BRIEFLY: Rivian R2, Ford Explorer, Lucid Midsize EVs & more | 13 Mar 2026
EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs
Martyn Lee
4.8 • 749 Ratings
🗓️ 13 March 2026
⏱️ 7 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It's EV News Briefly for Friday 13 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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The Rivian R2 launches in four trims, all sharing an 87.9 kWh usable battery, ranging from the $57,990 Performance AWD (656 hp, 330 miles) arriving this Spring to a ~$45,000 base RWD variant in late 2027 with 275+ miles of range. All trims charge 10–80% in 29 minutes via a native NACS port, with a $1,495 destination charge across the board.
Ford has revised its European Explorer EV with a new LFP battery pack, growing usable capacity from 52 kWh to 58 kWh and boosting WLTP range 17% to 444 km (276 miles), while a stronger APP350 motor lifts output to 140 kW and cuts the 0–100 km/h time to 8.0 seconds. The updated model starts at €39,990 in Germany and adds vehicle-to-load charging, refreshed infotainment, expanded driver assistance features, and standard one-pedal driving, though peak DC charging drops from 145 kW to 110 kW.
Lucid revealed at Investor Day 2026 that its two upcoming midsize electric SUVs will be called Cosmos and Earth, targeting a ~$50,000 starting price and production before end of 2026. Both will use 800V architecture, bidirectional charging, the new in-house Atlas drive unit (23% lighter, 30% fewer parts), and Lucid claims just 69 kWh would be sufficient for 300 miles of range thanks to a 0.22 drag coefficient.
Lucid has rolled out an OTA update (UX 3.5) bringing wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the Gravity SUV for North American owners now, with Europe and the Middle East to follow in late March. Both systems display on the Gravity's 6K Clearview Cockpit screen, addressing one of the most requested features from Lucid customers.
The Jaecoo 8, a three-row flagship SUV, goes on sale in the UK in May priced from £45,500, using Chery's Super Hybrid System pairing a 1.5-litre turbo petrol with a three-speed auto for 422 bhp, 83 miles of electric-only range, and over 700 miles of combined range. Two trims are offered — Luxury (seven seats, £45,500) and Executive (six Nappa leather captain's chairs, £47,500) — with DC fast charging up to 40 kW for a 30–80% charge in about 20 minutes.
Average EU electric car prices dropped €1,800 to €42,700 in 2025 — the first decline since 2020 — driven by a surge in affordable B-segment BEVs like the Citroën ë-C3 and Renault 5, whose average segment prices fell 13%. T&E expects further price pressure in 2026 as Volkswagen Group prepares a small-car family including the ID. Polo, Cupra Raval, and Skoda Epiq, all targeting around €25,000.
Honda has cancelled the 0 Series SUV, 0 Series Saloon, and Acura RSX for U.S. production, warning of losses up to ¥2.5 trillion ($15.8 billion) as it reverses its EV strategy amid rollbacks of U.S. fossil fuel regulations and removal of EV incentives. CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the priority is to "stop the bleeding," with operating losses now expected up to ¥1.12 trillion in the current fiscal year; the Sony-Honda Afeela brand is unaffected.
Volkswagen will world-premiere the entry-level ID. Polo next month, starting at €25,000 and marking the first ID model to carry an established VW brand name. The range spans 37 kWh LFP and 52 kWh NMC battery options with outputs from 85 kW to 166 kW, and includes an R-Line (~€35,000, ~211 hp) and a GTI variant, with up to 450 km (280 miles) of WLTP range from the larger pack.
Enel has finished installing 3,730 EV charging stations across five Italian regions under the first tender of Italy's PNRR recovery plan, with each station offering two points capable of up to 90 kW each. The network is accessible via Enel's app or card and integrates with around 160 mobility service providers, with a further 1,200 stations already contracted under subsequent tenders.
Electreon has finalized its acquisition of U.S.-based InductEV, combining dynamic in-road wireless charging with InductEV's high-power stationary wireless charging for heavy-duty transit and freight. The merged portfolio now covers highway and urban corridor charging (LINE), burst charging at stops (DASH), depot charging (DOT), and heavy-duty freight charging (Ultra DOT).
Scandlines launched the Baltic Whale on 10 March 2026, claiming it as the world's largest electric freight ferry in operation at 147 metres, running the 18.5 km Rødby–Puttgarden route carrying 66 freight units. Its 10 MWh battery can fully recharge in just 12 minutes via a dedicated 50 kV / 25 MW cable, with an automated docking tower connecting in 15 seconds, while a hybrid diesel mode reduces crossing time from one hour to 45 minutes.
Transcript
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