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BYD is already known for its smaller, low-cost electric cars like the Seagull, which you can snag for under $10,000 in China. Now, China’s EV leader is looking to go even smaller. BYD plans to launch a new mini EV, or kei car, that could pose “a huge threat” to Japanese automakers as a cheaper alternative.

BYD’s new mini EV will launch in Japan in 2026

China’s EV leader is already starting to crack Japan’s auto market, where foreign automakers have struggled for years.

BYD sold 2,223 EVs in Japan in 2024, accounting for 4% of overall electric car sales. Meanwhile, two mini EVs, the Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi’s eK X, represented over 40% of the country’s electric car sales last year.

Mini, or kei cars, are among the most popular options in Japan. They are lower-priced, easy to maneuver around city streets, and functional enough for everyday use.

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BYD wants its piece of the booming market. The company announced plans to enter Japan’s mini EV segment next year, and it’s already stoking fear among domestic automakers.

“Young people do not have a negative view of BYD. It would be a huge threat if the company launches cheap models in Japan,” a Suzuki dealer said (via Nikkei). Japanese automakers like Suzuki, Subaru, and Nissan have relied on kei cars for domestic growth.

BYD-mini-EV
BYD Dolphin (left) and Atto 3 (right) at the 2024 Tokyo Spring Festival (Source BYD Japan)

Last year, they represented around 40% of new vehicle sales in Japan, with around 1.55 million units sold. The Honda N-Box, which was the best-selling kei car in Japan for the third straight year, is 3,395 mm long, 1,475 mm wide, and 1,790 mm tall.

To give you an idea, BYD’s smallest EV, the Seagull, is 3,780 mm long, 1,715 mm wide, and 1,540 mm tall. Last month, it was BYD’s top-selling EV, with over 55,000 models sold.

BYD-mini-EV
BYD Dolphin Mini (Seagull) testing in Brazil (Source: BYD)

BYD will likely have an advantage in terms of costs. It already builds ultra-affordable electric cars powered by the BYD Blade batteries, which are also used by Tesla, Toyota, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and several others.

The company will begin recruiting talent with “extensive experience” in the light vehicle business. As it looks to grow its business in Japan, BYD opened a new website this month for applications.

BYD-mini-EV
BYD Atto 3 (left) and Dolphin (right) EVs in Japan (Source: BYD)

BYD’s new mini EV is expected to start at around 2.6 million yen, or roughly $18,000. The Nissan Sakura, Japan’s top-selling EV last year, starts at about the same amount (2.59 million yen).

Its electric SUV, the Atto 3, caused a stir last year during a seminar on battery tech held by the Central Japan Economic and Trade Bureau. A few attendees even asked, “How can it be produced at such a low cost?”

The Atto 3 starts at 4.18 million yen in Japan, or around $29,000, undercutting most in the segment. Since launching the electric SUV in 2023, BYD has introduced several of its top sellers, including the Dolphin and Seal. Last month, BYD launched its new midsize smart electric SUV, the Sealion 7, starting at 4.95 million yen ($34,500)

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One of the world’s largest wind farms just got axed – here’s why

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One of the world’s largest wind farms just got axed – here’s why

Danish energy giant Ørsted has canceled plans for the Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm, dealing a major blow to the UK’s renewable energy ambitions.

Hornsea 4, at a massive 2.4 gigawatts (GW), would have become one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world, generating enough clean electricity to power over 1 million UK homes. But Ørsted announced that it’s abandoning the project “in its current form.”

“The adverse macroeconomic developments, continued supply chain challenges, and increased execution, market, and operational risks have eroded the value creation,” said Rasmus Errboe, group president and CEO of Ørsted.

Reuters reported that Ørsted’s cancellation of Hornsea 4 would result in a projected loss of up to 5.5 billion Danish crowns ($837.85 million) in breakaway fees and asset write-downs. The company’s market value has declined by 80% since its peak in 2021.

The cancellation highlights significant challenges currently facing offshore wind development in Europe, particularly in the UK. The combination of higher material costs, inflation, and global financial instability has made large-scale renewable projects increasingly difficult to finance and complete.

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Ørsted’s decision is a significant setback to the UK’s energy transition goals. The UK currently has around 15 GW of offshore wind, and Hornsea 4’s size would have provided almost 7% of the additional capacity needed for the UK’s 50 GW by 2030 target, according to The Times. Losing this immense project off the Yorkshire coast could hamper the UK’s pace of reducing dependency on fossil fuels, especially amid volatile global energy markets.

The UK government reiterated its commitment to renewable energy, promising to work closely with industry leaders to overcome financial and logistical hurdles. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told reporters in Norway that the UK is “still committed to working with Orsted to seek to make Hornsea 4 happen by 2030.”

Ørsted says it remains committed to its other UK-based projects, including the Hornsea 3 wind farm, which is expected to generate around 2.9 GW once completed at the end of 2027. Despite the challenges, the company emphasized its ongoing commitment to the British renewable market, pointing to the critical need for policy support and economic stability to ensure future developments.

Yet, the cancellation of Hornsea 4 demonstrates that even flagship renewable projects are vulnerable in the face of economic pressures and global uncertainties, which have been heightened under the Trump administration in the US.

Read more: The world’s single-largest wind farm gets the green light


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Is the Tesla Roadster ever going to be made?

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Is the Tesla Roadster ever going to be made?

The Tesla Roadster appears to be quietly disappearing after years of delay. is it ever going to be made?

I may have jinxed it with Betteridge’s Law of Headlines, which suggests any headline ending in a question mark can be answered with “no.”

The prototype for the next-generation Tesla Roadster was first unveiled in 2017, and it was supposed to come into production in 2020, but it has been delayed every year since then.

It was supposed to get 620 miles (1,000 km) of range and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds.

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It has become a sort of running joke, and there are doubts that it will ever come to market despite Tesla’s promise of dozens of free new Roadsters to Tesla owners who participated in its referral program years ago.

Tesla uses the promise of free Roadsters to help generate billions of dollars worth of sales, which Tesla owners delivered, but the automaker never delivered on its part of the agreement.

Furthermore, many people placed deposits ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 to reserve the vehicle, which was supposed to hit the market 5 years ago.

The official timelines from Tesla are pretty useless at this point since they haven’t stuck to any of them, but the latest official one dates back to July 2024 when CEO Elon Musk said this:

“With respect to Roadster, we’ve completed most of the engineering. And I think there’s still some upgrades we want to make to it, but we expect to be in production with Roadster next year. It will be something special.”

He said that Tesla had completed “most of the engineering”, but he initially said the engineering would be done in 2021 and that was already 3 years after the prototype was unveiled and a year after it was supposed to be in production:

Musk commented on the Roadster again in October 2024, but he didn’t reiterate the 2025 timeline. Instead, he called the new Roadster “the cherry on the icing on the cake.”

Tesla’s leadership has been virtually silent about the new Roadster since. Two Tesla executives even had to be reminded about the Roadster by Jay Leno after they “forgot” about it when listing upcoming new Tesla vehicles with tri-motor powertrain.

There was one small update about the Roadster in Tesla’s financial results last month.

The automaker has a table of all its vehicle production, and the Roadster was updated from “in development” to “design development” in the table:

It’s not clear if that’s progress or Tesla is just rephrasing it. Either way, it is not “construction”, which makes it unlikely that the Roadster is going into production this year.

If ever…

Electrek’s Take

It looks like Tesla owes about 80 Tesla Roadsters for free to Tesla owners who referred purchases, and it owes significant discounts on hundreds of units.

It’s hard for me to believe that Tesla is not delivering the new Roadster because the vehicle program would start about $100 million in the red, but at this point, I have no idea. It very well might be the reason.

However, I think it’s more likely that Tesla is just terrible at bringing multiple vehicle programs to market simultaneously. Case in point: it launched a single new vehicle in the last five years.

At this point, I think it’s more likely that the Roadster will never happen. It will join other Tesla products like the Cybertruck Range Extender.

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Lucid is offering over $20,000 in discounts on the Air EV this month

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Lucid is offering over ,000 in discounts on the Air EV this month

The 2025 Lucid Air isn’t just any luxury sedan. It’s the world’s most efficient car with over 400 miles of range. After introducing new discounts this month, Lucid is offering over $20,000 in savings on select 2025 Air models.

Lucid Air EV discounts top $20,000 in May

In the first quarter, the Lucid Air was the best-selling EV and the third top-selling sedan overall in its segment, including gas-powered cars.

After launching the 2025 Air Pure last summer, Lucid claimed it was the “world’s most efficient car” at 5.0 miles of range per kWh. That translates to over 420 miles of EPA-estimated range and the highest MPGe rating of any EV at 146 MPGe.

Lucid introduced new discounts this month, making the 2025 Air significantly more affordable. The 2025 Lucid Air Touring is available with up to $20,500 in savings with leases starting at just $599 for 36 months.

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The promo includes a $1,000 on-site bonus, a $2,000 conquest offer, a $10,000 Air Credit, and a $7,500 EV credit.

Other trims, including the Lucid Air Pure and Lucid Air Grand Touring, offer discounts of up to $18,000 and $15,500, respectively.

Lucid-Air-discounts
2025 Lucid Air offers (Source: Lucid)

The 2025 Lucid Air Touring starts at $78,900 with 620 HP and 406 miles of range. Lucid is offering 2025 Air Pure models from $69,900, with up to 420 miles of range. The Grand Touring gets up to 512 miles with prices starting at $110,900.

Lucid increased its Tesla trade-in allowance this month, which can save you an additional $4,000. To take advantage of the deals, you must take delivery by May 31, 2025.


2025 Lucid Air trim
Starting Price Lease Discounts Lease From
(per month/ 36 months)
EPA-estimated Range
Lucid Air Pure $69,900 -$18,000 $579 420 miles
Lucid Air Touring $78,900 -$20,500 $599 406 miles
Lucid Air Grand Touring $110,900 -$15,500 $849 512 miles
Lucid Air Sapphire $249,000 N/A N/A 427 miles
2025 Lucid Air prices and range by trim

You can also now lease Lucid’s new Gravity electric SUV. According to Lucid’s payment calculator, the 2026 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring can be leased for $1,102 a month.

That’s based on an MSRP of $94,900 with a down payment of $8,030. Later this year, Lucid will launch the lower-priced Touring model, starting at $79,900.

Ready to check out Lucid’s luxury EVs for yourself? You can use our links below to view current offers on Lucid Air and Gravity models in your area.

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