/daily ·25 AUG 2026 ·TUESDAY ·3 MIN READ ·7 STORIES

Cybercab Week Starts

Tesla confirmed the Cybercab launches September 3. Polestar finds itself shut out of US government contracts without being told why. A Swedish iron ore mine proved 120-tonne battery trucks work more than a kilometre underground.

01 / The Day

TUESDAY 25 AUG 2026, ranked

Tesla Cybercab launch event confirmed for September 3 in Austin

Tesla confirmed a September 3 launch event in Austin for the Cybercab, its purpose-built two-seat robotaxi, with an exclusive access programme for selected existing robotaxi riders and a public livestream — employee rides on public roads expected to begin in Austin by late August.

Cybercab has no steering wheel or pedals and targets sub-$30,000 pricing at volume
Launch follows Nevada expanding robotaxi permits from 10 vehicles to thousands earlier this month
Separate Cybercab reveal at IAA Hannover runs a parallel regulatory timeline for Europe

Why it mattersThe Cybercab is the first mass-market purpose-built robotaxi from a US automaker; how September 3 goes shapes the competitive timeline for Waymo and the regulatory posture of every other AV state.

01 electrek.co↗

Polestar banned from US federal vehicle contracts — company does not know why

Polestar confirmed it lost authorisation to sell into the US government fleet market from model year 2027, with the company publicly stating it has not been told the specific reason — an exclusion almost certainly tied to its Geely ownership and Chinese manufacturing footprint.

Polestar is a Geely joint venture that manufactures in China, making it a likely target of NDAA procurement restrictions
Volume impact on sales is limited but the policy signal extends to any EV brand with Chinese manufacturing exposure
Similar restrictions have previously applied to Volvo and BYD at the federal procurement level

Why it mattersUS procurement rules are becoming a technology-decoupling lever; any EV maker with Chinese manufacturing exposure now faces an uncertain federal market regardless of brand origin or where it is headquartered.

02 insideevs.com↗

NHTSA investigates 1.1 million GM vehicles for brake-assist failures

NHTSA opened a formal investigation into more than 1.1 million General Motors vehicles across multiple lines — including several EV models — for a brake-assist system failure that can result in unexpectedly reduced stopping force under hard braking.

Defect triggers when the brake-assist module misinterprets pedal input at high deceleration
GM has not issued a recall; NHTSA investigations typically run 3 to 6 months before a recall decision
EV models in the probe share their brake control module architecture with ICE siblings — a software issue, not battery-related

Why it mattersA 1.1 million vehicle investigation is among the largest single-manufacturer NHTSA probes of the year; its outcome will test whether EV-specific software review differs from conventional brake-system recalls.

03 electrek.co↗

California expands vehicle-to-grid access to Chevy Bolt and Kia EV9

Pacific Gas and Electric updated its vehicle-to-grid programme to include the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Kia EV9, allowing owners to export electricity and earn grid credits — expanding a programme previously limited to Ford F-150 Lightning and select Nissan Leafs.

Bolt EV owners are the largest US EV cohort outside Tesla; their inclusion materially changes the programme's aggregate grid impact
Credit rates during peak demand hours can offset a meaningful portion of household daily electricity cost
Both vehicles ship with bidirectional charging hardware from the factory; no aftermarket hardware required

Why it mattersV2G only becomes a grid resource worth dispatching when it reaches mass-market vehicles; the Bolt inclusion is the first step toward the California programme having aggregate capacity that moves the needle.

04 insideevs.com↗

120-tonne battery-electric mining trucks proven more than 1 km underground

A Swedish iron ore mine has run 120-tonne battery-electric haul trucks at depths exceeding one kilometre, demonstrating that battery thermal management and range work in one of the most demanding mining environments on the planet.

Underground cycles suit EVs: predictable routes, cooler temperatures, and no diesel exhaust in confined ventilation shafts
Trucks recharge on a dedicated underground charging grid during loading and maintenance windows
Operator describes total cost of ownership as already competitive with diesel at current Swedish electricity prices

Why it mattersIf BEV haul trucks prove out at depth in iron ore — one of the highest-tonnage mining operations — the economics generalise quickly to copper, gold, and lithium mines where electrification also changes ventilation requirements.

05 thedriven.io↗

German auto industry warns V2G capability is at risk from renewable reform

Germany's VDA automotive association warned that draft amendments to the renewable energy law could inadvertently eliminate the regulatory framework enabling bidirectional vehicle-to-grid charging — a technology automakers have invested in across the full German fleet lineup.

The reform changes how home storage and EV charging are classified for grid tariff purposes, removing the exemption that makes V2G financially viable
VDA members including Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have all announced V2G-capable vehicles for the German market
Energy and automotive ministries are not coordinating on the policy clash, per VDA

Why it mattersV2G in Germany — Europe's largest car market — would be the largest bidirectional fleet on the continent; removing the economic basis in a regulatory reform while marketing it in product brochures is a costly policy own-goal.

06 thedriven.io↗

Mercedes CLA 350 achieves nearly 400 real miles at 70 mph — beating EPA rating

An InsideEVs constant-speed range test drove the Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 4Matic to nearly 400 miles at 70 mph, significantly exceeding its EPA-rated range and placing it among the most efficient luxury EVs currently available.

Result puts the CLA 350 ahead of the Tesla Model 3 Long Range on the same real-world test protocol
Efficiency attributed to Mercedes' EQ acceleration management and a new low-drag exterior profile
A real-world figure that beats EPA estimates reduces range anxiety because most charging decisions use EPA numbers

Why it mattersWhen a luxury EV consistently beats its EPA rating in real-world testing, it signals what will be commoditised down-market within two to three product cycles — and reframes range anxiety as a calibration problem, not a fundamental limit.

07 insideevs.com↗

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/TUE 25 AUGCybercab Week Starts /MON 24 AUGGV90 arrives, Rivian teaches drivers to duck cops, and Hyundai's cheap EV skips the US /SUN 23 AUGBYD goes luxury, China hits 44% BEV, and solid-state gets honest /SAT 22 AUGSaturday Speedbump /FRI 21 AUGStep-change claims and a quiet funeral /THU 20 AUGComfort, range, and a recall /WED 19 AUGBollards, batteries, and half a million SU7s /TUE 18 AUGTuesday: Ten Of Five Thousand /MON 17 AUGThe Monday After Monterey /SAT 15 AUGCalifornia opens, China undercuts /FRI 14 AUGUnions, Pickups, and Flying Things /THU 13 AUGThe month global EVs grew and North America didn't /WED 12 AUGKia breaks $30K, Sinopec breaks with oil /TUE 11 AUGDenmark's Endgame /MON 10 AUGZoox takes money, hybrids lose the price war, and Pony.ai aims for six figures /SUN 09 AUGVW's electric reboot, Zoox goes commercial, NIO hits nine figures /FRI 07 AUGFord names its $28K truck; BMW clears Munich for EVs only /THU 06 AUGLucid's SUV, London's robots, and Trump's diagnosis /WED 05 AUGCheap trucks, charging at Target, and Toyota joins the mass market /TUE 04 AUGThe floor falls to $30K, Europe hits 26%, and Zoox gets the green light /MON 03 AUG50-country EV record, Dongfeng hits 1.5 MW