the Skoda Elroq remained ahead among EVs over the first nine months. CALIFORNIA HOME BATTERIES SET 745 MW DISPATCH RECORD California home batteries supplied a reported record 745 MW at peak on 6 October, including over 600 MW from more than 85,000 Powerwall owners, exceeding the output of most individual gas peaker plants in the state. The record beat the previous peak by 28%, but Tesla and Sunrun’s figures overlap, and published data do not establish total energy delivered or whether peak output was sustained. CHERY CONFIRMS ICAUR UK LAUNCH FOR EARLY 2027 Chery plans to launch iCaur as its fifth UK brand in early 2027, led by the Defender-sized V27 through a separate dealer network, with British pricing and powertrain details unconfirmed. The V27 sold elsewhere uses a petrol range-extender, while the smaller battery-electric V23 has not been confirmed for Britain, meaning the brand’s arrival does not yet guarantee another fully electric option. BIBBY LAUNCHES BATTERY-FIRST OFFSHORE WIND VESSEL Bibby Marine has launched Staffordshire, a battery-first offshore wind service vessel due for delivery in 2027, although battery installation remains ahead and its planned 22.4 MWh capacity differs from the supplier’s near-25 MWh figure. Bibby expects up to 24 hours of battery operation, initially recharged by methanol-capable generators, and forecasts operating-cost savings above 40%, rising to as much as 70% with future offshore charging. AUDI ELECTRIC PERFORMANCE WAGON SPOTTED TESTING A camouflaged Audi electric performance estate has appeared at the Nürburgring despite earlier reports that the RS6 Avant e-tron had been cancelled, suggesting development continues without confirming the RS programme’s return. Reports suggest a Performance badge instead, but Audi has confirmed neither branding nor output, and photographs cannot establish improvements in sustained power, cooling or braking. US USED-EV VALUES RISE AS NON-EV VALUES FALL US used-EV retail sales reached a record roughly 124,000 in the third quarter, up 11.4% year on year, while September’s adjusted EV wholesale values rose 4.3% against a 1.6% decline for non-EVs. More than 100,000 off-lease electric cars are expected in the final quarter of 2026, expanding access to relatively recent models, although stronger demand means additional supply will not necessarily make them cheaper. ICCT MODELS LARGE OIL SAVINGS FROM FASTER ELECTRIFICATION ICCT modelling suggests faster electrification could avoid cumulative road-transport oil use equivalent to the lifetime consumption of 863 million petrol cars through 2050, but this ambitious scenario depends on implementing international zero-emission vehicle commitments. Electric drivetrains’ greater efficiency lowers overall energy demand, while separate California modelling suggests managed charging and off-peak tariffs could reduce projected distribution-grid upgrade costs through 2035 from $50 billion to $15 billion.
