With Tesla facing some difficulty due to the geopolitical situation concerned US and its owner, Elon Musk as the man close to US President Donald Trump, it is China’s BYD that has announced lowering of prices of its electric performance passenger vehicles. According to a report in Yahoo News, buyers of BYD electric vehicles will have to spend no more than US$ 10,000 to acquire one for themselves. Not only undercutting domestic competitors BYD seems to be gearing up to undercut its global competitors like Tesla as well. 
Besides announcing that its EVs will start at US$13,688 and feature ‘God’s Eye’ advanced driver assistance system as standard, BYD has also announced a revolutionary charging technology that works nearly as fast as a fill up. The ultra-fast EV charging system includes flash-chargers that can provide a full charge for its latest EVs within five to eight minutes. The time taken is similar to the amount of time needed to fill a fuel tank of an ICE vehicle.
Planning to build more than 4,000 new charging stations across China, the electric vehicle maker has been refining its battery and energy storage technology over time. Expanding its auto empire outside China, the company is known to claim that its one-megawatt flash chargers will provide power for up to 400 km in five minutes.
BYD founder Wang Chuanfu is known to have said in a recent statement that ultra-high voltage and a large current are required to maximise charging speeds. To completely solve users' anxiety over charging, our pursuit is to make the charging time for EVs as short as the refueling time for fuel vehicles, he elaborated. 
Its flash-charging system relies on silicon carbide power chips with voltage levels of up to 1,500-volt. Developed in house, the system works to ultra-fast charge the Blade lithium-ion phosphate batteries found in BYD vehicles. The Blade battery technology of the Chinese company is considered to the world's safest and most efficient. Even Tesla is said to have taken to use blade batteries in some of its EVs, acknowledging its benefits over other battery technologies, sources in the EV industry claim. 
BYD reported a sale of over 4.3 million new energy vehicles last year, up 41 percent when compared to the sale of 1.8 million battery electric vehicles and 2.5 million plug-in hybrids in the corresponding period the year prior. 
In India, BYD unveiled the Sealion range of performance electric cars in January 2025 at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. It has been steadily expanding its reach in the country’s growing EV market, which is dominated in the passenger vehicle space by players like Tata Motors, JSW MG Motors and Hyundai Motor India among a few others. 
 

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New Delhi-based electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Omega Seiki Mobility has raised an additional INR 500 million in funding co-led by Abhishek Misra of SKG Asset Management and SKG Fund, alongside Unistone Capital, Sanjeev Agarwal Family Office and Brijesh Parekh Family Office.

The capital expansion follows a separate INR 500 million fundraise earlier in the month from Securocorp Securities, Sangeeta Pareekh, Saket Aggarwal Family Office and Vanshika Sharma.

Omega Seiki Mobility aims to utilise the capital towards increasing manufacturing capacity, research and development, dealer network expansion and the release of new vehicle models.

Uday Narang, Founder and Chairman, Omega Seiki Mobility, said, “This fundraise marks a significant milestone for Omega Seiki Mobility as we move into the next phase of our growth journey. The confidence shown by our investors strongly validates our vision, execution capabilities, and long-term strategy. Over the past eight years, we have built the company on a foundation of manufacturing excellence, innovation, and financial discipline. We remain focused on building scalable electric mobility solutions that create long-term value for our customers, partners, and investors.”

Omega Seiki Mobility plans to expand its operational footprint from 150 current touchpoints in India to 250 locations by FY2028, while evaluating international expansion into markets including Africa.

The expansion strategy involves broadening its vehicle portfolio beyond cargo three-wheelers into passenger mobility, electric two-wheelers and light commercial vehicles as it evaluates options for an initial public offering.

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Israel-headquartered battery technology company Addionics has published research detailing the performance of its Smart 3D Porous Current Collectors in low-temperature operating environments.

The company examined transport limitations within lithium-ion cells when exposed to sub-zero temperatures. Under cold conditions, electrolyte viscosity increases, ionic conductivity falls and solid-state diffusion slows, leading to increased cell polarisation and lithium plating during charge cycles. Standard dense current collectors restrict ionic access to the separator side of the electrode, causing non-uniform reactions and unaccessed active material.

On the other hand, Addionics' porous current collector design introduces pathways through the collector plane, shortening the transport distance for lithium ions and distributing electrochemical activity throughout the electrode volume.

The company’s testing conducted on cylindrical cells at -10 degrees Celsius showed that cells incorporating the 3D porous current collectors retained higher capacity at 1C and 2C discharge rates compared to reference cells using standard current collectors. The test results indicated that cells featuring the porous architecture at -10 degrees Celsius achieved discharge performance comparable to conventional cells operating at 0 degrees Celsius. During repeated charge cycles at 0 degrees Celsius, the modified cells maintained higher cycle stability, whereas standard cells showed degradation linked to lithium plating.

The structural modification does not alter the underlying chemistry of the electrolyte or active materials. Instead, it addresses transport limitations within the cell structure to widen the functional operating temperature range for electric vehicles, heavy transport, defence equipment, aviation and space platforms.

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Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has partnered with Jio-bp, a joint venture between Reliance Industries and bp, to integrate their electric vehicle charging networks across India.

Under the agreement, Jio-bp's network of over 7,000 charging points across 300 cities will integrate into the myHyundai mobile application. The integration increases the total charging locations accessible via the app from 30,000 to over 37,000 points. The myHyundai application remains open to owners of all electric vehicle brands.

In turn, Hyundai Motor India's 183 operational direct-current fast-charging stations, alongside planned installations, will be added to the Jio-bp pulse charge pro application.

Jio-bp operates direct-current fast chargers with capacities between 60 kW and 480 kW along national highways and urban hubs, maintaining a claimed network uptime rate of 96 percent. Hyundai Motor India plans to expand its proprietary fast-charging footprint to 600 stations by 2030.

Hyun Sup Lee, Executive Director and Function Head of Corporate Planning at Hyundai Motor India, said, “At HMIL, our vision is to provide customers with a holistic and worry-free electric mobility experience. As we continue to expand our EV product line-up in India, we are witnessing a shift in customer concerns from range anxiety to charging anxiety, underscoring the growing importance of accessible, reliable, and convenient charging infrastructure. This partnership with Jio-bp pulse marks another significant step towards strengthening the EV ecosystem in India by enhancing charging accessibility and convenience for our customers. Through the integration of our charging networks, we are simplifying the charging journey and enabling Hyundai EV owners to access a wider network of reliable charging solutions through the myHyundai app. Together, we remain committed to accelerating the adoption of sustainable mobility and delivering greater value to EV users. Additionally, HMIL and Jio-bp pulse will explore opportunities to introduce customer-centric offers in the future, further enhancing the ownership experience for EV customers.”

Sarthak Behuria, Chairman, Jio-bp, said, “India's shift to electric mobility depends on building trust at scale. Our partnership with Hyundai Motor India reflects that shared conviction. By bringing our nationwide network and high-performance charging infrastructure to Hyundai, we are not just adding charging points, we are building that trust together. This collaboration marks a meaningful step in our broader vision to make clean mobility accessible, dependable, and future-ready for every Indian on the road."

Akshay Wadhwa, CEO, Jio-bp, said, “For EV owners, range anxiety is often not just about charger availability, but about knowing whether the next charger will be operational. That’s where Jio-bp pulse comes in, with high-uptime charging stations and fast-charging technology designed to deliver a reliable and fast charging experience. Together with Hyundai, we are making it easier for customers to access this network directly through the app. We are excited to give EV owners a charging experience that matches the quality of the vehicles they drive."

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American electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Group has announced a revised model lineup for its Lucid Gravity SUV in Europe. The updated structure consists of four trim levels: Gravity Touring, Gravity Touring Plus, Gravity Grand Touring and Gravity Grand Touring Ultimate.

The EV maker has expanded standard equipment across all variants, which sees the DreamDrive 2 Premium driver assistance package included as standard, featuring High Beam Assist, Lane Departure Protection, Blind Spot Display and 3D Surround View Monitoring.

From the Touring Plus level upward, vehicles feature a 7-seat layout alongside additional cabin equipment including power rear side window sunshades, soft-close doors, a heated steering wheel, heated windscreen wipers and heated second-row seating.

Lawrence Hamilton, President of Europe, Lucid, said, “The updated Lucid Gravity lineup gives European customers a clearer way to choose the SUV that best fits their needs. With more technology, comfort and convenience features included as standard across the range, Gravity offers an even stronger combination of space, performance, efficiency and advanced technology.”

The entry-level Gravity Touring features an 89 kWh battery pack, delivering an output of 418 kW and a WLTP combined range of up to 545 kilometres. Pricing in Germany starts at EUR 94,900, with monthly leasing rates beginning at EUR 949 including VAT. The Gravity Touring Plus incorporates the seven-seat configuration and interior features, starting at EUR 99,900 in Germany or EUR 999 per month on lease.

The higher-specification Gravity Grand Touring utilises a 123 kWh battery, producing 617 kW to achieve a claimed zero-to-100 kmph acceleration time of 3.6 seconds and a WLTP range of up to 739 kilometres. This trim includes massage seating, 230V power package and faster charging capabilities. Prices in Germany start at EUR 119,900, with leasing from EUR 1,199 per month.

At the top of the range, the Gravity Grand Touring Ultimate incorporates the DreamDrive 2 Pro suite, air suspension, rear-wheel steering, a 22-speaker audio system, and leather upholstery, starting at EUR 147,500 or EUR 1,475 per month on lease. Orders for all four variants have opened, with customer deliveries across European markets scheduled to begin in autumn 2026.

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