Connect with us

Published

on

BYD’s electric hot hatch has officially arrived in Europe. The BYD Dolphin Surf is the European version of its best-selling (and most affordable) EV, the Seagull. Despite its small size, the Dolphin Surf has “huge potential” with prices starting at just 23,000 euros ($26,000).

Meet the BYD Dolphin EV for Europe

With over 55,000 units sold last month alone, the Seagull was BYD’s top-selling EV in April. Last year, it was second, trailing only Tesla’s Model Y as the best-selling electric vehicle in China. Now, you can buy it in Europe.

BYD launched the Dolphin Surf on Wednesday, a longer version of the Seagull with a few upgrades. Although not quite as cheap as the Seagull, which starts at under $10,000 (69,800 yuan) in China, the electric hatch is still one of the most affordable in Europe.

The Dolphin Surf is available in three different versions in Europe, with prices starting at 22,990 euros ($26,000) for the standard range model with a WLTP driving range of 220 km (137 miles).

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Until June, BYD is offering a discounted price of just 19,990 euros ($22,700). The longer-range Dolphin Surf starts at 24,990 euros and has a 507 km (315 mile) range.

BYD-Dolphin-Surf-EV
BYD Dolphin Surf EV (Source: BYD)

BYD said the compact electric city car is “built for the big city” with a sporty new design and the automaker’s advanced in-car technology.

Built for the big city

The interior is similar to other BYD vehicles, with a 10.1″ rotating touchscreen (with Apple CarPlay and Android connectivity) at the center. It’s also equipped with “Hi BYD,” a new voice control feature.

Although it may be compact, the Dolphin Surf has over 20 “clever storage areas” and a boot capacity of up to 316 L. With the rear seats folded, the electric hatch offers up to 1,037 L of space.

BYD-Dolphin-Surf-EV
BYD Dolphin Surf EV interior (Source: BYD)

Like its other new vehicles, the Dolphin Surf is equipped with BYD’s Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) as standard, which includes features like intelligent cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure assist.

BYD will introduce the four-seater variant in June. With prices expected to start at around 25,000 euros ($28,300), it’s expected to compete with the Renault R5 and Volkswagen’s upcoming ID.2 electric car.

BYD’s region director, Maria Grazia, said during the launch event in Berlin (via Reuters) that “The compact segment is the next frontier for electrification in Europe,” adding “We think this market has huge potential.”

Electrek’s Take

BYD is leading EV sales in China, and it’s not even close. The automaker is coming off its best sales week of the year with nearly 68,000 vehicles registered from May 5 to May 11, up 15% from the previous week.

To give you some perspective, Tesla delivered just 3,070 vehicles in China in the same week, down 69% from the same week in 2024.

Will the Dolphin Surf see the same demand in Europe? With competitive prices, range, and features, it could be BYD’s most important EV so far. It’s the brand’s 10th vehicle to launch in Europe, following the Sealion 07, a smart midsize electric SUV.

According to S&P Global Mobility, BYD’s sales could double in Europe this year to around 186,000. By 2029, that number could reach around 400,000. Although it’s not slated for European production, the report notes that the Dolphin Surf’s “pricing strategy ensures competitiveness in the EU even with tariffs.”

Will the BYD Dolphin Surf become a top-selling EV in Europe? Leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

The four-door Dodge Charger EV is finally here, but there’s more to it

Published

on

By

The four-door Dodge Charger EV is finally here, but there's more to it

Dodge is calling it the “world’s only” four-door muscle car. The four-door Dodge Charger Daytona EV will join the lineup for the 2026 model year, but that’s not the only change.

Dodge Charger Daytona EV adds four-door trim for 2026

Last week, we learned Dodge would not offer the entry-level Charger Daytona R/T in 2026. CEO Matt McAlear told Motor1, “Production of the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T is postponed for the 2026 model year as we continue to assess the effects of US tariff policies.”

It looks like Dodge has another idea. The four-door electric Charger officially debuted Wednesday during a first drive event in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

According to McAlear, the new sedan “embodies the same look and feel as the coupe, with the same widebody exterior, driver-centric interior, muscle car performance and standard all-wheel-drive capability, combined with four-door practicality.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The two and four-door models share a similar coupe-like design and a wide body (the widest of any car in the industry). Dodge said the four-door design only further accentuates the Charger’s powerful presence.

Dodge-Charger-EV-four-door
2026 Dodge Charger Daytona four-door EV sedan (Source: Stellantis)

Like the two-door version, the four-door model arrives with a spacious “hidden hatch” interior, boasting best-in-class rear cargo and passenger space. With up to 38.5 cu ft of rear cargo space, the four-door variant offers 133% more than the outgoing Charger.

Meet the world’s only four-door muscle car

The interior features a 16″ infotainment system at the center with a 12.3″ driver display, featuring wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capabilities.

Both two and four-door 2026 Charger Daytona Scat Pack models come with different drive modes (sport, track, drag, custom, etc.), Dodge’s Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system, and Powershot (delivering an extra 40 hp for 10 seconds at the push of a button).

Dodge-Charger-EV-four-door
2026 two-door Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack interior (Source: Stellantis)

The available Track Package is the largest brake package offered for any Dodge vehicle. It adds 16″ Brembo vented rotors and red six-piston front/four-piston rear fixed calipers, which increase swept area by more than 30% compared to the outgoing SRT model.

With a level 3 charger, the 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona EV can recharge from 20% to 80% in as little as 24 minutes.

Dodge-Charger-EV-four-door
2026 Dodge Charger Daytona with Fratzog dual stripes (left) and gloss black painted hood (right) (Source: Stellantis)

New “Fratzog dual stripes” and gloss paint hood options will be available on two and four-door 2026 Dodge Charger EV models.

For every 2026 Charger model (two- and four-door), Dodge is offering the chance to visit Radford Racing School for a day, the official high-performance driving school of Dodge and SRT.

Dodge-Charger-EV-four-door
2026 Dodge Charger Daytona EV Scat Pack four-door (left) and two-door (right) (Source: Stellantis)

Both variants offer “Hellcat Redeye levels of performance,” with 670 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, capable of a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.3 seconds.

Orders are now open for the four-door and two-door 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona EV and will begin arriving at dealerships later this year.

To make room for the 2026 models, Dodge is offering massive discounts, with up to $13,500 off on the outgoing Charger Daytona EV. If you’re interested, you can use our link to view 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona models near you today.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Wisk Aero and NASA sign five-year partnership to advance sustainable autonomous flights

Published

on

By

Wisk Aero and NASA sign five-year partnership to advance sustainable autonomous flights

All-electric, autonomous aircraft developer Wisk Aero announced a fresh five-year research partnership with NASA to establish advanced air mobility standards to eventually introduce autonomous aircraft into the National Airspace System (NAS).

Wisk Aero is a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing based in California. The company’s flagship model, the Cora, is an all-electric aircraft that predates the Wisk Aero brand and has seen several generational variants over the seven years or so.

In 2020, Wisk Aero joined NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility Project, part of the space administration’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, to address key AAM industry challenges and lay the framework for future autonomous passenger flights.

Since then, Wisk and NASA have continued collaborating to develop key guidance for the safe integration of autonomous aircraft systems for urban air mobility (UAM) operations under that initial Space Act Agreement.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

This week, Wisk Aero and NASA committed another five years to their research partnership. They hope to bring regulated and autonomous aerial flight to the public by the end of the decade.

Wisk NASA
Source: Wisk Aero

Wisk and NASA extend partnership another five years

Wisk Aero shared details of its refreshed partnership with NASA this week. The autonomous aviation specialist has signed a new five-year Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (NRSAA) with the renowned space administration.

Per Wisk, this new agreement focuses on critical research led by NASA’s Air Traffic Management Exploration (ATM-X) project, which is centered around the advancement of commercialized autonomous aircraft travel under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) in the National Airspace System (NAS). 

As a specialist in autonomous, zero-emission aircraft, Wisk intends to continue its research alongside NASA to help regulators determine future eVTOL flight procedures and capabilities in the US. Regulatory developments on the to-do list for the latest NRSAA include optimizing airspace and route designs for highly automated UAM operations, establishing critical aircraft and ground-based safety system requirements for autonomous flight in urban environments, and establishing Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication protocols and procedures for seamless integration of future UAM aircraft.

To achieve these goals, Wisk said its research with NASA will more specifically focus on utilizing advanced simulation and Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) flight environments, which combine live flights with a simulated airspace to enable researchers to assess future operations. Erick Corona, Director of Airspace Operational Integration at Wisk, elaborated:

This new, long-term agreement with NASA is a significant step forward for Wisk and the broader UAM industry. With NASA’s simulation and LVC capabilities, we can accelerate the development of our Gen 6 autonomous systems to safely and efficiently integrate into the US NAS before the end of the decade.

The teams from Wisk and NASA already met last month, continuing their research while beginning to determine how instrument flight procedures and advanced technologies can work together to enable safe autonomous passenger flights by 2030.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Fluence just took a big step to make grid batteries truly American

Published

on

By

Fluence just took a big step to make grid batteries truly American

Fluence Energy has officially started production at its new factory in Goodyear, Arizona, where it’s now cranking out steel enclosures and battery management system (BMS) hardware for its grid-scale energy storage systems.

This plant is part of the Washington, DC-headquartered global battery storage company’s larger push to build and source every major part of its battery energy storage systems in the US. The company’s domestic supply chain spans Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, and Utah, covering everything from battery cells and thermal systems to Fluence’s inverter supplier in South Carolina.

The partnerships represent around $700 million in investment and more than 1,200 manufacturing jobs in 2025 alone. Add another 450 construction jobs and growing, a significant economic spark.

John Zahurancik, president of Fluence Americas, says the rapidly expanded domestic supply chain helps customers steer clear of global supply chain snarls while ensuring the company’s systems stay safe, reliable, and cybersecure. “Enclosure and BMS production at the Goodyear facility is another strong step forward in this commitment,” he said.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The American Clean Power Association (ACP) recently unveiled the US energy storage industry’s bold plan to invest $100 billion into American-made grid batteries by 2030. The goal is to meet 100% of domestic energy storage demand using US-based supply chains and create 350,000 jobs in the process.

“Fluence is leading the way,” said ACP CEO Jason Grumet. “Their investment in Arizona – a national leader in energy storage – underscores the momentum behind expanding US manufacturing, strengthening energy security, creating high-quality jobs, and supporting key suppliers, including American steel.”

Fluence’s products will also be critical in helping to keep the grid stable as the demand for power rapidly increases. The company already has more than 20,000 megawatt-hours of battery storage deployed or in the pipeline across 80+ projects in the US.

“Our goal is to fully onshore production, as quickly as possible,” said Peter Williams, Fluence’s chief product and supply chain officer. “This facility brings us closer to that goal.”


To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending