Range Rover will finally launch its first electric SUV later this year. In the meantime, the luxury brand has several new EV models in the pipeline, including a smaller (likely more affordable) Velar. The Range Rover Velar EV is coming soon with an upgraded design and much more.

Range Rover Velar EV will debut with a new design

Anticipation is building for Range Rover’s first fully electric SUV. Earlier this year, Jaguar Land Rover said the Range Rover Electric had already secured 57,000 clients on the waitlist.

Ahead of its official debut later this year, the electric SUV is being put through the paces in Sweden. After that, Range Rover will launch the smaller Sport model. Both will look almost identical to the gas-powered models with the luxury brand’s signature design.

The new Velar EV is set to debut just months after the Range Rover Electric and Sport models arrive. Unlike the other models, the Velar is set for a major revamp, including a new style and 800V platform.

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According to Autocar, spy shots show that the upcoming Range Rover Velar EV will be bigger with a more SUV-like design.

The upgrades are designed to help the Velar stand apart from the Sport and Evoque models. They could also help it compete with others in the segment, like the Porsche Macan Electric.

On the inside, expect a minimalist design similar to the larger Range Rover models, with a heavy focus on premium materials and tech. The company said its new EMA platform will have hands-free, eyes-on driving assist and OTA updates.

JLR’s CEO Adrian Mardell confirmed last year that the Range Rover Velar will be the first EV to ride on its new EMA platform.

“We’ll first have MLA BEV, with the Range Rover BEV later next year,” Mardell said, adding, “Then it’s the first vehicle off EMA, which will probably be springtime in 2026.”

Last year, a smaller Range Rover electric SUV, likely the Velar, was spotted at JLR’s test center with a sporty, low-riding profile (See it in the video above).

The 800V EMA platform will underpin other upcoming JLR EVs, including the Evoque and Defender Sport. Although specifics have yet to be revealed, the electric Velar will be powered by JLR’s next-gen batteries.

After JLR announced plans to develop new plug-in hybrids last year, a Velar PHEV model wouldn’t be a surprise. Check back soon for more details, as they are expected closer to launch.

EV fast-charging startup Gravity is taking its talents to the West Coast. This morning, the company announced a massive US expansion that will bring 500 kW piles capable of 5-minute EV fast charging to eight locations around the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Gravity Inc. is a NY-based startup focused on sustainable fleets and the infrastructure to operate them efficiently. In 2021, the company began rolling out a fleet of all-electric Mustang Mach-E yellow cabs around New York City while partnering with building owners and parking operators to implement electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support individual drivers and large EV fleets.

In October 2023, Gravity released a full suite of 500kW EV chargers, some of the fastest we had seen at the time. That technology caught the eye of Google Ventures (GV), which led to a successful seed funding round for an undisclosed amount a month later. By March 2024, the startup opened a new “Gravity Charging Center” complete with 24 500 kW Distributed Energy Access Points (DEAPs), hailing the chargers as the fastest in the United States.

The following May, Gravity announced it had adapted its DEAP EV chargers into “trees” that can be easily installed curbside to make charging even faster and more convenient for city drivers. At the time, the company also boldly stated a goal to overtake Tesla as the largest fast-charging network in the US.

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Today, Gravity announced it is bringing its 5-minute EV charging technology to Tesla’s home turf of California (albeit it is quite a ways south in LA).

Gravity to bring 5-minute EV charging to Angelenos

This morning, Gravity shared plans to implement at least eight EV fast charging stations across Los Angeles. Each location will feature approximately 12 500kW DEAPs that, according to the startup, can deliver rates twice as fast as Tesla Superchargers (currently topping out at 350kW).

As such, Gravity is promising 5-minute EV charging sessions, although no US model on the road today can handle 500kW fast charging. Still, many BEVs on 800V platforms will be able to take advantage of the higher charge rates, resulting in less time at the station. Gravity Inc. founder and CEO Moshe Cohen spoke about the company’s plans for SoCal:

These new 500kW sites are going to be a game-changer for Los Angelenos. They will be far faster and more reliable than anything drivers and fleet operators have experienced, with autonomous vehicle engineering and vehicle-to-grid equipment that will make them the most advanced sites in the nation. Now that we’ve validated the superior reliability and performance of our technology, we are focused on blanketing several of the country’s most important urban markets–and we are delighted to begin our LA expansion.

Per Gravity Inc., each of the eight five-minute EV charging sites (seen in the rendering above) around Los Angeles is being developed through an agreement with an unnamed “national corporate partner,” and plans are underway to expand to hundreds of additional sites across the country.

In addition to the 500kW DEAPs, Gravity said each location will be erected to be autonomous-ready. It also intends to pilot hands-free charging technology with specific lanes, sensors, and cable-less tech. All sites will be bidirectional and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capable, meaning Gravity can flush excess energy back to the local grid in Los Angeles during peak hours or blackouts, pending approval and compliance from the local energy companies, of course.

The eight planned sites where Gravity hopes to deliver 5-minute EV charging have all been designed by architectural firm Rangr Studio (who worked with the startup in NY) and will be implemented at the following areas:

• Brentwood
• East Pasadena
• Huntington Beach
• Long Beach
• Manhattan Beach
• North Hills
• Pacific Palisades
• Thousand Oaks

Gravity Inc. said the first Los Angeles charging stations will open sometime in 2025.

We’ve said it before and will say it again: Build Your Dreams (BYD) is coming. The Chinese automaker continues to gain momentum in global NEV sales and does not expect to hit the brakes anytime soon. According to multiple sources, BYD aims to have half of its vehicle sales come from other markets outside China within the next five years.

Most of the time we’re covering BYD, we’re either talking about low-cost BEVs with advanced technology, or marveling at the pace at which the Chinese automaker is becoming one of the most innovative and fast-growing companies in its respective segment.

BYD has already expanded its market reach throughout Asia and into new markets with sales and localized production around Europe, South America, and (maybe) North America. 2024 marked a record year for BYD’s financial results, tallying over $100 billion in sales. With Q1 of 2025 now behind us, BYD’s momentum has done everything but falter.

Through the first three months of 2025, BYD had sold over one million New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), up 60% from the 626,263 sold in Q1 2024. This led a tech research firm to predict once again that the Chinese automaker will finally overtake Tesla in total BEV sales this year.

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In April, BYD outsold both Tesla and Mercedes-Benz in the UK and has seen its overseas sales double. If these trends continue, BYD could very well become the most recognizable vehicle badge on roads worldwide, and according to recent reports, that’s precisely what it is targeting.

BYD looks to become a global player in EV sales by 2030

As reported by Reuters, four people familiar with BYD’s business strategy state that the Chinese automaker has set a goal of having half of its vehicle sales come from outside its native China by the end of the decade. While brands like BYD remain deterred from entering a potentially fruitful market in the US due to trade tensions and tariffs, quick adoption and growth in South America and Europe provide evidence that BYD could reach its target.

If BYD did enter North America, more specifically the United States, its odds of garnering at least half its sales from other markets seem inevitable. However, that’s a pipe dream right now, given the current political and economic climate broiling between the US and China.

Per one of the sources, BYD has been sharing its 2030 sales target with small groups of investors since late 2024, citing continued expansions into Europe as a vital factor in said strategy. A second source attended a private event with BYD executives at the Shanghai Auto Show and relayed that BYD’s confidence in achieving the astronomical uptick in global sales comes from its speedy growth among Chinese consumers. For reference, nine out of every 10 vehicles sold by BYD last year came from a local Chinese buyer.

With such success at home in the last five years, BYD now feels confident it can adapt those learnings and find additional success in new markets overseas. If successful, BYD would become a major player in the global automotive discussion, rubbing elbows with household names like Toyota, Ford, and GM. That feat seems even greater when considering it would be the first Chinese automaker to reach such prominence.