BRIEFLY: BMW, Tesla, EVgo & more | 06 Mar 2026
EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs
Martyn Lee
4.8 • 749 Ratings
🗓️ 7 March 2026
⏱️ 4 minutes
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Summary
It's EV News Briefly for Friday 06 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.
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BMW will reveal the new i3 saloon on 18 March as the first fully electric 3 Series, using the Neue Klasse Gen6 platform with 800V architecture, 400kW charging, and an expected 50 xDrive dual-motor, 108kWh setup targeting around 500 miles of range and potentially more thanks to its saloon aerodynamics. It will be the second Neue Klasse model after the iX3, aimed squarely at the Tesla Model 3 and future premium rivals from Mercedes, Audi, Xpeng and BYD’s Denza, with a full line-up planned including an electric M3.
Tesla’s UK registrations fell 37% year-on-year in February to 2,422 units, even as the overall market hit its strongest February since 2004 and BEVs grew to 24.2% of new registrations, with Chinese brands like BYD surging 83%. Tesla has argued that monthly registration data is misleading versus orders and quarterly shipments, but critics note all brands face similar timing issues, and for now the headline picture is a growing UK EV market in which Tesla’s share is shrinking.
EVgo closed 2025 with 5,100 DC fast-charging stalls in operation, up 25% year-on-year after a record Q4 net gain of about 510 stalls, including 320 company-owned units and 190 eXtend-branded stalls at partner sites. The network is getting both denser and faster, with nearly a third of stations now offering six or more stalls and 62% of all stalls equipped with 350kW hardware, up sharply from 50% in late 2024.
Lucid’s US sales jumped to 1,500 vehicles in February, almost double January, driven by a sharp ramp in Gravity SUV deliveries alongside 900 Air sedans. With Gravity now starting at $79,900 (via the Touring trim) and supported by a $7,500 lease credit plus targeted trade-in offers for Tesla, Rivian and Polestar owners, Lucid is boosting US momentum even as European registrations remain minimal.
Two Volkswagen dealerships in Connecticut and New York have launched a class-action lawsuit against Scout Motors and Volkswagen, arguing that Scout’s Tesla-style direct-to-consumer sales model violates existing VW franchise agreements and deprives dealers of a lucrative new brand. Scout and CEO Scott Keogh counter that Scout is a separate entity from Volkswagen Group of America and therefore not bound to use VW’s franchised dealer network.
Volkswagen Group has delivered its four-millionth battery-electric vehicle, accelerating from nearly a decade to reach the first million to adding the fourth million in just one year, powered largely by its MEB platform and around 30 all-electric passenger models. Most BEVs are built and sold in Europe, where compact SUVs and crossovers such as the VW ID.4/ID.5 dominate, while China and the US account for smaller but growing shares of volume and production.
EGbatt’s new Nova 60 Dual combines a 60kW DC fast charger with a 60kWh LiFePO₄ battery in a single outdoor unit, allowing sites to deliver full fast-charging power without expensive grid upgrades by relying on buffered energy. Optional 20kW DC solar input lets operators integrate rooftop PV directly, helping cut operating costs and increase the share of renewable energy used for charging.
Lotus has responded to softer demand for high-end pure EVs by launching the Eletre X plug-in range-extender SUV in China, pairing a 70kWh battery and 900V fast-charging system with a 2.0-litre turbo engine that mostly drives a generator but can also clutch to the front wheels for motorway efficiency. Delivering 952bhp, 0–62mph in 3.3 seconds and around 150 miles of electric-only range in a 2.6-tonne package, the Eletre X shares its new Geely-platform underpinnings with the Zeekr 9X and is slated to reach the UK no earlier than 2027.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's EV News briefly for Friday 6th of March. Everything EV in less than five minutes. |
| 0:03.9 | If you haven't got time for the full podcast, here we go. BMW will unveil the I-3 on the 18th of March. |
| 0:11.6 | The I-3 is dead. Long-lived the I-3 because, of course, the old I-3 name was that fantastic car that is still a great car when I see one now. |
| 0:20.0 | So futuristic. But this is the I3 badge |
| 0:23.0 | on an entirely different kind of car. It's a three series and it's the Neuerclassa platform, |
| 0:28.0 | Gen 6, 800 volt, 500 miles plus because the IX3 does that. And so this is going to be lower |
| 0:35.8 | and more slippery and I can't wait to get a WLTP number charging at 400 kilowatts. |
| 0:42.7 | The first one will be the X-Drive 50s. That's all wheel drive, dual motor. Reviews are out on YouTube now the early impressions, and they're really good. |
| 0:51.9 | Now, Tesla in the UK is going through a rough patch, down 37% again. |
| 0:58.5 | In February, a really hard time. |
| 1:00.8 | Registrations falling in a market. |
| 1:04.0 | I mean, Tesla's having some issues, you know, more competition and product issues and pricing. |
| 1:10.1 | But in a market, the UK's new car market had its strongest ever February since the year 2004. |
| 1:18.3 | So when everyone's selling more cars and Tesla's down by over a third, it kind of stings. |
| 1:25.0 | In fact, according to the website electrifying.com, very well respected and, you know, |
| 1:31.0 | journalistic website, YouTube channel, reviewing, said that Tesla contacted them directly and pushed back |
| 1:38.3 | on them even reporting the monthly numbers and suggested in the strongest possible terms |
| 1:43.6 | that they don't report the monthly |
| 1:46.1 | numbers because March is going to be really good and they'll have egg on their face. I hope it is |
| 1:50.3 | good for Tesla and they do bounce back, maybe just a bunch of cars sitting waiting for their |
| 1:54.9 | registration documents or something. Let's hope that's the case. If you go, ended 2025 with |
| 1:59.7 | 5,100 fast charging stalls and adding a lot more fast charging |
... |
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