ev.news Briefly: Audi A2, EVgo, Rivian & more | 05 Aug 2026
Aug 06, 12:15 AM
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➤ AUDI STRIPS BACK A2 E-TRON CAMOUFLAGE
➤ EVGO GROWS IN TOWNS AND ON MOTORWAYS
➤ PILOT, EVGO AND GM REACH 300 FAST-CHARGING SITES
➤ RIVIAN PUTS VOICE CONTROL BEHIND PAYWALL
➤ ID. BUZZ CARGO GETS CHEAPER, GOES FURTHER
➤ KONA ELECTRIC GETS FULL UK EV GRANT
➤ TESLA JULY EUROPE DATA SPLITS SHARPLY
➤ UK BEV SHARE HITS 27.4%
➤ USED EV DEMAND OUTRUNS JULY SUPPLY
➤ BRITTANY FERRIES STARTS PORTSMOUTH SHORE POWER
➤ US ARMY PICKS HARBRINGER HYBRID UGV PLATFORM
It's ev.news Briefly for Wednesday 05 August 2026, only todays headlines and nothing else, in just 4 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.
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AUDI STRIPS BACK A2 E-TRON CAMOUFLAGE
Audi has removed most camouflage from the A2 e-tron ahead of an autumn world premiere, calling it the most efficient car it has ever built, with the 140 kW efficiency-package variant quoting provisional WLTP consumption of 12.8 kWh/100 km (4.85 miles per kWh) from a 61 kWh gross/58 kWh net LFP cell-to-pack battery, aided by active cool-air intakes, air curtains, gap reducers, silicon-carbide power electronics and 89.6% wallbox charging efficiency. DC charging peaks at 105 kW with a 26-minute 10–80% charge, V2L supplies 2.3 kW and V2H is offered, and three packs of 50, 58 and 79 kWh are expected using the VW Group APP350 drive unit on the updated MEB platform rather than MEB+.
Audi has removed most camouflage from the A2 e-tron ahead of an autumn world premiere, calling it the most efficient car it has ever built, with the 140 kW efficiency-package variant quoting provisional WLTP consumption of 12.8 kWh/100 km (4.85 miles per kWh) from a 61 kWh gross/58 kWh net LFP cell-to-pack battery, aided by active cool-air intakes, air curtains, gap reducers, silicon-carbide power electronics and 89.6% wallbox charging efficiency. DC charging peaks at 105 kW with a 26-minute 10–80% charge, V2L supplies 2.3 kW and V2H is offered, and three packs of 50, 58 and 79 kWh are expected using the VW Group APP350 drive unit on the updated MEB platform rather than MEB+.
EVGO GROWS IN TOWNS AND ON MOTORWAYS
EVgo will add more than 500 DC fast-charging stalls at Brixmor Property Group shopping centres, covering at least 90 sites and over a quarter of Brixmor's retail portfolio, starting later this year at Barn Plaza near Philadelphia with further builds in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas, many with up to 12 high-power stalls. Its highway venture with Pilot Company and General Motors, launched in 2022, has now passed 300 locations and roughly 1,300 stalls across 40 states and about 75% of the contiguous US, more than halfway to a target of up to 2,000 stalls at 500 sites, and on 5 August 2026 EVgo said it will add Tesla V4 Superchargers to its network.
EVgo will add more than 500 DC fast-charging stalls at Brixmor Property Group shopping centres, covering at least 90 sites and over a quarter of Brixmor's retail portfolio, starting later this year at Barn Plaza near Philadelphia with further builds in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas, many with up to 12 high-power stalls. Its highway venture with Pilot Company and General Motors, launched in 2022, has now passed 300 locations and roughly 1,300 stalls across 40 states and about 75% of the contiguous US, more than halfway to a target of up to 2,000 stalls at 500 sites, and on 5 August 2026 EVgo said it will add Tesla V4 Superchargers to its network.
RIVIAN PUTS VOICE CONTROL BEHIND PAYWALL
Rivian switched off Amazon's Alexa across its entire fleet on Monday 3 August 2026, retiring Alexa Built-in from 4 August and leaving voice control available only through Rivian Assistant, which runs on Google's Gemini and requires a Connect+ subscription at $14.99 a month (about £11) or $149.99 a year (about £112). Previously free voice calls and messages now sit behind that paywall, along with the loss of Alexa-linked Amazon Music, Pandora and smart-home controls, though touchscreen and Bluetooth dialling remain, and the move follows Rivian charging for hands-free driving from April via Autonomy+ at $49.99 a month or $2,500 outright, despite Amazon being Rivian's second-largest shareholder.
Rivian switched off Amazon's Alexa across its entire fleet on Monday 3 August 2026, retiring Alexa Built-in from 4 August and leaving voice control available only through Rivian Assistant, which runs on Google's Gemini and requires a Connect+ subscription at $14.99 a month (about £11) or $149.99 a year (about £112). Previously free voice calls and messages now sit behind that paywall, along with the loss of Alexa-linked Amazon Music, Pandora and smart-home controls, though touchscreen and Bluetooth dialling remain, and the move follows Rivian charging for hands-free driving from April via Autonomy+ at $49.99 a month or $2,500 outright, despite Amazon being Rivian's second-largest shareholder.
ID. BUZZ CARGO GETS CHEAPER, GOES FURTHER
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has replaced the ID. Buzz Cargo's entry 59kWh pack with a new 58kWh unit shared with the ID.3 Neo, lifting WLTP range from 201 miles (323km) to 218 miles (351km) through cell chemistry and efficiency rather than extra capacity, while cutting the price to £29,995 excluding VAT, £5,655 less than before, with the £5,000 Plug-in Van Grant bringing the effective entry price close to £25,000 and Contract Hire from £239 a month. Charging peaks at 105kW for a 26-minute 10-80% top-up, the 79kWh version is unchanged at 277 miles (446km) and 185kW, and vehicle-to-load arrives across the range supplying 2.0kW continuously and 3.6kW peak at 16A/240V through a three-pin loadspace socket.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has replaced the ID. Buzz Cargo's entry 59kWh pack with a new 58kWh unit shared with the ID.3 Neo, lifting WLTP range from 201 miles (323km) to 218 miles (351km) through cell chemistry and efficiency rather than extra capacity, while cutting the price to £29,995 excluding VAT, £5,655 less than before, with the £5,000 Plug-in Van Grant bringing the effective entry price close to £25,000 and Contract Hire from £239 a month. Charging peaks at 105kW for a 26-minute 10-80% top-up, the 79kWh version is unchanged at 277 miles (446km) and 185kW, and vehicle-to-load arrives across the range supplying 2.0kW continuously and 3.6kW peak at 16A/240V through a three-pin loadspace socket.
KONA ELECTRIC GETS FULL UK EV GRANT
Hyundai Motor UK has moved the Kona Electric from Band 2 to Band 1 of the Electric Car Grant, raising its discount from £1,500 ($2,010) to the full £3,750 ($5,025). With a list price of £35,000 ($46,900), the model now starts at £31,250 ($41,875) with the grant applied.
Hyundai Motor UK has moved the Kona Electric from Band 2 to Band 1 of the Electric Car Grant, raising its discount from £1,500 ($2,010) to the full £3,750 ($5,025). With a list price of £35,000 ($46,900), the model now starts at £31,250 ($41,875) with the grant applied.
TESLA JULY EUROPE DATA SPLITS SHARPLY
Tesla's July European registrations diverged sharply, rising 86% year on year in France and 52% in Denmark, while falling 97% in Norway, 60% in Sweden and 81% in Spain, where just 131 cars were registered. Spain illustrates the underlying weakness, with Tesla up 19.8% year to date through July against a 34.9% rise in the electrified market, and Matthias Schmidt of Schmidt Automotive attributing the pattern to Tesla steering allocation towards incentive-rich markets such as Germany and France, with German volumes potentially jumping in the second half of 2026.
Tesla's July European registrations diverged sharply, rising 86% year on year in France and 52% in Denmark, while falling 97% in Norway, 60% in Sweden and 81% in Spain, where just 131 cars were registered. Spain illustrates the underlying weakness, with Tesla up 19.8% year to date through July against a 34.9% rise in the electrified market, and Matthias Schmidt of Schmidt Automotive attributing the pattern to Tesla steering allocation towards incentive-rich markets such as Germany and France, with German volumes potentially jumping in the second half of 2026.
UK BEV SHARE HITS 27.4%
UK battery-electric registrations rose 49% to 43,547 units in July, taking a 27.4% market share according to NewAutomotive, while petrol registrations fell 8.2% and diesel dropped 10.6%. Chinese brands took 16% of the UK new-car market in the month, led by MG, Omoda, Jaecoo and BYD.
UK battery-electric registrations rose 49% to 43,547 units in July, taking a 27.4% market share according to NewAutomotive, while petrol registrations fell 8.2% and diesel dropped 10.6%. Chinese brands took 16% of the UK new-car market in the month, led by MG, Omoda, Jaecoo and BYD.
BRITTANY FERRIES STARTS PORTSMOUTH SHORE POWER
Brittany Ferries will begin using shore power at Portsmouth International Port from Monday with two hybrid vessels, activating a system completed late last year that had sat idle due to a delayed grid connection and months of negotiation over financial terms, since plugging in costs more than burning marine fuel. Chief executive Christophe Mathieu called it a milestone that unlocks the potential of the Channel's greenest vessels and makes the company a better neighbour to Portsmouth residents, while urging government tax breaks, as Portsmouth becomes home to the UK ports industry's first multi-berth, multi-user shore power system.
Brittany Ferries will begin using shore power at Portsmouth International Port from Monday with two hybrid vessels, activating a system completed late last year that had sat idle due to a delayed grid connection and months of negotiation over financial terms, since plugging in costs more than burning marine fuel. Chief executive Christophe Mathieu called it a milestone that unlocks the potential of the Channel's greenest vessels and makes the company a better neighbour to Portsmouth residents, while urging government tax breaks, as Portsmouth becomes home to the UK ports industry's first multi-berth, multi-user shore power system.
US ARMY PICKS HARBRINGER HYBRID UGV PLATFORM
The US Army has awarded American Rheinmetall an 18-month contract to build and deliver next-generation uncrewed ground vehicles under Project Sustainment, using California firm Harbinger's Praesidia series-hybrid powertrain, which pairs a high-torque electric motor with a compact petrol engine that charges the battery but has no mechanical link to the wheels. Praesidia can export up to 350 kW to external systems, with 48 kW continuous from the engine and 15 kW split-phase AC from an onboard inverter, and Harbinger claims over 500 miles (805 km) on a full tank and charge, including roughly 105 miles (169 km) on electricity alone, with the architecture suiting silent-watch operation where acoustic signature matters.
The US Army has awarded American Rheinmetall an 18-month contract to build and deliver next-generation uncrewed ground vehicles under Project Sustainment, using California firm Harbinger's Praesidia series-hybrid powertrain, which pairs a high-torque electric motor with a compact petrol engine that charges the battery but has no mechanical link to the wheels. Praesidia can export up to 350 kW to external systems, with 48 kW continuous from the engine and 15 kW split-phase AC from an onboard inverter, and Harbinger claims over 500 miles (805 km) on a full tank and charge, including roughly 105 miles (169 km) on electricity alone, with the architecture suiting silent-watch operation where acoustic signature matters.