EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs Mar 13, 2026

BRIEFLY: Rivian R2, Ford Explorer, Lucid Midsize EVs & more | 13 Mar 2026

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That's a 17% improvement.

The new Volkswagen AP350 motor as well.

Lifting power.

Although it charges a little bit slower,

and it starts at 39,990 euros in Germany.

Now with vehicle to load and pro-power on board,

and some more goodies too.

Lucid at an event in New York yesterday morning,

an investor day actually.

Use the turboTax,

a chance to preview their two upcoming mid-size electric SUVs.

My buddies Tom and Kyle were both there in the audience front row,

checking out the new Cosmos and the Earth.

They were under wraps,

but you could get an idea of the shape and size.

$50,000 starting price.

Production begins by the end of this year.

800-volt architectures on that,

and 300 miles of range targeted.

Lucid is also adding CarPlay and Android Auto

to the gravity.

So any early owners of that get an over-the-air update.

UX 3.5 brings Wireless, CarPlay, and Android Auto too.

The JQ8 is hitting the UK.

Sales will start in May.

That's a three-row, six or seven-seat flagship SUV.

It is their super-hybrid system.

1.5-litre petrol engine and three-speed auto box.

83 miles of electric range is the bit we care about.

Two trims, including the executive trim,

six napper leather seats,

and the first four seats, the front rows,

one and two, are large captain's chairs.

£47,500 here.

It will DC-charge even though it's a plug-in hybrid

at 40 kilowatts.

Average EU electric car prices dropped last year

by 1,800 euros for the first time since 2020.

Electric vehicles have been getting bigger and more expensive,

but with a surge of B-segment cars, the Renault 5, Renault 4,

Citroën EC3, Leap Motor at the smallest segment,

Dacia Spring all bringing the price down.

That's the average selling price of EVs now falling,

looking forward to this year, because we've got small cars

like Volkswagen Group's ID Polo,

Cooper Reval, Škoda Epic and more.

Talking of ID Polo, by the way, starting at €25,000.

Spy shots showing an R-line and a GTI variant lapping the track.

That will hopefully come at launch as well.

Honda has cancelled their Zero Series SUV,

the Zero Series Saloon and the Acura RSX.

Not entirely sure how far along they were in the product of those.

However, they say they're going to face losses of $15.8 billion

as they reverse course on their EV strategy.

Honda has made some cracking little things over the years,

both combustion and EV like that.

Honda Re, but they seem stuck between a rock and a hard place

at the minute. They say they need to regroup and stem the bleeding.

Out of 700 EV charging stations across five Italian regions,

they're going to put another 1200 in.

And Scandi Lines launched the Baltic Whale.

That is an electric hybrid ferry

that can run in electric only mode with a 10 megawatt hour battery.

About this episode

The episode covers a range of EV news including Lucid's reveal of two upcoming mid-size electric SUVs with 800-volt architecture and 300-mile range, starting at $50,000. Volkswagen's new AP350 motor and the upcoming ID Polo GTI variant are highlighted, alongside the JQ8 plug-in hybrid SUV launching in the UK. The average price of EVs in Europe has dropped due to more affordable small models entering the market. Honda's cancellation of several EV projects and significant financial losses are discussed. Additionally, Italy plans to expand EV charging infrastructure, and a new electric hybrid ferry debuts in the Baltic Sea.

Acura RSX Citroen ë-C3 Dacia Spring Electric Cargo Lucid Gravity Renault 4 CV Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Skoda Epiq

Original notes

It's EV News Briefly for Friday 13 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

RIVIAN REVEALS R2 PRICING
The Rivian R2 launches in four trims, all sharing an 87.9 kWh usable battery, ranging from the $57,990 Performance AWD (656 hp, 330 miles) arriving this Spring to a ~$45,000 base RWD variant in late 2027 with 275+ miles of range. All trims charge 10–80% in 29 minutes via a native NACS port, with a $1,495 destination charge across the board.
FORD CUTS EXPLORER ENTRY PRICE WITH LFP BATTERY
Ford has revised its European Explorer EV with a new LFP battery pack, growing usable capacity from 52 kWh to 58 kWh and boosting WLTP range 17% to 444 km (276 miles), while a stronger APP350 motor lifts output to 140 kW and cuts the 0–100 km/h time to 8.0 seconds. The updated model starts at €39,990 in Germany and adds vehicle-to-load charging, refreshed infotainment, expanded driver assistance features, and standard one-pedal driving, though peak DC charging drops from 145 kW to 110 kW.
LUCID NAMES MIDSIZE SUVS COSMOS AND EARTH
Lucid revealed at Investor Day 2026 that its two upcoming midsize electric SUVs will be called Cosmos and Earth, targeting a ~$50,000 starting price and production before end of 2026. Both will use 800V architecture, bidirectional charging, the new in-house Atlas drive unit (23% lighter, 30% fewer parts), and Lucid claims just 69 kWh would be sufficient for 300 miles of range thanks to a 0.22 drag coefficient.
LUCID GRAVITY ADDS CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO
Lucid has rolled out an OTA update (UX 3.5) bringing wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the Gravity SUV for North American owners now, with Europe and the Middle East to follow in late March. Both systems display on the Gravity's 6K Clearview Cockpit screen, addressing one of the most requested features from Lucid customers.
JAECOO 8 UK SALES START IN MAY
The Jaecoo 8, a three-row flagship SUV, goes on sale in the UK in May priced from £45,500, using Chery's Super Hybrid System pairing a 1.5-litre turbo petrol with a three-speed auto for 422 bhp, 83 miles of electric-only range, and over 700 miles of combined range. Two trims are offered — Luxury (seven seats, £45,500) and Executive (six Nappa leather captain's chairs, £47,500) — with DC fast charging up to 40 kW for a 30–80% charge in about 20 minutes.
EU EV PRICES FALL AS SMALL CARS RETURN
Average EU electric car prices dropped €1,800 to €42,700 in 2025 — the first decline since 2020 — driven by a surge in affordable B-segment BEVs like the Citroën ë-C3 and Renault 5, whose average segment prices fell 13%. T&E expects further price pressure in 2026 as Volkswagen Group prepares a small-car family including the ID. Polo, Cupra Raval, and Skoda Epiq, all targeting around €25,000.
HONDA AXES THREE US EVS
Honda has cancelled the 0 Series SUV, 0 Series Saloon, and Acura RSX for U.S. production, warning of losses up to ¥2.5 trillion ($15.8 billion) as it reverses its EV strategy amid rollbacks of U.S. fossil fuel regulations and removal of EV incentives. CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the priority is to "stop the bleeding," with operating losses now expected up to ¥1.12 trillion in the current fiscal year; the Sony-Honda Afeela brand is unaffected.
VOLKSWAGEN SETS ID. POLO FROM €25,000
Volkswagen will world-premiere the entry-level ID. Polo next month, starting at €25,000 and marking the first ID model to carry an established VW brand name. The range spans 37 kWh LFP and 52 kWh NMC battery options with outputs from 85 kW to 166 kW, and includes an R-Line (~€35,000, ~211 hp) and a GTI variant, with up to 450 km (280 miles) of WLTP range from the larger pack.
ENEL COMPLETES 3,730 CHARGING STATIONS
Enel has finished installing 3,730 EV charging stations across five Italian regions under the first tender of Italy's PNRR recovery plan, with each station offering two points capable of up to 90 kW each. The network is accessible via Enel's app or card and integrates with around 160 mobility service providers, with a further 1,200 stations already contracted under subsequent tenders.
ELECTREON COMPLETES INDUCTEV ACQUISITION
Electreon has finalized its acquisition of U.S.-based InductEV, combining dynamic in-road wireless charging with InductEV's high-power stationary wireless charging for heavy-duty transit and freight. The merged portfolio now covers highway and urban corridor charging (LINE), burst charging at stops (DASH), depot charging (DOT), and heavy-duty freight charging (Ultra DOT).
SCANDLINES STARTS BALTIC WHALE SERVICE
Scandlines launched the Baltic Whale on 10 March 2026, claiming it as the world's largest electric freight ferry in operation at 147 metres, running the 18.5 km Rødby–Puttgarden route carrying 66 freight units. Its 10 MWh battery can fully recharge in just 12 minutes via a dedicated 50 kV / 25 MW cable, with an automated docking tower connecting in 15 seconds, while a hybrid diesel mode reduces crossing time from one hour to 45 minutes.

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