Alex Garin

Robot Traffic Controllers Undergo Testing in China

The DR02 robot, developed by Deep Robotics, has been deployed to assist traffic police in Hangzhou. These robots help maintain order and provide guidance to pedestrians and drivers; however, they do not issue fines. Instead, they communicate using voice messages and gestures.

Standing approximately 175 cm tall and weighing 65 kg, the robot is designed for outdoor use. Its IP66-rated enclosure provides protection against dust and powerful jets of water. It is specified to operate within a temperature range of −20°C to +55°C.

The trials are intended to evaluate how effectively these humanoid robots navigate among people and vehicles, as well as their ability to perform these tasks in rainy weather. If such systems can be implemented more broadly, police officers will be able to dedicate more time to investigating traffic accidents and handling other responsibilities that require human intervention.

The headline reveals

Citroën 2CV concept and 2CV Fourgonette

The star of the show is a modern, all-electric take on the 2CV. Citroën previewed the concept the night before the show, then surprised everyone on press day with a van version, the 2CV Fourgonette. Citroën hasn't given battery or range figures yet, but the brand says the production car is aimed squarely at affordable mobility and cheap Chinese rivals. Sales are expected in 2028, with UK estimates around £13,000.

Renault E-Space concept

Renault has turned its 1984 Espace into a boxy electric MPV concept, 4.70 m long, 2.0 m wide and 1.67 m tall. Inside are six individually rotating seats and a new full-width "OpenR Panorama" display that will also appear in the Rafale and Scenic. Renault hasn't released battery or range figures, but says it will bring LFP chemistry across its EV range. Renault also brought the facelifted Megane E-Tech, a Twingo with a new panoramic roof and the just-for-fun 8 Gordini concept.

Smart #2

Nearly 30 years after the first Smart concept appeared in Paris, the brand is back with a 2.75 m electric two-seater. It uses a 35.8 kWh LFP battery and an 82 hp rear motor, with a targeted 180-mile (290 km) WLTP range, 65 kW DC charging (10–80% in about 20 minutes) and vehicle-to-load. Orders are due to open in spring 2027.

Leapmotor B03

Stellantis-backed Leapmotor revealed the B03 hatchback, a direct rival to the Renault 5 and VW ID.Polo. It gets a 53 kWh LFP pack, 242 miles (389 km) of WLTP range, 133 kW charging (10–80% in 21 minutes) and a 194 hp front motor. European sales start in early 2027.

Audi A2 e-tron

The new A2 e-tron made its public debut, reviving the name of Audi's late-1990s aluminium hatchback. It offers up to 84 kWh of battery and up to 397 miles (639 km) of WLTP range, with UK deliveries from early 2027.

WLTP range of the new production EVs shown in Paris:

Stellantis goes all in

Stellantis arrived with eight brands, more than 60 vehicles and nine concept cars on a 5,340 m² stand, the biggest presence of any group. Beyond Citroën, the highlights were:

• Peugeot RCZ Vision and E-T16 concepts, the second giving the clearest look yet at the next E-208, due next year
• Fiat Multiplay, an MPV that converts into a pickup, and Multiplina, a stretched Topolino
• DS Fever concept, previewing the next DS3, alongside the DS N°7 going on sale
• Opel (Vauxhall in the UK) STX concept, signalling a new design direction
• Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso concept, with flexible powertrains promised

Tesla brings the Cybercab to Paris

Tesla is exhibiting the Cybercab, its two-seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, on stand C25 in Hall 7.1. According to the show's organisers, the car on display comes from Tesla's US Robotaxi fleet in Austin, where Cybercab started carrying public riders in September, rather than being a static concept. Visitors can't ride in it. It isn't the car's first trip to Paris, though: Tesla displayed a Cybercab at its Madeleine store in late 2024.

The stand also has the Model 3, Model Y, Optimus Gen 2 humanoid robot, Tesla Energy products and a Supercharger. Tesla is offering free test drives in six cars running FSD (Supervised) throughout the week. There's no Cybercab service announced for Europe yet. Tesla says European drivers have logged more than 100 million km on FSD (Supervised), and an EU-wide approval decision is expected in December.

Chinese brands: present but quiet

BYD showed its new Atto 8 seven-seat electric SUV and the Dolphin G plug-in hybrid. Denza displayed the Bao 5 off-roader, Z9GT and D9, GAC's Aion brand revealed an updated UT and a range-extended flagship SUV, and Geely brought the Monjaro EM-i plug-in. Avatr, Aito, Li Auto, Lynk & Co and Forthing are also on site. Compared with this spring's Beijing show, though, the Chinese reveals were muted, and European brands took most of the attention.

Who else is there, and who isn't

Volvo gave the EX60 its proper public debut, Skoda showed the production Epiq and Peaq, Volkswagen brought the Mission Efficiency concept, Hyundai previewed the new Tucson and the Staria-based ST1 electric van, and Alpine unveiled the A310 Vision concept. Renault's Trafic E-Tech van, with up to 81 kWh and 292 miles, also made its show debut. BMW and Mini skipped Paris entirely, so there is no Neue Klasse on display.

Visiting the show

The Mondial de l'Auto is open to the public from Tuesday 13 to Sunday 18 October 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, across Halls 4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6 and 7.1. Doors open at 09:30 daily, with late openings until 22:00 on Friday and Saturday. The main public entrance is Gate A2, next to the Porte de Versailles metro and tram station. Tickets are sold through mondial.paris.

What Paris 2026 tells us

Paris 2026 is a show about affordable, characterful EVs rather than supercars. Retro names like the 2CV, Espace and A2 are being used to sell small, efficient electric cars, LFP batteries are becoming standard at the cheaper end, and the MPV is quietly making a comeback. Most of these cars won't reach US showrooms, but the shift toward cheaper EVs in Europe is a preview of the price pressure every market will feel next.

Sales and markets

Lucid cuts production by 38%

Lucid built 2,954 vehicles and delivered 3,806 in Q3. Deliveries slipped about 4% from Q2, and production fell 38%. The cut is deliberate: Lucid dropped the second shift at its AMP-1 plant in June and is selling down inventory as part of a reset aimed at $1.4 billion in cash flow improvements this year. Q3 earnings follow on November 9.

BYD's growth now comes from abroad

BYD sold 463,561 vehicles in September, up 17% and its fifth straight month of growth. Domestic sales fell 13%, but overseas sales jumped 154% to 180,700 vehicles. Its pure-electric passenger sales rose 33.2% year over year to a record 273,143. Leapmotor also passed 100,000 monthly deliveries for the first time, with 105,656 in September.

Mercedes sets an EV record as China drags

Mercedes sold a record 68,400 electric passenger cars in Q3, up 61% year over year, led by the electric GLC. Total group sales fell 6%, mostly because of weak demand in China.

Canada up, US down for GM

GM's Canadian zero-emission sales rose 118% in Q3, led by Cadillac EVs, the Equinox EV, Bolt and Silverado EV. South of the border, GM delivered 25,473 EVs in the US, down 61.7% from 66,501 a year earlier.

Europe posts record months

• Norway: EVs took 98.8% of new registrations, and the Tesla Model Y alone took 25.7% of the market
• UK: almost 100,000 new EVs in September, a record, led by the Tesla Model 3
• Spain: the Model 3 was the most-registered car of any kind, the first EV to top the monthly chart
• Germany: EV registrations up almost 95% to 88,599, a 34.5% share that beat petrol and diesel combined

Tesla

• Austin's registered Cybercab fleet grew to 169 vehicles, and robotaxi service now runs later into the evening.
• Slovakia is close to approving FSD (Supervised), based on a provisional Dutch approval. In Germany the system may launch as "Assisted Driving."
• New Model 3 and Model Y cars can now back up a home through Powershare when paired with a Powerwall 3.
• The Supercharger network passed 85,000 stalls at more than 9,000 sites worldwide.
• Tesla is in talks with TSMC about a role in a planned AI chip factory in Texas called Terafab.
• Q3 results arrive on Wednesday, October 21.

New models

BMW iX5 opens for orders

Orders opened on October 8 for the iX5 60 xDrive: a 141 kWh battery, 845 km (525 mi) of WLTP range and DC charging at up to 460 kW. US production is at Spartanburg, with deliveries from Q1 2027 and an estimated 435 miles of EPA-style range. BMW also added an all-wheel-drive iX3 40 xDrive from €65,900.

Jaguar, Porsche, Mercedes and Lucid

• Jaguar showed the Type 01, a three-motor electric GT with a 118 kWh battery, aimed at a small luxury audience.
• Porsche is slowing its EV plans and leaning more on combustion models. An electric 718 is still coming; an all-electric 911 is not.
• Mercedes drops the EQE sedan from its US lineup for model year 2027. It isn't being discontinued worldwide.
• The Lucid Cosmos is now planned for the second half of 2027.

Policy, industry and charging

• The EU is weighing rules that would tie purchase incentives to a high share of European-made vehicles and batteries. Automakers say the timeline isn't realistic.
• Toyota has approval to invest about $1.3 billion in a new EV plant in Argentina. An electric Hilux is the likely model.
• Porsche is testing battery cells whose cathode material is made entirely from recycled raw materials.
• FedEx ordered 2,000 electric trucks from Harbinger, worth more than $300 million, for delivery by the end of 2027.
• Germany's Deutschlandnetz opened its 100th highway charging park, on the A81, with six chargers rated at up to 400 kW.

What to watch next week

The split is getting wider. Outside the US, EV sales are hitting records almost every month. Inside it, only Tesla and Rivian are holding volume without the tax credit. Tesla's October 21 earnings call is the next big signal, especially on robotaxi expansion and the cost of its chip plans.

Why New York, and why America

The choice of venue was deliberate. JLR confirmed the New York launch at its investor day in June, and the brand's US leadership has been open about the strategy behind it. Jaguar North America expects the US to become its number one market for both volume and profit, and plans to sell the Type 01 through a slimmed-down network of about 80 retailers, most of which already sell Range Rover.

The price jump is steep. Jaguar's average US transaction price is currently around $70,000; the company wants that figure to reach roughly $130,000 once the new range is on sale. Jaguar boss Rawdon Glover has also played down the backlash against the brand's 2024 rebrand, arguing that most of the critics were never going to be Type 01 customers in the first place.

What the Type 01 brings

The Type 01 is the production version of the two-door Type 00 concept shown in December 2024, reworked as a four-door, four-seat grand tourer. It is the first car on the new Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA), a platform that cannot accept a combustion engine, and Jaguar has ruled out any hybrid or range-extender version.

Power comes from three motors, one on the front axle and two at the rear, producing more than 1,000 PS and 1,300 Nm. Jaguar quotes 0–60 mph in the low three-second range and a 250 km/h (155 mph) top speed. An 850-volt electrical system and a 120 kWh battery support charging at up to 350 kW, enough to add about 320 km (200 miles) in 15 minutes.

Inside, a full-length central spine divides the cabin into four individual seats, with travertine stone trim and a minimalist steering wheel with haptic controls. There is no rear window: a camera-based mirror replaces the conventional rear-view mirror, as on the Polestar 4. Air suspension with active dampers is standard, and 23-inch wheels are fitted to most markets.

Jaguar Type 01 key specifications

Figures as announced by Jaguar ahead of launch; final homologated range and pricing to be confirmed by market.

A big bet in a small segment

The Type 01 is Jaguar's first new car since the F-Pace was retired, ending a production gap of around 18 months. Its targets are no longer the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class but the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door EV and, on price, Bentley. That puts Jaguar in a corner of the market that has proved tough for EVs, at a time when US demand is still recovering from the end of the federal tax credit.

If the Type 01 works, Jaguar plans to follow it with a large limousine and an SUV on the same JEA platform. If it doesn't, there is no petrol model left to fall back on.

From groundbreaking to series production in about two and a half years

The official opening on 1 October 2026 came roughly two and a half years after work started. Planning permission was granted in April 2024, after a local referendum in Straßkirchen approved the project, and pre-series battery production began in March 2026. BMW says demand for the new i3 is strong enough that the plant is already running two shifts.

Around 1,000 people work at the site today, a figure expected to grow to about 1,600. Output will ramp up gradually to several hundred battery packs per day.

An assembly plant, not a cell factory

Irlbach-Straßkirchen does not make battery cells. BMW buys cylindrical 46 mm round cells from CATL and EVE and assembles them into complete high-voltage packs, which then pass an end-of-line inspection before shipping. The switch from prismatic to round cells is a key part of the Gen6 package: BMW quotes about 20% higher volumetric energy density, up to 30% more WLTP range and shorter charging times than the previous generation.

In the new i3, that translates into a WLTP range of more than 900 km and charging at up to 400 kW.

Part of a global "local for local" network

The plant initially supplies BMW's Munich factory and will later serve Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig as more Neue Klasse models enter production. It is one of five battery assembly sites BMW has built close to its vehicle plants, alongside Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), Woodruff (USA) and San Luis Potosí (Mexico), so that heavy battery packs travel only short distances to the assembly line.

With Irlbach-Straßkirchen online, BMW now has the battery capacity at home to back the Neue Klasse rollout, starting with the i3 and expanding to its other German plants over the coming years.

Four years in the making

Ceer was set up in 2022 as a joint venture between Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Foxconn, the Taiwanese contract manufacturer best known for assembling iPhones. The name means roughly "drive forward" in Arabic, and the brand sits at the centre of Vision 2030's push to build a domestic automotive industry rather than simply import one.

The EXOBOT pair are Ceer's first production vehicles and will be built at the Ceer Manufacturing Complex in King Abdullah Economic City, which the company describes as the Middle East's largest car plant. They are the first two of seven models planned by 2030, with the later cars expected to move down into compact and midsize segments with a wider mix of powertrains.

Design: a wedge with a message

Nobody will mistake the EXOBOT for anything else on the road. Both body styles share a razor-sharp wedge profile, a thin horizontal light signature and a 2.4-metre windscreen raked at just 15 degrees. Ceer says the shapes draw on desert landscapes and the Nabataean rock architecture of Hegra.

The party piece is the Shahin Wing Doors, named after the falcon. Each door is almost three metres long, swings upward through a compact 60 cm arc and opens both rows at once. The lighting uses 32 elements — a nod to 1932, the year the Kingdom was unified.

These are big cars. Both ride on a 3,200 mm wheelbase and are about 2.1 metres wide, with the sedan stretching to 5.26 metres and the SUV to 5.02 metres.

Powertrain, range and charging

Launch versions — badged First Edition and Plus — use a tri-motor all-wheel-drive setup rated at 850 hp and 1,000 Nm, fed by a 112 kWh NCM battery on an 800V electrical architecture. DC fast charging peaks at 250 kW, good for 10–80% in under 30 minutes, while AC charging runs at 11 kW.

Ceer has also announced a higher-output configuration with 1,111 hp and 1,500 Nm, though it has not yet said which trim will carry it.

EXOBOT sedan vs SUV: key figures

Built for Gulf roads — and Gulf summers

Both models get dual-chamber air suspension, rear-wheel steering and steer-by-wire operated through a yoke. Ceer says the system cuts lock-to-lock steering input from around 400 degrees to 160.

Heat management gets unusual attention. A Halo Cooling system is claimed to bring a 65 °C cabin down to 32 °C in ten minutes, helped by triple silver-coated glass and cooled storage in the console and boot. The lower door glass can switch between clear and opaque at the press of a button. 

Cabin tech highlights

• Main display: 48-inch 8K pillar-to-pillar "Digital Horizon" screen
• Controls: 10.4-inch central touchscreen, 8-inch rear display, physical keys for gear, climate and volume
• Assistant: Arabic and English voice control, 3D navigation with EV route planning
• Comfort: four-zone climate, ventilated front and rear seats, fragrance system
• Safety: seven airbags, AEB, adaptive cruise with lane centring, surround-view cameras, remote parking
• Coming via OTA by 2028: automatic lane changes, Highway and Traffic Jam Pilot, Navigate on Pilot

First Edition, warranty and timing

The range opens with the EXOBOT First Edition, finished in Harrat Grey or White Musk with black detailing, red calipers and a black-and-red Nappa cabin. Each car carries a numbered plaque tied to its VIN. The more configurable EXOBOT Plus follows.

Ownership terms are generous: a six-year/200,000 km vehicle warranty, eight-year/200,000 km battery cover, six years of servicing and roadside assistance, plus up to SAR 2,000 towards a home charger. Pricing has not been announced. Saudi deliveries are expected from early 2027, with neighbouring markets following from 2028. There is no word on Europe or the US.

Why it matters

For the Gulf, the EXOBOT is as much an industrial statement as a car. Ceer is targeting 45% locally sourced materials by 2034, and its success will be a test of whether sovereign money and Foxconn's manufacturing know-how can create a credible new automaker from scratch — something Western startups have found brutally hard.

Ceer has opened with a halo car rather than a volume seller. The EXOBOT proves Saudi Arabia can design something bold; the harder test comes when the compact models arrive and have to compete on price with BYD, Geely and the rest of a crowded Gulf EV market.

BYD's Widest-Ever European Commercial Lineup

The ETT 44 headlines what BYD Commercial Vehicles is calling its widest European line-up to date, spanning battery-electric trucks from 3.5 to 44 tonnes. Alongside the flagship tractor, BYD showed new 28-tonne rigid 4×2 and 6×2 trucks — including a swap-body variant and a hooklift version — plus a preview of a light-duty urban model and the E-Vali electric van. BYD says it will back the hardware push with charging infrastructure, energy storage, energy management, and financing services for European fleet customers.

European deliveries of the ETT 44 are reported for the second quarter of 2027, with BYD also signaling plans for European production by 2027 rather than exporting from China indefinitely.

Specifications

Range, charging, and power figures are manufacturer claims made at unveiling and remain subject to final market-specific confirmation.

A Safety-First Pitch

BYD is leaning hard on independent validation to build European trust: the ETT 44 became the first long-haul electric truck assessed under Euro NCAP's truck safety programme, scoring 89% for Safe Driving, 73% for Crash Avoidance, and 80% for Post-Crash Safety, alongside five-star and CitySafe honors. Euro NCAP specifically praised the truck's direct vision — helped by a low cab position, lower-door glazing, and camera-based digital eMirrors — while noting room for improvement in some frontal and lane-departure collision-avoidance functions. Only two other long-haul trucks, from Mercedes-Benz and Scania, matched that five-star result at this year's assessment.

How It Stacks Up Against Tesla and the Field

The ETT 44's debut lands directly alongside Tesla's own European Semi announcement — both unveiled at the same Hannover show in the same week — setting up a direct range and charging comparison. BYD's 600 km claimed range and 1.5 MW peak charging edge out Tesla's confirmed European Semi figures of 550 km and 800 kW, at least on paper. Volvo, meanwhile, quotes up to 700 km for its new FH Aero Electric, also shown at IAA — though as outlets covering the show note, manufacturer-quoted figures across brands aren't directly comparable due to differing test conditions and duty cycles.

With Tesla, Volvo, Daimler Truck, MAN, and Scania all showing new electric trucks at the same Hannover event, BYD's ETT 44 arrives into one of the most competitive weeks Europe's heavy-duty EV market has seen — and BYD is betting that a big battery, fast charging, and a clean safety record are enough to win a foothold against entrenched European truck makers.

Kia's PBV Strategy Scales Up

The PV7 is the second vehicle in Kia's dedicated Platform Beyond Vehicle program, following the PV5 — which was named the 2026 International Van of the Year. Where the PV5 established the PBV concept, the PV7 is built specifically to move Kia further into the light commercial vehicle segment with more space, payload, and configurability. Kia previewed the model with teaser images back on August 31 before the full public debut in Hannover.

At IAA Transportation 2026, running September 15-20, Kia is showing three PV7 variants alongside seven PV5 derivatives, underlining how central the PBV family has become to its commercial vehicle strategy.

Specifications

Cargo and Passenger, Built for Business

The PV7 Cargo is aimed squarely at fleet and delivery operators, with a low loading height and up to 8,000 liters of cargo volume in its high-roof configuration — enough to sit as a genuine rival to established players like the Ford Transit Custom and Renault Trafic. The PV7 Passenger version leans into flexible seating and long-distance comfort, positioning it for shuttle, MPV, and business-transport use rather than pure cargo hauling.

Kia is also emphasizing conversion flexibility and fleet management tools across the range, continuing the modular, business-first pitch that's defined the PBV lineup since the PV5.

Where It's Headed

Kia confirmed the PV7 will launch in South Korea and Europe in 2027, with Australia following in the fourth quarter of 2027 in local specification. That timeline puts it on a similar horizon to several rival electric LCVs currently expanding across those same markets, setting up a competitive fight in a segment that's rapidly electrifying.

With the PV5 already crowned International Van of the Year and the PV7 now scaling that formula up into a genuinely large, flexible commercial EV, Kia is positioning its PBV family as a serious, dedicated alternative to the traditional van makers — built from the ground up as electric rather than adapted from a combustion platform.

A Solar Company's First Tractor

GoSun has spent years building solar-powered ovens, coolers, and portable chargers, so a tractor is a real category jump — but the company is applying the same core idea: put solar collection wherever the product spends its time in the sun. The Moonrider 27 mounts a 1,100-watt solar canopy directly over the operator, continuously topping up the battery while the tractor works a field or simply sits parked between jobs. GoSun frames the pitch simply: stop plugging in, let the sun do it.

Underneath that canopy is a genuine utility tractor rather than a lightweight riding mower in disguise — four-wheel drive, a standard rear 540/540E power take-off, and a hydraulic three-point hitch rated for 1,653 lbs of lift capacity, meaning existing mowers, tillers, post-hole diggers, and other PTO-driven implements bolt straight on without proprietary attachments.

Specifications

Living With the Solar Canopy

The math on the solar canopy is modest but real: GoSun quotes roughly 1.5 hours of extra runtime per full day of sun exposure. That's not enough to run the tractor indefinitely off sunlight alone, but as a trickle-charge layered on top of overnight 220V charging, it can meaningfully stretch a working day — particularly for property owners doing intermittent mowing or hauling rather than continuous heavy tillage. The canopy doubles as shade for the operator, which is a nice secondary benefit that pure specs don't capture.

Worth noting: the solar array is optional, not standard. Buyers who skip it get the same tractor and battery, just without the daytime top-up — meaning the core value proposition (diesel replacement with lower running costs) doesn't actually depend on solar at all.

Pros

• Genuine tractor capability — standard PTO and three-point hitch mean existing implements just bolt on
• Solar canopy meaningfully extends field time without requiring a generator or extra trips to an outlet
• Electric drive eliminates oil changes, filters, and routine diesel maintenance
• Tight 4.6-foot turning radius suits vineyards, orchards, and tightly spaced properties
• Competitive pricing against comparable diesel compact tractors, before fuel savings

Cons

• Claimed 5-hour runtime is load-dependent and unverified by independent third-party testing so far
• Solar canopy adds meaningful cost ($3,000 list) for a relatively modest 1.5-hour daily runtime boost
• Deliveries don't begin until early 2027 — this is a preorder, not a shipping product
• As a first tractor from a company better known for solar appliances, there's no long-term reliability or service-network track record yet

The Moonrider 27 isn't trying to out-power a diesel compact tractor — it's betting that quiet operation, near-zero running costs, and a genuinely useful solar assist will win over small farms, vineyards, and large properties willing to be early adopters. Whether GoSun can deliver on the 2027 timeline and back it with real-world service support will decide if this becomes more than a clever pitch.