The question behind the headline.

The longer pieces: independent test evidence, worked costs and the context behind the headline. For what happened today, see News.

Photo: Courtesy of Tesla, Inc., press image

AnalysisElectric cars18 October 2026

Tesla's flying Roadster: what the cold-gas thruster stunts proved, and what is still only a promise

On 15 October Tesla showed an uncrewed Roadster jumping, rolling and landing on SpaceX-style cold-gas thrusters. The stunts happened on camera. The price, delivery date, road approval and most of the performance figures are still claims.

Did Tesla's new Roadster really fly with cold-gas thrusters? Yes, briefly and with nobody on board. At a livestreamed event near Waco, Texas, on 15 October 2026, a Roadster used suction fans and cold-gas thrusters to leap off a ramp, roll and land over a row of Teslas. It is not on sale yet. Tesla took reservations, gave no price, says production starts in 2028, and says the flying version is not approved for public roads.

AnalysisBatteries and supply chain18 October 2026

Battery packs reached a record low price. What LFP, NMC and sodium-ion mean for EV prices in 2026

The latest full-year survey put the average lithium-ion pack at $108/kWh, with LFP packs far cheaper than NMC. Metal prices pushed cell quotes up in the first half of 2026, and sodium-ion is still a small business with more announcements than deliveries.

AnalysisHybrids and plug-in hybrids18 October 2026

BYD Seal U DM-i: what independent tests measured on electric range and fuel use

ADAC's test of the all-wheel-drive Seal U DM-i found 65 km of electric range and 7.7 l/100 km once the battery was empty, both worse than the official figures. The plug-in hybrid only pays off if it is charged often, and its five-star safety rating was carried over from the electric Seal U.

Electric cars

Analysis Cars 18 Oct

Winter range: what independent tests measured against WLTP, and what to expect in cold and heat

In Norway's two most recent winter tests, electric cars fell 19% short of their WLTP range on average in a mild January and 38% short in a severe one. Plan around the weather where you live, not the brochure figure.

10 sources · 5 min

Analysis Cars 18 Oct

Hyundai Ioniq 5: what independent tests say about range, charging, safety and recalls

Analysis Cars 10 Aug

Kia building the EV3 in Mexico changes the cost question, not the answer

Hybrids and plug-in hybrids

Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0

Analysis Hybrids 18 Oct

Plug-in hybrids that are rarely charged: why T&E wants a 15-litre fuel tank cap

A new Transport & Environment report finds that plug-in hybrids registered in 2024 emitted close to six times their official CO2 figures on the road. Its answer is to steer incentives towards models built to be charged, including a fuel tank of no more than 15 litres.

11 sources · 5 min

Analysis Hybrids 10 Aug

The plug-in hybrid question is really a charging-habit question

Charging and infrastructure

Analysis Charging 18 Oct

Charging at home without a driveway: what England's new pavement-channel rules change

From 21 October 2026, households in England that park on the street will no longer need planning permission for an approved cable channel across the pavement and a charger on the front wall. The council still has to say yes, and the reward is large: off-peak home charging can cost a tenth of public rapid charging.

14 sources · 5 min

Batteries and supply chain

Analysis Batteries 18 Oct

EcoFlow's Titan home battery starts at 5 kWh. A worked example shows when storage saves money and when it is insurance

EcoFlow's new US Titan series pairs a 5 kWh LFP battery with up to 7.2 kW of output for about $3,000, or about $7,000 installed with its transfer panel. On a California time-of-use tariff, moving 5 kWh a day from off-peak to peak saves about $110 a year at best, so the case rests on backup and solar.

8 sources · 4 min