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Development of Volkswagen’s new fully electric Golf is underway, but what does that mean for the ID.3? VW’s chief tech officer, Kai Grunitz, says there could be some overlap between the two EVs.

Volkswagen’s electric Golf may overlap with the ID.3

Volkswagen is celebrating the Golf’s 50th anniversary this year after the first model rolled off the assembly line in March 1974.

Since then, VW has sold over 37 million Golfs across eight generations globally. Grunitz confirmed to Top Gear that this will be the gas-powered Golf. The next generation will be all-electric, likely rolling out in 2028.

What does that mean for the ID.3? The all-electric hatch designed to replace the e-Golf, may be replaced itself by Volkswagen’s next-gen electric Golf.

“There is not enough space to have two or three different models fitting to the same customer,” Grunitz explained. “We’ve started to work on a fully electric Golf,” he said, but “There will be an overlap” with the ID.3.

Grunitz claimed the Golf is “the heart of our brand,” saying VW won’t kill off the name. The electric Golf will be a “real Golf,” according to Grunitz. “It has to look like a Golf. It has to be affordable like a Golf. It has to be [capable] like a Golf.” He also confirmed that “there has to be a GTI.”

Volkswagen's-electric-Golf-Id.3
Second-generation Volkswagen ID.3 (Source: VW)

The new all-electric Golf won’t be based on the MEB platform that underpins the ID.3. Instead, Grunitz said it will be built on its next-gen SSP platform.

He explained, “The idea is to have the same electric architecture.” SSP will be a shared EV platform for the whole group.

Volkswagen's-electric-Golf-Id.3
Volkswagen ID.3 (left) and ID.4 (right)

Electrek’s Take

Does the electric Golf mean Volkswagen is swaying from its ID naming system? A report from Germany’s Handelsblatt last year claimed VW was building an electric SUV similar in size and style to the Tiguan.

It’s expected to enter production at its Wolfsburg plant in 2026 and could go by the name ID.Tiguan. Does that mean the new electric Golf will be the ID.Golf?

At the LA Auto Show last year, Thomas Shafer, CEO of VW Passenger Cars, said, “We have iconic brand names, Golf and GTI. It would be crazy to let them die and slip away.”

He did confirm, “We will stick with the ID logic,” but Shafer added, “Iconic models will carry a name.”

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BYD now has the world’s largest car transport ship and it just set sail overseas

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BYD now has the world's largest car transport ship and it just set sail overseas

The BYD “Shenzhen” set sail on its first voyage overseas this week. With 9,200 parking spots, or about enough to fill 20 football fields, BYD’s new car transport ship is now the world’s largest.

BYD’s largest car carrier sets sail for Brazil

BYD’s Shenzhen is on its maiden voyage to Brazil after setting sail on April 27. The vessel is carrying over 7,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), including electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It’s the largest single batch of NEVs exported from China so far.

The new vessel is BYD’s fourth car transport ship and the world’s largest, capable of carrying 9,000 vehicles. According to the company, that’s enough to fill about 20 football fields.

BYD launched its first car carrier, the Explorer No 1, in January 2024. It has already completed several trips to Germany, Spain, and Brazil.

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Its second, the BYD Changzhou, set sail in December 2024, followed by the Hefei earlier this year. All three vessels can carry up to 7,000 vehicles, making the Shenzhen the largest so far.

BYD's-largest-car-transport-ship
BYD Shenzhen, the world’s largest car transport ship (Source: BYD)

The Shenzhen is named after the automaker’s hometown and demonstrates “BYD’s firm determination to promote sustainable development in Brazil.”

BYD is preparing to launch two more vessels, the Changsha and Xi’an. The Changsha is expected to launch soon, while the Xi’an was introduced on April 2.

The new car carriers will help accelerate BYD’s aggressive overseas expansion. In the first three months of 2025, the company sold over 206,000 NEVs overseas, more than double the number it sold last year.

BYD sells a wide range of vehicles in Brazil, including the low-cost Dolphin Mini, starting at around $20,000 (99,800 BRL). In October, it launched its first hybrid pickup truck, the Shark, starting at 379,800 BTL ($66,900).

Brazil is only one overseas market that BYD is targeting. BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe in 2025, with significant growth in other key regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea, to name a few.

Source: BYD

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‘Tesla homes’ with solar roof and Powerwalls go on sale

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'Tesla homes' with solar roof and Powerwalls go on sale

‘Tesla homes’ in a Houston neighborhood where all the homes have Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls went for sale.

7 out of the 11 homes have reportedly already sold.

Tesla neighborhood is a term that is being used for new developments where all the homes integrate all or part of Tesla’s power ecosystem, including the Powerwall home battery pack.

The best example is a giant new development project in Austin, Texas, by Brookfield Asset Management and Dacra in which up to 12,000 new homes are to be built and offering Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls.

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However, since the announcement, it looks like only some of the homes in the new neighborhood have Tesla energy systems.

In 2022, Tesla also announced a similar project in Las Vegas.

A year later, the company claimed to have deployed “over 600 solar neighborhoods” worldwide, with a total capacity exceeding 100 MW.

One such ‘Tesla neighborhood’ is a small block of 11 townhouse homes featuring Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls in Houston, Texas.

The homes were recently completed and went on sale, starting at $544,900.

Here are some pictures from the listings:

Utopia Homes, the developer behind the project, described the properties (via Chron):

Step into modern elegance expertly crafted by Utopia Homes. This property showcases groundbreaking Tesla Solar Roof Shingles and Power Wall technology, ensuring 100% energy security and eliminating electric bills for a truly sustainable lifestyle.

The house has proved popular according to the real estate agents, with 7 out of 11 homes already sold.

As we recently reported, Tesla’s solar roofs have proven to be a more expensive and niche product than the company previously presented.

Tesla has largely stopped discussing it, but it is still being deployed through some third-party installers, such as in this case, on new homes.

However, its Powerwall product remains a very popular solution for homeowners seeking greater energy independence and protection against outages, which have been a frequent problem in Texas.

More homeowners are turning to generators, and alternatives like home battery packs are gaining popularity.

Now is a great time to begin your solar journey. If you want to make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar – whether you’re a homeowner or renter. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 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 share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online, and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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Vision Marine launches 2 new electric pontoon boats with 90 nautical miles of range

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Vision Marine launches 2 new electric pontoon boats with 90 nautical miles of range

Canadian electric propulsion specialist Vision Marine continues to graduate beyond advanced outboard motors into a provider of all-electric boats. This month, Vision introduced two new electric pontoon boats – the 12-passenger V24 and 15-passenger V30, each capable of a range up to 90 nautical miles.

Vision Marine Technologies ($VMAR) is a Canadian technology company with over 25 years of experience in the marine industry. The company made waves (literally) by introducing its E-Motion turnkey powertrain system, which it has since integrated into a catamaran speedboat, which set a speed record of 109 mph in 2022.

Since then, Vision has introduced six hp two-cruiser vessels – the Fantail 217 and Volt 180, each capable of transporting 10 passengers via its E-Motion technology. Most recently, Vision Marine has integrated the full power of its 180 hp electric powertrain technology into two additional vessels, both electric pontoon boats.

Earlier this month, the company officially began sales of the Vision V24 and V30, which you can view below.

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  • Vision electric pontoon
  • Vision electric pontoon

Vision Marine brings power and range to electric pontoons

According to Vision Marine Technologies, orders for its two new electric pontoon boats are now open, and they are touting the same E-Motion technology that put the company on the map a few years ago.

The first model is the V24, a 12-passenger electric pontoon that is 24′ 8″ in length and has 180 hp. The ultra-quiet E-Motion powertrain is powered by a standard 43 kWh marine battery pack, offering 40 nautical miles (46 miles) of all-electric range on a single charge. For added range, Vision sells a version of the electric pontoon with a second battery pack, totaling 86 kWh and delivering up to 90 nautical miles (104 miles) of range.

While the V24 offers more of a classic attempt at the pontoon boat, Vision’s additional new vessel, the all-electric V30, is a tad sportier and provides room for more passengers aboard (15). This 30′ vessel features the same E-Motion powertrain options, complete with the same two battery configurations to offer the same ranges as the V24.

However, the V30 has additional features such as 4 x 6.5″ interior speakers and cool-touch seats. Both models feature an integrated onboard charger that supports both 120- 240V (30 to 50 amps) for seamless charging, no matter the dock plug while moored.

The Vision V24 starts at $99,995 for the standard battery pack version, while the V30 starts at a higher price of $139,995. As previously mentioned, both electric pontoon boats are available to order today.

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