EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs Jan 15, 2026

BRIEFLY: Jeep Retreats, Kia GT Models, BMW iX4 & more

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Company

Stellantis

Stellantis is a big car company that makes many different brands of cars. It was created when two companies, Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group, combined.

Term

plug-in hybrids

Plug-in hybrids are cars that can use electricity from a plug to run, but they also have a gasoline engine. This means you can drive them on electricity or gas, depending on what you need.

Term

mild hybrids

Mild hybrids are cars that have a little electric motor to help the gas engine, but they can't run on electricity by themselves. They help save fuel and are better for the environment.

Term

Extended range vehicles are cars that usually run on electricity but have a gas engine that helps keep them going when the battery runs out. This means you can drive them longer distances without worrying about charging.

Car

Dodge Avenger

The Dodge Avenger is a car that looks sporty and is designed for everyday driving. It was sold in many versions, including a special black version, and many people liked it because it was affordable and stylish.

Car

Jeep Compass

The Jeep Compass is a small SUV that can handle rough roads and off-road adventures while still being good for daily use. It has been updated over the years to make it more comfortable and tech-friendly, which is why it's popular among people who like to explore.

Term

kilowatt hour

Kilowatt hour is a way to measure how much energy a battery can store. It tells you how long the battery can power something before it needs to be recharged.

Term

GT

GT means Gran Turismo, which is a type of car that is made for speed and comfort on long drives. It's usually more powerful than regular versions of the same car.

Car

Kia EV5

Kia EV5 is another electric car from Kia, part of their new line of electric vehicles that aim to be powerful and efficient.

Car

Kia EV3

Car

Kia EV4

Kia EV4 is an electric car from Kia, similar to the EV3, and is designed to be efficient and fun to drive.

Term

tuned suspension

A tuned suspension means the car's suspension has been adjusted to improve how it handles on the road, making it feel better to drive.

Term

all-wheel drive

All-wheel drive means that all four wheels of a car get power from the engine. This helps the car grip the road better, especially in bad weather.

Term

0 to 60 time

The '0 to 60 time' tells you how fast a car can go from a stop to 60 miles per hour. It's a common way to compare how quick cars are.

Car

BMW iX4

The BMW iX4 is a new electric SUV from BMW. It's designed to be practical while still being fun to drive.

Car

BMW iX3

The BMW iX3 is a fully electric SUV made by BMW. It's designed to be eco-friendly and has a lot of modern technology.

Term

fast charging

Fast charging means you can recharge an electric car's battery much quicker than usual, so you spend less time waiting.

Brand

Polestar

Polestar is a brand that makes electric cars. It started with Volvo and is known for its sporty and high-performance models.

Company

Renault

Renault is a car company from France that makes many types of vehicles, including electric cars. They have factories in different countries to produce their cars.

Company

Rivian

Rivian is a new American car company that makes electric trucks and SUVs. They are known for their focus on outdoor and adventure features in their vehicles.

Term

EVs

EVs stand for electric vehicles. These cars run on electricity instead of gasoline, which helps reduce pollution in the air.

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Let's get into it.

Stellantis of America will drop plug-in hybrids.

They say they're moving to mild, plug-less hybrids, but also extended range vehicles in time.

Whereas in Europe, Stellantis and Jeep completely the opposite.

They used the Brussels Motor Show last week to push deeper into plug-in hybrids.

Fascinating how different geographies and regions are kind of moving in different directions.

Also showing off a black edition of the Little Avenger that sold almost a quarter of a million units now.

The Compass 4 by E leaning into being off-road.

They raised it a little bit and the old Electric Global Wagon Air S flagship vehicle.

600 horsepower over 100 kilowatt hour pack in that.

Kia also used the Brussels Motor Show to sharpen their electric range at the top end.

Going GT, not GT line because that's a trim line.

These are the proper GT versions of the vehicles.

Kia EV3, EV4 and EV5 getting the GT treatment.

So that means they get performance tuning.

Same powertrain, so same platform, same battery which in the 3 and the 4 is 81.2 kilowatt hours.

In the EV5, quite a big SUV that, that is actually an 85, 88 kilowatt hour pack, sorry.

But otherwise, yeah, tuned suspension, different drive characteristics and the proper GT treatment

for those vehicles.

Now they go on sale this year.

Stronger motors, all-wheel drive, but not particularly performance Tesla specs,

as in 0 to 60 in seven seconds, pretty much for all of those.

And so, yeah, they're a bit warmer, but they're not really hot versions.

BMW have now left the test track and turned up on public German roads,

all bit covered in camouflage with the IX4.

So with this, they're going to mirror the X3 and the X4 from the powertrain,

playbook straight into EV world.

So taking the IX3, that Neuer class of vehicle, all the great tech,

all the great high voltage powertrain, 108 kilowatt hour battery, 500 miles of range,

really fast charging, but put it in more of a lift back,

slopey rear roof version called the IX4.

So it's still covered in camouflage, but should be turning up in showrooms sooner or later.

Now it's been spotted.

Polestar is selling really well in Europe.

They had a record year, by the way.

Polestar's interesting, obviously it's owned by the Germans,

and yet it's a Swedish company based in Gottenberg, where the cars are designed,

but it's actually a British company.

However, they don't sell in China anymore, but they're selling really well in Europe,

but they're still at the mercy of where they make those vehicles.

Some of them in China, they're increasingly making them in other places though.

The Busan factory will be made with Renault Korea.

That's for the North American market, or to do with tariffs and things like that.

They're already shipping to Canada from there, by the way,

but the Polestar 234 selling in good numbers.

Motor Trends has crowned Rivian's mobile app as the best automaker app in a day,

when even things like app access is a really crucial part of vehicle ownership.

Let's go to Vietnam, where Ho Chi Minh City wants to squeeze out combustion.

It's because of the air quality.

A Swiss air purifier firm just ranked Hanoi the 10th most polluted city out of the 126

they looked at, and so the lawmakers want to put more EVs on the road.

But that's at odds with, or frankly, with everybody in Ho Chi Minh City,

where everyone owns motorbikes and they're all petrol and combustion,

so a huge job to do there.

The car industry goes on course to overshoot its emissions targets,

according to a new study funded by Rivian and Polestar,

and Turkey is driving their EV sales.

One is six cars in Turkey's now, an EV, and that is dominated by Togs and Teslas,

between them taking up over half the market.

But watch out, because the Chinese are coming, not just with their cars,

but with plug-in hybrids, and possibly to build factories on Turkish soil as well.

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0:00

4:16

BRIEFLY: Jeep Retreats, Kia GT Models, BMW iX4 & more

Stellantis

plug-in hybrids

mild hybrids

extended range vehicles

Dodge Avenger

Jeep Compass

kilowatt hour

GT

Kia EV5

Kia EV3

Kia EV4

tuned suspension

all-wheel drive

0 to 60 time

BMW iX4

BMW iX3

fast charging

Polestar

Renault

Rivian

EVs

About this episode

Original notes