r/EuroEV

Renowned German economist Moritz Schularick, president of the Kiel Institute for Global Economics (Kiel Institut für Weltwirschaft) warns of a severe shift in the European automotive industry. VW notably has announced planned layoffs of up to 100,000 staff largely focussed on German production, as well as 4 German plants are under review including Hannover, Zwickau, Emden and Neckarsulm. This follows from poor performance and profitability.

The VW Group's executive board has voiced concern that the current model, i.e. to produce cars in Europe for export no longer works, [perhaps also due to the one-sided trade deal with the US, noting that Audi has extensively relied on the aforementioned strategy].

Economic historian Niall Ferguson of Stanford and Moritz Schularick gave an interview to German broadsheet newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung sharing this view.

Schularick believes it is possible that VW could be bought out by a Chinese manufacturer e.g. BYD. [VW is already in negotiations with Chinese manufacturers to build models in their factories, and to import Chinese Joint-Venture developed cars to Europe].

However he believes that Europe can catch up economically, provided the necessary investment in key sectors.

Original Link: https://www.vol.at/vw-wird-wahrscheinlich-von-einem-chinesischen-hersteller-aufgekauft/10294532

From the translated Elektromobilni.pl article:

BYD is getting closer to opening a second car factory in Europe. According to Reuters, the company is considering acquiring an existing plant, a so-called brownfield investment. This would allow for a faster start to production than building a factory from scratch. Spain and France are among the locations being considered.

This is important because BYD already has one European factory under construction. The plant in Szeged, Hungary, is scheduled to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2026 and will be BYD's first passenger car factory in Europe. According to current information, one of the first models to be produced locally will be the compact Dolphin Surf.

Why are the Chinese rushing to build factories? There are two reasons: customs duties and upcoming regulations. The first element is simple. Electric cars imported from China are subject to additional customs duties in the European Union, which can reach tens of percent for individual manufacturers. Local production allows us to mitigate this problem and sell the cars as manufactured in Europe.

The second reason is more strategic. The European Union is working on regulations known as the Industrial Accelerator Act. Their goal is to protect the European industrial base and support the production of low-emission technologies in Europe. According to industry reports, the new rules may introduce additional conditions for foreign investment and requirements for local production and components.

Therefore, Chinese manufacturers want to establish themselves in Europe as quickly as possible. Taking over an existing plant can be easier, cheaper, and faster than building a new factory, and it also allows for the utilization of existing staff, infrastructure, and supply chain.

The full article has additional details and info.

The Citroën E-C5 Long Range was initially announced in July 2025, and orders began in France. However due to supply shortages affecting the ACC sourced cells for the long-range version, it is only now that orders have been opened for the German market. The E-C5 Aircross SUV offers a 97kWh battery pack found in other Stellantis cars, with a WLTP range just shy of 680km.

It appears that production at the ACC plant in Northern France has improved which has led to the 97kWh Citroën to be offered on the website.

The E-C5 is only offered in front-wheel-drive guise, although an AWD variant exists for the platform it has not been made available to the Citroën brand.

The Citroën E-C5 97kWh comes with a in-house sourced 231hp motor and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 9.4 seconds, towing capacity is also only adequate for the class at 1,200kg (braked).

The charging speed, while a maximum of 160kW DC is one of the faster charging 400V platforms, with a charging speed of 2.2kWh/min (15.1km/min). EVDB gives it a 10-80% time of 32 minutes at an average of 135kW. AC charging is limited to 11kW.

The starting price is slightly higher than in France, although it gets a heatpump as standard in the German market.

https://ev-database.org/car/3231/Citroen-C5-Aircross-Long-Range

Original Link: https://insideevs.de/features/757927/citroen-e-c5-aircross-vorgestellt/

From the article:

[...] after a brief ride in the C-Class ahead of our first drive in the coming weeks, there’s plenty here to get excited about. After a faltering start with the competent but unremarkable EQE and then redemption with the CLA, currently our favourite saloon, it seems Mercedes has finally cracked the mainstream electric exec.

In a practical sense, there’s much to enjoy: a good amount of interior space; a wide and deep boot that still has a small saloon opening, despite the sloped roofline; and a compartment under the bonnet big enough for a carry-on suitcase or a couple of overnight bags.

Slide in and it’s easy to find a comfortable position in both rows, with nicely squishy bolsters and quality-feeling leather upholstery solidifying the C-Class’s long-distance credentials.

There’s an overarching sense of quality that feels reassuringly Mercedes. I’m a particular fan of the grained tan leather, and it wins bonus points for the cushioning along the doorcards and windowsills – a nice touch.

There’s a real sense of luxury about the way the C-Class EV flows down the road, with a relaxed, long-legged gait. You get an occasional nudge from a drain cover or a pitter-patter from the road surface underfoot, but bot\h are very well isolated and ebb away at higher speeds.

The full article has a bunch of additional details if you're interested.

BMW and E Ink have unveiled the BMW iX3 Flow Edition, the first series-ready vehicle to integrate E Ink Prism directly into a body panel.

Unlike previous concepts that wrapped the entire car in e-paper, this version embeds the technology into the hood itself. The panel can switch between different grayscale patterns while consuming power only when the image changes.

BMW says the technology has now passed production-level engineering tests, making it the closest we've seen to e-paper moving from concept cars into real vehicles.

It's not a display for watching videos or showing navigation, but it's a pretty big milestone for paper-like technology finding its way into mainstream products.

https://preview.redd.it/z8s47xali7bh1.png?width=1650&format=png&auto=webp&s=2c9236d7b7a11f97c3a5c9100ba2205cd0aec64f

I am looking at two chinese cars, Leapmotor B05 and MG 4 Urban.
In Denmark A LOT of people warn me about chinese cars, how they don’t trust the brand will stay on the market, how to get spare parts etc.

How do you feel about MG and Leapmotor?

The European Parliament has proposed drastically simplifying the approval process for charging stations, the proposal is largely focussed on motorway rest areas, meaning that no permits would be needed to install charging stations up to 1MW (1,000kW) within 'artificial structures'. This is part of a wider electrification strategy currently being negotiated, known as the 'EU Grid Package'.

Renault, known for their Google based Open R-Link infotainment system is adding AI functionality to their cars via an OTA update. Google's Gemini will replace the more basic Google Assistant, allowing more complex conversations with the inbuilt assistant.

From the translated OFV.no (Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council) article:

The county figures for June confirm that the electric car is no longer a metropolitan phenomenon. In several rural counties, the share of electric cars in new car sales is now higher than in Oslo and Akershus.

In June, several counties had an electric vehicle share of over 98 percent in new car sales. Telemark is at the top with 99.8 percent, followed by Rogaland with 99 percent. Oslo and Akershus are still high, but lower than many other counties, with 93.7 and 92 percent, respectively.

The figures for the private market show clear differences in who buys which brands. Among the largest brands, Tesla has the lowest average age, at 42 years, and a clear male dominance, with 77 percent men. Toyota has the highest average age, at 62 years, and a more even gender distribution, with 59 percent men and 41 percent women. In total, private registrations are distributed as 70 percent men and 30 percent women.

Overall, the first half of the year shows a car market that is entering a new phase. The passenger car market is somewhat behind last year in terms of volume, but electric cars are strong in all counties in the country and are taking a larger place in more and more parts of the market. The used market is making electric cars relevant for more households, while the van market is becoming increasingly electric. It will therefore be important to continue to monitor developments in the van market and the effect of the tax changes from the autumn.

The full article has sales figures per manufacturer and model and lots more details.

Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion has announced plans to invest 950 million Euros into a battery cathode plant and a battery recycling facility in Valladolid, North-Central Spain.

Hi All,

When have you had to change your brake pads and rotors in your EV? How many KMs or Miles? How much did it cost?

Thanks so much!