After consistent updates pertaining to its growing lineup of team owners, but with multiple delays to the start to its inaugural season, the UIM E1 World Championship has set a date for its first official racing event. We are now 100 days out from the first-ever electric boat racing series, although the rest of the race calendar remains a tad less clear. Here’s the latest.
We are now more than a year removed from the World Port Days in Rotterdam, Netherlands, when the nascent E1 electric boat league inked a deal to race there in its first season before showcasing two races at that same event this past September.
Since then, the series which will eventually consist of 12 mixed-gender teams, has gained some hype by recruiting a slew of athletes and celebrities representing regions around the world. In addition to Team Venice – the first team originally announced, E1 has recruited Formula 1’s Sergio Perez; tennis great Rafael Nadal; legendary footballer Didier Drogba; the most decorated NFL player of all time, Tom Brady; and most recently superstar DJ Steve Aoki.
In early January, E1 CEO Rodi Basso shared that the league expects eight teams to compete in events during its inaugural season and teased that fans will see races in Europe and the Middle East in 2023.
By June, E1 shared its full race calendar, beginning in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – but the series had been delayed until January 2024. Today, we’ve learned that E1’s first official electric boat racing event has been delayed again, but have a more concrete date to the start, which will remain in Jeddah.
The racing format of the UIM E1 World Championship / Credit: E1
E1’s first racing season to begin in early February 2024
This morning, E1 confirmed the first ever UIM World Championship will kick off its first race events in Jeddah on February 2-3, 2024. The E1 Jeddah GP will take place at the Jeddah Corniche close to shore on the Red Sea and will be made possible through a partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation. Per cofounder and CEO Rodi Basso:
We are thrilled to get the first dates in our fans’ calendars as the first-ever E1 Grand Prix is about to arrive. We know that audiences around the world will love our unique racing in stunning locations, as we make a positive impact on our race locations with our all-electric race fleet.
In addition to witnessing the inaugural electric boat racing event, fans in Saudi Arabia will be able to visit the first-ever “Acceleration Festival,” E1’s dedicated village for attendees offering variety of entertainment options and experiences.
During the event, each of the teams will choose two mandated mixed-gender pilots to share the racing duties outlined in the format above. The league now says not eight, but (up to) 10 teams will compete in the inaugural UIM E1 World Championship.
We’d assume the season schedule will slightly change now that the start in Jeddah was pushed a month, but E1 has yet to update it. Here’s what the previous timeline looked like:
January 2024 – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
February 2024 – TBD, Middle East
April 2024 – Venice, Italy
May 2024 – Venice, Italy
June 2024 – TBD, Europe
July 2024 – Monaco
September 2024 – Rotterdam, Netherlands
E1 states that ticketing details for the Jeddah event will be released shortly.
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After launching a wave of new electric SUVs, sedans, crossovers, and vans, Kia is about to hit a big milestone. Kia’s EV series is expected to cross over 500,000 in cumulative global sales this month.
After Hyundai hit the half-million mark with its IONIQ series in January, it looks like Kia is right behind it. It’s been five years since Kia launched its first dedicated EV, the EV6, but the growth is expected to quickly pick up from here.
Kia set a new record, selling over 1.5 million vehicles globally in the first half of 2025. The Korean automaker credited the growth to the arrival of new models, including the EV3.
The EV3, Kia’s compact electric SUV, is already the sixth-best-selling EV in Europe through June, having arrived late last year. With over 35,000 units sold, the EV3 trails only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, as well as Volkswagen’s ID.4, ID.7, and ID.3.
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According to local reports, Kia is expected to cross 500,000 in cumulative global EV sales this month. With 485,055 EVs sold so far, the company is about to join the half-million club.
Kia EV6 (right), EV3 (middle), and EV9 (right) Source: Kia
Kia’s EV sales are expected to top 500,000 this month
Kia’s EV sales have been climbing in recent years from 29,482 in 2021, to 83,411 in 2022, 131,242 in 2023, and 124,835 last year. This year, Kia has already sold over 116,000 EVs, but with new models rolling out, it could see even higher numbers.
The EV6 is Kia’s top-selling EV with 282,639 cumulative sales, followed by the EV3 (101,162), EV9 (79,312), and EV5 (18,621).
Kia unveils EV4 sedan and hatchback, PV5 electric van, and EV2 Concept at 2025 Kia EV Day (Source: Kia)
Kia launched several new EVs, including the EV4, EV5, and PV5, that are expected to drive even more demand over the next few months. The EV4 is Kia’s first electric sedan. In Europe, it’s also sold as an electric hatchback.
Meanwhile, the PV5 is the first from Kia’s new PBV electric van business. During its PV5 Tech Day event this week, Kia revealed plans for seven new body types based on the electric van, from camper to pickup.
Kia PV5 tech day (Source: Kia)
Kia has already opened orders for the EV4 (sedan and hatchback) and PV5 in the UK. They will be rolling out in Europe later this year. Although the hatch isn’t expected to make the trip overseas, Kia is launching the EV4 sedan in the US in early 2026.
Following the EV4 and EV5 this year, Kia will introduce the EV2 in Europe and other global markets in 2026. The EV2 is Kia’s new compact, entry-level electric SUV.
Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape has posted its quarterly fiscal report and letter to shareholders for Q2 2025. QuantumScape’s progress update includes an expanded agreement with Volkswagen Group’s battery business, PowerCo, and a new joint development agreement with an additional OEM.
As far as quarterly updates go, I personally look forward to the letter to shareholders from QuantumScape ($QS) four times a year. The solid-state battery developer continues to improve its technology and production techniques, pushing closer than ever to delivering mass-produced energy-dense cells to market.
Last month, QuantumScape reported that its proprietary Cobra solid-state separator process had been fully integrated into its baseline production processes, achieving a 2025 goal while enabling gigawatt-level solid-state cell production.
QS said the Cobra breakthrough is expected to lay the groundwork for higher-volume B1 sample production of its flagship QSE-5 cells, which will eventually lead to scaled production for the battery market.
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Furthermore, the technology supports QuantumScape’s licensing model with PowerCo, a division of Volkswagen Group, which was announced a little over a year ago. As part of its Q2 2025 report, QuantumScape shared details of an expanded deal with PowerCo among several other exciting updates.
(clockwise from bottom left) Siva Sivaram, QS CEO; Dr. Günther Mendl, Head of Center of Excellence Battery, Volkswagen AG; Sebastian Schebera, Head of Strategic
Partnerships, Volkswagen AG; Dennis Segers, QS Board Chairman; Jupp Kaufer, VP of Product Management and Corporate Quality, PowerCo / Source: QuantumScape
QuantumScape ended Q2 2025 with runway through 2029
All details outlined below are available in QuantumScape’s Q2 2025 Letter to Shareholders. Per the company, its capital expenditures were $8.3 million in Q2, primarily spend on facilities and equipment purchases to prepare for higher-volume QSE-5 B1 sample production using the Cobra separator process mentioned above.
GAAP operating expenses and GAAP net loss in Q2 were $123.6 million and $114.7 million, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA loss was $63 million in Q2 (in line with expectations). Per the letter:
We continue to streamline operations consistent with the company’s capital-light licensing focus and capture gains from cost reduction initiatives and process improvement, including the Cobra process. We narrow the range of our full-year guidance for Adjusted EBITDA loss to $250M – $270M. We ended Q2 with $797.5M in liquidity and extend our guidance for cash runway into 2029, a six month improvement over our previous guidance. Any additional funds from other customer inflows or capital markets activity would further extend this cash runway.
As hinted above, QuantumScape’s Q2 2025 update also included news of an expanded deal with PowerCo, which entails the latter company contributing an additional $131 million to the former over the next two years. That amount will come in addition to the original $130 million committed by Volkswagen Group’s battery arm if and when QS delivers “satisfactory technical progress and execution of the full licensing agreement.”
In exchange for the additional funding, QuantumScape will prioritize QSE-5 cells manufactured on its San Jose pilot line to support its joint development agreement with PowerCo. That said, QS still maintains a non-exclusive arrangement and has the right to provide cells to our other customers.
Speaking of which!
QuantumScape’s Q2 2025 report also includes news of an additional joint development agreement (JDA) with “another major global automotive OEM.” Although QS did not name the OEM, it did say the JDA builds off an existing relationship, as the client was a solid-state sample customer. Unfortunately, QS keeps that client list close to its chest, so we’d rather not speculate on who the new joint development partner could be, but it’s exciting news nonetheless.
Looking ahead beyond Q2, QuantumScape is set on its second goal for 2025 – installing higher-volume cell production equipment to support scaled solid-state cell production. From there, QS is looking to ship more samples of its prototype cells and has shared a more concrete timeline for actual field testing. Per the letter:
We are working closely with our launch customer, and in Q2 we shipped QSE-5 cells for pack integration and testing, including safety testing. These cells were the final Raptor-based B0 samples to be shipped; future shipments will be Cobra-based B1 samples, in line with our third annual goal. This launch program is designed to be a low-volume, high-visibility project that will allow us to put our cells into a real-world vehicle application and generate customer feedback. We continue to target 2026 for the beginning of field testing.
That’s all for now. Be sure to check back with Electrek soon for the latest solid-state battery and other electric mobility news.
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The “holy grail” of electric vehicle battery tech may be here sooner than you’d think. Mercedes-Benz is testing EVs with solid-state batteries on the road, promising to deliver over 600 miles of range. Here’s when you can expect to see it hit the market.
Mercedes moves to launch EVs with solid-state batteries
Earlier this year, Mercedes marked a massive milestone, putting “the first car powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the road” for testing. Mercedes has been testing prototypes in the UK since February.
The company used a modified EQS prototype, equipped with the new batteries and other parts. The battery pack was developed by Mercedes-Benz and its Formula 1 supplier unit, Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains (HPP)
Mercedes is teaming up with US-based Factorial Energy to bring the new battery tech to market. In September, Factorial and Mercedes revealed the all-solid-state Solstice battery.
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The new batteries, promising a 25% range improvement, will power the German automaker’s next-generation electric vehicles.
According to Markus Schäfer, the automaker’s head of development, the first Mercedes EVs powered by solid-state batteries could be here by 2030.
Mercedes EQS modified with a solid-state battery (Source: Mercedes-Benz)
During an event in Copenhagen, Schäfer told German auto news outlet Automobilwoche, “We expect to bring the technology into series production before the end of the year.”
In addition to providing a longer driving range, Mercedes believes the new batteries can significantly reduce costs. Schäfer said current batteries won’t suffice, adding, “At the core, a new chemistry is needed.” Mercedes and Factorial are using a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, said to be safer and more efficient.
Mercedes claims the new battery can extend driving range by around 25%. With the Mercedes EQS 450+ rated with a WTLP range of 511 miles, that would suggest over 620 miles of range.
Mercedes-Benz starts road testing first solid-state battery vehicle (Source: Mercedes-Benz)
Factorial is collaborating with other leading OEMs, including Hyundai and Stellantis, to introduce solid-state EV batteries to the market by 2030.
Several others, including Volkswagen, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, are all advancing the promising new batteries. And don’t forget BYD and CATL, which are already dominating global sales, are also quickly advancing new EV batteries, including solid-state.
Earlier this week, MG’s brand manager, Chen Cui, claimed that the new MG4 will be the first mass-market EV sold globally with semi-solid-state batteries.
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