EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs Mar 2, 2026

BRIEFLY: VW, Škoda, Canada & more | 01 Mar 2026

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Term

pre-approved for financing

Getting pre-approved means a bank says you can borrow money to buy a car before you actually pick one. It helps you know how much money you can spend and makes buying easier.

Term

estimate trading value

Estimating trading value means figuring out how much your old car is worth when you want to trade it in for a new one. This helps you know how much money you get to spend on the new car.

Concept

battery electric vehicle (BEV)

A battery electric vehicle is a car that only uses electricity from batteries to run. It doesn't need gas or diesel to move.

Car

Volkswagen Id3

The Volkswagen ID.3 is a small electric car that runs on batteries instead of gas. It was one of the first electric cars made by Volkswagen to help people drive cleaner and quieter.

Car

Volkswagen E-UP

The Volkswagen E-UP is one of the first electric cars Volkswagen made. It started their journey into making cars that run on batteries instead of gas.

Car

The Volkswagen ID.4 is a fully electric car shaped like a small SUV, which means it doesn't use gas and is better for the environment. It's very popular worldwide because many people want to switch to electric cars.

Car

Škoda Superb

The Škoda Superb is a big car that can carry a lot of people and stuff. This version uses both a gas engine and an electric motor to help it go farther and use less fuel.

Term

plug-in hybrid

A plug-in hybrid car uses both gas and electricity. You can charge its battery by plugging it in, so it can drive some distance just on electricity, which saves gas and helps the environment.

Part

electric motor

The electric motor is a part that uses electricity from the battery to make the car move. It helps the gas engine so the car uses less fuel.

Concept

import quotas

Import quotas are rules that limit how many cars from other countries can be brought in. This can change how many cars you see for sale and how much they cost.

Term

tariff

A tariff is a tax you pay when bringing cars from other countries into your own. Lower tariffs mean the cars cost less money.

Brand

Tesla

Tesla makes electric cars that run on batteries instead of gas. They are very popular and help reduce pollution.

Brand

Volvo

Volvo makes cars that are very safe and strong, and they are making more electric cars now.

Brand

Polestar

Polestar is a car company that makes fast electric cars, connected to Volvo.

Car

Cupra Born

The Bourne is a car that is getting a new look with changes to its front, back, and inside.

Car

Cupra Tavascan

The Tava scan is a new car from Coupreux that helps decide how the Bourne looks now.

Car

Cupra Terramar

The Teramar is another car from Coupreux that helps decide how the Bourne looks now.

Car

Land Rover Range Rover Velar

The Range Rover Velar is a fancy SUV that is getting a new electric version. It looks different from older models, especially in the back where the roof slopes down more.

Term

cab forward stance

Cab forward means the part where people sit is pushed more towards the front of the car. This can make the inside roomier and change how the car looks.

Term

fast back roofline

Fastback means the roof of the car slopes down smoothly towards the back, making the car look sporty and smooth.

Term

800V EMA platform

This is a new type of electric car design from Jaguar Land Rover that lets the battery charge faster and helps the car work better.

Term

fast charging

Fast charging means you can fill up the car's battery much quicker than usual, so you don't have to wait long to drive again.

Concept

aerodynamic gain

Aerodynamic gain means making the car's shape better so it can move through the air easier and use less energy.

Company

Rivian

Rivian is a company that makes electric trucks and SUVs that can go off-road and are good for outdoor activities.

Concept

performance sub-brand

This means a part of the company that makes faster or tougher versions of their cars for people who want more power or better off-road ability.

Car

Ford Raptor

The Ford Raptor is a special kind of truck made for driving on rough dirt roads and trails. It has a strong engine and special parts that help it go over bumps and rough ground easily.

Car

R1 vehicles

R1 vehicles are electric trucks and SUVs made by Rivian. They are built to go off-road and have strong electric motors to help them drive well on rough ground.

Term

superchargers

Superchargers are special places where Tesla cars can get their batteries charged very quickly, much faster than normal charging spots.

Concept

battery electric heavy truck

Battery electric heavy trucks are big trucks that use electricity from batteries to run instead of gas or diesel. This helps make less pollution.

Concept

market share

Market share means how much of the total sales in a market a company has compared to others.

Company

Northvolt

Northvolt is a company from Sweden that makes batteries used in electric cars and to store energy.

Company

Lytton

Lytton is a company that makes batteries for electric vehicles and other uses. They recently bought another company to grow bigger.

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.

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 Sunday, 1st 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.

Massive milestone hit today.

Volkswagen delivered its two millionth pure-beav battery electric vehicle.

They've even picked out a car that was the two millionth.

I never convinced that there was a few cars either way, but you know, they do this to

get a message across.

They chose to pick an ID3 handed to the customer at their factory in Dresden.

Capping a journey that began with the E-UP in 2013.

The ID4 has sold 901,000 units globally, while the brand now looks ahead to a new affordable

EV range, like the ID Polo, coming later this year.

Congratulations to Volkswagen, two million bevs later.

They've got some exciting plans.

Škoda has unveiled a 200 kilowatt plug-in hybrid for the superb hatchback version.

So taking the existing engine and adding it to an 85 kilowatt electric motor and a battery

that's almost 26 kilowatt hours in terms of energy storage, the most powerful model in

Škoda's plug-in hybrid lineup, the launch reflects growing demand.

One in four superbs now come with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and more than 68,000 superbs

have been delivered since 2019 in their IV range.

Canada has begun accepting import quotas and applications from today,

first of March, allowing up to 49,000 EVs, which were assembled and made in China,

not necessarily of Chinese brand origin, to enter a mere 6.1% tariff,

a sharp cut from 106.1% until recently.

On a first come, first served basis, Tesla, Polestar and Volvo are the front runners to

use the allocation.

They already have all the necessary pieces of paper in place to bring cars into Canada.

The number will rise to 70,000 by 2030, with some quotas like 50% will have to be EVs

below a set price threshold.

Coupreux will unveil the facelift of the Bourne later this week, bringing a harder

edged front and rear styling that aligns with their new Teramar and Tava scan and interior

upgrades as well.

While the refresh matters, the Bourne sold well, nearly 30,000 units in the UK alone

since 2022, and they've got a new smaller Reval coming part of that new Volkswagen

urban car lineup I've talked about a lot lately, starting at around 23,000.

A Range Rover Velar EV has been caught in European testing, revealing a reshaped body,

a cab forward stance, angular haunches, but the rear end is what got most attention

because it's like a fast back roofline, so that breaks sharply from the traditional

big box Range Rover.

Crucially, it'll be the first Jaguar Land Rover on their 800V EMA platform, 300 miles

of range fast charging, but maybe giving a little bit of practicality away in terms of

aerodynamic gain.

Rivian has launched the Rivian Adventure Department, RAD.

Nice, a dedicated performance sub-brand targeting harder and faster off-road driving that puts

it in direct competition with Land Rovers, Octa or Ford's Raptors.

RAD formalizes the engineering team already responsible for the quad motor variants of

the R1 vehicles.

Tesla has updated the guidance to their drivers of not LFP cars, and so only charge your vehicle

up to 80% and try and reserve your visits to superchargers for road trips because of

battery degradation.

Volvo are accelerating its battery electric heavy truck strategy, and they already hold

a 19% share of the European heavy truck market and leaning into their EVs.

And Lytton has completed its acquisition of Northvolts operations in Sweden, a deal

encompassing nearly $5 billion in book value for sale manufacturing.

That's today's Briefly.

Pre-approved for financing, an estimate trading value, advanced, intuitive and deployed.

That's how they stack.

That's technology at Capital One.

About this episode

Highlights include Volkswagen reaching two million pure battery electric vehicle deliveries, Škoda unveiling a powerful plug-in hybrid Superb hatchback, and Canada opening import quotas for Chinese-made EVs with reduced tariffs. The Range Rover Velar EV prototype reveals a new design and advanced platform, while Rivian launches a performance off-road sub-brand, RAD. Tesla advises LFP battery owners to limit charging to 80% to reduce degradation. Volvo pushes further into electric heavy trucks, and Lytton finalizes a major acquisition of Northvolt's Swedish operations. Plus, Capital One’s AI-powered Chat Concierge is revolutionizing car shopping with financing and test drive scheduling.

800V EMA platform aerodynamic gain battery electric heavy truck battery electric vehicle (BEV) cab forward stance electric motor estimate trading value fast back roofline fast charging import quotas

Cupra Born Cupra Tavascan Cupra Terramar Ford F-150 Land Rover Range Rover Velar Rivian R1T Volkswagen e-Up Volkswagen ID.3 Volkswagen ID.4

Original notes

It's EV News Briefly for Sunday 01 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

VOLKSWAGEN HITS 2 MILLION EV DELIVERIES
Volkswagen delivered its 2 millionth battery electric vehicle — an ID.3 handed to customer Kirsten Vormbrock at the Transparent Factory in Dresden — capping a journey that began with the e-up! in 2013. The ID.4 leads the tally with roughly 901,000 units sold globally, while the brand now looks ahead to four new affordable EVs including the ID. Polo, arriving in 2026.
ŠKODA GIVES SUPERB HATCH A 200 KW PHEV
Škoda has unveiled a 200 kW plug-in hybrid for the Superb Hatch, pairing a 1.5 TSI petrol engine with an 85 kW electric motor and a 25.7 kWh battery — making it the most powerful combustion-engine model in Škoda's current lineup. The launch reflects growing demand: one in four Superb models now sells with a PHEV powertrain, and more than 68,000 Superb iV models have been delivered since 2019.
CANADA OPENS CHINA-BUILT EV QUOTA AT 6.1% TARIFF
Canada began accepting import permit applications from 1 March 2026, allowing up to 49,000 China-built EVs per year to enter at a 6.1% tariff — a sharp cut from the 106.1% rate imposed in 2024 — on a first-come, first-served basis. Tesla, Polestar, and Volvo are considered frontrunners to use the allocation, which Ottawa plans to scale to 70,000 vehicles annually by 2030, with 50% of that expanded quota reserved for EVs below a set price threshold.
CUPRA SETS 5 MARCH BORN FACELIFT REVEAL
Cupra will unveil the Born facelift on 5 March, bringing harder-edged front and rear styling that aligns the model visually with the newer Terramar and Tavascan, plus expected interior upgrades including more premium materials and a revised infotainment layout. The refresh matters commercially: the Born has sold nearly 30,000 units in the UK alone since its 2022 launch, and Cupra will also soon introduce the smaller Raval electric hatchback from approximately £23,000.
RANGE ROVER VELAR EV SPOTTED ON WINTER TEST
A Range Rover Velar EV prototype has been caught in European winter testing, revealing a dramatically reshaped body with a cab-forward stance, angular haunches, and a fastback-leaning roofline that breaks sharply from traditional boxy SUV design. Crucially, it will be the first Jaguar Land Rover model built on the new 800-volt Electric Modular Architecture (EMA) platform, which is engineered to deliver over 300 miles of range and faster charging capability.
RIVIAN LAUNCHES RAD PERFORMANCE SUB-BRAND
Rivian has launched the Rivian Adventure Department (RAD), a dedicated performance sub-brand targeting harder and faster off-road driving that puts it in direct competition with Land Rover's Octa and Ford's Raptor line. RAD formalises the engineering team already responsible for the R1S and R1T Quad Motor variants, giving Rivian's performance ambitions an official identity and a public-facing platform.
TESLA TELLS MODEL Y OWNERS TO CHARGE GENTLY
Tesla has updated the Model Y Owner's Manual to advise owners to rely on home Level 1 or Level 2 charging for daily use — keeping limits at 80% — and to reserve Superchargers for road trips, warning that frequent DC fast charging accelerates long-term battery degradation. For long-term storage, Tesla recommends parking at approximately 50% state of charge and flagging that features like Sentry Mode and Dog Mode can silently drain the battery at roughly 1% per day while the car sits idle.
VOLVO PLOTS FASTER ZERO-EMISSION TRUCK PUSH
Volvo Group is accelerating its battery-electric heavy truck strategy from a position of strength, holding a 19% share of the European heavy-truck market for the second consecutive year. Its flagship FH Aero Electric packs 780 kWh of batteries for up to 600 km of range and supports megawatt charging that takes the pack from 20% to 80% in just 45 minutes — aligning recharge stops with mandatory driver rest breaks.
LYTEN TAKES OVER NORTHVOLT'S SWEDISH BATTERY ASSETS
Lyten has completed its acquisition of Northvolt's Swedish operations — covering Northvolt Ett, Ett Expansion, and Northvolt Labs — in a deal encompassing nearly $5 billion in book value, 16 GWh of manufacturing capacity, and Europe's largest battery R&D centre. The company plans to restart lithium-ion NMC cell production at the Skellefteå site in the second half of 2026, and will use Northvolt Labs in Västerås to advance its proprietary lithium-sulfur battery technology.
BRIM EXPLORER ORDERS TWO ELECTRIC TRIMARANS
Oslo-based Brim Explorer has signed contracts for two fully electric trimarans — each 24 metres long, carrying 180 passengers — which the firm claims will be the world's most efficient battery-powered vessels upon their spring 2027 delivery. The boats will operate silent, emission-free sightseeing cruises along Norway's coast with a battery-only range of 100 nautical miles at speeds up to 20 knots, expanding Brim's existing five-vessel fleet.

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