EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs Mar 16, 2026

BRIEFLY: Used EVs, Global Sales, Honda Prologue & more | 15 Mar 2026

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Concept

EV leasing

Leasing an EV means you rent it for some time instead of buying it, which can cost less each month.

Term

tax credit

A tax credit is money the government gives you back when you buy an electric car, making it cheaper.

Term

Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act is a law that helps people save money when they lease or buy electric cars by giving them tax discounts.

Term

used EVs

Used EVs are electric cars that someone else owned before you, often cheaper than new ones.

Concept

global EV sales

Global EV sales tell us how many electric cars are sold all over the world, showing how popular they are.

Concept

purchase incentives

Purchase incentives are deals or discounts that help people pay less when buying electric cars.

Car

Acura Rsx

The Acura RSX is a sporty car from Honda's luxury brand that they planned to make electric but then canceled.

Car

Honda Prologue

The Honda Prologue is a new electric SUV Honda is making, but they are having some trouble selling it in the U.S.

Company

BYD

BYD is a big company from China that makes electric cars and batteries, and they have some new fast charging technology.

Term

flash charging

Flash charging means charging an electric car really fast, so you can get a lot of battery power in just a few minutes.

Car

D9 Denzer

The D9 is a car made by Denzer, designed to be one of the first in Europe to use a new technology. It's a type of vehicle meant for everyday driving with some special new features.

Car

Denza Z9 GT

The Denzer Z9 GT is an electric car that can charge very fast using new technology from BYD.

Term

blade battery technology

Blade batteries are a new kind of battery for electric cars that charge faster and are safer than older batteries.

Term

megawatt charging

Megawatt charging means charging an electric car with a huge amount of power so it fills up very quickly.

Concept

EV charging network competition

EV charging network competition means more companies can run charging stations, so drivers have more choices and better prices.

Term

open tenders for charging installations

Open tenders mean many companies can try to get the job to put in electric car chargers, so one company doesn't control everything.

Brand

Octopus Energy

Octopus Energy is a company in the UK that sells electricity, especially green energy, and is trying new ideas with electric cars to help the power system.

Concept

vehicle to grid (V2G)

Vehicle to grid means your electric car can give power back to the electricity system when lots of people need it. This helps keep the lights on and can save energy.

Term

mandate targets

Mandate targets are rules from the government telling car companies how many electric or cleaner cars they need to sell by a certain time.

Term

gas guzzlers

Gas guzzlers are cars that use a lot of petrol and are not very good for the environment.

Car

BMW i7

The BMW i7 is a fancy electric car that BMW makes. The new version will have a bigger battery so it can go farther and use energy better.

Car

Nissan ENV200 van

The Nissan ENV200 is an electric van used for work. Older models will lose some app controls soon because the company is stopping support.

Car

Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf is an electric car that has been popular for many years. Some older models are losing the ability to control things like charging and heating from an app.

LIVE

It's EV News briefly for Sunday 15th 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.

Over 300,000 EVs will come off lease in the United States this year, driven by a post 2022 surge in EV leasing,

which continued all the way through until the tax credit ended only a few months ago.

And so that tax credit loophole under the Inflation Reduction Act allowed leased EVs to get the discount,

used EVs already selling faster than petrol cars on dealer lots making the incoming supply wave,

starting this year but set to go on until the end of the decade,

a significant affordable opportunity for anyone passing the pumps and seeing the rising prices.

Global EV sales, 1.1 million last month in February, that was down 11% year on year.

And that's the story of China really. Europe was the standout performer.

Europe EV sales up 21% year to date compared to the previous year, countries like Italy, Germany,

France all doing very well. China is where the global figure has wobbled as many sales were

bought forward into 2025 for purchase incentive reasons. Honda has cancelled three planned

US EVs, I told you earlier in the week about the zero series SUV, the saloon, the Acura RSX.

But what about the prologue? Well they said there was declining US demand in the United States

for electric vehicles. Hence the cancellation, Honda is pivoting back to hybrids. The prologue for

now stumbles on but it will end production in December this year. Honda say that's pure speculation.

BYD will unveil its flash charging technology and one of the first cars, well the first car

in Europe to be able to use it, the Denzer Z9 GT. 8th of April, less than a month to go in Paris,

they will showcase their second generation blade battery technology. That's a 97% charge

in nine minutes, so 70% charge in five minutes. Now in China the flash charges do work at 1500

kilowatts, 1.5 megawatt charging is nothing to be sniffed at. Multiple reports have speculated

that that could only be a thousand, only a thousand, just a megawatt charging when it arrives in Europe.

But crucially BYD have not commented yet. In Germany a Düsseldorf court ruled earlier this week that

Germany's motorway EV charging network must open up to full competition. They have a de facto

monopoly over fast charging, a 360 motorway service area. This new decision, a case bought

by Fastnet, requires open tenders for charging installations going forward. UK power networks

and one of the companies that will sell you energy in this country, Octopus, have launched a vehicle

to grid trial allowing EV owners to power the grid at peak demand. The initiative includes

automatic approval of a V2G charging connection. That's actually a UK first with UK power networks

approving 80% of requests compared to the national average of just 11%. The UK government has also

rejected the car industry's calls to bring forward a review of our mandate targets. They say that

that will come in 2027. Ministers say the timetable will allow a proper identification of the

pressure points the car industry itself wants an easing of the rules to carry on selling

more polluting but more profitable gas guzzlers. Zero motorcycles will sell their electric dirt

bites direct to consumers online, shipping them in crates, much like Tesla, although their cars

don't come in crates, of course. BMW teasing the updated i7, that will premiere next month

with a bigger battery and more efficiency. Nissan is shutting down Nissan Connect, the EV app.

At the end of this month, giving owners just two weeks notice, stripping away remote charging,

preheating and battery monitoring from older Leafs and ENV200 vans.

About this episode

A surge in used EVs coming off lease in the US creates new affordable options as tax credit incentives expire. Global EV sales dipped due to China’s market shifts, while Europe saw strong growth. Honda cancels several US EV models, shifting focus back to hybrids amid declining demand. BYD prepares to launch ultra-fast charging tech in Europe, promising rapid battery replenishment. Germany mandates open competition for motorway EV charging, breaking a monopoly. The UK trials vehicle-to-grid tech and maintains its EV mandate review timeline despite industry pressure. Other highlights include Zero Motorcycles’ direct sales model, BMW’s i7 update, and Nissan discontinuing its EV app.

blade battery technology BYD EV charging network competition EV leasing flash charging gas guzzlers global EV sales Inflation Reduction Act mandate targets megawatt charging

Acura RSX BMW i7 Denza D9 Denza Z9 GT Honda Prologue Nissan e-NV200 Nissan Leaf

Original notes

It's EV News Briefly for Sunday 15 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

USED EV SUPPLY SET TO JUMP
Over 300,000 EVs are expected to come off lease in 2026, driven by a post-2022 surge in EV leasing fuelled by a federal tax credit loophole under the Inflation Reduction Act. Used EVs are already selling faster than petrol cars, making the incoming supply wave a significant affordability opportunity for buyers.
GLOBAL EV SALES FALL AS CHINA CORRECTS, EUROPE MOVES FORWARD
Global EV sales hit 1.1 million units in February 2026, down 11% year-over-year, with year-to-date totals of 2.2 million units, down 8% versus 2025. Europe was the standout performer, up 21% year-to-date, with Italy posting a record February thanks to subsidies of up to €20,000, while North America fell 36% and China dropped 26% though Chinese EV exports surpassed 500,000 units.
PROLOGUE STUMBLES ON AS HONDA RETREATS FROM EVS
Honda has cancelled three planned US EVs — the 0 Series SUV, 0 Series Saloon, and Acura RSX — citing declining EV demand and the rollback of US EV incentives under the Trump administration. Honda is pivoting back to hybrids, and reports suggest the Prologue will also end production in December, though Honda has called that speculation.
BYD SETS PARIS DEBUT FOR FLASH CHARGING
BYD will unveil its Flash Charging technology and the Denza Z9 GT in Paris on 8 April, showcasing a second-generation Blade Battery that charges from 10% to 97% in nine minutes. The Flash Chargers can deliver up to 1,500 kW using two cables simultaneously, though BYD has not confirmed European cable standards or peak output for that market.
GERMAN MOTORWAY CHARGING OPENS TO COMPETITION
A Düsseldorf court ruled on 6 March that Germany's motorway EV charging market must open to full competition, ending Tank & Rast's de-facto monopoly over fast charging at around 360 motorway service areas. The decision, brought by Fastned, requires open tenders for charging installations later in 2026 and could set a Europe-wide precedent for breaking up incumbent charging monopolies.
UK POWER NETWORKS STARTS UK-FIRST V2G TRIAL
UK Power Networks and Octopus Energy have launched a vehicle-to-grid trial in Amersham, Worthing, and Enfield, allowing EV owners to feed power back to the grid during peak demand. The initiative includes automatic approval of V2G charger connections — a UK first — with UK Power Networks approving 80% of requests compared to the national average of just 11%.
GOVERNMENT HOLDS LINE ON ZEV REVIEW
The UK government has rejected industry calls to bring forward the ZEV mandate review, maintaining a 2026 review with findings due in early 2027. Ministers say the timetable will properly identify pressure points, though the car industry's lobby group SMMT argues the transition was built on assumptions that have since proved incorrect.
ZERO SELLS XB AND XE DIRECT
Zero Motorcycles will sell its XB and XE electric dirt bikes directly to consumers online, shipping them in a crate for home assembly of key components like the battery and front fork. Dealers will continue to sell and service both models, with the direct channel aimed at streamlining fulfilment and better competing with electric off-road rivals.
BMW TEASES 2027 7 SERIES REFRESH
BMW has teased the updated 2027 7 Series ahead of its world premiere next month, with the mid-cycle refresh retaining the kidney grille rather than adopting Neue Klasse styling. The i7 electric variant is expected to receive a larger battery, silicon carbide inverters for better efficiency, and the full-width Panoramic Vision display from the iX3.
NISSAN TO END LEAF REMOTE APP ACCESS
Nissan will shut down the NissanConnect EV app on 30 March, stripping remote charging, pre-heating, and battery monitoring from older Leaf models and e-NV200 vans. The move has drawn criticism from owners who note EVs often remain in use for over 12 years, highlighting a broader industry problem where digital features can become obsolete long before the vehicle itself does.

EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs

Martyn Lee

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