There’s been a flurry of announcements this week about L3 autonomous driving in China. I’ll get to them in a moment, but let’s first explain what L3 autonomous driving is. L2 autonomous driving is the driver-assist technology most automakers are deploying that we’re quite familiar with — lane keeping assist, … [continued]
While Tesla and BYD (not in that order) dominate EV headlines globally, Japan’s EV sales success for three consecutive years is a tiny 11-foot-long kei car that costs roughly $14,000 after subsidies and offers just 112 miles of range. The Nissan Sakura has become more than a sales success—it’s arguably … [continued]
In the US, the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling truck for 48 consecutive years and the best-selling vehicle overall for the past 43 years. Americans love their trucks. Much of that love has little to do with actually carrying cargo in the bed. However, with ongoing construction on my … [continued]
In June 2024, the European Union (EU) announced big new tariffs on electric vehicles produced in China. Among other details and clarifications, plug-in hybrids were not included. The high tariffs would only apply to fully electric cars. On a continent trying to electrify the auto industry pretty quickly, that seemed … [continued]
Recent regulatory filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reveal that BYD will use its new TZ200XYAT 240 kW (322 hp) motor in a wide range of mainstream vehicles. While we do not have too many details yet, this motor is being used for RWD 800V architecture vehicles, … [continued]
Tesla sales have dropped in some markets this year, dropped even more in other markets, and risen in a few. At times, the UK has been one of Tesla’s bright spots. However, the trend lately has been downward again, and the company had a very bad November. According to non-official … [continued]
When attending presentations from XPENG in China, one thing stood out for its absence: they really didn’t talk about their cars being EVs. No selling the audience on the benefits of electrification. They talked about technologies and EV-related systems, but having an electric vehicle was the expectation. I spent a … [continued]
There were over 1.9 million plugin vehicles registered in October, with BEVs (+19% YoY) rising and PHEVs (-5% YoY) falling. Despite the expected hangover in the US market, down almost 50% YoY in October, global plugin vehicle registrations were up 10% compared to October 2024. With the USA market in … [continued]
BYD’s having mixed results with plugin passenger vehicle sales lately, with plugin hybrids dropping while full electrics (BEVs) continue to rise. In the commercial vehicle sector, there’s a little bit of an up-and-down matter in one segment, but the overall trend is very positive. Let’s start with the buses, which … [continued]
BYD had another mixed result in November 2025 compared to November 2024. Full electric vehicles were up solidly (+19.9%), but plugin hybrids were down slightly more (-22.4%). Overall, that meant BYD’s plugin vehicle sales were down slightly (-5.8%) It’s a somewhat similar but somewhat better story across the first 11 … [continued]
