BRIEFLY: Ford, BYD, Anti-EV Propaganda & more | 10 Mar 2026

BRIEFLY: Ford, BYD, Anti-EV Propaganda & more | 10 Mar 2026 EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs · Mar 11, 2026

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Car

Ford Puma

The Ford Puma Gen E is a small electric SUV made by Ford. It has a new battery that lets it drive farther on a single charge.

Term

WLTP

WLTP is a test that checks how far a car can go and how much pollution it makes, so people know what to expect in real life.

Term

Blue Cruise

Blue Cruise is a system from Ford that helps the car drive itself on certain roads without the driver needing to hold the steering wheel all the time.

Company

BYD

BYD is a company from China that makes electric cars and batteries. They are working on super-fast charging stations that can charge cars very quickly.

Concept

flash charging

Flash charging means charging an electric car's battery very quickly, so you don't have to wait long before driving again.

Part

LFP blade battery

An LFP blade battery is a type of safe and long-lasting battery used in electric cars that helps them store power better and stay cooler.

Concept

EV grant

An EV grant is money the government gives to people who buy electric cars to help make them cheaper.

Car

Mercedes-Benz GLA

The Mercedes-Benz GLA is a small luxury SUV. The next version coming in 2026 will use a new platform that helps with electric and hybrid car designs.

Concept

MMA platform

The MMA platform is a special base that Mercedes-Benz uses to build small electric and hybrid cars more easily and efficiently.

Term

800 volts architecture

This means the car's battery system uses a higher voltage which helps it charge faster and work better.

Term

over the air updates

This means the car can get new software or fixes through the internet, like updating your phone apps.

Car

MG 4 for Urban

This is an electric car made by MG that has a special type of battery and is sold in places like Australia.

Term

semi-solid state battery

This is a newer kind of battery that can store more power and is safer than regular batteries.

Term

LFP batteries

These are batteries made with a special material that makes them last longer and be safer.

Concept

dynamic plunge pricing

This means charging your electric car costs less when there is lots of wind or sun making electricity.

Car

Porsche Taycan

This is a fast electric car made by Porsche.

Car

Porsche Panamera

This is a fancy Porsche car that has four doors and can use gas or a mix of gas and electric power.

Concept

plug-in hybrid

This is a car that uses both gas and electricity, and you can charge the battery by plugging it in.

Car

Volvo EX-60

This is a new electric SUV from Volvo that uses a lot of software to control how it works.

Concept

software-defined vehicle

This means the car's features and how it works can be changed or improved by updating its software.

Term

SBA3 platform

This is the special design Volvo uses to build their electric cars, making everything fit and work well together.

Concept

Second Life Battery Energy Storage

Sometimes EV batteries can't be used in cars anymore but still work well enough to store energy for other uses. This is called Second Life Battery Energy Storage.

LIVE

It's EV News briefly for Tuesday 10th of March, everything EV in less than five minutes.

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

Ford is updating the all-electric Puma Gen E in Europe with a redesigned battery, lifting

the range, WLTP certified.

Another 41 kilometers, that's a total of 260 miles of range now, alongside adding Blue

Cruise, hands-free driving, better audio, more connectivity and new color choices as

well.

Blue Cruise can be bought outright or via subscription in Europe.

BYD will roll out its 1,500 kilowatt, that's 1.5 megawatt flash charging, internationally

before the end of this year.

They'll start at home in China with 20,000 stations targeted by the end of the year.

They have plants in Thailand, Brazil and Hungary all looking to make the flash charging hardware

that uses an LFP blade battery in the vehicles that will charge 10-70% in five minutes and

do a 97% charge in nine minutes.

A new poll in the UK found that over half of non-EV drivers scored two or fewer correct

answers on 10 basic EV facts, nearly half wrongly believing that EVs catch fire all

the time.

And our parliament, a House of Lords committee, describing the situation here as a concerted

campaign of misinformation by some elements of the media and their anti-EV propaganda.

You can only imagine why or the money they're taking to do that from certain parts of the

fossil fuel industry.

Car wow research found that 64% of people buying a car here were unaware of the money available.

The EV grant, 73% of those who did know about it saying that the almost £4,000 off a new

EV makes them more likely to choose an EV.

Mercedes-Benz will launch the third generation GLA in 2026, sitting on the MMA platform using

the same technology as the CLA.

So 800 volts architecture, a new vehicle supercomputer over the air updates, 85 kilowatt

hour battery pack, targeting 420 miles WLTP.

MG, bringing the MG for Urban.

That's the one in China that you can get a semi-solid state pack in.

We have it here as well in right hand drive.

Now it's coming to Australia.

That makes perfect sense because right hand drive market as well.

And made in China, going on sale in April, LFP batteries, either 43 or 54 kilowatt hours.

They're leaving the original MG for on sale in Australia, as they did here, but simplifying

the lineup getting rid of the long range battery.

Octopus Energy is extending its dynamic plunge pricing to France, offering 50% discounts

on charging when it's windy or sunny.

Porsche might merge Taycan and Panamera into a single model line, offering both plug-in

hybrid and fully electric versions.

Following recent write downs and Porsche trying to get a handle of where they are with their

electrification journey.

Now SK in America has cut 958 workers from its Georgia plant, citing weaker marketing

conditions in the United States.

Georgia Senator John Ossoff blaming the losses on Trump's stance on renewables and EVs.

Volvo has positioned the all-electric EX-60 as Europe's first software-defined vehicle.

Customer delivery start in September.

And they combine Volvo batteries, Volvo motors, Volvo software on the new SBA3 platform, which

is just for Volvos, they say, using this new software-defined architecture, deleting kilometers

of wiring and freeing up space inside.

And Redwood Materials, a battery recycler, is expanding into Second Life Battery Energy

Storage.

They have a problem.

EV batteries are coming in to be recycled, but they're too good to tear down, so they're

using them in Second Life as they are.

And that's briefly.

About this episode

Ford updates its all-electric Puma Gen E with longer range and Blue Cruise hands-free driving in Europe. BYD plans international rollout of ultra-fast 1.5 MW flash charging stations, enabling 10-70% charge in five minutes. A UK poll reveals widespread EV misinformation, with anti-EV propaganda linked to fossil fuel interests. Mercedes-Benz and MG announce new EV models with advanced battery tech and software. Octopus Energy expands dynamic pricing to France, while Porsche considers merging Taycan and Panamera lines. Volvo launches its software-defined EX-60, and Redwood Materials innovates with second-life battery storage solutions.

800 volts architecture BlueCruise BYD dynamic plunge pricing EV Grant flash charging LFP batteries LFP blade battery MMA platform over the air update

Ford Puma Mercedes-Benz GLA (X156) Porsche Panamera Porsche Taycan Volvo EX60

Original notes

It's EV News Briefly for Tuesday 10 March 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

FORD UPDATES PUMA GEN-E
Ford has updated the all-electric Puma Gen-E with a redesigned battery lifting WLTP range from 376 km to 417 km (260 miles), alongside new BlueCruise hands-free driving, audio, connectivity, and colour updates. BlueCruise can be bought outright or via subscription, with all capable Puma models receiving a free three-month trial.
BYD TO EXPORT FLASH CHARGING BY 2026
BYD plans to roll out its 1,500 kW Flash Charging network internationally before the end of 2026, starting with a push to 20,000 stations across China and then expanding to plants in Thailand, Brazil, and Hungary. The system charges second-gen LFP Blade Battery vehicles from 10% to 70% in five minutes, with each unit also functioning as an on-site 200–300 kWh battery pack to protect local grid infrastructure.
POLL FINDS EV KNOWLEDGE GAP
A YouGov poll for the ECIU found that over half of non-EV drivers scored two or fewer correct answers out of ten on basic EV facts, with nearly half wrongly believing EVs catch fire more often than petrol cars. A House of Lords committee described the situation as a "concerted campaign of misinformation," warning that false narratives and deliberate anti-EV propaganda by some in the media are a major barrier to EV uptake in the UK.
MOST UK BUYERS MISS EV GRANT
Carwow research found that 64% of in-market UK car buyers were unaware of the Government's EV grant, despite 73% of those who did know about it saying a full £3,750 discount would make them more likely to choose an EV. EVs now account for just under a quarter of new car sales, with only 8 of the 46 qualifying models eligible for the maximum grant amount.
MERCEDES SETS OUT 2026 GLA PLAN
Mercedes will launch the third-generation GLA later in 2026 on its MMA platform, offering hybrid and fully electric variants with an 800V system, a new vehicle supercomputer, and over-the-air update capability. The flagship GLA 250+ pairs an 85 kWh battery with a 262 bhp rear motor targeting up to 420 miles WLTP range, and the cabin features a 14.5-inch touchscreen with AI-powered MBUX voice recognition.
MG 4 EV URBAN SET FOR AUSTRALIA IN 2026
MG will bring the MG 4 EV Urban to Australia from April 2026, featuring LFP batteries in 43 kWh and 54 kWh options and a front-wheel-drive-only layout on the newer E3 platform. Pricing has not been confirmed, but UK figures suggest it could land closer to A$30,000, putting it in direct competition with BYD's Dolphin Essential at $29,990.
OCTOPUS EXPORTS PLUNGE PRICING EV CHARGING TO FRANCE
Octopus Energy is extending its dynamic Plunge Pricing public charging model to France via Electroverse, offering up to 50% discounts on charging costs when wholesale power prices fall due to high wind and solar output. The launch covers around 7,000 ultra-rapid Powerdot charge points, with Electroverse already connected via roaming to roughly 97% of France's 172,000 public charging points.
PORSCHE CONSIDERING TAYCAN PANAMERA MERGER
Porsche is exploring merging the Taycan and Panamera into a single model line offering petrol, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric variants, following €1.8 billion in write-downs tied to delayed SSP Sport platform development. The merged line could follow the Macan and Cayenne model, where parallel ICE and EV versions share a name despite using distinct platforms.
SK BATTERY AMERICA CUTS 958 GEORGIA JOBS
SK Battery America has cut 958 workers — 37% of its workforce — at its Commerce, Georgia plant, citing weak US EV market conditions. The plant had supplied cells for the Ford F-150 Lightning, Volkswagen ID.4, and Hyundai and Kia models, with Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff blaming the losses on the Trump administration's stance on EVs.
VOLVO EX60 BETS BIG ON CENTRAL SOFTWARE
Volvo has positioned the all-electric EX60, due for customer deliveries in September, as Europe's first "true" software-defined vehicle, combining in-house batteries, motors, core software, and the new SPA3 platform under one roof. The centralised software architecture replaces dozens of supplier ECUs and kilometres of wiring, with Volvo claiming the freed-up space gives the D-segment SUV cabin room comparable to older E-segment cars.
REDWOOD SHIFTS EV BATTERIES INTO SECOND-LIFE STORAGE
Redwood Materials is expanding into second-life battery energy storage after finding that incoming used EV packs are retaining more capacity and arriving in better condition than originally modelled. The strategy centres on a 12 MW/63 MWh second-life BESS project in Texas — claimed as the world's largest — with Redwood targeting GWh-scale deployments for data centres, renewables, and utility-scale installations.

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