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ev.news Daily: Fiat Prepares The Tiny Koala EV, BP Pulse Opens Australia's Largest & GM's Fuel Focus Puts Future EVs In Doubt | 21 Oct 2026
FIAT PREPARES SMALL EV ALONGSIDE PANDA Fiat is developing an affordable small electric car, potentially named Koala, using a platform co-developed with Leapmotor and shared with Citroën's new 2CV project, with Italian production planned from 2028. Citroën is targeting a €15,000 price, although Fiat hasn't confirmed pricing, and both cars could benefit from proposed EU rules giving qualifying small EVs extra credit towards manufacturers' fleet-emissions targets. BP PULSE OPENS 24-BAY MELBOURNE AIRPORT CHARGING HUB bp pulse has opened its first large Australian charging hub at Melbourne Airport, offering 24 publicly accessible bays with 150 kW and 300 kW chargers, operating around the clock and powered by the airport's solar farms. The facility supports Chargefox payments and discounted charging for eligible Uber drivers, although rideshare drivers cannot use it as an airport waiting area unless actively charging. GM POSTS RECORD $50BN QUARTER, WARNS ON EV COSTS General Motors reported record quarterly revenue of $50 billion and adjusted earnings of $4.1 billion, driven by profitable pickup trucks, despite Chevrolet Equinox EV deliveries falling 92.4% against an unusually strong year-earlier quarter. Following more than $11 billion in EV-related charges, GM expects to reduce annual EV operating losses by $1 billion to $1.5 billion this year, with further improvements anticipated from 2027 and more efficient platforms arriving later. ENGLAND REMOVES PLANNING STEP FOR PAVEMENT EV CHARGING Drivers in England can now install qualifying pavement charging gullies without planning permission, potentially saving £300 in installation costs and enabling households without driveways to access cheaper domestic electricity instead of public charging. Highway authority approval remains mandatory, conservation areas retain planning requirements, and eligible households can separately claim grants of up to £500 towards permanent cross-pavement charging installations until March 2027. LI AUTO PLANS UK LAUNCH IN AUTUMN 2027 Chinese manufacturer Li Auto plans to enter Britain in autumn 2027 with an as-yet-unnamed model, following its European debut in Norway and the Netherlands earlier that year with the Li 6 electric SUV. The Li 6 offers a 96 kWh battery, 800-volt architecture and up to 640 km WLTP range, while Li Auto is establishing European software, servicing and parts infrastructure ahead of introducing at least one additional model annually through 2029. UK PRIVATE EV FLEET GROWS BY ALMOST 100,000 The number of privately registered electric cars in Britain increased by almost 100,000 during the second quarter of 2026, supported by a used-EV market recording 110,761 transactions, up 67% year on year. Comparable used EVs now cost just 1% more than petrol equivalents, against a 25% premium for new cars, while home charging can save drivers approximately £1,000 annually on 10,000 miles, although ultra-rapid public charging remains more expensive than petrol. BMW iX5 REACHES 464 kW IN CHARGING DEMONSTRATION BMW demonstrated a reported 464 kW charging peak for its forthcoming iX5 60 xDrive using equipment not yet commercially available in America, with its 144 kWh usable battery capable of charging from 10% to 80% in a claimed 22 minutes. The new 800-volt SUV features higher-density cylindrical battery cells, an estimated EPA range of up to 435 miles and a starting US price of $79,800 when deliveries begin in early 2027. ARENA COMMITS A$4M TO FLEET GRID TRIAL Australia's renewable energy agency ARENA is providing A$4 million towards JET Charge's three-year REVS2 project, which will equip up to 130 Australian Capital Territory government fleet vehicles with bidirectional charging to test exporting electricity back to the grid. Running until 2029, the trial will investigate whether appropriately designed electricity payments and reliable integration between vehicles, chargers and grid systems can make fleet-based energy services commercially viable. ACT FLEET TO TEST GRID EXPORTS BETWEEN SHIFTS Australia's REVS2 trial will investigate whether government fleet vehicles, including those providing home healthcare, can export stored electricity during evening grid-demand peaks without compromising availability for their next working shift. An earlier trial revealed vehicles sometimes automatically resumed charging just ten minutes after exporting electricity, highlighting the need for smarter controls and automated systems that require minimal driver involvement. ICAUR CLAIMS CHEAPER RANGE-EXTENDER REPAIRS Chery's iCaur brand claims its forthcoming V25 range-extender SUV, launching in Australia in early 2027, will be cheaper and simpler to maintain because its petrol generator operates independently of the electric motors driving the wheels, although no comparative repair-cost evidence has been provided. Range-extender vehicles still require petrol-engine servicing and are classified as plug-in hybrids, meaning new Australian arrangements cannot benefit from the fringe benefits tax exemption available to eligible battery-electric vehicles.
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