EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs Feb 25, 2026

BRIFELY: Lucid, Diesel Decline, Volvo Recall & more | 25 Feb 2026

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Brand

Lucid

Lucid is a company that makes fancy electric cars that run on batteries instead of gas.

Concept

liquidity

Liquidity means how much money a company has ready to use so it can keep running and pay its bills.

Concept

midsize SUV

A midsize SUV is a medium-sized car that can carry people and stuff, bigger than a regular car but not too big.

Term

diesel

Diesel is another kind of fuel for cars and trucks. It helps engines run differently and often uses less fuel than petrol.

Term

petrol

Petrol is the fuel you put in many cars to make them run, similar to gasoline. It's what most regular cars use to drive.

Term

range anxiety

Range anxiety means worrying that your electric car might run out of power before you can charge it again. It's like being scared of running out of gas but for electric cars.

Concept

European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act

This is a new rule in Europe that says electric cars made there need to have most of their parts made in Europe. It helps local factories and jobs.

Term

EV

An EV is a car that runs on electricity instead of gas or diesel. It uses batteries to move.

Concept

battery recall

A battery recall means the car company found a problem with the car's battery and wants to fix it for free to keep people safe.

Car

Volvo EX-30

The Volvo EX-30 is a small electric SUV made by Volvo. It comes with either one or two electric motors to power the car.

Term

lithium plating

Lithium plating happens when tiny bits of lithium build up inside a car's battery while charging. This can make the battery unsafe and damage it.

Concept

corporate fleets going EV

When companies use electric cars for their work vehicles, it helps clean the air faster because these cars don't pollute like gas ones.

Car

Vauxhall Corsa GSE

The Vauxhall Corsa GSE is a small sporty car that runs only on electricity, bringing back the fun style of sporty cars from the 1990s but with clean electric power.

Concept

hot hatch

A hot hatch is a small car that's been made faster and more fun to drive, often with a sportier look and better performance.

Company

Renault

Renault is a big car company from France that makes many types of cars, including electric ones and vans.

Company

Volvo

Volvo is a car company from Sweden that makes safe and reliable cars and trucks, including electric ones.

Term

800-volt architecture

Some electric cars use a higher voltage system (800 volts) which means they can charge their batteries faster than normal electric cars.

Car

Renault Trafic van E-Tech

The Renault Trafic van E-Tech is a work van that runs on electricity and can charge faster because of its special high-voltage system.

Term

plug-in hybrid system

A plug-in hybrid car uses both gas and electricity. You can charge it like an electric car and drive some distance without using gas.

Car

Li Auto L8

The Lepas L8 is a family SUV that can run partly on electricity alone for about 50 miles before switching to gas, helping save fuel and reduce pollution.

LIVE

It's EV News briefly for Wednesday 25th February, everything EV in less than 5 minutes.

If you haven't got time for the full podcast, but you don't want to be left out of today's news,

Lucid just posted their results for Q4 last year, and therefore the full year numbers as well.

Q4 revenue was just over $520 million more than double the previous year,

and full year revenue of $1.35 billion in revenue, up 68% on the previous year.

They delivered just short of 16,000 vehicles last year,

up 55% on the previous year. They had their eighth consecutive quarter of record deliveries,

and they have $4.6 billion of liquidity. They say enough to get them through the painful bit

of hemorrhaging money, and they're relying and banking on a new $50,000 midsize SUV to come to

the rescue later in 2026, opening up much more affordable segments of the market.

Petrol and diesel are sliding in Europe. New car registrations were down a smidge

overall as a market last month in January in the European Union, but the real story

is behind the headlines. The combined petrol and diesel share is in freefall, 50% of the market

two years ago in January, 40% last January, and then last month 30% of the market. You can see

where this story ends up, can't you? I'll tell you what the real range anxiety is

when you go to fill your petrol or diesel car and all the petrol stations have closed down.

Now that, my friend, is range anxiety, because no one's buying a new one.

The European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act is the rather dry name for the thing that

would mean that EVs made in Europe have to have a 70% EU origin in terms of where the parts come

from, excluding the battery because it's too difficult to take China out of that at the moment,

but it's been delayed a fourth time. We're kind of being driven by France, actually,

and as long as EVs made in Europe are assembled here with European bits, then they would be able

to access some of those subsidies that are available. The UK warns against too much protectionism

with the cross-channel EV supply chains. Volvo has now been forced into issuing a formal recall

of its EX-30 single motor and twin motor versions. There's a potential with lithium plating in the

cells. The agreement has now been done with their battery supplier and their parent company,

Geely, but ultimately, in very rare cases, it could lead to a fire. So Volvo say that their

supplier will now replace the battery modules free of charge, and they still advise owners to

cap charging at 70% until the vehicle is fixed. That's a real bloody nose for Volvo, isn't it,

because the EX-30 is otherwise a great car, but I think it'll be damaged by that reputation.

Transport and environment. An advocacy group for zero emission transport, amongst other things,

is urging corporate fleets to go EV. The current European Commission's target, proposed target,

is 45% by 2030. TNE say it should be near a 70% because when corporate fleets go EV,

it cleans up the air much quicker. The Vauxhall has confirmed a fully electric Corsa GSE for

this year. It's a re-engineering of the car, a first proper hot hatch in eight years, not just a

trim level, and I'm totally here for it. Feels like a 1990s hot hatch revival era. Brilliant.

Renault takes full ownership of Flexis, its van venture with Volvo. The first ones are those

going to be 800-volt architecture Renault traffic van E-tex made in France before the end of the year.

Cherry-owned LEPAS has confirmed a family SUV for the UK called the L8, a plug-in hybrid system

with a 20 kilowatt hour battery. That should be good for 50 plus miles of electric range. That's

sister cars like Jku and Emoda. And finally, Honda has launched the Icon E electric scooter in Japan

for 200,000 yen. That's about 1500 US dollars equivalent, undercutting its own petrol mopeds.

And that's briefly.

About this episode

Lucid reported strong Q4 and full-year 2025 results with record deliveries and plans for a $50,000 midsize SUV to boost sales. Diesel and petrol car registrations in Europe continue to decline sharply, now just 30% of the market. The EU's Industrial Accelerator Act, aiming to boost European EV parts sourcing, faces delays amid concerns over protectionism. Volvo recalls EX-30 models due to rare battery fire risks, impacting its reputation. Corporate fleets are urged to accelerate EV adoption, while Vauxhall revives the hot hatch with a new electric Corsa GSE. Renault expands its electric van lineup, and Honda launches an affordable electric scooter in Japan.

800 volt architecture battery recall corporate fleets going EV diesel European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act EV hot hatch liquidity lithium plating Lucid

Li Auto L8 Renault Trafic Vauxhall Corsa 5 doors Volvo EX30

Original notes

It's EV News Briefly for Wednesday 25 February 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

LUCID LIFTS SALES, STILL BLEEDS CASH
Lucid posted Q4 2025 revenue of $522.7 million — more than double the prior year — and full-year revenue of $1.35 billion (+68%), while delivering 15,841 vehicles in 2025 (+55%), its eighth consecutive quarter of record deliveries, backed by $4.6 billion in liquidity. The growth comes at a steep price: the company burned $3.8 billion in cash in 2025, announced its third layoff in three years (cutting 12% of US salaried staff), and is banking on a new ~$50,000 midsize SUV later in 2026.
EU PETROL AND DIESEL SHARE SLIDES AGAIN
EU new car registrations fell 3.9% in January 2026, but the real story is the collapse in fossil fuel powertrains: the combined petrol and diesel share fell from 39.5% a year ago to just 30.1%, down from 48.7% in January 2024, with petrol registrations dropping 28.2% year-on-year across France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Pure BEVs took a 19.3% share (up from 14.9% twelve months prior), and electrified powertrains collectively accounted for around 68% of all January registrations.
COMMISSION DELAYS "MADE IN EUROPE" PROCUREMENT ACT
The European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act — which would add a "European preference" to public procurement, including a 70% EU-origin threshold for electric vehicles — has been delayed for a fourth time, now targeting a 4 March presentation. The UK has raised concerns that any protectionist tilt could damage cross-Channel automotive supply chains, given the EU is the largest export market for UK-built cars.
VOLVO RECALLS 40,323 EX30S OVER FIRE RISK
Volvo has issued a formal recall of 40,323 EX30 Single-Motor Extended Range and Twin-Motor Performance vehicles over a battery overheating risk — caused by lithium plating growth in cells from Shandong Geely Sunwoda Power Battery Co — that could trigger a fire. Volvo will replace the battery modules free of charge, but has disputed Reuters' estimate that the replacements alone could cost around $195 million, while continuing to advise owners to cap charging at 70% until their vehicle is fixed.
T&E PUSHES EU TO TOUGHEN CORPORATE EV QUOTAS
Transport & Environment, an NGO advocating for clean transport, is urging the EU to raise corporate fleet EV targets to 69% zero-emission vehicles by 2030 — well above the Commission's proposed 45% — while excluding PHEVs entirely, arguing that company car drivers rarely plug in and routinely exceed lab-test emissions figures. Corporate buyers account for roughly 60% of new EU car sales, and T&E says its stricter targets would deliver 1.9 million additional EU-made EV sales in 2030, versus 1.2 million under the current Commission plan, while redirecting €42 billion in annual fossil fuel company car tax subsidies toward EU-built EVs.
VAUXHALL CONFIRMS ELECTRIC CORSA GSE FOR 2026
Vauxhall has confirmed a fully electric Corsa GSE for 2026, the brand's first hot hatch in eight years and the second model under its revived GSE performance sub-brand. The car is expected to carry over the Mokka GSE's 276bhp front motor, 54kWh battery, Torsen limited-slip differential, and Alcon brakes — a combination that delivers 0–62mph in 5.9 seconds on the Mokka, matching the Mini Cooper Electric JCW.
RENAULT TO BUY OUT FLEXIS PARTNERS
Renault plans to take full ownership of Flexis, its electric van joint venture, by buying out partners Volvo Group and CMA CGM — part of a broader retrenchment under new CEO François Provost that also sees the Ampere EV and software unit folded back into Renault Group by as early as July 2026. The first Flexis product, the Renault Trafic Van E-Tech, remains on track for production at Sandouville before the end of 2026, with Renault Trucks distributing the van from 2027 under an existing light commercial vehicle partnership.
LEPAS CONFIRMS L8 SUV FOR UK LAUNCH
Chery-owned Lepas has confirmed its L8 SUV as its first UK model, with a summer 2026 launch expected and full specifications still to come. The most likely powertrain is the plug-in hybrid system shared with the UK-spec Jaecoo 7 — a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor and 18.3kWh battery delivering 56 miles of electric range and 204bhp total — with a pure EV variant expected to follow.
HONDA ICON E: ELECTRIC SCOOTER HITS ¥220,000 IN JAPAN
Honda has launched the ICON e: electric scooter in Japan at ¥220,000 (~$1,435 / €1,350), undercutting its own petrol mopeds by around ¥20,000 and claiming 81km (50 miles) of range via a removable, swappable Mobile Power Pack e: battery. Accessible from age 16 under Japan's moped licence class — mirroring the EU's AM category — the ICON e: is designed for urban practicality over headline specs, and its sub-€1,400 price positions it well as European cities continue to tighten low-emission zones.

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