BYD eyes Stellantis EU plant takeover as EV demand spikes, confirms ‘other companies too’

BYD wants to take over underutilized plants in Europe from legacy automakers to fuel its aggressive overseas expansion. Executive vice president Stella Li confirmed that BYD is holding discussions not only with Stellantis but also with “other companies too.”

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BYD surpasses Tesla as world’s top energy storage deployer

BYD has overtaken Tesla to become the world’s largest battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator, capturing 13% of the global market in 2025 compared to Tesla’s 10%, according to new data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

The shift marks the end of Tesla’s reign as the top energy storage deployer — a position it held in 2023 and 2024 — as Chinese manufacturers now dominate the rapidly growing stationary storage market.

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The ICE age is over: gas car sales drop 37% in world’s biggest market

Gas car sales have collapsed in the world’s largest auto market, dropping 37% year-over-year in April. As a result, 9 of the top 10 vehicles in China last month were plug-ins, with only a single one on the list sporting an ICE-only configuration.

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Europe drove global EV sales in April as China exports surged

Global EV sales reached 1.6 million units in April 2026, bringing total sales for the year so far to 5.6 million, according to new data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

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Genesis GV90 with coach doors found abandoned with no camouflage [Images]

The GV90 will be available with Rolls-Royce-like coach doors as Genesis upscales into higher-end segments. With an expected debut soon, an uncovered model was found abandoned in a field alongside other Lucid, Hyundai, and Audi vehicles.

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California bets on sodium-ion batteries for extreme heat regions

California renewable energy developer Juniper Energy has partnered with Alsym Energy to deploy 500 MWh of sodium-ion battery storage projects across California.

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Rivian rolls out ‘Hey Rivian’ AI assistant with full vehicle control

Rivian is rolling out its new AI-powered voice assistant to all Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 owners as part of its latest over-the-air software update. The feature, activated by saying “Hey Rivian” or holding the left steering wheel button, requires an active Connect+ subscription.

The assistant is notable because it can actually control your vehicle’s core functions — something that Tesla’s competing Grok assistant still cannot do months after its own launch.

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Tesla moves Basic Autopilot features to paid FSD where available

Tesla has quietly removed Basic Autopilot from its online configurator in the Netherlands. New orders now only offer Full Self-Driving (Supervised) — no free driver-assistance tier at all.

The change makes the Netherlands the first European market where Tesla has stripped Basic Autopilot from the buying experience, mirroring the controversial move it made in North America back in January.

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Lectric Memorial Day offers $694 bundles + up to $500 off e-bikes, Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD robot mowers, more

We’ve got plenty of low prices filling our Tuesday Green Deals, with our headliner being Lectric’s newly launched Memorial Day e-bike sale that is offering up to $694 FREE bundles alongside up to $500 price cuts, with my all-around pick being the XP4 Folding Utility e-bikes getting up to $473 in FREE gear starting from $999. There’s also Mammotion’s Memorial Day savings event, with its newest LUBA 3 AWD robot lawn mowers getting FREE garage attachments for the dock station – and they’re all at their best prices starting from $2,099. We also spotted low prices hitting meross’ new two-zone Wi-Fi smart water timer, as well as the budget-friendly Gotrax Dolphin e-bike, Autel’s 80A level 2 EV charger, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s first-ever deals on the new Velotric GoMad Utility e-bike, the latest EcoFlow 48-hour power station flash sale that ends tonight, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

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This chic beach car EV concept even has a pickup bed [Images]

It looks like a beach buggy with an open top and has a bed like a pickup truck. The Renault 4 JP4x4 concept is a “chick and modern beach car” with an all-electric AWD powertrain.

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