It's EV News Briefly for Friday 31 July 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show. Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDaily MERCEDES LAUNCHES ELECTRIC GLA FIRSTMercedes unveiled the all-electric GLA in Warsaw, breaking from its usual pattern by launching three battery-electric versions first in November, with hybrids following in early 2027. Built on the 800-volt MMA platform, the GLA offers up to 657 km WLTP range, 320 kW charging, and starts at €48,599 as Mercedes' cheapest electric SUV. FERRARI LUCE BEATS 2026 SALES TARGETFerrari's electric Luce hit its 2026 sales target of nearly 500 units within two months of its May launch, despite public backlash, an 8% share price drop, and the departure of marketing chief Enrico Galliera. Demand proved strongest in China, where its 88-unit allocation sold out at roughly $589,000, with Ferrari targeting 2,500 total Luce sales by 2030. RENAULT PROFITS BEAT ON EVS AND CUTSRenault posted a 5.2% operating margin and 9.5% revenue growth in the first half of 2026, beating forecasts through cost cuts and a stronger EV lineup, outperforming Audi and Mercedes-Benz margins for the period. CEO Francois Provost is pushing cheaper EVs like the €19,490 Twingo and €25,000 R5 to defend market share against BYD, Opel and Citroën, while targeting €400 in annual per-vehicle cost savings. WALMART BUILDS OUT US FAST CHARGINGWalmart has opened about 46 high-speed public charging stations with 380 cords across roughly 326 of its 4,600 US stores, ranking second only to Tesla in network expansion during the second quarter. The retailer is leaning on its vast footprint—90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a store—to combine charging dwell time with shopping, potentially lifting store sales by about 5%. CANADA'S FAST CHARGERS OUTPACE DEMANDCanada's DC fast-charger utilization fell to just 9.5% in Q2 2026, down from 11.3% in Q1 and well below the 15-20% operators typically need to break even, trailing the US average of 15.8%. Paren's data, covering nearly 10,000 ports, shows profitability is highly site-specific, prompting calls for demand-led charger siting and better reliability. FORMER VW ENGINEERS CHARGED OVER RIVIAN DEAL TRADESProsecutors charged former Volkswagen engineers Michael Stamp and Michael Plank with insider trading ahead of VW's $5 billion Rivian joint venture announcement in June 2024, which sent Rivian shares up 23%. Stamp allegedly made $250,000 and Plank $50,000, with Plank also accused of tipping a family member who made $12,000, while incriminating searches about insider trading laws feature in the case. IONIQ 3 OPENS UK AND EUROPE ORDERSHyundai's new IONIQ 3 electric hatchback has drawn more customer interest than any previous Hyundai launch, debuting at Goodwood with UK pricing expected under £25,000 and offering up to 308 miles of range from a 61 kWh battery. Built on the E-GMP platform for the European market, the compact IONIQ 3 is not planned for a US launch. KIA COMMITS $649 MILLION TO MEXICO EVSKia will invest $649 million in its Pesquería, Mexico plant to begin producing the EV3 compact SUV starting August 4, marking its first EV production in the country. The move, tied to Mexico's Plan México initiative, is expected to create 500 jobs this year and 1,500 by 2030, while helping Kia navigate USMCA trade rules and tariffs. V2G COULD DWARF MANAGED CHARGING VALUEA General Motors-commissioned E3 study found vehicle-to-grid technology could deliver five to 15 times more value per EV than one-way managed charging, totaling roughly $7 billion nationwide by 2030, with the strongest returns in California, ERCOT, and the Pacific Northwest. GM already has 250,000 bidirectional-capable vehicles on the road and is pushing utilities to speed up V2G tariffs and approvals, including a plan to use 52,000 vehicles to balance PG&E's grid by 2030. SC01 SET FOR UK ARRIVAL IN 2027Small Sports Car Company will bring its China-built SC01 lightweight electric sportscar to the UK, featuring 429 bhp, a 1,365 kg curb weight, a 2.9-second 0-62 mph time, and a 500 km CLTC range. UK demonstration cars arrive in Q4 2026, with right-hand-drive customer cars following from April 2027, though pricing has not yet been announced.
