Japanese automaker’s reluctance to go all-electric is already taking a toll on the nation’s auto industry. Mitsubishi Motors revealed this week it’s suspending operations in China due to its inability to keep up as EVs continue to take over the market.
China continues to lead the industry in the transition to EVs. Information from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) shows battery electric passenger vehicle (BEV) sales reached over 2 million through the first five months of the year, up 51.5% YOY.
Meanwhile, CAAM reported sales of gas-powered dropped by 7% through the same period. Many analysts believe the momentum will continue.
Bank of America Securities’ head of Asia Pacific basic materials, Matty Zhao, sees China’s EV market growing another 27% this year, reaching 32% of overall auto sales, up from 26% last year. Some are predicting that number can grow to 50% in the next two years.
The shift comes after the Chinese government supported the transition with tax breaks for EV buyers, subsidies, and other policies that sparked growth in domestic EV makers.
Perhaps more importantly, China is making it harder to buy gas vehicles. The nation is implementing stricter vehicle emissions standards, pressuring automakers to transition their lineups and clear ICE vehicle inventory.
The new rules will ban production, sales, and imports of vehicles that do not comply, pressuring domestic and foreign automakers to go electric.
(Source: Mitsubishi)
Mitsubishi, Japanese EV laggards fall behind in China
According to a memo released this week (via Bloomberg) making the rounds on Chinese social media, Mitsubishi’s sales have fallen drastically as China’s auto market moves to EVs, causing the automaker to suspend operations in China indefinitely.
The memo states:
In the past few months, management and shareholders have tried to the best of our ability, but due to market conditions and with great reluctance and regret, we must seize the opportunity to transition to new energy vehicles. The company will resurrect after going through trials and tribulations.
Mitsubishi cited China’s transition from ICE vehicles to EVs as the reason why sales are falling, coming in well below expectations.
Mitsubishi sales in China (Source: Bloomberg)
After peaking in 2019 at around 134,500, Mitsubishi’s sales have nearly vanished in the region, with only 34,500 sold this past year. Its sole EV, the Airtrek electric SUV, sold only 515 units.
And Mitsubishi is not the only Japanese automaker feeling the heat after dragging its feet on EV tech.
Mitsubishi Airtrek EV (Source: Mitsubishi)
Honda, Mazda, and Nissan’s sales have fallen for at least two years, and in 2022, Japan’s largest automaker, Toyota, saw sales decline for the first time in a decade.
Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro echoed Mitsubishi’s statement on China, saying this week, “Production output will be low for the time being while pressure on profits is increasing.” Although Mazda doesn’t plan to scale back, he said, “The important thing is to turn the tide and introduce electric vehicles one by one.”
Seeing the success EV makers like Tesla and BYD are having, nearly all Japanese automakers (almost all legacy automakers, in fact) have advanced plans to go electric.
Mitsubishi xEV models (Source: Mitsubishi)
Mitsubishi revealed plans in March to electrify its entire lineup by 2035, including four new EVs. Honda overhauled its business operations to ramp up EV efforts earlier this year. Nissan accelerated its strategy in February. And Toyota is now planning its own dedicated EV platform and next-gen batteries that are expected to improve range and efficiency.
To help boost domestic battery output, the Japanese government is awarding nearly 120 billion yen ($847 million) to fuel Toyota’s battery development plants.
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Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.
EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:
Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.
To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.
Source: EcoFlow
EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”
Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.
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This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:
In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.
In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.
To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.
Source: EcoFlow
Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival
As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.
As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.
Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!
Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.
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Tesla is losing another top talent: its long-time head of software, David Lau, has reportedly told co-workers that he is exiting the automaker.
Tesla changed how the entire auto industry looks at software.
Before Tesla, it was an afterthought; user interfaces were rudimentary, and you had to go to a dealership to get a software update on your systems.
When Tesla launched the Model S in 2012, it all changed. Your car would get better through software updates like your phone, the large center display was responsive with a UI that actually made sense and was closer to an iPad experience than a car.
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Tesla also integrated its software into its retail experience, service, and manufacturing.
David Lau deserves a lot of the credit for that.
He joined Tesla in 2012 as a senior manager of firmware engineering and quickly rose through the ranks. By 2014, he was promoted to director of firmware engineering and system integration, and in 2017, he became Vice President of software.
Lau listed the responsibilities of his team on his LinkedIn:
Vehicle Software:
Firmware for the powertrain, traction/stability control, HV electronics, battery management, and body control systems
UI software and underlying Embedded Linux platforms
Navigation and routing
iOS and Android Mobile apps
Distributed Systems:
Server-side software and infrastructure that provides telemetry, diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and configuration/lifecycle management
Data engineering and analytics platforms that power technical and business insights for an increasingly diverse set of customers across the company
Diagnostic tools and fleet management, Manufacturing and Automation:
Automation controls (PLC, robot)
Server-side manufacturing execution systems that power all of Tesla’s production operations
Product Security and Red Team for software, services, and systems across Tesla
Bloomberg reported today that Lau told his team he is leaving Tesla. The report didn’t include reasons for his stepping down.
Electrek’s Take
Twelve years at any company is a great run. At Tesla, it’s heroic. Congrats, David, on a great run. You undoubtedly had a significant impact on Tesla and software advancements in the broader auto industry.
He is another significant loss for Tesla, which has been losing a lot of top talent following a big wave of layoffs around this time last year.
I wonder who will take over. Michael Rizkalla, senior director of software engineering and vehicle firmware, is one of the most senior software engineers after Lau. He has been at Tesla for 7 years, and Tesla likes to promote within rather than hire outsiders.
There are also a lot of senior software execs working on AI at Tesla. Musk has been favoring them lately and he could fold Lau’s responsibilities under them.
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Kia’s electric SUVs are taking over. The EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK this year, giving Kia its strongest sales start since it arrived 34 years ago. And it’s not just in the UK. Kia just had its best first quarter globally since it started selling cars in 1962.
Kia EV3 is the best-selling EV in the UK through March
In March, Kia sold a record nearly 20,000 vehicles in the UK, making it the fourth best-selling brand. It was also the second top-seller of electrified vehicles (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs), accounting for over 55% of sales.
The EV3 remained the best-selling retail EV in the UK last month. Including the EV6, three-row EV9, and Niro EV, electric vehicles represented 21% of Kia’s UK sales in March.
Kia said the EV3 “started with a bang” in January, darting out as the UK’s most popular EV in retail sales. Through March, Kia’s electric SUV has held on to the crown. With the EV3 rolling out, Kia sold over 7,000 electric cars through March, nearly 50% more than in Q1 2024.
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The EV3 was the best-selling retail EV in the UK in the first quarter and the fourth best-selling EV overall, including commercial vehicles.
Kia EV3 Air 91.48 kWh in Frost Blue (Source: Kia UK)
Starting at £33,005 ($42,500), Kia said it’s the “brand’s most affordable EV yet.” It’s available with two battery packs, 58.3 kWh or 81.48 kWh, good for 430 km (270 miles) and 599 km (375 miles) of WLTP range, respectively.
From left to right: Kia EV6, EV3, and EV9 (Source: Kia UK)
With new EVs on the way, this could be just the start. Kia is launching several new EVs in the UK this year, including the EV4 sedan (and hatchback) and EV5 SUV. It also confirmed that the first PV5 electric vans will be delivered to customers by the end of the year.
Electrek’s Take
Globally, Kia sold a record 772,351 vehicles in the first quarter, its best since it started selling cars in 1962. With the new EV4, the brand’s first electric sedan and hatchback, launching this year, Kia looks to build on its momentum in 2025.
Kia has also made it very clear that it wants to be a global leader in the electric van market with its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business, starting with the PV5 later this year.
Earlier today, we learned Kia’s midsize electric SUV, the EV5, is the fourth best-selling EV in Australia through March, outselling every BYD vehicle (at least for now). The EV5 is rolling out to new markets this year, including Canada, the UK, South Korea, and Mexico. However, it will not arrive in the US.
For those in the US, there are still a few Kia EVs to look forward to. Kia is launching the EV4 globally, including in the US, later this year. Although no date has been set, Kia confirmed the EV3 is also coming. It’s expected to arrive in mid-2026.
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