/daily ·18 JUL 2026 ·SATURDAY ·2 MIN READ ·6 STORIES

Germany flips

Battery-electrics outsell petrol and diesel in Germany for the first time, BYD extends its luxury lineup to 570 miles, and Volkswagen's cheapest EV has already sold out its first allocation.

01 / The Day

SATURDAY 18 JUL 2026, ranked

BEVs outsell petrol and diesel cars in Germany

Battery-electric vehicles outsold combined petrol and diesel cars in Germany in a calendar week for the first time, according to data published July 17 — a milestone in the country that invented the internal combustion engine and remains the world's densest concentration of legacy auto engineering.

Why it mattersGermany was the last major market where a BEV sales majority would look surprising; the symbolic weight here is as significant as the data point.

01 electrek.co↗

BYD unveils 570-mile luxury fastback with 1,200 hp

BYD's new premium sedan-crossover combines a 1,200-horsepower powertrain with 570 miles of claimed range in sleek fastback styling, entering the segment where Model S and Taycan compete at roughly half their price.

Why it mattersBYD's luxury tier is no longer a domestic-only proposition; range and performance numbers like these will be hard for premium rivals to ignore on any market.

02 electrek.co↗

VW ID. Polo hits 25,000 pre-orders; cheaper variant launches

Volkswagen's entry-level EV accumulated 25,000 orders within weeks of opening its order books, prompting the company to launch a less-equipped variant at a lower entry price to capture demand below the base trim.

Why it mattersVW's cheapest EV outperforming expectations at exactly the moment the company is under financial pressure suggests affordable European-made EV demand is not the problem the sceptics claimed.

03 electrek.co↗

California EV rebate: 13 automakers' vehicles now qualify

California's updated EV rebate framework lists 13 automakers' vehicles as qualifying, drawing a line that excludes several Chinese-branded models while opening eligibility to Korean, Japanese, and European EVs that meet the manufacturing requirements.

Why it mattersCalifornia's rebate structure is a de facto standard for a dozen states; which brands make the list will materially shape where EV buyers in those markets shop.

04 insideevs.com↗

MG deploys semi-solid-state batteries in next PHEV lineup

MG is putting semi-solid-state lithium cells into its next generation of plug-in hybrids — higher energy density and improved thermal management over conventional LFP — making it one of the first volume manufacturers to commercialise the chemistry in a mainstream product.

Why it mattersSemi-solid batteries reaching a mainstream PHEV range before appearing in a premium BEV inverts the expected technology diffusion path and suggests the manufacturing cost curve is moving faster than expected.

05 insideevs.com↗

EV winners and losers in the first half of 2026

InsideEVs' H1 2026 US sales analysis shows Hyundai-Kia extended their market-share gains, Toyota climbed into the top five from near-zero two years prior, and Tesla retained its number-one slot while its share of a growing BEV category continued to shrink.

Why it mattersThe H1 story is not who is beating Tesla but who is getting pulled up by a rising tide — and the tide is rising faster than most forecasts suggested.

06 insideevs.com↗

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The Daily Archive

/SAT 01 AUGProbes, Fleets, and Flanking Moves /FRI 31 JULZoox wins driverless approval; Tesla eyes China exit /THU 30 JULThe Surge Edition /WED 29 JULWednesday, 29 July — Robots in London, a prince in Nevada /TUE 28 JULBMW goes topless; Porsche goes sideways /MON 27 JULUS BEVs Fell 25% in H1, BYD Revealed the Da Han with a Price, and Tesla's Robotaxi Timeline Is Under Scrutiny /SUN 26 JULSafety Numbers and an Own Goal from Honda /SAT 25 JULBYD goes long; NHTSA goes broad /FRI 24 JULToyota Blinks /WED 22 JULEurope surges, America stabilises, Honda exits /TUE 21 JULChina's ICE cliff, and other certainties /SUN 19 JULBYD's paperwork problem; America's charging comeback /SAT 18 JULGermany flips /FRI 17 JULFriday in EVs: Honda folds, Volvo flies /WED 15 JULSix in a row, and one near-miss /TUE 14 JULCalifornia draws lines, BYD draws power /MON 13 JULRecord quarter, shrinking margin /SAT 11 JULSoftware that delivers, hardware that charges /FRI 10 JULEV Friday: Sales surge abroad, deals at home /THU 09 JULWaymo lands in Vegas, CATL hits 7 minutes /WED 08 JULModel Y L, lamppost chargers, and the coming EV fee