A recap of the IAA Mobility Show in Munich highlights the significant shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) across major manufacturers. The episode covers exciting debuts from Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and various Chinese brands, showcasing innovations in battery technology, performance, and design. Notable mentions include Audi's concept C, BMW's iX3 Neuerklasse, and Mercedes' GLC EQ. The discussion emphasizes the competitive landscape as traditional automakers respond to the growing presence of Chinese EV manufacturers, marking a pivotal moment in the automotive industry's transition to electrification.
Welcome back to EV News Daily. Today we’re taking a look back at an intense week of EV launches and debuts at the IAA Mobility 2025 show in Munich.
IAA this year showcased an unprecedented transition toward electrification across all manufacturers, with nearly every debut featuring some form of electric or hybrid propulsion.
Chinese manufacturers demonstrated particular strength in battery technology and pricing competitiveness, while established European brands focused on premium features and performance electrification. The show marked a clear inflection point where electric vehicles are no longer niche products but mainstream offerings across all segments and price points.
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➤ Audi Concept C: All-electric sports car with 89kWh battery, 300+ mile range, 800V/350kW fast charging, retractable hardtop, motorsport-inspired design.
➤ BMW iX3 Neue Klasse: Next-gen SUV with 108kWh battery, twin motors, AWD, 345kW (462hp), 500-mile range, advanced tech, up to 400kW charging, two-way energy flow.
➤ BMW Motorrad Vision CE: Urban e-scooter concept, roll-cage and self-balancing technology, lightweight and maneuverable for city use.
➤ MINI JCW Electric x Deus Ex Machina “Skeg”: Surf-lifestyle electric special, 54.2kWh battery, 251-mile range, 258hp, translucent panels, surf-friendly cargo.
➤ MINI Cooper Electric (2025): “E” trim (40.7kWh, 184hp, 180–186 miles) and “SE” trim (54.2kWh, 218hp, 239–247 miles), go-kart feel, 75kW fast charging.
"Very quick charging on that blade LFP pack. BYD C-Line 7 is coming to Europe as an SUV. The brand's flagship for spacious tech-rich family transport."
"Again, the Chinese brands are over here doing well in the UK. The JQ7's a plug-in hybrid 20 kilowatt hour pack and about 56 miles of all electric range."
"Dacia are taking their time going electric. Dacia Spring, still the cheapest EV you can buy, new EV over h..."
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Welcome back to EV News Daily.
Welcome back to a bonus edition of the podcast because today we're taking a look back at what was an intense first week of EV launches and debuts of the IAA mobility show in Munich this year.
IAA this year showcased an unprecedented really transition towards going EV across pretty much all the manufacturers who turned up.
Some in more force than others.
I say nearly every debut that I saw had at least an electric version or a plug-in or an E-Rave or a hybrid at the very worst.
Chinese manufacturers were there in strength with battery technology shown off.
Pricing competitiveness as well.
Established euro brands.
We're all talking about efficiency, premium features, performance electrification.
Really felt like a fight back, a proper fight back from the Germans against the Chinese at this year's IAA show.
It marked a clear inflection point where electric vehicles are definitely no longer being talked about in these niche products.
Mainstream offerings, the first words out of everyone's mouths were the EV version or the plug-in hybrid version.
There were some curiosity combustion cars there at the show, but no one was talking about them.
Hey a reminder, our bonus shows are exclusively for our Patreon supporters.
For the first seven days only Patreon insiders get access to listen.
The name goes on the list of legends if you're an exec producer or above and you get the power to shape future shows.
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join us now at patreon.com slash evnewsdaily.
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You can be part of something special and I really appreciate it.
By the way, if you can hear the rain hitting the roof of this studio, I work it from the bottom of the garden at home.
It's got a flat roof and the flat roof, albeit covered in solar panels down here.
This is my third solar array is a storm blowing through the south coast right now.
And yeah, I can't get away from it.
It's going to last for hours.
I've got to record this.
So sorry for the noise.
We'll kick off with the Germans then I'll try and I'll try and if I've got my notes here.
If I get it wrong, apologies.
I'll try and do Germans, Chinese, Koreans, everybody else like Stellantis and stuff.
Now we'll start in Germany.
Audi with their not really enforced, but certainly they showed off the concept C.
Audi's concept C when much was made of it, by the way, as being.
Oh, this is the new electric Audi TT.
Well, it's not.
It's a two seater.
I owned a TT back in the day.
By the way, it's a 2000 model.
And yeah, the Audi had rear seats, but I couldn't put anybody in the back that had legs, you know,
but otherwise like I love that car and it's not.
It's bigger than that.
It's not a TT.
Also, is it the new RS8?
No, it's smaller than that.
But in a way it fits into Audi's future design language, future styling language and all
electric two seater sports car.
So the specs they gave it.
Well, concept cars, but they can make anything up, but this will go into production.
So let's have a look at what they said 89 kilowatt hour battery behind the seats, 300
miles WLTP, 800 volt architecture, 350 kilowatts DC fast charging, a low sculpted
profile, lots of nods to Audi's history, which I love a distinctive vertical grill,
a retractable hard top.
I believe that's a first for Audi inside the cabin is positioned far back in
the chassis, creating a pure driver's feel really focusing on the steering
wheel and lack of screens, which was interesting, whether there'll be a lack
of screens when the actual car arrives.
I wouldn't mind that, especially if the screens can disappear out of the way, either
sliding away or something.
But, you know, screens, the kind of current and de rigueur, aren't they really?
The screens are getting bigger and bigger.
We'll get onto that in a minute.
But in a way, I think if it's a sports car, if it's a driver's car,
why do you want a massive slab of glass staring at you?
You want the controls, don't you?
And so interesting to see how it develops over the next 10 years.
I think I suspect the big screens thing may be a fad, but let's not go down
that road.
Let's carry on looking at the cars launched at IAA.
BMW's iX3 Neuerklasse was a big deal because it's the brand's next generation
platform, the new class, the Neuerklasse saved BMW.
It redefined the company back in the day.
And so it's, you know, not an understatement to say that they need
to reinvent BMW for the electric era.
And they were very early with i3 and i8.
Then they wavered and wobbled.
Management changed and they kind of went, well, we're going to make vehicles
on the, you know, the same production line and you can put an engine
or batteries in it, the power of choice and we're not sure.
And then they went, you know what?
The best way to make the best EV is to make the best pure
electric platform that we can think of and not make it a compromise car.
Look, there's pros and cons to both and you'll meet people that
will argue till they're blue in the face that there's one best way
to do it.
But and I'm not running a car company, but you must admit
that by going on a pure electric platform, they've absolutely
smashed the specs on this.
It's an SUV, so it's the X3, iX3.
The battery is big.
It's 108 kilowatt hours and the twin motors, all-wheel drive,
462 horsepower, but it's the range which got everyone's
attention, 500 miles, WLTP.
Yeah, but it'll be in the 400s on it when it's EPA, then
yes, it'll be less when it's your towing and it's winter
and it's in the real world.
That's over 800 kilometers WLTP, 17.9 inch curved display.
Actually almost a kind of trapezoidal display, a custom.
It's not just like a tablet they've bought from, you know,
AliExpress.
They're not that that happens, I'm sure, but you know, it
slapped it on the front of the car, the dashboard.
This is a curious shape of glass that all fits in with
the interior styling.
It's custom.
It's nice.
It's premium.
I love it.
So apart from that, the superbrain computing system,
which is essentially four big brains.
So normally a car can have, you know, tens, hundreds
sometimes of microcontrollers doing everything in different
places in the car.
This centralizes the compute power, which saves a ton of
weight, saves cabling, means they can update those
brains, those four controllers over the air.
And then there was the main one that's kind of called
the heart of joy.
They talked a lot about the driving experience.
Of course, it's BMW, they will.
Fast charging at 400 kilowatts and two way, two way
energy flow, really big deal.
If you fancy something on a couple of wheels, BMW
Motorrad Vision CE was an e-scooter they showed off.
It's got protective safety features, a roll cage over
the top of the motorbike and self balancing technology.
So you don't have to wear a helmet if you don't
want to at urban speeds.
I think I probably would even though it's got a little
roll cage frame over it, but you wouldn't have to.
Mini was there as part of the BMW group.
The JCW Electric, they showed off a lightweight
performance focused version, a Duce X Machina Electric
special for surf lifestyles and coastal lifestyles.
It's still got a 54.2 kilowatt hour battery, 251
miles of range, but they added unique translucent
body panels, neoprene upholstered seats and a
surf friendly, a cargo solution.
So quirky, not the most straight ahead obvious car,
but very interesting.
Also showed off the Mini Cooper there as well.
There's the Mini Cooper E with its 41 kilowatt hour pack
and the SE with its, the pack I just told you,
54.2 kilowatt hours.
The Mini's got bigger and bigger.
I still think the Mini feels like a go-kart and
I really like the Mini Cooper Electric.
Strong regen braking, any DC charges at like 75 kilowatts.
And so they've got so much good technology they
could lean into there at the BMW group, but still
those Mini's are, I would say just okay.
The other big launch is the GLC EQ.
The one they showed off is the GLC EQ 400
Formatic, the new electric version of Mercedes
popular midsize SUV.
The GLC in this launch form, 490 horsepower,
360 kilowatts dual motor all-wheel drive battery.
Smaller than the BMW.
We just talked about the IX3.
This is a 94 kilowatt hour battery and it hits 443 miles.
So obviously you and I know it's all about efficiency.
So tell us, well, the real world testing when
we get our hands on these vehicles, we'll tell us
the real world miles per kilowatt hour.
But of course, a couple of days before BMW
were saying, here's our 500 mile SUV.
And then of course, Mercedes probably winced a bit
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