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Kia confirmed it will launch the EV4 this year as it fills out “a full lineup of popular EVs.” According to Kia, the EV4 is “an entirely new type of EV sedan with a distinct style and sports car-like proportions. However, it’s expected to be much cheaper than your average sports car. With its official debut around the corner, we are getting a closer look at what we can expect from the Kia EV4, including the inside. Check it out below.

The EV4 was revealed as a concept in October 2023 alongside the EV3 and EV5 as part of Kia’s new mass-market electric vehicle lineup.

After launching the EV3 in Korea, it’s now arriving in Europe and other overseas markets. The EV5 was initially launched in China, but Kia will bring the lower-priced electric SUV to Europe, Korea, Australia, and other regions in 2025.

Kia announced earlier this week that “the sedan-type electric vehicle EV4 will be launched sequentially around the world” after reporting Q4 and full-year 2024 earnings.

The EV4 will join the EV3, EV5, EV6, and EV9 to complete Kia’s “EVs for all,” with prices ranging from around $30,000 to upwards of $80,000. At the time, Kia said it plans to “significantly” and “rapidly” expand its electric car lineup, and it’s already making good on its promise.

Kia-EV4-EV3-EV5-EV6-EV9
Kia EV4 (back) showcased alongside EV9 (left) EV3 (middle), and EV5 (right) (Source: Kia)

Check out the Kia EV4, inside and out

Although we’ve already seen it a few times in public, including in the US late last year, a new video from HealerTV gives us a better idea of what to expect from the Kia EV4, including its interior.

One of the first things you will notice is the unique exterior profile. It appears to maintain much of the concept’s design with bold character lines and a streamlined silhouette.

Kia EV4 interior and exterior design (Source: HealerTV)

Although not shown, the EV4 will feature Kia’s new ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system with dual 12.3″ driver display and infotainment screens.

The video shows what appears to be a spacious interior despite its expected smaller size. You can see how a car seat fits in the back seat with plenty of space.

Kia-EV3-interior
Kia EV3 interior (Source: Kia)

Although prices and other specs will be revealed closer to launch, the EV4 is expected to start at around $30,000 to $40,000, depending on the market. Like the EV3, it’s also based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, which should deliver around 375 miles (WLTP) range, if not more, with the larger 81.4 kWh battery.

A hatchback EV4 model was also spotted out in public last year. The variant will likely be aimed at the European market.

Would you buy Kia’s electric sedan for around $35,000? Let us know in the comments below.

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Uber launches true driverless robotaxi operations in the Middle East with WeRide [Video]

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Uber launches true driverless robotaxi operations in the Middle East with WeRide [Video]

Just over a year after Uber announced a strategic partnership in the Middle East with autonomous vehicle specialist WeRide, the companies have officially begun offering the public robotaxi rides without a driver or safety operator present on board.

Today’s latest milestone involving robotaxi operations in the Middle East dates back to September 2024, when Uber and WeRide initially announced a strategic partnership to bring autonomous rides to the UAE.

Three months later, the partner officially launched autonomous rides in Abu Dhabi, but with a safety operator present in the vehicle. At the time, Uber and WeRide said the supervised rides were “laying the groundwork” for a true driverless commercial operations planned for 2025.

That day has come.

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WeRide and Uber have confirmed that commercial robotaxi operations are officially underway in Abu Dhabi without any safety operators on board – a first for the Middle East.

Uber Middle East
Source: Uber

Uber rolls out Middle East robotaxi operations in Abu Dhabi

Uber shared details of its latest milestone late this evening or in the afternoon in the Middle East, depending on where you are.

Beginning today (Wednesday) customers in Abu Dhabi can select an UberX or Uber Comfort ride that enables them to be matched with a fully autonomous WeRide robotaxi without a driver inside. Riders in the Middle East can also increase their chances of hailing one of these driverless rides by select the “Autonomous” option in the Uber app.

In order to qualify, the prosepctive rider’s route must be part of WeRide’s operating territory in Abu Dhabi and a dedicated WeRide GXR Robotaxi vehicle (seen in the featured image above) must be available.

Similar to Uber’s partnership with Waymo in Austin and Atlanta, the global rideshare network will oversee fleet operations for WeRide vehicles, handling end-to end rider support. It has tapped Tawasul Transport to facilitate vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging, and depot management. WeRide will remain responsible for vehicle testing.

As you may recall last spring, Uber and WeRide announced an expansion to their strategic partnership beyond the Middle East (although Dubai will be the city for its next robotaxi rollout). Over the next five years, Uber and WeRide intend to deploy true driverless public rides in 15 additional cities, some of which will be in Europe.

As promised, here’s some b-roll footage from Uber showing how riders in Abu Dhabi can order a WeRide robotaxi:

Source: Uber

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ChargePoint brings 40+ new fast-charging ports to metro Detroit

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ChargePoint brings 40+ new fast-charging ports to metro Detroit

Metro Detroit is about to get a big boost of fast EV chargers, with more than 40 new ChargePoint ports set to come online across multiple sites owned by the Dabaja Brothers Development Group.

The first ultra-fast charging site just opened in Canton, Michigan. It’s owned and operated by Dabaja Brothers, who plan to follow it with additional ChargePoint-equipped locations in Dearborn and Livonia.

“We started this project because we saw a gap in our community – there was almost nowhere to charge an EV in Canton, and a similar lack of charging across metro Detroit,” said Yousef Dabaja, owner/operator at Dabaja Brothers.

Each metro Detroit site will feature ChargePoint Express Plus fast charging stations, which can deliver up to 500 kW to a single port, can fast-charge two vehicles at the same time, and are compatible with all EVs. The stations feature a proprietary cooling system to deliver peak charging speeds for sustained periods, ensuring that charging speed remains consistent.

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The stations operate on the new ChargePoint Platform, which enables operators to monitor performance, adjust pricing, troubleshoot issues, and gain real-time insights to keep chargers running smoothly.

Rick Wilmer, CEO at ChargePoint, said, “This initiative will rapidly infill the ‘fast charging deserts’ across the Detroit area, allowing drivers to quickly recharge their vehicles when and where they need to.”

Read more: ChargePoint just gave its EV charging software a major AI upgrade


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Mercedes-Benz opens its first DC fast charging hub at Starbucks

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Mercedes-Benz opens its first DC fast charging hub at Starbucks

Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging and Starbucks have officially opened their first DC fast charging hub together, off the I-5 in Red Bluff, California.

The 400 kW Mercedes-Benz chargers are capable of adding up to 300 miles in 10 minutes, depending on the EV, and every stall has both NACS and CCS cables – they’re fully open DC fast chargers.

Mercedes-Benz HPC North America, a joint venture between subsidiaries of Mercedes-Benz Group and renewable energy producer MN8 Energy, first announced in July 2024 that it would install DC fast chargers at Starbucks stores along Interstate 5, the main 1,400-mile north-south interstate highway on the US West Coast from Canada to Mexico. Ultimately, Mercedes plans to install fast chargers at 100 Starbucks stores across the US.

Mercedes-Benz HPC opened its first North American charging site at Mercedes-Benz USA’s headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia, in November 2023 as part of an initial $1 billion charging network investment. As of the end of 2024, Mercedes had deployed over 150 operational fast chargers in the US, but it hasn’t disclosed an official number of how many chargers are currently online.

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Andrew Cornelia, CEO of Mercedes-Benz HPC North America, is leaving the company at the end of the month to become global head of electrification & sustainability at Uber.

Read more: Mercedes-Benz is deploying 400 kW US-made EV fast chargers with CCS and NACS cables


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