BRIEFLY: ID Polo, BMW iX3, Ford & more | 30 Apr 2026
May 02, 12:06 AM
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➤ VOLKSWAGEN OPENS ID POLO ORDERS IN EUROPE
➤ BMW IX3 RANGE TARGET RISES TO 434 MILES
➤ FORD MODEL E STILL BURNS CASH
➤ CITROËN PLOTS SUB-€15,000 CITY EV
➤ JEEP AVENGER GETS FIRST FACELIFT
➤ RIVIAN SIGNALS SECOND R2 SHIFT
➤ MG 07 TO GET MOMENTA R7 SYSTEM
➤ UK EV FLEET TOPS TWO MILLION
➤ SWEDEN EV SHARE HITS 64.9% IN Q1
➤ LGES 46-SERIES ORDERS TOP 440 GWH
➤ ROLLS-ROYCE TESTS SECOND ELECTRIC UTILITY VEHICLE
It's EV News Briefly for Thursday 30 April 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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VOLKSWAGEN OPENS ID POLO ORDERS IN EUROPE
Volkswagen has opened order books for the ID Polo, an all-electric small car starting at €24,995, built on the upgraded MEB+ platform to compete with Chinese EVs in Europe's mass market. It offers three power outputs, two battery options (37 kWh LFP and 52 kWh NMC) with up to 455 km WLTP range, a 13-inch touchscreen, 441 litres of boot space, and vehicle-to-load capability.
Volkswagen has opened order books for the ID Polo, an all-electric small car starting at €24,995, built on the upgraded MEB+ platform to compete with Chinese EVs in Europe's mass market. It offers three power outputs, two battery options (37 kWh LFP and 52 kWh NMC) with up to 455 km WLTP range, a 13-inch touchscreen, 441 litres of boot space, and vehicle-to-load capability.
BMW IX3 RANGE TARGET RISES TO 434 MILES
BMW has raised its projected EPA range estimate for the U.S.-spec iX3 xDrive50 to 434 miles, an 8.5% increase over earlier guidance, though final EPA certification is still pending. Priced from around $60,000, the iX3 is launching in the U.S. in May 2026, with customer deliveries expected in late September or early October after mass production begins in early September.
BMW has raised its projected EPA range estimate for the U.S.-spec iX3 xDrive50 to 434 miles, an 8.5% increase over earlier guidance, though final EPA certification is still pending. Priced from around $60,000, the iX3 is launching in the U.S. in May 2026, with customer deliveries expected in late September or early October after mass production begins in early September.
FORD MODEL E STILL BURNS CASH
Ford's electric car division Model e lost $777 million in Q1 2026, roughly $23,000 per EV sold, despite a $72 million year-on-year improvement and a 10% rise in volumes to around 34,000 units. Ford's near-term focus is improving margins on existing EVs while developing next-generation models on its Universal EV platform and expanding into battery storage through the newly launched Ford Energy.
Ford's electric car division Model e lost $777 million in Q1 2026, roughly $23,000 per EV sold, despite a $72 million year-on-year improvement and a 10% rise in volumes to around 34,000 units. Ford's near-term focus is improving margins on existing EVs while developing next-generation models on its Universal EV platform and expanding into battery storage through the newly launched Ford Energy.
CITROËN PLOTS SUB-€15,000 CITY EV
Citroën CEO Xavier Chardon has confirmed plans for a sub-€15,000 A-segment electric city car, positioning it as a modern equivalent of the 2CV to help restore European car buying, which remains three million buyers per year below pre-pandemic levels. A concept is expected at the Paris motor show in October, with a production version to follow within a couple of years at a price well below the current ë-C3.
Citroën CEO Xavier Chardon has confirmed plans for a sub-€15,000 A-segment electric city car, positioning it as a modern equivalent of the 2CV to help restore European car buying, which remains three million buyers per year below pre-pandemic levels. A concept is expected at the Paris motor show in October, with a production version to follow within a couple of years at a price well below the current ë-C3.
JEEP AVENGER GETS FIRST FACELIFT
Jeep has given the Avenger its first major update since its 2023 launch, debuting the revised model in Rio de Janeiro with a redesigned seven-slot grille that lights up at night and brings it visually closer to the newer Jeep Compass. A dedicated European launch is planned later in 2026, significant given the Avenger won the 2023 European Car of the Year and has been central to Jeep's European recovery.
Jeep has given the Avenger its first major update since its 2023 launch, debuting the revised model in Rio de Janeiro with a redesigned seven-slot grille that lights up at night and brings it visually closer to the newer Jeep Compass. A dedicated European launch is planned later in 2026, significant given the Avenger won the 2023 European Car of the Year and has been central to Jeep's European recovery.
RIVIAN SIGNALS SECOND R2 SHIFT
Rivian appears to be quietly staffing a second production shift for the R2 at its Normal, Illinois plant, with a LinkedIn post from a newly promoted R2 Group Leader confirming he is "ramping production on night shift." Volume R2 production began on April 22, with early units going to employees for several months of real-world software data collection ahead of external customer deliveries.
Rivian appears to be quietly staffing a second production shift for the R2 at its Normal, Illinois plant, with a LinkedIn post from a newly promoted R2 Group Leader confirming he is "ramping production on night shift." Volume R2 production began on April 22, with early units going to employees for several months of real-world software data collection ahead of external customer deliveries.
MG 07 TO GET MOMENTA R7 SYSTEM
SAIC's MG has confirmed the upcoming MG 07 fastback sedan will be among the first vehicles to feature Momenta's R7 autonomous driving system, unveiled at Beijing Auto Show as a direct rival to Tesla's FSD v14. Momenta's R7 supports weekly over-the-air updates, targets a deployed fleet of 200,000 vehicles by end-2026, and plans European robotaxi deployments later this year through a partnership with Uber.
SAIC's MG has confirmed the upcoming MG 07 fastback sedan will be among the first vehicles to feature Momenta's R7 autonomous driving system, unveiled at Beijing Auto Show as a direct rival to Tesla's FSD v14. Momenta's R7 supports weekly over-the-air updates, targets a deployed fleet of 200,000 vehicles by end-2026, and plans European robotaxi deployments later this year through a partnership with Uber.
UK EV FLEET TOPS TWO MILLION
The UK's zero-emission vehicle fleet reached 2 million registrations at the end of 2025, representing 4.8% of all licensed vehicles, with 528,000 newly registered in 2025 alone and electric cars taking 23.4% of new car sales. The government's Electric Car Grant, offering up to £3,750 off qualifying EVs, has already been used by over 100,000 buyers and has driven a 10% rise in electric car demand.
The UK's zero-emission vehicle fleet reached 2 million registrations at the end of 2025, representing 4.8% of all licensed vehicles, with 528,000 newly registered in 2025 alone and electric cars taking 23.4% of new car sales. The government's Electric Car Grant, offering up to £3,750 off qualifying EVs, has already been used by over 100,000 buyers and has driven a 10% rise in electric car demand.
SWEDEN EV SHARE HITS 64.9% IN Q1
Plugin EVs captured 64.9% of Sweden's auto market in Q1 2026, up from 58.0% a year earlier, with BEVs alone reaching 40.7% market share on a 21% volume increase despite the overall market shrinking 2%. A new BEV incentive scheme targeting lower-income rural households helped sustain momentum, while the Volvo EX40 held the top BEV sales spot for the third consecutive quarter.
Plugin EVs captured 64.9% of Sweden's auto market in Q1 2026, up from 58.0% a year earlier, with BEVs alone reaching 40.7% market share on a 21% volume increase despite the overall market shrinking 2%. A new BEV incentive scheme targeting lower-income rural households helped sustain momentum, while the Volvo EX40 held the top BEV sales spot for the third consecutive quarter.
LGES 46-SERIES ORDERS TOP 440 GWH
LG Energy Solution secured over 100 GWh of new orders for its 46-series cylindrical cells in Q1 2026, pushing its total backlog above 440 GWh, with the new business widely attributed to a reported ten-year BMW Group contract worth approximately €5.8 billion. The deal is said to cover both 4695 and 46120 cell formats linked to BMW's Neue Klasse platform, and would mark LGES's first time supplying cells for BMW battery-electric vehicles.
LG Energy Solution secured over 100 GWh of new orders for its 46-series cylindrical cells in Q1 2026, pushing its total backlog above 440 GWh, with the new business widely attributed to a reported ten-year BMW Group contract worth approximately €5.8 billion. The deal is said to cover both 4695 and 46120 cell formats linked to BMW's Neue Klasse platform, and would mark LGES's first time supplying cells for BMW battery-electric vehicles.
ROLLS-ROYCE TESTS SECOND ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Spy photos have revealed Rolls-Royce testing an unnamed electric utility vehicle that closely matches the proportions and silhouette of the Cullinan, the brand's most popular model since its 2018 launch. Reports suggest this is not a next-generation Cullinan replacement but rather a separate new product alongside it.
Spy photos have revealed Rolls-Royce testing an unnamed electric utility vehicle that closely matches the proportions and silhouette of the Cullinan, the brand's most popular model since its 2018 launch. Reports suggest this is not a next-generation Cullinan replacement but rather a separate new product alongside it.