DAILY: EU Plans Local Rules For EVs, Ford Pitches US-China Venture and Volvo’s Fleet Software Update| 18 Feb 2026

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Welcome back to EV News Daily.

Today, the EU plans local rules for EVs.

Ford pitches a US-China venture and Volvo's big fleet software update.

Plus, stay tuned. Later in the show, I'll tell you why Maserati has not announced any discounts itself,

but US buyers may notice them on the window sticker.

On EV News China today, our spin-off podcast, we're talking about the BYD K-Car for Japan,

China battery installs falling, and the Hong Chi brand testing an off-road EV.

Looking very Land Rover-y, looking very total Land Cruiser-y.

Okay, let's get into the podcast today.

The European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act, which is due on the 25th of February,

introduces local content rules for the EU's 2.6 trillion euro or 2.75 trillion dollar

manufacturing base to counter the Chinese.

EVs must source 70% of source components, excluding the batteries from the European Union

or be fully assembled within the European Union.

To qualify for state support, and that threshold remains provisional,

several core battery components must originate in the EU,

a condition that insiders say is hard to meet,

given European reliance on Chinese battery technology and raw materials.

Construction rules require 25% of aluminium and 30% of plastics in windows and doors

to be from the EU, and also carbon emissions factor into it as well.

Volkswagen itself has recently been shutting plants and cutting jobs.

Clean tech firms, battery makers, and parts suppliers all back the Act,

but the major German automakers have struggled.

BMW warns of added costs and red tape if this goes ahead.

Volkswagen and Stellantis both lobbied for a made-in-Europe incentive scheme.

Some want Turkey, the United Kingdom and Japan to be included.

BYD, the world's best-selling EV brand in 2025, is building for Europe in Hungary,

with a $1 billion deal signed in July 2024 for a Turkish factory.

Tesla's Model 3 from Gigafactory Shanghai faces the same EU tests as well,

as it's imported.

Fascinating to see what this does to the kind of incentives, subsidies,

and the prices that you and I eventually pay for electric vehicles,

but it's not surprising to see over the last 12 months

the direction that China's gone and the United States

and the European Union, which can sometimes operate a little bit slower

I guess you have to get a consensus of multiple states, don't you?

But also to see them becoming a little more insular, a little more protectionist

and many would argue that that can be a good or a bad thing.

I'll leave that up to you. I'm no economist.

Okay, let's talk about Ford CEO Jim Farley.

He thinks the United States and the China car companies should do EV joint ventures.

In fact, he pitched the idea to White House officials,

people like Jameson Greer, Sean Duffy and Lee Zeldin,

that would allow Chinese automakers to make vehicles on US soil

under domestic brands sharing profits and technology.

Globally, the sales exceeded four million in Q4 last year.

China recorded three million of them.

Three million pure bevs.

Those with Chinese partnerships, Volkswagen, Kia, Stalantis, Ford and more

all work with the Chinese.

US tariffs on security bans currently restrict Chinese brands.

GM warns that entry would destabilize North American supply chains

and erode their share.

The White House, meanwhile, conditionally supports Chinese-funded US plants

employing American workers.

There is a US-China summit pending.

Canada, on its part, as you know, cut the Chinese EV tariff from 100% to 6%.

A move that some warned it would regret.

Ford is negotiating with BYD on hybrid batteries outside the US

and possibly with Geely to use some of their European manufacturing capacity.

Now as for BYD, BYD's 4.6 million sales last year surpassed Ford.

Ford made 4.4 million vehicles.

Ford will produce CATL licensed batteries at their Michigan plant.

They're going to be LFP packs for their new Universal EV platform.

So, Ford have more of a relationship with China than some, less than others.

Many use Chinese partners for software, some for ADAS.

An approach that Ford say they're monitoring.

How formal this Ford-China deal could be?

Well, it won't be the work of a moment.

And frankly, from the where I sit, it does depend on which way the wind is blowing

in the current White House administration, even down to the mood that people wake up on that morning.

So, I appreciate Ford CEO pitching the idea of let's do joint ventures with China.

Let's bring in their technology to the United States.

We'll see where that goes.

Volvo is rolling out a fleet-wide update, which is a huge deal for Volvo.

But I think what many people kind of forget is this is bread and butter to the likes of Tesla.

Now, it's not easy for established car makers that all work on slightly different platforms

with different suppliers.

And it's in a way trying to wade through treacle, having to bring all of your external partners together.

Tesla have one car. They have the Model 3 and the Model Y.

It's one platform. It's one car, effectively.

And so what Tesla can do with rolling out fleet-wide updates very regularly.

I think it's something that captured people's imagination back in the day.

And if you're a Tesla owner and you see the regular updates, then you are reminded of it.

But outside of Tesla ownership, I suspect many people forget that.

Whereas when a company like Volvo do it, they're making a real song and dance

because it is a very big deal for Volvo.

But this wouldn't be a big deal for someone like Tesla.

Volvo's rolling out software version 5.0.5. It's branded Volvo Car UX.

And they're rolling it out to 2.5 million vehicles.

And that's a really big deal.

It's obviously not the entire fleet, but it is the entire fleet of Volvos that run Google's Android Automotive.

Like the Polestar that I drive.

It targets cars from 2020 onwards.

Originally planned for late 2024.

Here we are in February 2026.

And it's still not here.

But Volvo say it'll start to arrive over the air within three weeks.

Or sooner if you visit a dealer.

But who wants to do that?

The redesigned home screen centres the map

and adds a persistent button bar for frequently used functions.

On plug-in hybrid models, the bar includes driving mode selection,

reducing the process from three taps to two.

The digital instrument cluster gains a larger map view, bringing free 2025 cars

up to date with what an EX90 would look like if you walked into the showroom and bought a fresh new one.

The companion app adds core features.

Owners can now link Volvo ID to a vehicle, share access with other users

and pair a car by scanning a QR code on the display.

Some owners of pre-25 cars report lags and crashes

because of older, slower processes struggling.

I don't have that issue with my Polestar.

I've got one of the launch cars.

I've got a 2020 all-wheel drive launch spec Polestar 2.

I find it pretty snappy.

Now on the forums and on the Polestar places that I hang out,

I see people having a rice old whinge about Polestar buttons aren't as fast to press as modern EVs.

So maybe my expectations are just a lot lower with cars.

But personally, that's everything that I need at a speed at which I need.

And the only thing that I've noticed is that there's not really a fast cadence of software updates with Polestar

that you would get with, say, Tesla.

And so that is just an observation of mine, but is not a problem for me.

And I've never had it go wrong with an over-the-air update.

I would say they're every... I've not even looked.

I mean, there would be a changelog that I could go check three months or so, I would guess.

Which isn't very often.

For Volvo, this is a massive deal.

For other car companies, this would be, well, a regular Monday morning.

OK, let's talk about EDF, the energy company.

They want permission from the UK government to run their nuclear plant, it's called Sizewell B,

for 20 more years.

Yet a University of Surrey study today says that solar power is now the most cost-effective way to generate electricity,

but tying it into existing grids is where it proves slightly more tricky.

Offshore wind looks less settled.

Shell plans to pull out of two floating offshore wind projects in the North Sea.

Others keep hunting for new sources.

Dolphin labs are turning to ocean wave energy to turn waves into electricity for its X-node remote sensing platform.

Of course, we're a small island somewhere between the North Sea and the Atlantic.

We've got plenty of wind and plenty of waves.

There's absolutely no reason for nuclear to be our future with energy batteries as storage and plenty of renewables on offer.

We're not the sunniest place, but we do have advantages.

And of course, all that electricity is clean, green renewable power for your electric car.

Now, Maruti Suzuki, India's largest automaker, has launched and begun delivering the E-Vitara using battery as a service in India.

That's the same approach as Neo in China.

It lowers the upfront costs and that is obviously a barrier for some people in getting it into an EV.

Buyers pay around $12,000 US dollars equivalent for the car and lease the battery per kilometer driven.

That's about four cents per kilometer or seven cents per mile driven.

That introductory rate is locked in till the end of March this year.

There's a 49 kilowatt hour or 61 kilowatt hour pack and they both carry eight year warranties.

Standard safety equipment, level two ADAS, lane keep assist, automatic braking, complimentary, 7.4 kilowatt AC wall boxes come with those vehicles in India

and a year of free charging at Maruti dealer locations, which is nice.

And also they offer an assured buyback of 60% of vehicle value within three years.

That's interesting, isn't it?

Whether splitting the car price from the battery cost builds by a confidence or just adds complexity.

We'll see if India goes for battery swapping or battery leasing in the way that China has.

The United Kingdom retained its position as Europe's largest zero emission bus market last year.

Over two and a half thousand new zero emission buses on the roads according to new data.

Those registrations were 27% of all new buses entering service.

The vast majority of battery electric, some hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are around.

When I used to work in London, I was there for 10 years in the middle of town actually.

So I'd get the train into Waterloo and I haven't done this since before the pandemic.

But in my old life, I used to get the train into Waterloo and then jump on a bike.

We used to get sort of, we called them Boris bikes. Long story.

And jump on a bike and then cycle a couple of miles into the heart of Soho.

And a couple of things always stood out to me.

Buses and cabs were horrific.

Going back 10 years, just the diesel fumes.

As a cyclist it was horrible.

And the hydrogen buses were always broken down on Waterloo Bridge.

100% guarantee they'd have the hazard lights on and people schlepping off them

onto a replacement bus service.

Now, battery electric buses, much more reliable and much more common,

I'm pleased to say, in the capital.

A city that my dad grew up calling The Big Smoke.

That was the nickname for London.

At least where he grew up on the outskirts of London.

I'm sure there'd be a phrase familiar with many of my older listeners.

Class myself maybe it's one of those days.

The Big Smoke is no longer The Big Smoke.

It's people no longer burn coal to keep warm.

And I'm pleased to say, no longer pumping out diesel emissions from the back of buses.

Now let's take a break.

We'll come back and we'll talk about Canada and EV signage.

Not sure I've talked about that in a while.

Back in a moment.

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If you're an HVAC technician and a call comes in,

Granger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product,

fast and hassle-free.

And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor,

there's no need to break a sweat.

With Granger's easy-to-use website and product details,

you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along.

Call 1-800-GRANGER, click Granger.com or just stop by.

Granger. For the ones who get it done.

The holidays are expensive.

You're paying for gifts, travel, decorations, food,

and before you know it, you've blown way past what you were planning to spend.

Don't start the new year off with bad money vibes.

Download Rocket Money to stay on top of your finances.

The app pulls your income, expenses and upcoming charges into one place

so you can get the clearest picture of your money.

It shows how much to set aside for bills

and how much is safe to spend for the month

so you can spend with confidence.

No guesswork needed.

Get alerts before bills hit.

Track budgets and see every subscription you're paying for.

Rocket Money also finds extra ways to save you money

by cancelling subscriptions you're not using

and negotiating lower bills for you.

On average, Rocket Money users can save up to $740 a year

when using all of the app's premium features.

Start the year off right by taking control of your finances.

Go to RocketMoney.com slash cancel to get started.

That's RocketMoney.com slash cancel.

RocketMoney.com slash cancel.

Take the scenic route at Abercrombie's new spring collection

designed for weekend getaways.

Full of layers like sweaters, dresses and matching sets

that take you from happy hour straight to a weekend upstate.

The piece on everyone's radar is their new reversible trench coat.

It's navy on one side and a coastal plaid on the other.

The perfect spring staple.

Get your closet ready for spring plans.

Shop Abercrombie in the app online and in stores.

All right, welcome back to the podcast.

Here, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles

is surveying stakeholders on a national rollout

of a standardized EV charging signage

modeled on petrol station signage.

So I'm sure it's the same in every country,

but here we have motorways,

which would be your freeways, I suppose.

So motorways always have blue signage.

So when you're on a motorway, a certain set of rules exist

and all the signs are blue.

And there's a certain set of standardized signs

on every motorway in the country,

a small country, easier to do.

And so whenever you're on a motorway,

when you see a petrol station sign

or a service center sign, it looks the same.

This survey is open till the 11th of March.

They're talking to charge point operators,

motorway service operators, local authorities,

and motoring groups.

Currently, EV charging signage is sparse

and looks differently across the UK road network.

Signs exist, but they're non-standard.

They're typically on private land.

The government has confirmed that standardized signage

is a key part of rolling out understanding of EVs.

What should a roadside sign look like

to tell you that there's an EV charger

in five miles, three miles, two miles,

and then here's the exit for the EV charger,

maybe for a certain speed of charger.

And certainly, some motorway signs

also have the price of petrol on a digital display,

the changes in real time, I suppose you'd call it.

Should we do that for electric charging?

Physical signage is important for drivers

and many say that affordable EVs

have things like phone mirroring through apps

which make driving an EV slightly more difficult

if your apps don't support things like charging networks

and more expensive vehicles, let's say,

that have maybe a more integrated Tesla-like approach

can be easier to navigate to charging

if you're plugging in your phone for your carplay

and some really cheap small EVs

almost expect you to plug your phone in now

to be the display or the infotainment

and that is an inconsistent experience

for drivers of cheaper vehicles, so signage important.

Now, let's go to Canada

and a bit more details about the Chinese EV Quota.

It's tempting Volvo to expand in Canada.

49,000 vehicles can come in annually,

not Chinese vehicles, but China-made vehicles

and of course that will be Chinese brands,

but Volvo is exploring the opportunity

of telling automotive news that they are looking into it

through the approval process.

Canada's 100% tariff on Chinese EVs

which was done to mirror the United States

before the cooling of the relationship

between Canada and the US

effectively halted Volvo's shipments

of making vehicles in China.

So the EX-30 and the plug-in hybrid XC60.

The XC60 is Volvo's best-selling model ever.

The EX-30, their entry-level BEV,

had to be re-rooted via European production

and it starts at 50,000 Canadian.

Volvo's lineup in Canada is the EX-30, EX-40,

EC40 and the XC60 plug-in hybrid,

XC90 plug-in hybrid.

The Quota could also return the EX-90

built in South Carolina but pulled from Canada

after a 25% levy on US-made vehicles.

Canada now faces a 50% duty on American-built vehicles.

The White House adding 35% to an existing 15%.

The EX-90 is also China-built, by the way.

So that Quota could allow the EX-90 into Canada

at lower prices built in China,

not just south of the border

thanks to the removal of free trade

between once formerly very close countries.

Canada and the United States.

Now, MAN truck and bus demonstrated

the megawatt charging system on their EV buses

in sub-zero temperatures in Sweden

with the Kempower hardware, the Kempower MCS hardware.

They use the ETGX trucks from MAN.

Stress testing, the electric trucks

and the high-power charging to see how hard

they can push the charges.

MCS megawatt charging system,

megawatt charging standard.

I also see it sort of inter-called targets.

Heavy-duty trucks and delivers charge rates

well beyond typical CCS,

reducing charging time and improving vehicle uptime.

Of course, with driver limits

and in terms of the time allowed behind the wheel,

particularly in Europe, for safety reasons

and fatigue and things like that.

Actually, a really fast-charging CCS vehicle

does time quite nicely with the amount of time

the driver has to kind of clock off before they clock on again.

Right, Maserati finishes off in the news today

not announcing any manufacturer discount,

but my US listeners may notice them on the window sticker.

CARS Direct reports that the brand sent dealers

a bulletin telling showrooms to cut the prices

of the Fulgore EV range.

It's called assistance cash.

Can I have some assistance cash?

I quite like a bit of assistance cash.

The biggest cuts hit the Grand Tourers.

The Gran Turismo Fulgore gets $85,000 off its base price.

The Grand Cabrio Fulgore gets $85,000 off its standardized base price.

Maserati also trims the electric SUV, the Gricale,

getting $40,000 off its sticker,

and the price now goes down to $81,000 US.

In the US market, the changes flip the usual pecking order,

the Gran Turismo Fulgore and Gran Cabrio Fulgore

now cost less than their combustion equivalents,

the Gricale slightly less than their combustion equivalent.

So far, the reductions appear limited to the US.

No similar cuts in Europe.

I've had a look on Auto Trader today at some used ones,

and yes, they remain exceptionally expensive

on the used car market.

I must point out as well, though,

that they're very beautiful vehicles inside and out,

but not for the light of wallet, let's say.

And that's your podcast for today.

Thanks for listening and thanks to our premium partners,

National Car Charging on the US mainland

and the Low Heart Charge in Hawaii,

and Test EV, Avalu's trusted partner

for independent EV battery health testing

in Australia and New Zealand.

Have a good one. See you tomorrow.

And remember, there's no such thing as a self-charging hybrid.

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small amounts of cash when you can afford it.

In a week, you'll forget you set it up.

In a month, you'll see real dollars piling up.

In a year, you'll be shocked at how much money you've saved.

Bonus challenge, upload an internet or phone bill

and let rocket money try to lower it.

You only pay if they find you savings.

On average,

rocket money members can save up to $740 a year

when using all of the app's premium features.

Users love the app with over 186,000 five-star ratings.

Make saving money the resolution you actually keep.

Start the 60-second savings challenge

at rocketmoney.com slash cancel.

That's rocketmoney.com slash cancel.

Rocketmoney.com slash cancel.

If you're an HVAC technician and a call comes in,

Granger knows that you need a partner

that helps you find the right product, fast and hassle-free.

And you know that when the first problem of the day

is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat.

With Granger's easy-to-use website and product details,

you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along.

Call 1-800-GRANGER, click Granger.com or just stop by.

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Granger, for the ones who get it done.

If you're an HVAC technician and a call comes in,

Granger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product,

fast and hassle-free.

And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor,

there's no need to break a sweat.

With Granger's easy-to-use website and product details,

you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along.

Call 1-800-GRANGER, click Granger.com or just stop by.

Granger, for the ones who get it done.

If you're an HVAC technician and a call comes in,

Granger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product,

fast and hassle-free.

And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor,

there's no need to break a sweat.

With Granger's easy-to-use website and product details,

you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along.

Call 1-800-GRANGER, click Granger.com or just stop by.

Granger, for the ones who get it done.

DAILY: EU Plans Local Rules For EVs, Ford Pitches US-China Venture and Volvo’s Fleet Software Update| 18 Feb 2026

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