The Brief Brief Electric Vehicles
batteries on wheels, getting better weekly.
Electric Vehicles — briefly, then briefly again · tbb.ceo
listen tothe daily 0:00 –:––
/daily ·24 SEPT 2026 ·THURSDAY ·2 MIN READ ·5 STORIES

The Corolla goes electric, Bentley enters, VW cuts ICE

Toyota is electrifying the world's best-selling car, Bentley unveiled its first EV with 888 horsepower, VW is cutting combustion engine production shifts as its newer EVs outperform expectations, BYD may have arrived at solid-state, and Rivian telegraphs a sub-R2 price point.

01 / The Day

THURSDAY 24 SEPT 2026, ranked

05

Toyota is electrifying the Corolla

Toyota confirmed it is bringing a fully electric version of the Corolla to market — the first EV under the nameplate of the world's best-selling car. No specifications or launch date were disclosed, but the announcement marks a decisive shift from the automaker that has most visibly resisted full electrification.

  • The Corolla has sold more than 50 million units historically and remains the world's top-selling nameplate in multiple markets
  • Toyota's EREV announcement earlier this week and the Corolla EV news signal an accelerating electrification sweep across the full lineup
  • No price target disclosed; Toyota's budget EV in China is priced around $15,000
Why it mattersWhen the world's best-selling car goes electric, the mass-market volume calculus for the entire transition changes.
01 electrek.co↗

Bentley reveals Torcal: 888 PS, 375 miles, its first EV

Bentley unveiled the Torcal, its first fully electric vehicle — a large SUV delivering 888 PS (875 horsepower), approximately 375 miles of WLTP range, and 800V architecture for fast charging, packaged in a design that references the Continental Flying Spur lineage.

  • 375-mile WLTP range is among the highest in the ultra-luxury segment at launch
  • 800V architecture supports high-power DC charging; exact peak rate not yet confirmed
  • Torcal arrives as parent VW Group took a EUR 6B write-down on Porsche premium EV platforms last week
Why it mattersOne of the most heritage-committed luxury brands committing fully to electrification is a credibility signal that accelerates the entire premium-market shift.
02 electrek.co↗

BYD's new ultra-luxury coach-door EV may be its first solid-state-battery car

BYD unveiled a new ultra-luxury electric vehicle with coach doors positioned above its current flagship, and reporting indicates the car may use a solid-state battery pack — which would make it the first BYD production vehicle to do so if confirmed.

  • Coach-door configuration targets the ultra-luxury segment BYD has not previously addressed
  • Solid-state batteries in a production vehicle would put BYD ahead of all Western OEMs' confirmed public timelines
  • Specifications and pricing were not disclosed at the reveal event
Why it mattersIf BYD deploys solid-state batteries in a production vehicle before 2027, it closes the timeline gap that competitors have been counting on to catch up.
03 electrek.co↗

Volkswagen is cutting ICE production shifts as its EVs outperform

Volkswagen confirmed it is reducing shifts at internal combustion engine plants in response to stronger-than-expected demand for its newer EV models in Europe — a reversal of the narrative that followed the company's EUR 6 billion Porsche EV write-down just last week.

  • Shift reductions are at ICE powertrain lines, not vehicle assembly — targeting engine production specifically
  • Demand drivers are the new ID. Cross and ID. Polo, both launched at more accessible price points
  • ICE production cuts come within a week of the EUR 6B write-down, highlighting divergence across VW Group brands
Why it mattersA legacy automaker actively cutting combustion production capacity because EV demand exceeded expectations is a different story from projections — it has happened.
04 electrek.co↗

Rivian R3 will be materially cheaper than R2 — R4 goes lower still

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed the upcoming R3 crossover will be materially cheaper than the R2 SUV, with the R4 positioned below even that — signalling that Rivian intends to build a genuine mass-market lineup from a company that started in the premium segment.

  • Materially cheaper implies a price gap beyond typical variant pricing; the R2 was expected around $45,000
  • The R4 is a fourth product in development for a company that has only recently started scaling its first two
  • Rivian's Normal, Illinois factory cost curves depend on volume — these targets require it
Why it mattersA credible Rivian in the sub-$35,000 range changes the accessible EV lineup in the US in a way no other American brand currently can.
05 electrek.co↗
Be subscriber #014 the weekly ten, every friday by email · no spam · unsubscribe anytime
Past days

The Daily Archive

/THU 24 SEPTThe Corolla goes electric, Bentley enters, VW cuts ICE/WED 23 SEPTTesla Semi's Record Order, 4-Minute Charges, and the Robotaxi Pivot/TUE 22 SEPTThe Four-Minute Car/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