EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs Apr 23, 2026

BRIEFLY: BMW i7, Rivian R2, Smart Hashtag 2 & more | 23 Apr 2026

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Company

Capital One

Capital One is talking about its own AI assistant for car shopping. It’s meant to help you with the steps you’d normally do separately—like comparing cars and lining up financing.

Concept

multi-agentic AI

Instead of one AI doing everything, multi-agentic AI uses several AI helpers that split up the work. That can make it better at tasks like comparing cars and helping you plan next steps.

Term

test drive

A test drive is when you actually drive the car before buying it. It helps you confirm the car feels right, not just looks good online.

Term

trading value

Trading value is the price you might get for your current car if you trade it in. Knowing it upfront helps you figure out what the new car will really cost after your trade.

Car

Chevy Colorado

The Chevrolet Colorado is a midsize truck. The “drive modes” are settings that change how the truck behaves for different surfaces like sand, snow, or rough terrain.

Term

drive modes

Drive modes are different settings you can choose to make the car act differently. For example, one mode may help you get better traction on slippery or rough ground.

Term

towing

Towing is how well a vehicle can pull a trailer or another vehicle. It depends on the truck’s power and how well it can stop and cool while hauling.

Car

Silverado EV

The Chevrolet Silverado EV is an electric version of the Silverado pickup. The ad is basically saying it’s fast and still useful for real truck jobs.

Car

BMW i7 is BMW’s big electric luxury sedan. In this update, BMW is increasing the battery size, which helps the car go farther on a charge. They’re also improving fast-charging so you can recharge quicker on trips.

Term

kilowatt hours

Kilowatt-hours (kWh) tell you how big the battery is. A bigger kWh number usually means the car can store more energy, which can translate into more miles between charges. It’s not the only factor, but it’s one of the biggest.

Term

Gen 6 cylindrical cells

“Gen 6 cylindrical cells” refers to a specific generation of battery cell design and chemistry packaged in cylindrical form factors. Cell format and generation can influence energy density, thermal behavior, and how effectively the pack can deliver power for acceleration and charging. The hosts connect these Gen 6 cylindrical cells to improved maximum range for the updated BMW i7.

Car

BMW Neue Klasse

BMW Neue Klasse is the name BMW uses for its next-generation electric-car design. It’s meant to help EVs charge faster and work better, and it can be used across multiple future BMW electric models. The podcast is pointing to those technical targets to explain what’s coming.

Concept

DC fast charging

DC fast charging refers to charging an EV using direct current from a high-power charger, which can significantly reduce charging time compared with slower AC charging. In this segment, the BMW i7 refresh is said to increase DC fast-charging capability to 250 kW, which affects how quickly you can top up during road trips. Higher kW doesn’t guarantee the same real-world speed for every minute of charging, but it generally improves peak and early-session charging.

Car

Bmw Ix3

BMW iX3 is BMW’s electric SUV. In this segment, it’s mentioned as the example of a car that gets the more complete version of BMW’s next-generation EV approach. The i7 update is described as having some of those improvements, but not all of them.

Term

crystal embedded headlights

This is a fancy headlight design detail. It’s mainly about the look—using crystal-like elements inside the headlamp housing.

Term

22-inch alloys

“Alloys” are wheels made from a metal alloy (typically aluminum). Saying “22-inch alloys as standard” means the car comes with large wheels from the factory, which can affect ride comfort, tire cost, and appearance.

Term

iDrive dashboard

iDrive is BMW’s main screen-and-controls system. They’re describing a very wide dashboard screen that makes the cabin feel more like a digital cockpit.

Car

Rivian R2

Car

Rivian R2

The Rivian R2 is Rivian’s next EV, meant to be cheaper than their earlier models. They’re talking about when it starts being built, when people can get it, and how Rivian plans to lower costs.

Concept

reservation holders will receive configuration invites

If you reserved an EV, the company later lets you pick your exact options. That helps the factory build the right cars and helps the company plan production.

Concept

launch edition

A launch edition is the first version of a new car that comes out. It usually has a fixed set of features and may cost more than the later, more basic versions.

Concept

electric trucks cancellation report vs denial

This segment describes a public dispute: a report claimed GM canceled future electric trucks, and GM publicly denied it. The key business concept is how EV programs can be adjusted or delayed based on supplier capacity, orders, and internal planning—sometimes leading to conflicting statements from media and companies.

Car

Smart Hashtag 2

The Smart Hashtag 2 is a small electric city car. It’s a two-seat, two-door design meant to bring back the vibe of an earlier Smart model.

Car

Volkswagen Id Buzz

This is the electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz van, in a version called Pro 4-motion. It’s a higher trim with four-wheel drive, and they’re talking about how it stacks up to the more performance-focused GTX.

Term

4-motion

“4-motion” is Volkswagen’s branding for four-wheel drive. In this context, it means the ID. Buzz Pro 4-motion uses AWD to improve traction in low-grip conditions, which can be especially useful for a van used year-round.

Car

Plymouth GTX

The Plymouth GTX is a performance car model name. In the podcast, they’re talking about a version that’s similar to a GTX but not identical, including practical details like drivetrain and towing. That’s why it comes up—people want to know what that specific setup can do.

Term

one-pedal driving

It’s a driving mode where you can slow down mostly by lifting off the accelerator. Instead of using the brake pedal all the time, the car recovers energy while slowing.

Term

vehicle to load

Vehicle-to-load means your EV can act like a power source. You can plug in devices or power something else using the car’s battery.

Company

Chargepoint

ChargePoint is a company that builds EV charging stations. They’re showing a new fast charger that can deliver a lot of power quickly.

Term

DC fast charger

A DC fast charger is the kind of charger that can add a lot of battery power quickly. It’s usually what you use when you’re traveling and need to charge fast.

Term

600 kilowatts

600 kilowatts is how powerful the charger is. Higher power can mean faster charging, but the car still has to be able to accept that much power.

Term

CCS-1

CCS-1 is the plug/charging standard used for fast charging in many places. Your EV has to support CCS-1 to charge at these DC fast stations.

Term

NAX

NAX is another charging standard/connector mentioned alongside CCS-1. The point is that the charger is meant to work with more than one system.

Term

PowerShare Gateway

PowerShare Gateway is the system that helps the car share power with other places. Here, it’s what lets the Cybertruck work with the grid-sharing program.

Concept

vehicle-to-grid program

Vehicle-to-grid means your EV can send power back to the electric grid. It’s like using the car’s battery as a backup power resource.

Company

PG&E

PG&E is an electric utility in California. They’re working with Tesla so EVs can help manage the grid and potentially sell energy back.

Car

Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla’s Cybertruck is being used in a program where the car can help the electric grid. Instead of only charging, it can also send energy back when conditions call for it.

Concept

fully integrated vehicle-to-grid service

A fully integrated V2G service means the whole setup—car features, software, and participation—works together as one package. It’s meant to be easier for customers to use.

Company

Chat Concierge

Chat Concierge is an AI assistant that helps you with car shopping. It can help you find a car, set up a test drive, and even help with financing and trade-in estimates.

Concept

live API checks

Live API checks mean the AI looks up up-to-date information from other systems. That helps it give more accurate answers while you’re shopping.

Concept

pre-approved for financing

Pre-approved financing means a lender checks you ahead of time and tells you what kind of loan you might qualify for. It can make buying the car faster once you pick the one you want.

Concept

car shopping

They’re talking about using AI to help you buy a car from start to finish. Instead of only finding cars you like, it can also help you set up a test drive and figure out financing and trade-in value.

Concept

trade-in value estimation

Trade-in value estimation is figuring out how much your current car might be worth. If you know that early, it’s easier to understand what you can afford for the next car.

LIVE

Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI.

They are already deployed one.

It's called Chat Concierge and it's simplifying car shopping.

Using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks, it doesn't just help

buyers find a car they love.

It helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing, and estimate trading value.

Advanced, intuitive, and deployed.

That's how they stack.

That's technology at Capital One.

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Chevy Trucks have you covered when the road takes you from smooth sailing to...

Chevy Colorado will eat up some of the toughest terrains with five available drive modes.

And Silverado and Silverado HD have the muscle to take you out for some serious, with multiple

engine options and impressive towing, while Silverado EV is the perfect combo of performance

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Chevrolet, together let's drive.

Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI.

They are already deployed one.

It's called Chat Concierge, and it's simplifying car shopping.

Using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks, it doesn't just help

buyers find a car they love.

It helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing, and estimate trading value.

Advanced, intuitive, and deployed, that's how they stack.

That's technology at Capital One.

It's EV news briefly for Wednesday, 22nd of April, everything EV in less than five

minutes.

If you haven't got time for the full podcast, let's get you up to speed.

BMW's revealed what it calls the most extensive refresh ever applied to a BMW, with the updated

i7 arriving this September.

Plug-in hybrids will follow, pricing expected to rise.

Here in the UK, it starts at £105,000.

The new i7 swaps out the battery for a bigger one, 105.7 becomes 112.5 kilowatt hours.

They use the new Gen 6 cylindrical cells at BMW, pushing maximum range, a fair chunk

higher from 387 to 452 miles.

DC fast charging goes to 250 kilowatts, so there's a chunk of Neue Klasse in this, but

it's not the whole new full beams like you get on the BMW iX3.

But the style-wise design language, with the crystal embedded headlights and the horizontal

slat grille.

Yep, that's carried over now, 22-inch alloys as standard inside, you've still got the

huge 18-inch screen in the middle, and the 43-inch panoramic iDrive dashboard rear passengers

still get their 8K cinema screen that folds down from the roof.

Let's move on, Rivian has begun production of the R2, and its normal Illinois plant,

the CFO, confirming it is part of Reuters' interview, first customer deliveries expected

in the spring.

Not to check the calendar, but here we are heading towards the end of April, so it's

got to be soon, right?

Reservation holders will receive configuration invites in June, they say, with the $57,990

launch edition shipping first, if you want the bargain basement one you'll be waiting

through to 2027, Rivian expect R2 to cost less than half of what R1 costs to build when

they factor in higher volumes.

General Motors publicly denied a report this week, which said they'd cancelled their future

electric trucks after Crane's Detroit business, a well-regarded journalistic outlet, cited

three anonymous sources, saying the GM had cancelled future electric trucks.

GM says, no, that's false, Crane spoke to supplier executives, and they'd said, albeit

unnamed sources, that orders had been cancelled and the programme's unashelved.

Smart has unveiled the new Smart 4-2, except in the new naming convention called the hashtag

2, two-door, two-seat, electric city car, and it reviving the spirit that so many love

of the original 4-2.

Volkswagen commercial vehicles rolling out the 2026 ID buzz, I've mentioned this previously,

got some more details, the new Pro 4-motion, so four-wheel drive, Pro spec, that is basically

the GTX, but without being the GTX, so towing goes to 1.8 tonnes on the standard wheelbase,

there's also one-pedal driving, there's vehicle to load, and some nice upgrades as well.

Chargepoint has unveiled a new standalone DC fast charger, so it's quite a large box by

modern standards where a lot of the kind of convention these days is to put small dispensers

and then do the heavy lifting elsewhere in cabinets.

This is all in one, but still, for those that kind of technology, this is still pretty small

footprint, 600 kilowatts though, and you can, if you want dispense all 600 kilowatts to a

single vehicle down a single cable, this will be both CCS-1 and NAX compatible.

France's government published a national strategy to deploy 30,000 EV charging points

on motorways and national roads by 2035.

Coca-Cola Canada is expanding its electric fleet to 40 electric vehicles, adding new Volvo VNR,

electric trucks in Quebec and Vancouver.

PG&E and Tesla have added the Cybertruck to their vehicle-to-grid program using Tesla's

PowerShare Gateway, and you can now, in California, sell the energy back to the grid.

And in Germany, Volkswagen and their subsidiary, ELE, plans to launch a fully integrated vehicle-to-grid

service for customers in Germany sometime in Q4, and that's briefly...

Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI,

they are already deployed one.

It's called Chat Concierge, and it's simplifying car shopping.

Using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks,

it doesn't just help buyers find a car they love, it helps schedule a test drive,

get pre-approved for financing, and estimate trading value.

Advanced, intuitive, and deployed, that's how they stack.

That's technology at Capital One.

Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI,

they are already deployed one.

It's called Chat Concierge, and it's simplifying car shopping.

Using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks,

it doesn't just help buyers find a car they love,

it helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing,

and estimate trading value.

Advanced, intuitive, and deployed, that's how they stack.

That's technology at Capital One.

About this episode

Capital One’s “Chat Concierge” is highlighted as deployed multi-agentic AI for car shopping—using self-reflection, layered reasoning, and live API checks to help buyers find vehicles, schedule test drives, get pre-approved financing, and estimate trade-in value. EV updates include BMW’s refreshed i7 with a larger battery, big range gains, and faster 250 kW charging; Rivian starting R2 production with spring deliveries and a lower-cost build outlook; and Smart’s revival of the 4-2 spirit as the Hashtag 2. Other news covers GM truck denials, VW ID Buzz Pro 4-motion details, ChargePoint’s 600 kW standalone charger, and expanding V2G programs.

22-inch alloys 4Motion 600 kilowatts Capital One car shopping CCS-1 Charge Point chat concierge crystal embedded headlights DC fast charger

BMW i7 BMW iX3 (G08) BMW Neue Klasse Chevrolet Colorado Chevrolet Silverado EV Plymouth GTX Rivian R2 Tesla Cybertruck Volkswagen ID. Buzz

Original notes

It's EV News Briefly for Wednesday 22 April 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDaily

BMW GIVES I7 MORE RANGE AND SCREEN SPACE
BMW has revealed what it calls the most extensive refresh ever applied to a BMW, with the updated electric i7 arriving first in September 2026 and plug-in hybrids to follow, with pricing expected to rise from the current £105,000 starting point. The new i7 swaps its old 105.7kWh battery for a 112.5kWh pack using Gen6 cylindrical cells, pushing maximum range from 387 miles to 452 miles and DC charging speed from 195kW to 250kW, while adaptive dampers and active rear steering become standard across the whole range.
The styling adopts BMW's Neue Klasse design language with slimmer crystal-embedded headlights, a horizontal-slat grille, 22-inch alloys as standard, and up to 500 exterior colour combinations including a new two-tone option. Inside, the i7 becomes the first BMW to offer a front-passenger touchscreen (14.6 inches), gains a 17.9-inch central display and a sweeping 43.3-inch Panoramic iDrive dashboard, while rear passengers keep their 31.3-inch 8K cinema screen and 35-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system.
***
RIVIAN STARTS R2 PRODUCTION IN ILLINOIS
Rivian has begun production of the R2 at its Normal, Illinois plant, with CFO Claire McDonough confirming the start in a Reuters interview and first customer deliveries expected later this spring. Reservation holders will receive configuration invitations in June, with the $57,990 Launch Edition shipping first, followed by the $53,990 Premium later in 2026 and the more affordable Standard and entry variants arriving through 2027.
Rivian expects R2 to cost less than half of what an R1 costs to build once higher volumes are reached in 2027, and the vehicle also underpins the company's broader ambitions including the $2,500 Autonomy+ self-driving package and an Uber robotaxi partnership worth up to $1.25 billion across 25 cities.
***
GM SAYS NO DELAY TO ELECTRIC TRUCK PROGRAMME
GM publicly denied cancelling any electric trucks after Crain's Detroit Business — citing three anonymous sources — reported that the automaker had indefinitely delayed its next-generation electric truck programme, which had been targeting a 2028 production start for refreshed versions of the Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Hummer, and Escalade IQ. GM told Motor1 that "EVs remain the end game" and confirmed no impact to current electric truck production, though the company gave no timeline for when the next-generation programme might resume.
Supplier executives and analysts told Crain's they do not expect a new generation of GM's all-electric truck line until 2030 or beyond, suggesting the delay is substantial even if GM stops short of calling it a cancellation.
***
SMART #2 SETS UP FORTWO RETURN
Smart has unveiled the Smart #2 concept, a two-door, two-seat electric city car that revives the spirit of the original Fortwo, with a production model expected to launch in October 2026. Built on the Electric Compact Architecture platform, it offers an estimated 186-mile range — a dramatic leap over the old EQ Fortwo's 58-mile range — along with a 10–80% charge time of under 20 minutes and vehicle-to-load capability.
Expected to measure around 106 inches (2.7 metres) long, the Smart #2 would be smaller than the Dacia Spring and Renault Twingo, placing it among Europe's smallest new EVs at launch.
***
ID. BUZZ ADDS AWD AND NEW TECH
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is rolling out a 2026 model year update for the ID. Buzz this summer, headlined by the new Pro 4MOTION variant that pairs a 210kW rear motor with a front motor for a combined 250kW and raises towing capacity to 1.8 tonnes on the standard wheelbase. The update also brings one-pedal driving capable of bringing the vehicle to a full stop, a new Innovision infotainment system with an integrated app store, traffic-light-responsive Connected Travel Assist, a welcome return to physical steering wheel buttons, and optional vehicle-to-load capability at up to 2.0kW.
***
CHARGEPOINT LAUNCHES 600KW EXPRESS SOLO
ChargePoint has unveiled the Express Solo, a standalone DC fast charger capable of delivering up to 600kW, which the company says sets a new benchmark for public charging in the US. The unit supports two simultaneous sessions, accepts direct DC input for integration with on-site battery storage, enables bidirectional charging, and uses an Omni Port combining CCS1 and NACS connectors — all at a claimed 30% lower purchase and operating cost than comparable high-power chargers.
***
FRANCE SETS 2035 ROAD CHARGING PLAN
France's government has published a national strategy to deploy around 30,000 EV charging points on motorways and national roads by 2035, targeting corridors that carry roughly one third of all traffic despite representing just 2% of total road length. The plan includes approximately 22,000 fast chargers at around 150kW for light vehicles across 900 service areas — a fivefold capacity increase — plus 8,000 heavy-duty charging points across 560 locations.
***
COKE CANADA ADDS VOLVO ELECTRIC TRUCKS
Coca-Cola Canada Bottling is expanding its electric fleet to nearly 40 vehicles by adding Volvo VNR Electric trucks in Quebec City and the Vancouver area, building on a 2023 pilot programme that tested six of the trucks in real-world conditions. Each VNR Electric uses a six-battery configuration with a range of up to 440km, and the expansion is supported by a new 180kW Heliox Flex charging station in Quebec City and two additional chargers in Vancouver.
***
PG&E ADDS CYBERTRUCK TO V2G PILOT
PG&E and Tesla have added the Cybertruck to PG&E's residential vehicle-to-grid programme, using Tesla's Powershare Gateway and Universal Wall Connector in what is the first AC-based V2G application approved for California customers. Participants can receive up to $4,500 in incentives for bidirectional charging equipment and earn additional compensation for exporting electricity back to the grid during peak demand events.
***
VOLKSWAGEN SETS GERMAN V2G LAUNCH FOR 2026
Volkswagen and its energy subsidiary Elli plan to launch a fully integrated vehicle-to-grid service for private customers in Germany in Q4 2026, with pre-registration opening in June, promising annual earnings of €700–€900 under favourable conditions. Elli will manage the full stack — dynamic tariff, DC bidirectional charger, smart meter integration, and a control app — backed by around one million bidirectional-capable MEB-platform EVs already on European roads.

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