On today’s podcast:
➤ ONVO UNVEILS LARGE THREE-ROW L90 ELECTRIC SUV
➤ PEUGEOT E-208 GTI ELECTRIFIES ICONIC PERFORMANCE BADGE
➤ GLOBAL EV SALES SURGE IN MAY 2025; CHINA LEADS
➤ UK TO ADD 100,000 PUBLIC EV CHARGERS
➤ NIO SHIFTS TO DISTRIBUTOR MODEL IN EUROPE
➤ DATA CONTRADICTS TOYODA’S EV EMISSIONS CLAIM
➤ ELEVEN STATES SUE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER CALIFORNIA EV ROLLBACK
➤ SKODA REVEALS ENYAQ RS RACE LIGHTWEIGHT CONCEPT
➤ BYD SAYS EV PRICE WAR NOT SUSTAINABLE
➤ BYD’S YANGWANG U7 ELECTRIC SUPERCAR DELIVERIES BEGIN
➤ EDF SEEKS TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF POD POINT
➤ STOCKHOLM SUSPENDS TESLA FSD TRIALS+
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily, your trusted source of EV information. It’s Wednesday 18 June, I’m Martyn Lee and I go through every EV story so you don’t have to.
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PEUGEOT E-208 GTI ELECTRIFIES ICONIC PERFORMANCE BADGE
Peugeot has beaten Volkswagen to the punch in release a GTi trim, and the electric 208 is the first to wear the GTi badge. I’m being slightly cheeky because VW has dabbled with the GTX badge but will return to GTi’s when they drop their alphanumeric ID naming convention.
The E-208 GTi was unveiled at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, accompanied by a parade of classic 205 GTis, celebrating 40 years of the GTi legacy.
For performance, the GTi’s front-mounted motor makes 280 horsepower, which is enough to help the little hatchback scoot to 62 mph in 5.7 seconds.
The hot hatch is fitted with a limited-slip differential to improve cornering characteristics. The tracks have been widened by 2.2 inches at the front and 1.0 inch at the back. The suspension gets hydraulic bump stops that drop the ride height by 1.1 inches.
The steering is also said to have a more direct response during spirited driving. Its 18-inch alloy wheels are wrapped with a set of sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. And t0 stop, the Peugeot Sport team has designed the braking, with 355mm front discs and 4-piston calipers.
The e-208 gets lots of visual cues to announce its performance upgrades. There’s a more aggressive front lip, along with a substantial spoiler and a large diffuser at the rear.
Peugeot’s new city racer won’t be sold in the US. Despite its attractive performance specs, the rather small 54-kWh CATL battery might not offer enough range to attract many American customers. Officially it’s 217 miles or 350km. However they have worked on the thermal management to keep things cool. Plus they’ve given it Vehicle-To-Load so you can power offboard devices.
UK pricing is expected to be around £38,000–£40,000, with sales starting in late 2025 or early 2026.
GLOBAL EV SALES SURGE IN MAY 2025; CHINA LEADS
Global battery-electric and plug-in hybrid sales hit 1.6 million in May 2025, lifting the year-to-date total to 7.2 million, 28 percent above Jan–May 2024, Rho Motion reports.
Rho Motion’s Charles Lester said of the results: “The story this month with global vehicle sales is the continued chasm between Chinese market growth, which saw 1 million vehicles sold in May, versus the faltering market in North America.”
China sold 1.0 million EVs in May, 33 percent more than May 2024 and 10 percent above April 2025, taking its Jan–May sum to 4.4 million (+33 percent). By contrast North America increased by a mere 3 percent.
Here is a breakdown of the year-to-date numbers by region:
Global: 7.2 million (+28%)
China: 4.4 million (+33%)
Europe: 1.6 million (+27%)
North America: 0.7 million (+3%)
Rest of World: 0.6 million (+36%)
ONVO UNVEILS LARGE THREE-ROW L90 ELECTRIC SUV
Onvo, Nio’s mass-market sub-brand, has revealed the production L90, a large family three-row electric SUV set for China in Q3 2025.
The SUV has a boxy shape, sealed grille, split LED headlights, and a full-width rear light bar with “ONVO” lettering. The L9 has features like a built-in refrigerator, an upgraded audio-visual system, and flexible seating for six or seven passengers.
It shares hardware with the luxury Nio ET9 and is built on the same NT3.0 platform. The single-motor rear-drive version makes 340 kW (462 hp). The dual-motor all-wheel-drive version makes 440 kW (598 hp).
Both use a 900v system for ultra-fast DC charging and come with an 85 kWh battery.
On the CLTC cycle, the RWD model can go 605 km (376 mi). The AWD can travel 570 km (354 mi).
The Onvo L9 is expected to cost between 220,000 and 250,000 yuan (approx. $30,300–$34,500 USD. Onvo will also offer a battery lease option for it, bringing the entry price below 200,000 yuan (approx. $27,600 USD).
That’s incredible value for a large SUV with access to battery swapping, roof mounted lidar, and even air suspension on higher trims.
NIO SHIFTS TO DISTRIBUTOR MODEL IN EUROPE
Nio will enter Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Denmark by late-2026 using distributors instead of direct sales. It will offer five models: the EL6 SUV (formerly ES6), EL8 SUV (formerly ES8), ET5 sedan, ET5 Touring wagon (formerly ET5T), and the first Firefly-branded vehicle.
The company has been selling cars in Denmark since November 2022 under the old direct system. There, it now moves to the distributor setup, with Nic Christiansen Group becoming Denmark’s distributor with immediate effect.
JAP Group will start in Portugal in 2025. Motodynamics Group will take over Greece in 2025 and add Cyprus and Bulgaria in 2026 under a cooperation deal with Nio Nextev Europe Holding BV.
Firefly cars and accessories will be sold alongside Nio products in all Motodynamics markets.
UK TO ADD 100,000 PUBLIC EV CHARGERS
The government will install more than 100,000 new public chargers across England, mainly for people who cannot charge at home. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said, “We’re powering up the EV revolution with a charge point installed every 29 minutes, helping all drivers make the switch, no matter where they live.”
The £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund pays for the rollout. It sits inside a wider £4 billion package for electric transport, with £2.3 billion set aside for direct industry and consumer support.
Charge-point firm Believ will spend £300 million to install 30,000 of the units nationwide. CEO Guy Bartlett called public-private teamwork “essential,” adding that “confidence in EVs will continue to grow as drivers see more infrastructure going into the ground.”
The UK already has more than 80,000 public chargers. Combined public and private spending on networks is projected to exceed £6 billion by 2030.
DATA CONTRADICTS TOYODA’S EV EMISSIONS CLAIM
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda recently stirred controversy with renewed criticism of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), stating in an April interview that “9 million BEVs emit the same carbon as 27 million hybrids.”
But a wide range of research from both Chinese and international institutions challenges that assertion. A 2022 study from Tsinghua University concluded that even with China’s coal-reliant grid, BEVs produce 20–30% fewer lifetime CO₂ emissions than internal combustion vehicles.
Supporting this, data from the China Automotive Technology & Research Center (CATARC) shows a compact electric car in China emits roughly 118g of CO₂ per kilometer over its life—compared to 163g for a comparable gas-powered model. CO₂ emissions powering EVs will also continue to fall as China’s grid is also decarbonizing fast: non-fossil fuel sources exceeded 40% of electricity generation in 2024 and are on track to surpass 50% by 2030.
On a global scale, the evidence is even more conclusive. A 2022 study published in Nature found BEVs to be the lowest-emission option in over 95% of regions worldwide. Although building an EV creates more emissions upfront, they’re quickly offset. Research from Argonne National Laboratory estimates BEVs reach carbon parity with gas vehicles after driving 31,000 to 45,000 kilometers—and continue to emit far less over the remainder of their lifespan.
This trend is echoed in findings from both MIT and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), even in areas with relatively carbon-intensive electricity.
ELEVEN STATES SUE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER CALIFORNIA EV ROLLBACK
The US President recently signed three Congressional resolutions that end what he calls the “California EV mandate.”
The action:
- Ends federal tax credits for electric cars bought in California.
- Kills state diesel rules tied to California’s plan to stop sales of gasoline-only cars by 2035.
Eleven states—New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, and Delaware—quickly asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the move. They say federal officials cannot override state emission rules because California’s long-standing Clean Air Act waivers allow tougher standards.
The complaint accuses the administration of using “an illegal playbook” to erase “disfavored California laws.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) “unprecedented and illegal,” noting that CRA applies only to federal regulations.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation—representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Stellantis, and others—supported the repeal. CEO John Bozzella said it came just in time to avoid “real damage to the auto industry in America,” calling California’s EV targets unattainable and costly for buyers.
SKODA REVEALS ENYAQ RS RACE LIGHTWEIGHT CONCEPT
Skoda has rebuilt its one-off Enyaq Coupé RS and renamed it Enyaq RS Race to show how racing ideas can shape future road cars. It’s basically an exercise in lightweighting.
The dual motors still give 250 kW (335 hp). Ride height is now 70 mm (2.8 in) lower. The front track width is increased 72 mm (2.8 in) and the rear by 116 mm (4.6 in). Both axles now also use limited-slip diffs to target Fabia RS Rally2-level handling.
Engineers stripped out unneeded parts and swapped in lighter ones. Rear and side windows change from safety glass to polycarbonate. Sixteen parts—bumpers, wings, roof, roof scoop, rear wing and several interior pieces—switch from carbon fibre to a flax-fibre biocomposite co-developed with Bcomp.
Making this material creates 85 % less CO₂, keeps similar stiffness and is cheaper. Altogether, weight drops by more than 300 kg (661 lb).
The first Enyaq RS Race appeared in October 2024 using the pre-facelift body. This new version uses the facelifted shell plus the lightweight package and hints at using biocomposites in future production cars.
BYD SAYS EV PRICE WAR NOT SUSTAINABLE
In London, BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li told Bloomberg that China’s EV price war is “very extreme, tough competition” and “not sustainable.” She expects the market to consolidate as it matures.
Deep discounts, often led by BYD, have slashed margins and prompted rare government action. The strategy has helped BYD gain market share, but at a cost to itself – it has lost around $22 billion in market capitalization since late May – as well as the wider industry.
Beijing has taken notice and recently gathered industry heads, warning them not to sell cars below cost or give “unreasonable discounts.”
BYD’S YANGWANG U7 ELECTRIC SUPERCAR DELIVERIES BEGIN
Yangwang, BYD Group’s luxury arm, began nationwide handovers of its all-electric U7 sedan today at the Yangwang Center in Yubei, Chongqing. BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu handed over the first cars.
Billed as the world’s first “four-electric” flagship, the U7 has bespoke designs for its battery, quad-motor drive, electronics, and DiSus-Z electromagnetic suspension. The suspension, inspired by aircraft-carrier catapults and maglev trains, appears in a car for the first time.
Four independent motors give 960 kW (1,287 hp). The sedan does 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 2.9 s and reaches 270 kph (168 mph). A 135.5 kWh pack provides a CLTC range of 720 km (447 mi).
It can turn on the spot, rotate with wheels fixed, and “crab” sideways. Rear wheels steer up to 20°, letting the large body turn like a compact car in tight streets.
The U7 follows the U8 SUV and U9 sports car as Yangwang’s third model. Prices start at 628,000 yuan (US $87,150). Cars are now shipping to Yangwang Centres nationwide.
EDF SEEKS TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF POD POINT
EDF has owned 53 % of Pod Point since 2020 and now it’s offering 6.5 pence per share for the rest, valuing the UK charge-point firm at about £10.6 million. EDF says the move will bring “long-term stability.” Shareholders, including Legal & General Capital, must still approve.
Pod Point’s stock peaked at 275 pence after its 2021 London IPO but has since fallen in a “difficult market backdrop.” Management cites slower EV uptake and tougher competition, noting the firm has been “consistently reliant” on EDF for support.
If approved, the deal gives EDF all of Pod Point’s network: more than 250,000 public and private chargers in the UK, plus units in Norway and Ireland.
Most are destination chargers at homes or workplaces. The flagship home unit costs £849, or £40 per month, with a £99 installation fee. The company also supplies workplace systems and installs public chargers through its Built Environment offering.
STOCKHOLM SUSPENDS TESLA FSD TRIALS
Stockholm’s Traffic Office has decided to suspend Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) pilot in the city, citing concerns about the unique risks the test poses to both city infrastructure and third parties. The agency described the FSD trial as the first of its kind, emphasizing that the city is already under significant pressure from other ongoing innovation projects, which contributed to the decision to halt the program for now.
Tesla’s FSD pilot in Stockholm was part of a broader European initiative, with similar supervised city-scale drives having taken place in Paris, Amsterdam, and Rome, though the company still lacks full regulatory clearance from the European Union to deploy FSD in public urban environments. In Germany, supervised FSD testing began in early 2023, with Swedish Transport Administration senior adviser Rikard Fredriksson involved in oversight, reflecting Sweden’s cautious but engaged approach to autonomous vehicle innovation.
Despite these efforts, Tesla continues to face significant regulatory hurdles. Last week, Elon Musk publicly encouraged Tesla owners to lobby their national regulators for FSD approval, underscoring the importance of grassroots support in the regulatory process. There is a possibility that a new United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulation could allow FSD deployment as early as late September 2025, but this would be limited to highways that are physically separated from urban areas, rather than city streets.
The Traffic Office’s statement specifically referenced the risks not just to infrastructure but also to third parties, highlighting the complexity of integrating FSD into dense urban environments. Stockholm’s decision was also influenced by the city’s current saturation with other innovation pilots, suggesting a need to balance technological progress with public safety and administrative capacity. Even if the UNECE rules change, FSD’s initial European deployment will be restricted to highways, which may delay broader urban rollout.
https://evne.ws/407Pvzq
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