#Ix

BYD Produces Its 19 Millionth NEV as Fang Cheng Bao Opens Tai 9 Reservations

BYD has produced its 19 millionth new energy vehicle, and the milestone car is a Fang Cheng Bao Tai 9 plug-in hybrid SUV. The company announced the figure on Monday, 124 days after it marked its 17 millionth NEV on July 8, and Fang Cheng Bao opened reservations for the Tai 9 the same day.

Mercedes-Benz Opens Orders for the VLE 400 4MATIC and New Entry-Level Electric VLE Variants

Mercedes-Benz is now taking orders for an all-wheel-drive version of its electric VLE Grand Limousine, the VLE 400 4MATIC, and has added lower-priced entry-level variants of the model. The 310 kW VLE 400 4MATIC uses a 115 kWh battery and is rated for up to 654 kilometers of WLTP range, while a five-seat VLE 300 electric starts at 70,735.39 euros including VAT in Germany.

Nio Delivers Its 40,000th ES9 Less Than Six Months After the Model Went on Sale

Nio has delivered its 40,000th ES9 flagship electric SUV, less than six months after the model went on sale in China. William Li, Nio’s founder, chairman and CEO, disclosed the figure on Wednesday as he delivered the vehicle to Zhang Wenjie, who chairs Hangzhou H-Power Biopharmaceutical Group.

Rivian Will Add Alternative Routes, Spoken Alerts and Arrival Charge Controls to R1 and R2 in Update 2026.41

Rivian plans to bring a set of navigation upgrades to its R1 and R2 vehicles in the next over-the-air software update, 2026.41. Owners will be able to pick other routes, hear Waze and Google Maps alerts out loud, see more road warnings and traffic-sign icons, and choose how much charge they want left at a stop or at their destination, though Rivian has not said when the software will start to roll out.

BMW to Bring Navigation-Guided Level 2 City Driving Assistance to the iX3 in Germany From 2027

When a BMW Maps route is running, the SAE Level 2 system will be able to help with turning, changing lanes in town, giving way at junctions and getting through roundabouts, though the driver stays responsible for the car.

New Audi A2 e-tron Achieves 12.8 kWh/100 km WLTP Consumption With SiC Inverter

Audi says the new A2 e-tron is its most efficient model ever, with the 140 kW version rated at 12.8 kWh/100 km in the WLTP cycle when fitted with the optional efficiency package. A key part of that is a newly developed silicon carbide (SiC) pulse inverter that reaches efficiencies of more than 97%, working alongside improvements to the electric motor and transmission.

XPeng Launches GX and G9L Extended-Range SUVs in 11 Middle East and African Markets

XPeng has put its GX and G9L extended-range flagship SUVs on sale in 11 countries each across the Middle East and Africa, pairing an 800V architecture with 5C fast charging as it pushes further overseas. XPeng says the battery can charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 10.7 minutes, and it cites a maximum combined NEDC range of 1,210 km.

BYD BEV Sales Top 300,000 for the First Time as October Sales Hit a Yearly High

BYD sold 305,743 battery electric passenger vehicles in October, passing the 300,000 mark for the first time and setting a monthly record for the third month in a row. That surge gave the Chinese automaker its best month of new energy vehicle sales so far this year, even as its plug-in hybrid sales kept falling compared with a year ago.

Lucid Air Pure Completes 40,000 Miles With No Major Reliability Problems

A 2024 Lucid Air Pure has completed 40,000 miles in Car and Driver’s long-term test, giving the publication an extended look at the luxury electric sedan’s reliability, comfort, efficiency and everyday usability. The car went through two winters and several drivers without leaving anyone stranded, although a handful of smaller problems and quality issues emerged along the way.

BYD Tang EV Arrives at Chinese Dealers With 691 HP and New Electric Platform

BYD’s third-generation Tang EV is now showing up at Chinese dealerships, with its public debut expected at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. Built on a dedicated EV platform for the first time, the redesigned SUV gets five seats, dual-chamber air suspension, a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor and an all-wheel-drive version producing 515 kW (691 hp).

Polestar 2 Production Reportedly Ends in China Ahead of All-New Successor

Polestar 2 production in China has reportedly wound down after more than six years, with over 200,000 of the fastbacks built. The electric fastback has been one of the brand’s most important models since its launch, but customers in several European markets are already being directed toward existing inventory instead of new custom orders.

GM Requires Second Battery Replacement for Some Chevy EVs and BrightDrop Vans

General Motors is requiring a second high-voltage battery replacement for a small number of Chevrolet electric vehicles and BrightDrop commercial vans after replacement battery packs were found to contain modules that should not have been reused. A new Customer Satisfaction Program, issued on October 26, covers 66 vehicles across the United States, including select Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Silverado EV and BrightDrop models.

BMW Electric M3 to Feature Simulated Gear Shifts and Artificial Sound

BMW M Chief Executive Officer Frank van Meel confirmed in a video interview published Monday, October 26, that the division’s upcoming battery-electric M3 sedan will pair synthesized soundtrack cues with virtual gearshifts. Slated to enter production in Munich in 2027 on the Neue Klasse architecture, the quad-motor sports sedan is being engineered to give track drivers audible and tactile feedback.

Nuro CEO Defends LiDAR as Lucid-Uber Robotaxi Program Nears Launch

Nuro Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer Jiajun Zhu has outlined the engineering case for multi-sensor autonomy as Nuro, Lucid and Uber prepare to launch commercial robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year. In a set of four internal strategy memos shared publicly on Tuesday, October 27, Jiajun Zhu explained why the autonomous Lucid Gravity fleet pairs solid-state LiDAR and radar with cameras.

Tesla Shares Hit Three-Month High as Texas Robotaxi Registrations Top 1,000

Tesla stock climbed to its highest intraday level in more than three months on Tuesday, October 27, after the automaker’s registered robotaxi fleet in Texas crossed the 1,000-vehicle mark. Records from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles list 1,051 registered autonomous vehicles in the state, split between 544 two-seat Cybercabs and 507 Model Y crossovers.

Mercedes Electric CLA and GLC Carry Six-Month Lead Times as Orders Run Into 2027

Strong European order intake for Mercedes-Benz’s new 800-volt electric CLA sedan and electric GLC SUV has stretched factory wait times to roughly six months, pushing new custom-built deliveries into April 2027. Sales board chief Mathias Geisen disclosed the backlog during Mercedes-Benz’s 140th-anniversary celebration, where the automaker also debuted the all-electric Mercedes-AMG GT SUV.

Lucid Recalls 2,888 Air EVs in Saudi Arabia Over Fire Risk, With a Free Over-the-Air Fix

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced a recall of 2,888 Lucid Air electric sedans after identifying an exterior-lighting circuit issue that can overheat and create a fire or crash hazard. Covering 2023 through 2026 model-year cars, the campaign is being resolved through a free over-the-air software patch without requiring dealership visits.

BMW Raises 2027 iX5 60 xDrive Range Estimate to 450 Miles Ahead of EPA Rating

BMW has bumped its projected EPA driving range for the upcoming 2027 iX5 60 xDrive—the first battery-electric X5—to as much as 450 miles on a charge, a 15-mile gain over the preliminary figure shared at its June reveal. The updated number remains an internal BMW projection rather than a certified federal rating, with official EPA figures expected in the next few weeks.

Tesla Cybercabs Draw Record Austin Sightings Ahead of F1 Grand Prix

Tesla deployed a large wave of driverless Cybercabs across Austin on Sunday for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, as videos and photos online showed queues of the gold two-seaters and Model Y robotaxis outside Circuit of the Americas. The surge came after Tesla widened its Austin service zone to reach the track and pushed nightly ride requests to 1 a.m.

Rivian Recalls Nearly 99,000 EVs Over Rearview Camera Software Bug

More than 95% of the affected vehicles have already received the software fix through over-the-air updates, meaning most owners will receive recall notices after the issue has already been addressed.