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DONGFENG JOINS CHINA’S 1.5MW CHARGING RACE https://evne.ws/07jy5

XIAOMI OPENS SKY NOMAD EREV PRE-SALES https://evne.ws/xzfxy

CHINA PUTS SMART EVS AT POLICY CORE https://paultan.org/2026/07/29/china-to-fast-track-a-dedicated-15th-five-year-plan-for-smart-connected-evs-focus-on-software-and-autonomy/

CHINA BUILDS CHARGING AT SCALE https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202607/28/WS6a688fc7a310986e2b467c34.html

DEEPAL OPENS REFRESHED S05 PRE-SALES https://evne.ws/ih3ar

FREELANDER 8 STARTS CHINA PRODUCTION https://evne.ws/ktbjs

BRAZIL TOPS CHINESE CAR IMPORTS https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3362315/brazil-becomes-worlds-top-buyer-chinese-cars-imports-jump-147

BYD PASSES 100,000 UK REGISTRATIONS https://evne.ws/bhjoe

BYD STAYS IN FORTUNE GLOBAL 500 TOP 100 https://www.byd.com/uk/news-list/byd-ranks-91st-in-2026-fortune-global-500

LI AUTO, XIAOMI STRETCH EREV OIL INTERVALS https://evne.ws/sy7uk

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MERCEDES LAUNCHES ELECTRIC GLA FIRST https://evne.ws/jnyta

FERRARI LUCE BEATS 2026 SALES TARGET https://evne.ws/i2gia

RENAULT PROFITS BEAT ON EVS AND CUTS https://evne.ws/qdabj

WALMART BUILDS OUT US FAST CHARGING https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-29/why-walmart-is-quickly-adding-charging-stations-to-its-stores

CANADA’S FAST CHARGERS OUTPACE DEMAND https://evne.ws/zo6p5

FORMER VW ENGINEERS CHARGED OVER RIVIAN DEAL TRADES https://evne.ws/bvddj

IONIQ 3 OPENS UK AND EUROPE ORDERS https://evne.ws/29nle

KIA COMMITS $649 MILLION TO MEXICO EVS https://evne.ws/m66ns

V2G COULD DWARF MANAGED CHARGING VALUE https://evne.ws/qs3mu

SC01 SET FOR UK ARRIVAL IN 2027 https://evne.ws/wsx0m

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.
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MERCEDES LAUNCHES ELECTRIC GLA FIRST
Mercedes 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 TARGET
Ferrari'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 CUTS
Renault 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 CHARGING
Walmart 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 DEMAND
Canada'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 TRADES
Prosecutors 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 ORDERS
Hyundai'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 EVS
Kia 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 VALUE
A 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 2027
Small 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.

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EV SALES SPREAD AS CHINA SLOWS https://evne.ws/dsw5n

EUROPEAN BEV SHARE HITS RECORD IN JUNE https://www.jato.com/resources/media-and-press-releases/bevs-overtake-25-of-the-european-market-as-june-delivers-the-strongest-month-of-2026

RIVIAN BEATS, BUT R2 COSTS MOUNT https://evne.ws/4dehj

RIVIAN SEES STRONG EARLY R2 CONVERSION https://evne.ws/rlsis

VW URGES FAST EU TARIFFS ON CHINESE PHEVS https://evne.ws/43251

DENZA OPENS UK BAO 5 ORDERS https://electriccarsreport.com/2026/07/denza-bao-5-uk-price-specs-and-range-confirmed/

MERCEDES FACES YEARS OF CHINA PRICE PRESSURE https://evne.ws/vcrf8

GENESIS PRICES GV60 MAGMA AT $71,495 https://evne.ws/9cese

CHINESE TRUCK MAKERS USE EUROPE’S FACTORIES https://evne.ws/8130s

VATTENFALL TESTS OPEN EV CHARGING BAYS https://evne.ws/mtoeh

MAN STARTS MCS-READY ELECTRIC TRUCK PRODUCTION https://evne.ws/aslzg

NEXT MX-5 READIES FOR ELECTRIC FUTURE https://evne.ws/xownl

It's ev.news Briefly for Saturday 01 August 2026, everything you need to know in 4 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

EV SALES SPREAD AS CHINA SLOWS
Global EV sales rose 35% in Q2 2026 with record sales in 50 countries, while more than 90 countries posted year-on-year growth despite a 5% decline in overall car sales. The IEA now forecasts EVs will account for 29% of global sales in 2026, driven by growth beyond China and the US in markets like Australia, Brazil, India, Korea and Vietnam, though China's EV sales are expected to stagnate year-on-year for the first time this decade while still representing over 60% of new cars sold there.

EUROPEAN BEV SHARE HITS RECORD IN JUNE
European new car registrations rose 13% year-on-year in June with BEV registrations climbing 50.7% to capture a record 25.7% market share of 359,300 units. Combustion vehicles fell 13.6% to 27% market share, while Tesla led EV rankings but growth broadened across Renault, BMW, Skoda, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Volvo and BYD.

RIVIAN BEATS, BUT R2 COSTS MOUNT
Rivian posted Q2 2026 revenue of $1.658 billion with record gross profit of $179 million and 11% gross margin, improving for five consecutive quarters, but the R2 mid-size SUV ramp added $100 million in extra costs. The company raised full-year delivery guidance to 65,000-70,000 vehicles and narrowed adjusted EBITDA loss guidance to $1.8-2.0 billion, requiring roughly 42,000-47,000 deliveries in the second half.

RIVIAN SEES STRONG EARLY R2 CONVERSION
Rivian reported R2 Launch Edition reservation-to-order conversion is running meaningfully above expectations, signaling strong demand at the premium price point. The company expects broader R2 trim availability in early 2027, which could drive better momentum when lower-priced versions become available.

VW URGES FAST EU TARIFFS ON CHINESE PHEVS
VW Group CEO Oliver Blume called for the EU to quickly apply 35% tariffs on Chinese plug-in hybrids similar to those on Chinese battery electric vehicles, citing undercutting of European car makers. Chinese brand sales in Europe rose 101% in H1 2026 to 685,990 units with 9.5% market share, up from 5% a year earlier, with BYD models dominating the PHEV top sellers list.

DENZA OPENS UK BAO 5 ORDERS
DENZA opened UK orders for the BAO 5 plug-in hybrid SUV priced from £69,500 to £78,880, featuring a dual-motor system delivering 544PS combined power with 62 miles of electric range and up to 100kW DC charging. The entry Elegance trim includes premium features like a 15.6-inch central screen with Google, leather upholstery, panoramic roof and a 18-speaker Devialet audio system.

MERCEDES FACES YEARS OF CHINA PRICE PRESSURE
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius warned that China's EV pricing war will persist for years as Chinese brands like BYD push aggressively into the luxury segment, challenging models such as the S-Class and G-Class. Mercedes recorded a 30% second-quarter sales drop in China, though the company is cutting costs and maintaining strength in its top-end luxury and AMG segments.

GENESIS PRICES GV60 MAGMA AT $71,495
Genesis priced its first performance EV, the GV60 Magma, at $71,495 with deliveries starting in select US states, targeting Mercedes-AMG and BMW M buyers with 600hp in normal use and 641hp in Boost Mode for under four-second 0-60mph acceleration. The car uses an 84kWh battery with 800V architecture enabling 10-80% charging in about 20 minutes and features an electronic limited-slip differential, Drift Mode and simulated engine sounds.

CHINESE TRUCK MAKERS USE EUROPE'S FACTORIES
Chinese truck makers SuperPanther and Sinotruk are entering Europe through contract manufacturing at existing plants rather than building new factories, using the semi-knocked-down method to speed market entry and reduce costs. Steyr Automotive in Austria now assembles SuperPanther's eTopas 600 and Sinotruk's vehicles, with plans to expand to cab production and painting as volumes rise.

VATTENFALL TESTS OPEN EV CHARGING BAYS
Vattenfall InCharge is piloting 300 public chargers in North Brabant and Limburg from August 2026 to January 2027, splitting them between 150 open bays for all vehicles and 150 standard bays reserved for EVs to test faster deployment by removing exclusive EV parking restrictions. The trial addresses an administrative bottleneck rather than a technical one, testing whether chargers can be installed faster without requiring traffic rulings and public objection periods.

MAN STARTS MCS-READY ELECTRIC TRUCK PRODUCTION
MAN started series production of MCS-ready electric trucks, the eTGX and eTGS, at its Munich plant as the first series-produced European electric trucks supporting Megawatt Charging System at up to 750kW via MCS. With configurations of 534kWh or 623kWh usable capacity, the trucks achieve 20-80% charges in under 30-40 minutes, fitting within legally required driver breaks for long-haul use.

NEXT MX-5 READIES FOR ELECTRIC FUTURE
Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro said the next MX-5 Miata will be designed with electrification in mind, marking a shift from earlier statements emphasizing the internal combustion engine as the current path forward. Patents from 2025 show Mazda exploring batteries running through the transmission tunnel to support a flexible chassis, with the company aiming to preserve the Miata's core character during its transition to electric power.