The question behind the headline.

Every report and analysis is researched from primary sources and ends with what it means for a reader. Each one lists its evidence.

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

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.

Analysis Cars 18 October 2026 10 sources

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

Independent tests broadly back up Hyundai's charging claims for the Ioniq 5 and put real-world efficiency about 16–17% above the official WLTP figure. Safety is five stars, but the rating dates from 2021, and the US recall list now includes three high-voltage battery campaigns.

Analysis Cars 18 October 2026 11 sources

Mercedes-AMG's electric GT SUV claims 710 kW charging. Here is what that means at a real charger

The new AMG GT SUV, revealed on 17 October, promises 10 to 80 per cent in about 12 minutes. Charjin's arithmetic shows the average rate is well below the headline peak, and few public chargers can deliver either.

Report Cars 18 October 2026 7 sources

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

Local production improves the conditions for a more attainable EV. It does not guarantee the price, specification, or charging support buyers will receive.

Analysis Cars 10 August 2026 5 sources

Hybrids and plug-in hybrids

France and Germany want to pause the plug-in hybrid CO2 correction until 2030

A Franco-German deal struck on 16 October would keep today's rules for calculating plug-in hybrid emissions in place until the end of the decade, six weeks before a tougher step was due. It is a negotiating position, not law, but it matters for official CO2 figures and the company car tax that follows them.

Report Hybrids 18 October 2026 10 sources

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.

Analysis Hybrids 18 October 2026 11 sources

Plug-in hybrids took a record 17% of UK new car sales in September

Official SMMT figures show plug-in hybrid registrations up 55.5% in the September plate-change month, while conventional hybrids slipped. Buyers joining the trend should factor in the pay-per-mile charge that reaches plug-in hybrids from April 2028.

Report Hybrids 18 October 2026 9 sources

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

Long electric range changes what a plug-in hybrid can do. Regular charging changes what it actually uses.

Analysis Hybrids 10 August 2026 5 sources

Charging and infrastructure

Florida wants its federal EV-charger money for air-taxi pads

Florida's transport department plans to spend its remaining NEVI charging funds on 32 charging sites for electric air taxis, arguing that private firms have already covered its highways. For drivers, the plan means no new state-funded road chargers, and public rapid charging there costs about three times as much per kilometre as charging at home.

Report Charging 18 October 2026 10 sources

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.

Analysis Charging 18 October 2026 14 sources

Volkswagen caps some ID.4 batteries at 80% while it hunts for a fire-risk fix

A new US and Canadian recall tells owners of about 28,000 ID.4s to stop charging above 80% because the battery may overheat. Volkswagen does not yet know the root cause, and the cap costs a typical car roughly 40 to 60 miles of rated range.

Report Charging 18 October 2026 8 sources

Batteries and supply chain

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.

Analysis Batteries 18 October 2026 8 sources

GAC-backed Greater Bay Technology starts a 1 GWh solid-state cell line: what is built and what is still promised

On 13 October Greater Bay Technology began producing all-solid-state cells on a converted lithium-ion line near Guangzhou, and says third-party tests show they meet China's new definition. No car using them has been named, and the headline energy-density range covers future generations.

Report Batteries 18 October 2026 10 sources

Clean energy and the grid

China's 67% plug-in share is cutting oil use faster than it is straining the grid

Two-thirds of new cars sold to Chinese households in September 2026 plugged in. The oil effect is already visible in national fuel demand, while charging is still a small, fast-growing slice of electricity use.

Analysis Energy 18 October 2026 10 sources

PG&E's October shutoff shows what an electric pickup can and cannot do as home backup

About 86,000 PG&E customers lost power for safety between 14 and 17 October 2026. A bidirectional electric truck could have covered an average Californian home for that long, but PG&E's own programme for using EVs this way remains small.

Report Energy 18 October 2026 9 sources

E-bikes and micromobility

Choosing an e-bike or e-scooter in 2026: start with the legal limits where you live

The same e-bike can be a bicycle in California, a moped in Britain and an insured vehicle in the EU. Before comparing range or price, check the power, speed, insurance and riding rules that apply to you.

Analysis E-bikes 18 October 2026 11 sources

The US e-bike battery rule reaches its last public hearing: what buyers should check now

The Consumer Product Safety Commission hears oral comments on 21 October 2026 on a proposal to make UL battery standards mandatory for e-bikes and e-scooters. Until a final rule lands, certification is still a voluntary label buyers must look for themselves.

Report E-bikes 18 October 2026 7 sources