NewsBite

Electric vehicles

Yesterday

Trump may deal China a major win

Readers’ letters on Donald Trump’s tariff threats, US climate policy, a tax overhaul for electric vehicles and Grace Tame.

Mike Lazelle, Dustin Murdock and Robert Turner founded Kwetta in 2021.

Blackbird leads fundraising round for EV ultra-fast charging start-up

NZ start-up Kwetta is chasing global growth after banking equity cheques from Blackbird, Virescent Ventures and Icehouse Ventures.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport

This Month

Mercedes-Benz CLE300 4Matic.

Mercedes-Benz trims down range with new premium coupe

In a market dominated by SUVs, the German carmaker has rolled out a luxury low-slung coupe.

  • Tony Davis

MG shows off its first electric convertible – and it costs just $115k

The fit and finish of the Cyberster, the quality of materials and the level of appointments all befit an upmarket sports car. But can the driving experience match up?

  • Tony Davis
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, left, and Thierry Kostkas, CEO of Citroen, beside a Citroen C5 Aircross Concept at the Paris Motor Show late last year.

European carmakers braced for tough 2025 despite ‘firework’ of launches

The return of EV sales growth this year will also come with the high costs of meeting tougher emissions rules and more discounts as consumers seek affordable cars.

  • Kana Inagaki and Ian Johnston
Advertisement
Culturally, jamming Rio Tinto and Glencore together would be a challenge. Glencore talks tough while Rio, particularly under Jakob Stausholm’s leadership, is trying to be softer.

$260b Rio Tinto, Glencore mega-deal would sideline Australia

Follow the money, and it’s hard to see how this mining merger would say much good about Australia’s future.

  • Anthony Macdonald
Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray.

Want to turn heads? This hybrid sports machine is for you

Few vehicles on the road are as extrovert, or garner as much attention as Chevrolet’s first all-wheel Corvette, the fastest-accelerating model yet.

  • Tony Davis
Sea-Doo GTR X 300 RS.

Swap the open road for the sea on this powerful watercraft

It’s a strange experience driving so fast on an ever-changing surface, and with so many variables at play there’s rarely a shortage of adrenalin.

  • Tony Davis
Smart #3 Brabus.

The Smart car is back, but not as you know it

The German-designed cars, now built in China, are fun and funky, yet still manage to carry a strong Mercedes-Benz flavour.

  • Updated
  • Tony Davis
Words

Rolls-Royce smooths ride for what might be last petrol Ghost

Nobody wants a standard Rolls-Royce, and the company is only too happy to oblige with an almost unlimited list of options on the Ghost Series II.

  • Tony Davis
The carmaker’s combined Model 3 and Model Y vehicle sales category accounted for 471,930 deliveries in the fourth quarter.

Tesla’s annual EV sales drop for first time in over a decade

The Elon Musk-led company sold 1.79 million vehicles last year, a sobering reminder of the real-world challenges for EV makers.

  • Kara Carlson
Surveillance footage of the Tesla Cybertruck exploding outside the hotel has circulated on social media.

Musk says Cybertruck explosion probably ‘act of terrorism’

One person died and seven others were injured after the EV exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

  • Updated
  • Susie Coen
FILE - An 2023 Model X sits outside a Tesla dealership on June 18, 2023, in Englewood, Colo. After reporting dismal first-quarter sales, Tesla is planning to lay off about a tenth of its workforce as it tries to cut costs, multiple media outlets reported Monday. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Tesla stock surge runs up against a potential annual sales drop

Tesla has a lot riding on the production and delivery figures it’s expected to report on January 2.

  • Kara Carlson

December 2024

Nissan’s former chairman Carlos Ghosn speaks during an interview with The Associated Press.

Why the Nissan-Honda merger is a ‘terrible thought bubble’

The tie-up would create the world’s third-largest car maker by sales. But the deal appears driven more by desperation than strategic thinking.

  • Jessica Sier
Nissan Motor CEO Makoto Uchida (left) and Honda Motor CEO Toshihiro Mibe attend a joint press conference on Monday in Tokyo, Japan.

Japan’s car industry consolidates: Honda and Nissan reveal merger plan

The Japanese car giants will merge to create the world’s third-largest automotive group by 2026, as the two companies struggle to keep up with global competitors.

  • Jessica Sier
Advertisement
A Nissan electric vehicle displayed inside the company’s Ginza showroom in Tokyo.

Foxconn throws curveball in Nissan-Honda merger talks

The iPhone maker has thrown a potential spanner in the works by approaching struggling Nissan about acquiring a stake, according to sources and media reports.

  • Nicholas Takahashi
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida, left, and Toshihiro Mibe, Honda CEO, this week confirmed merger talks.

Merge or die: Honda-Nissan talks mark pivotal moment in painful transition

Japanese discussions signal industry-wide consolidation as carmakers struggle with electric vehicle transition costs and growing competition from China.

  • Updated
  • Jessica Sier
JET Charge founders Ellen Liang and Tim Washington.

Natixis’s Mirova backs millions into EV charging biz JET Charge

Natixis Investment Managers-affiliate Mirova led the $72 million funding round via its energy transition strategy.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport

This year’s highs and lows in motoring

We farewelled the Audi TT – and a car driven only by maths professors and architects – but there were good times too.

  • Tony Davis
Honda Motor CEO Toshihiro Mibe

Honda, Nissan consider merger to take on Tesla, China EVs

Such a deal would create an automotive rival to Toyota that would effectively consolidate the Japanese car industry into two camps.

  • Updated
  • Chester Dawson

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/electric-vehicles-1mqf