Who said minivans weren’t cool? Hyundai’s first electric minivan (which could double as a camper van) was spotted in public without camouflage, giving us a better look at what to expect. Check out the upcoming EV below.

When will Hyundai’s first electric minivan launch?

Hyundai is preparing to launch its first all-electric minivan this year. The Staria is the electric successor to the Starex, Hyundai’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) introduced in 2021.

Last March, Hyundai revealed its new ST1 electric business van platform, based on the Staria powertrain. The ST1 is Hyundai’s first commercial EV with configurations including a refrigerated van and chassis cab. Meanwhile, the minivan will get its own model in 2025.

According to Korea’s Newsis, Hyundai will convert one of its production lines at its Ulsan Plant 4 on January 25, 2025, for the Staria electric.

Ahead of its official debut, we are already getting a look at Hyundai’s first electric minivan undisguised. The Staria EV was spotted by the online community “Family Staria” in a Korean parking lot without camouflage.

You can see that the EV model has a design similar to that of Hyundai’s Staria Lounge, which transforms from a seven- or nine-seat limousine into a full-fledged camper van.

Outside of the grille, which is now closed and includes a charging port, the electric minivan is a near replica of the premium Staria Lounge.

Given it’s still a test vehicle, the design could change once finalized. A tag on the windshield reads “Vehicle for UT Evaluation of the Road Vulnerable,” suggesting it has a few more tests before being released to the general public.

The Staria electric is expected to feature Hyundai’s latest 84 kWh batteries. Local reports suggest it will be able to handle over 10% more capacity than the ST1.

Hyundai’s first electric van is expected to launch in overseas markets. According to The Korean Economic Daily, Hyundai plans to start production of the Staria EV in Europe in the first half of 2026. European-made models will be sold locally and overseas, such as in Australia and Thailand.

Will Hyundai launch a camper van version like the Staria Lounge? More info will likely be released soon with an official launch expected this year. Stay tuned for updates.

Source: Mobility Post

Elon Musk is claiming that Tesla has started doing ‘unsupervised self-driving trials internally’. He made the claim while playing video games, and It should be taken with a grain, or pound, of salt.

Yesterday afternoon, on a Tuesday, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and defacto in charge of 6 companies and a government department, was playing video games and streaming on X for more than an hour.

During the stream, fans were asking him questions and one of them was about Tesla’s self-driving effort.

Musk said:

Tesla Full Self-Driving unsupervised, maybe I’ll mention, we are going to [correct himself], we actually are doing trials of that with Tesla employees already and we expect to have that in commercial service sometime this year, which I mentioned at the last earnings call.

There are two things that Musk said at the last earnings call. He did indeed claim that Tesla would launch its “unsupervised Full Self-Driving” capability in California and Texas around Q2 2025.

He also said that Tesla started testing its robotaxi ride-hailing app with employees in the Bay Area:

We have for Tesla employees in the Bay Area. We already are offering ride-hailing capabilities. So, you can actually — with the development app, you can request a ride, and it will take you anywhere in the Bay Area.

However, he also said that Tesla had “safety drivers” behind the wheel for this test program, which means that it is no more than its current “Supervised Full Self-Driving,” a level 2 driver assist system. It is mainly to test the ridesharing features of the app rather than a different version of its self-driving system.

That makes sense, considering that Tesla would need a permit to operate a self-driving vehicle in California, even as part of a test program, and we haven’t found Tesla’s permit application yet

With this new comment, Musk clearly said “unsupervised” self-driving.

Electrek’s Take

I wouldn’t be shocked if Elon misspoke here while playing video games or he is plain confused about the situation.

Considering Tesla doesn’t have any permit to operate driverless vehicles, if it is operating a “unsupervised self-driving trials internally”, it has to be doing it on private property, which could be no more than the Cybercabs we have seen driving around Gigafactory Texas.

It’s not much different than Tesla’s ‘We, Robot’ event, which was purposely located at Warner Bros’ studio lot, which are private roads.

I seriously doubt that Tesla is currently operating unsupervised self-driving vehicles on public roads.

China’s EV leader is unleashing its low-cost electric cars overseas. BYD now has the first EV to cost under $30,000 in Australia. After launching an even cheaper Dolphin model, BYD said stay tuned for another big announcement on Monday.

BYD launches Australia’s first EV for under $30,000

BYD is known for its super-affordable electric cars like the Dolphin, Atto 3, and Seagull. In China, you can snag a Seagull EV for under $10,000 (69,800 yuan).

After a record year in 2024, BYD is looking for even more growth this year. The EV giant sold nearly 510,000 vehicles in December alone. In total, BYD sold over 4.27 million new energy vehicles (NEV) in 2024, up 41% from 2023. BYD’s NEV sales include EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

Now, the company is making a strong push to drive growth in overseas markets. One of BYD’s biggest targets is Australia.

Although BYD’s Dolphin was the cheapest EV when it landed in Australia in 2023, it’s now even more affordable. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, a new Dolphin Essentials trim is now available to order starting at $29,990 (plus on-road costs). It’s the first EV to start at under $30,000 in Australia.

Unlike the Standard trim, the stripped-down model does not include a panoramic sunroof, heated seats, or a wireless phone charger. It does include the same 44.9 kWh BYD Blade Battery for up to 350 km (217 miles) WLTP driving range.

BYD’s new Dolphin model is cheaper than the MG4, priced just under $31,000, including discounts. The MG4 usually starts at around $38,000.

The new trim is the latest in a series of new EV launches from BYD in The Land Down Under. Deliveries are expected to begin in March. Meanwhile, BYD will deliver the first Shark PHEV pickup models in Australia next week.

BYD’s first pickup truck starts at $57,900 before on-road costs. It will join the Atto 3 SUV, starting at $39,990, and Seal EVs, priced at $49,888, in BYD’s Australia lineup. The company is seeing strong demand, with 5,500 orders already placed.

In mid-February, BYD will launch its new Sealion 07, widely viewed as a legitimate Tesla Model Y rival. Starting at under $60,000, BYD’s new electric SUV is expected to match the Model Y at around $55,900.

EVDirect CEO David Smitherman said the company’s “objective is to support Australian consumers in the cost-of-living crisis and to help Australians in the transition to the new world of electric vehicles.”

BYD’s strong push into Australia comes after new tariffs on Chinese EV imports in the US and Europe. EVDirect said Australia is a key market as it looks to accelerate overseas sales. Smitherman said, “Stay tuned” to another major announcement from BYD Australia later today. Will BYD launch its even lower-priced Seagull? The company hinted at it just a few months ago. Check back soon for more.