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It’s only been five days since NIO officially launched its top-tier luxury sedan, the ET9, but the early buzz in China has been encouraging. The BEV will launch in 2025, beginning with a Limited Edition trim that sold out in the first 12 hours, so NIO has introduced another limited production run called the ET9 Signature Edition.

The new ET9 sedan was launched on December 21, during NIO Day 2024. The launch presentation included our first look at the ET9 inside and out. During that time, NIO confirmed that the ET9 starts at an MSRP of RMB 788,000 ($108,000), including the battery, slightly lower than the RMB 800,000 presale price announced during the model’s unveiling at NIO Day 2023.

The NIO ET9’s standard trim costs $108k, but the automaker will also sell a Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS )version that starts at RMB 660,000 ($90,420). Owners pay a monthly battery rental fee of RMB 1,128 ($155).

During the event, NIO debuted a Limited Edition launch trim of the ET9 with a starting price of RMB 818,000 ($112,065), which includes the battery. At the time, the Chinese automaker said it would only build 999 units of the limited edition ET9, and according to media outlet CnEVPostall of them had been spoken for, exceeding sales expectations.

To appease Chinese customers who missed out on the 999 Limited Edition ET9s, NIO has added a new Signature Edition, which is slightly lower priced but with some unique features.

NIO ET9

NIO ET9 Signature Edition arrives for $110,700

As pointed out by CnEVPost, NIO announced the new Signature Edition ET9 on its mobile app earlier today. The Signature Edition is priced at RMB 808,000 ($110,700). That’s RMB 20,000 ($2,750) more than the Standard Edition trim and RMB 10,000 ($1,370) less than the Limited Edition NIO says sold out in under 12 hours.

According to the announcement, NIO introduced the new Signature Edition after receiving an influx of inquiries from Chinese consumers interested in purchasing one of the 999 Limited Edition trims after they had already sold out.

For the extra RMB 20,000 compared to the standard ET9, the automaker says the Signature Edition features exclusive logos, complimentary 23-inch premium wheels, free NOMI Mate 3.0, and other features. The Signature Edition ET9 is now available for order in the NIO app and currently shows a delivery wait time of 13 to 16 weeks, the same as the standard trim.

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ID. Buzz recall: VW’s third-row bench is too big for its own good

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ID. Buzz recall: VW’s third-row bench is too big for its own good

Volkswagen of America is recalling nearly 5,700 2025 VW ID. Buzz vans because the NHTSA says the third-row bench seat is too spacious. (For real.)

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the third-row bench is physically wide enough for three people, but it’s only designed to hold two, so it’s only equipped with two seat belts. That mismatch violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, which covers occupant crash protection. A bench that invites three passengers but only protects two isn’t just awkward – it’s a safety risk. It simply makes it too easy to squeeze that third person in the back “just that once” without a seatbelt, and that’s inviting trouble.

Volkswagen will fix the ID. Buzz issue by having dealers install “fixed unpadded trim parts” that adjust the seat’s usable width, and they’ll do it for free, because recall repairs are always free. It’ll probably be hard plastic on the seat to ensure a third person can’t squeeze in. Owner notification letters are expected to go out starting June 20, 2025.

Volkswagen has reported that, to date, there have been “no field claims known” of safety issues caused by the extra-wide third row bench seat. 

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Read more: This is the 2025 VW ID. Buzz’s Electrify America charging package


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Zenobē arrives in North America with a 500 unit EV deal in Canada [part 4]

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Zenobē arrives in North America with a 500 unit EV deal in Canada [part 4]

Electric vehicle charging and battery storage specialists Zenobē have inked a deal with Canadian leasing company 7Gen to fund more than 500 commercial EVs and their associated charging infrastructure.

Last week, Zenobē agreed to provide up to $48 million (Canadian) in debt financing to 7Gen to help expand its vehicle-as-a-service electric truck leasing program across Canada.

7Gen supports fleet operators with a comprehensive set of vehicle leasing and financing solutions that cover EV charger deployment, energy management systems, and ongoing operational support for Canadian fleet customers operating electric trucks, vans, and school buses.

Zenobē secured $1.6 billion in equity from its joint majority shareholders KKR and M&G Infracapital to fuel its global expansion into EVs and grid-scale batteries back in 2023. Since then, it’s grown to support more than 2,000 EVs and 120 charging depots across markets in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

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We’re bringing our innovative funding approach to Canada and specifically to 7Gen,” says Steven Meersman, Co-Founder and Director of Zenobē. “We see momentum behind decarbonization in Canada’s supportive government policies and the clean, affordable power that will ensure a lower total cost of ownership for zero-emissions vehicles. We look forward to sharing our global experience electrifying over 120 depots to benefit 7Gen, its fleet customers and the wider electric fleet market in Canada.”

That innovative funding strategy is something Steven and I had a chance to discuss this week at the ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. “We’re being very careful in the way we approach the North American market,” he said (paraphrasing). “The market is fairly littered with the graves of other UK EV companies that have tried to find a foothold here and failed, so we’re being very careful about our partners.”

Despite living just a few minutes from his Chicago HQ, I’d never met Steven before this week. He’s a super-interesting guy and you will definitely learn a thing or two about how to build a multimillion dollar energy management company like Zenobē from our upcoming podcast (stay tuned for that). But the news here is 7Gen.

“Zenobē’s debt financing supports 7Gen’s next growth step and allows us to help our customers step up the pace of their EV adoption and benefit immediately from operational cost savings,” says Frans Tjallingii, CEO, 7Gen. “Zenobē’s team is well aligned with ours and we are thrilled to partner to scale our impact in Canada together.”

The company will begin rolling out its Zenobē-funded electric trucks in the coming weeks, with new partners and projects set to be announced shortly.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Zenobē.


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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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BYD’s $10,000 Seagull EV was its top seller last month and now it’s headed overseas

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BYD's ,000 Seagull EV was its top seller last month and now it's headed overseas

BYD’s ultra-affordable Seagull was its top-selling EV last month, with over 55,000 units sold. With prices starting at under $10,000 in China, it’s the cheapest EV in BYD’s lineup. And with plans to launch it in new overseas markets soon, the Seagull is expected to see even more demand.

BYD’s top-selling EV in April starts at under $10,000

There’s no denying BYD’s growing presence in the global auto industry. The Chinese auto giant just posted its best month of 2025 in April, selling 380,089 new energy vehicles, including EVs and PHEVs.

For the first time in over a year, fully electric vehicles outsold hybrids. BYD sold 195,740 purely electric cars last month, up 45% from April 2024.

The Seagull was BYD’s top-selling EV with 55,028 models sold last month alone. It’s part of BYD’s Ocean and Dynasty brands, which accounted for 347,053 of its total sales in April. The premium Denza brand added 15,388, while Fang Cheng Bao and Yangwang sold 10,039 and 135 vehicles, respectively.

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Perhaps even more importantly, BYD set a new overseas sales record for the fifth straight month with nearly 80,000 vehicles sold. Through April, BYD has sold 285,170 vehicles overseas, more than doubling from last year.

BYD's-$10,000-EV-top-seller
BYD Dolphin Mini (Seagull) launch in Brazil (Source: BYD)

The Seagull EV, which is being sold under the name Dolphin Mini, is already being sold in several countries, including Mexico, Colombia, the Philippines, and Brazil.

Later this year, BYD will launch the low-cost EV in Europe as the “Dolphin Surf” with prices expected to start at under £20,000 ($26,000).

BYD-Seagull-EV
BYD Seagull (Dolphin Mini) EV (Source: BYD)

The Seagull is just 3,780 mm long, 1,715 mm wide, and 1,540 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,500 mm, which is even smaller than the Volkswagen ID.3 (4,264 mm long, 1,809 mm wide, 1,568 mm tall).

Designed by Wolfgang Egger, a former Lamborghini and Audi designer, the Seagull has earned the nickname “Mini Lamborghini” in China.

BYD Seagull trim Starting Price Range
(CLTC)
Active $9,700
(69,800 yuan)
190 mi
(305 km)
Free $10,500
(75,800 yuan)
190 mi
(305 km)
Flying $12,000
(85,800 yuan)
252 mi
(405 km)
BYD Seagull EV prices and range in China

In China, the Seagull EV is available in three trims: Vitality, Freedom, and Flying. There are two BYD battery pack options, 30.08 kWh and 38.88 kWh, which provide 305 km (190 miles) and 405 km (252 miles) CLTC range, respectively.

According to S&P Global Mobility, BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe from 83,000 last year to 186,000 in 2025.

Although it’s not slated for European production, the report notes that “the Seagull’s pricing strategy ensures competitiveness in the EU even with tariffs.”

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