Volkswagen Group has shared a progress update outlining the development of its upcoming MEB+ EV platform. What was originally thought to be an upgrade to its current EV platform will actually arrive as the German automaker’s next-generation EV backbone. Volkswagen reaffirmed previous range improvements but also shared new details on upcoming models we can expect to see use this technology in the future. Here’s the latest.
Back in 2015, long before its full commitment to become an all-electric brand, Volkswagen Group had the foresight to begin developing a bespoke EV platform it could build upon rather that continue to retrofit existing vehicle bodies with electric drivetrain components.
The result was its MEB platform, which currently sits below several of Volkswagen’s current EV models like the ID.3, ID.4, and shiny new ID.Buzz. This past April, we reported on news from Volkswagen regarding the MEB+ platform, which was promising to deliver 700 km (435 miles) of range to future VW group EVs.
At the time, we explained that Volkswagen is more than likely referring to WLTC range standard, so we’d wager real world distance to be quite lower (probably around 350 miles). Regardless, 700 km of electric range will be a huge improvement compared to the 500 km the current MEB platform can deliver.
In addition to once again confirming some of the specs originally shared this past spring, Volkswagen has shared additional updates in regard to the MEB+ platform’s progress.
Source: Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen MEB+ platform will support 10 new EVs by 2026
In addition to sharing how much of the technology was developed in its current platform, Volkswagen Group shared a progress update of its next-generation version, which may include autonomous capabilities and new battery technology. Per the release:
In the coming years, Volkswagen will invest substantially in the further development of its successful e-platform: MEB will become MEB+. In line with the original idea, the charging and storage technology as well as the digital infrastructure will be improved. With MEB+, significant leaps will be possible in automated driving functions, for example. The MEB+ will use Volkswagen’s new generation of batteries – the so-called unit cell – and enable ranges of up to 700 km. And the MEB+ will also significantly improve charging times, with charging speeds of 175–200 kW possible in the future.
Once again, Volkswagen has confirmed 700 km range and charge speeds up to 200 kW on its future EVs atop the MEB+ platform. Speaking of which, the automaker also shared that this updated platform will support 10 new Volkswagen brand EVs by 2026, including a 25,000 euro model ($26,400). The group states it is also planning new electric vehicles in the performance and premium segments, hinting that we will probably also see Audi EVs on the MEB+ as well.
No exact timeline is available yet that details where or when we may see the first Volkswagen EV on the MEB+, but we are sure to learn more as new EVs are teased between now and 2026. Stay tuned.
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Xiaomi has confirmed receiving over 200,000 real orders for its Tesla killer, the YU7, in just three minutes. We are referring to actual orders, with a soon-to-be non-refundable deposit.
Today, Xiaomi launched its second vehicle, the YU7, coming just four years after establishing its EV division and less than a year after introducing its first car, the SU7.
At the launch event, CEO Lei Jun was not shy about making comparisons to Tesla.
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While the CEO praised the automaker for its leading efficiency and ADAS system, Lei Jun released a series of slides that favorably compared the YU7 to the Model Y.
It started with a comparison of the entire dimensions of both vehicles (image translated via Google):
Xiaomi’s CEO then claimed that the new YU7 had a significantly quite cabin with much less road noises than Tesla’s best-selling SUV (image translated via Google):
In my first drive of the YU7, I did note that the cabin was ultra quiet and demonstrated it briefly in my Youtube video about the new electric SUV:
The double-panned acoustic glass all around helps with that, but the vehicle’s suspension is also optimized for noise, as well as active noise cancellation throughout the car.
Xiaomi also claimed that the vehicle, especially its electro-shading sunroof, was able to keep the cabin much cooler in extreme heat than Tesla’s Model Y (image translated via Google):
Lei Jun even shared a tweet that he posted about challenging Tesla Model Y’s best-selling crown and then truly went on the attack with pricing.
Ahead of today’s event Xiaomi had already shared a lot of information about the YU7, but pricing was the last significant piece of the puzzle.
The CEO decided to release with a direct comparison of each variant to Tesla’s own Model Y variant, and it was pretty brutal.
The base YU7 starts at just 253,500 RMB (equivalent to $35,300 USD) – 10,000 RMB less than Tesla, and it offers more than 200 extra km in range (image translated via Google):
As for the YU7 Pro, it starts at 279,900 RMB (equivalent to $39,000 USD), more than 30,000 RMB less than Tesla’s Model Y Long Range and it also compares quite favorably on the main features, including range (image translated via Google):
Finally, the YU7 Max was announced at 329,900 RMB (equivalent to $46,000 USD), 25,000 RMB less than Model Y Performance, and the specs are not even close:
With these incredibly favorable comparisons to Tesla’s best-selling SUV, it’s not surprising that Xiaomi has received record demand for the YU7.
It reported having received over 200,000 orders for the new electric vehicle within 3 minutes of opening orders at 10PM local time on Thursday.
It’s also important to note that these orders represent a genuine show of interest. This is not a Cybertruck situation where Tesla claimed to have over 1 million reservations, but ended up only selling about 50,000 units.
People ordering the vehicle need to place a 5,000 RMB (~700$) deposit, which only remains refundable for a few days before the order becomes locked in.
Xiaomi has already started production of the YU7 and made units available for delivery (with configurations limited to those pre-arranged by their designers) for almost immediate delivery.
Electrek’s Take
It’s hard to overestimate just how much this shook up the industry. At an average sale price of $40,000, that’s about $8 billion in sales that Xiaomi booked in 3 minutes.
I would expect the tally to increase past 400,000 in the coming days, and it will likely lock up a significant portion of potential buyers in the segment, particularly Model Y, for an extended period.
Tesla was already experiencing problems in China and had to offer record incentives to maintain its sales, but it will now face even greater challenges in the second half of the year.
I expect that Tesla will quickly launch its lower priced stripped down Model Y to try to help demand following this beating.
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BYD says there’s no slowdown, despite the rumors. After several sources claimed that BYD was cutting EV production in China due to slowing sales, the company is pushing back, saying output is stable and sales are still growing.
Why is BYD cutting EV production in China?
With nearly 382,476 new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold globally in May, BYD is coming off its best sales month of 2025.
Like most carmakers in China, BYD reports monthly NEV sales, which include fully electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
BYD’s sales are up 39% through the first five months of the year, with over 1.76 million NEVs sold worldwide. Not including its commercial vehicles, BYD’s passenger vehicle sales are up 37% through May, with over 1.73 million units sold.
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Its battery-electric vehicles (EVs) are leading the growth, with sales up 40% through the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
After a few sources claimed the growth was not enough and the company was already cutting EV production over slowing sales, BYD is shutting down the rumors.
BYD Seagull EV testing with God’s Eye C smart driving system (Source: BYD)
Two people close to the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that BYD had slowed output at several factories in China. They added that the company was also reportedly delaying plans to add lines to expand output.
The sources claimed that BYD has cut night shifts and reduced capacity at some plants by at least a third as it faces rising inventory. One of them reported that at least four BYD plants are now operating at a slower pace.
(Source: BYD)
On Thursday, a seperate source, close to BYD, told CnEVPost that the rumors are not true. According to the person familiar with the matter, BYD’s production remains stable and sales are still growing steadily. The source added that dealer inventory is at reasonable level.
If true, the claims could have been pretty significant, given BYD’s aggressive price cuts last month. On May 23, BYD slashed prices by up to 34% on 22 of its vehicles.
BYD Yangwang U8 SUV (left) and U7 luxury EV sedan (right) Source: Yangwang
BYD still expects to sell around 5.5 million vehicles this year, a nearly 30% increase from 2024. Last year, BYD sold over 4.72 million NEVs, up 41% from 2023. However, its annual growth rate has slowed over the past few years.
According to data from CnEVPost, BYD’s annual sales growth rate has declined from 218% in 2021 to 208% in 2022 and 62% in 2023.
BYD “Xi’an” car carrier loading Dolphin Surf EVs for Europe (Source: BYD)
The Reuters report cited a survey from the China Automotive Dealer Association last month found that BYD dealers held one of the highest inventory levels, with an average of 3.21 months. In comparison, the industry-wide average was 1.38 months.
Despite this, BYD is still gaining market share in China. The source told CnEVPost that BYD’s share of the auto market has risen from 15% to 17% in just the past few months
Electrek’s Take
With an intensifying EV price war and a wave of low-cost domestic cars flooding the market, Chinese automakers, including BYD, are now looking overseas to drive growth.
BYD is coming off its sixth consecutive month with record overseas sales in May, having sold over 89,000 NEVs outside of China.
After it topped Tesla in monthly vehicle registrations in Europe and the UK this year, BYD launched its most affordable EV earlier this month. The Dolphin Surf is the European version of its top-selling Seagull EV, which can be bought for under $8,000 in China right now.
BYD’s Dolphin Surf arrives as one of the most affordable vehicles in the UK, starting at just £18,650 (about $25,000).
During the launch event, BYD’s special advisor for Europe, Alfredo Altavilla, called (via Autocar) the Dolphin Surf “the missing piece in the A/B-segment.”
According to Altavilla, BYD is launching vehicles in Europe at a faster rate than any other carmaker. “I have zero problem in saying I don’t think there has ever been such a product offensive done in Europe as the one BYD is doing,” he said during the event.
BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe this year to around 186,000 units. By 2029, S&P Global Mobility forecasts BYD’s sales could reach around 400,000 in Europe. Between its new plants in Hungary and Turkey, BYD is expected to have a combined annual production capacity of over 500,000 units.
And Europe is just one global market. BYD is already a leading EV brand in overseas markets like Brazil, Thailand, Australia, and several other key markets.
Even if the sources’ claims that BYD is cutting production in China were true, the world’s leading EV maker is still expected to see significant growth overseas over the next few years.
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Airloom Energy just broke ground on a rectangular wind turbine pilot site near Rock River, Wyoming, and it has the potential to change how wind power gets built in the US.
Backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Airloom is developing a new kind of wind turbine that promises to be cheaper, faster to install, and more efficient than today’s towering three-blade giants. The Wyoming site will host the company’s first utility-scale turbine as part of a plan to prove the tech works in the real world.
This comes at a time when the grid could use some more innovation. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) says half the US could face energy shortfalls by 2035. And with AI and data centers driving up demand, Gartner warns that 40% of facilities worldwide will be constrained by access to sufficient power by 2027.
“Current energy technologies can’t meet the growing complexity and demand of the next decade,” said Neal Rickner, Airloom’s CEO. “We need more flexible systems that can be built fast and at scale. That’s the only way we’ll get to real energy security and independence.”
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Airloom’s turbines are compact and modular. Instead of sweeping a circular area like traditional turbines, the turbines in the pilot sweep a rectangular area – a design that lets them capture more wind in less space. That makes them a better fit for areas with limited land or strict height limits, like airports or military bases.
They’re also built with small, mass-produced parts made in the US, so they’re cheaper to ship and easier to install. While traditional wind projects can take up to five years to build, Airloom says its turbines can be up and running in under a year.
The Wyoming pilot site is meant to prove the turbines’ performance, validate the cost savings, and build out maintenance and deployment strategies ahead of commercial projects starting in 2027. Airloom is also exploring other use cases like defense, disaster relief, and offshore wind.
The company raised $7.5 million in seed funding last October, with support from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Crosscut Ventures, and others. It also received $5 million in matching funds from the State of Wyoming and a $1.25 million contract from the Department of Defense.
Paul Judge, former head of product management at GE Onshore Wind and now an advisor to Airloom, called the pilot a big moment: “This pilot is more than a test site; it’s the beginning of a fundamentally new approach to resilient renewable energy generation: wind energy that’s faster to deploy, land-efficient, and built for the energy challenges ahead.”
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