/daily ·21 SEPT 2026 ·MONDAY ·3 MIN READ ·6 STORIES

Tesla's Roadster gets a date, diesel hits $10, and flash charging arrives

Tesla set an October 1 reveal for the long-awaited Roadster; California diesel crossed $10 a gallon; and Sunwoda demonstrated a 9-minute charge from 10% to 97%.

01 / The Day

MONDAY 21 SEPT 2026, ranked

Tesla reopens Roadster reservations ahead of October 1 unveil

Tesla announced an October 1 reveal event for the second-generation Roadster and reopened the $50,000 reservation queue — more than eight years after the car was first announced in 2017 — as the company attempts to re-anchor its performance brand positioning ahead of a wave of luxury EV competition.

Original 2017 reservations were made with $50,000 deposits; those holders get priority allocation
No production timeline confirmed; the reveal event will show a production-intent design
SpaceX Thruster Package — cold-gas jets for acceleration — status remains unconfirmed for production

Why it mattersThe Roadster is the car Tesla has used to define performance aspirations for its entire lineup; an October 1 reveal either resets that anchor or reveals why it has taken nearly a decade.

01 electrek.co↗

California diesel crosses $10 per gallon as Iran conflict tightens crude supply

Retail diesel prices in California exceeded $10 per gallon at multiple stations this week as the Iran war premium pushed West Coast crude feedstock costs to multi-year highs — with commercial fleet operators reporting that some stations are rationing bulk purchases and spot shortages emerging at rural truck stops.

California's carbon price adder and reformulated fuel requirements make it the highest-cost US diesel market
Commercial trucking operators face costs that make short-haul electric fleet conversion economics immediate, not aspirational
Diesel at $10/gal crosses the break-even threshold for battery-electric semi payback in under 3 years for many routes

Why it mattersAt $10 per gallon, diesel economics stop being a future-state argument for electric commercial vehicles and become an operational decision that fleet finance departments are making this month.

02 electrek.co↗

Sunwoda demonstrates 10% to 97% charge in 9 minutes

Chinese battery manufacturer Sunwoda publicly demonstrated a pack charging from 10% to 97% state-of-charge in nine minutes, achieving peak input power above 500 kW — joining CATL, BYD, and Huawei in the sub-10-minute charge race that is now being used as a primary consumer differentiation metric in the Chinese market.

500 kW+ peak power requires new charger hardware; most current DC fast chargers top out at 350 kW
Nine-minute charge from 10% is effectively equivalent to a petrol fill for most driving patterns
Sunwoda supplies cells to multiple European OEMs, suggesting the technology may reach Western markets by 2028

Why it mattersSub-10-minute charging removes the last significant behavioural objection to EV adoption for high-mileage drivers — if the charging network can supply the power.

03 electrek.co↗

Volkswagen takes EUR 6B impairment as Porsche EV models miss sales targets

Volkswagen Group recorded a EUR 6 billion asset impairment charge tied primarily to slower-than-projected EV adoption in the Porsche brand's product lines — the largest single EV-related write-down the group has taken and a reflection of the gap between premium EV demand projections made in 2022 and actual order intake in 2026.

Impairment concentrated in Taycan and Macan EV platforms whose factory investment assumed higher volume
VW Group is now the third major European OEM after Stellantis and Renault to take significant EV write-downs
Porsche AG shares fell on the news; VW's broader restructuring plan is now under additional investor pressure

Why it mattersA EUR 6B write-down on EV investment from the company that bet most heavily on premium electrification signals that the gap between projected and actual demand is structural, not a timing issue.

04 volkswagenag.com↗

Tesla opens public Megachargers for heavy trucks at California depot hubs

Tesla opened its first public-access Megacharger installations at three California freight depot locations, allowing non-Tesla Semi operators to charge at 1 MW+ rates — marking a shift from Tesla's historically closed charging network and positioning Megacharger as a standard rather than a proprietary advantage.

1 MW charging can add ~200 miles of range to a loaded Class 8 truck in approximately 30 minutes
Locations selected at high-volume drayage corridors: Port of LA, Stockton, and Bakersfield
Pricing is per kWh, not per session, aligning with California Public Utilities Commission guidance for commercial EV charging

Why it mattersPublic Megachargers signal Tesla is pursuing network revenue over exclusivity — and accelerates the case for commercial fleet electrification by solving the public charging infrastructure gap for heavy trucks.

05 electrek.co↗

Smart #5 arrives at ~$39K with 400 kW charging, challenging Model Y

The Smart #5 midsize SUV launched in Europe at approximately EUR 36,000, offering 400 kW DC fast-charging, a 100 kWh battery, and a 500 km WLTP range — matching or exceeding Model Y Long Range on charging speed and range while undercutting it on price in key markets.

400 kW peak charging adds roughly 300 km in 15 minutes on compatible chargers
Smart #5 is built on Geely's SEA architecture, shared with the Zeekr 001 and Volvo EX90
Tesla recently cut European Model Y pricing; the Smart launch adds to the downward pressure

Why it mattersA Chinese-architecture midsize SUV matching Model Y's performance numbers at a lower price is the competitive dynamic Tesla's European pricing has been trying to pre-empt — and it has now arrived.

06 electrek.co↗

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/MON 21 SEPTTesla's Roadster gets a date, diesel hits $10, and flash charging arrives /SAT 19 SEPTWireless in Zuffenhausen, Worried in Seoul /FRI 18 SEPTFrom Singapore to open-source semis /THU 17 SEPTThe Price Floor Drops Again /WED 16 SEPTTesla's Regulatory Reckoning, CATL's Megawatt Truck, and the $20K BYD /TUE 15 SEPTIAA and the Cybercab detour /MON 14 SEPTThe Drag Coefficient Race /SUN 13 SEPTWeekend Shift /FRI 11 SEPTDiverging Markets /THU 10 SEPTTrump's China EV Gambit /WED 09 SEPTBYD Breaks Records, PHEVs Fail Tests /TUE 08 SEPTSafety First (and Then Not)/MON 07 SEPTBYD goes global, Cybercab goes 24/7, Chinese brands ace NCAP /SUN 06 SEPTVW signs, Ford bets /SAT 05 SEPTElectric Vehicles — Saturday, Sep 5 /FRI 04 SEPTLive Wires /THU 03 SEPTElectric September /WED 02 SEPTAffordable and Accountable /TUE 01 SEPTSafety, speed, and a deleted mandate /MON 31 AUGChina-First, Fleet-Forward /SUN 30 AUGThe 27 Percent Week