ev.news Briefly: ID. Tiguan, Slate, Plug-In Solar & more | 01 Sep 2026
Sep 01, 12:42 PM
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➤ VOLKSWAGEN EXPECTED TO DEBUT ID. TIGUAN NEXT MONTH
➤ SLATE REPORTEDLY PLANS $3,000 CARGO TOPPER FOR ALL BUYERS
➤ CALIFORNIA SENDS 1,200-WATT PLUG-IN SOLAR BILL TO NEWSOM
➤ KIA SETS SEPTEMBER UNVEILING FOR PV7 ELECTRIC VAN
➤ OREGON EV REBATE MONEY EXPECTED TO RUN OUT IN TWO MONTHS
➤ BYD REVEALS MAKO PLUG-IN HYBRID UTE IN BRAZIL
➤ QUEENSLAND SETS AGE 16 AND LICENCE RULES
➤ NISSAN AND HONDA SIGN ECU SOFTWARE PARTNERSHIP
➤ CHINA PROPOSES 30,000 KILOMETERS OF ROAD TESTING
➤ POLAND’S COAL SHARE FALLS TO 52.7% IN 2025
It's ev.news Briefly for Tuesday 01 September 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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VOLKSWAGEN EXPECTED TO DEBUT ID. TIGUAN NEXT MONTH
Volkswagen is expected to unveil the ID. Tiguan next month as the replacement for the ID.4 and ID.5, abandoning its numbered naming scheme in favour of established petrol nameplates alongside the ID.3 Neo, ID. Polo and ID. Cross. Prototype footage published by Autogefühl shows a wider, more conventional body closer to the petrol Tiguan with pop-out door handles replacing flush units, and the car is expected to use the MEB+ platform with a new cabin design, updated infotainment and the return of physical climate buttons.
Volkswagen is expected to unveil the ID. Tiguan next month as the replacement for the ID.4 and ID.5, abandoning its numbered naming scheme in favour of established petrol nameplates alongside the ID.3 Neo, ID. Polo and ID. Cross. Prototype footage published by Autogefühl shows a wider, more conventional body closer to the petrol Tiguan with pop-out door handles replacing flush units, and the car is expected to use the MEB+ platform with a new cabin design, updated infotainment and the return of physical climate buttons.
SLATE REPORTEDLY PLANS $3,000 CARGO TOPPER FOR ALL BUYERS
Slate Auto reportedly plans a cargo topper kit available to all buyers rather than fleet customers alone, offered in standard square-back and high-roof forms in white and black from around $3,000, according to the Instagram account Slate Auto Mods citing fleet and government sales lead Christian Kreipke. Kreipke also reportedly said the next-generation Slate will retain the same basic design dimensions, an assurance that costs the company nothing but protects the aftermarket upfitters whose tooling depends on that consistency.
Slate Auto reportedly plans a cargo topper kit available to all buyers rather than fleet customers alone, offered in standard square-back and high-roof forms in white and black from around $3,000, according to the Instagram account Slate Auto Mods citing fleet and government sales lead Christian Kreipke. Kreipke also reportedly said the next-generation Slate will retain the same basic design dimensions, an assurance that costs the company nothing but protects the aftermarket upfitters whose tooling depends on that consistency.
CALIFORNIA SENDS 1,200-WATT PLUG-IN SOLAR BILL TO NEWSOM
SB 868, passed with bipartisan support and now awaiting Governor Newsom's signature, would legalise plug-in or balcony solar in California by replacing the interconnection application with a free online registration, opening the $300-to-$2,200 technology to renters and those unable to install rooftop arrays. Systems would be capped at 1,200 watts per home and must plug into a standard outlet, offset onsite use, meet electrical codes, carry independent safety certification and stop feeding the grid during outages; PG&E ultimately opposed the final version over unenforced certification rules until 2030, San Diego Gas & Electric warned the anti-backfeed feature could fail, and Southern California Edison went neutral after safety standards were tightened.
SB 868, passed with bipartisan support and now awaiting Governor Newsom's signature, would legalise plug-in or balcony solar in California by replacing the interconnection application with a free online registration, opening the $300-to-$2,200 technology to renters and those unable to install rooftop arrays. Systems would be capped at 1,200 watts per home and must plug into a standard outlet, offset onsite use, meet electrical codes, carry independent safety certification and stop feeding the grid during outages; PG&E ultimately opposed the final version over unenforced certification rules until 2030, San Diego Gas & Electric warned the anti-backfeed feature could fail, and Southern California Edison went neutral after safety standards were tightened.
KIA SETS SEPTEMBER UNVEILING FOR PV7 ELECTRIC VAN
Kia will fully unveil the PV7 electric van at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover on 14 September ahead of a 2027 customer launch, releasing images of Cargo and Passenger versions but withholding payload, cargo volume and range figures that matter most to fleet buyers. Built on the 400-volt E-GMP.S skateboard architecture shared with the PV5, its length is reported in Korea at between 5,270mm and 5,900mm despite Kia UK calling it mid-size, and it follows a PV5 that took 37% of Europe's electric C-segment van market in the first half of the year.
Kia will fully unveil the PV7 electric van at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover on 14 September ahead of a 2027 customer launch, releasing images of Cargo and Passenger versions but withholding payload, cargo volume and range figures that matter most to fleet buyers. Built on the 400-volt E-GMP.S skateboard architecture shared with the PV5, its length is reported in Korea at between 5,270mm and 5,900mm despite Kia UK calling it mid-size, and it follows a PV5 that took 37% of Europe's electric C-segment van market in the first half of the year.
OREGON EV REBATE MONEY EXPECTED TO RUN OUT IN TWO MONTHS
Oregon's electric-vehicle rebate programme has about $8.5 million remaining and is expected to last little more than two months, having already been suspended once by the Department of Environmental Quality after a previous scheme lasted three and a half months. The standard rebate has no income test and pays $2,000 for a new EV, $1,500 for a plug-in hybrid and $375 for an electric motorcycle, while the income-targeted charge-ahead rebate pays $7,500 for a new EV, $5,000 for a new plug-in hybrid, up to $4,000 for a used EV and up to $2,500 for a used plug-in hybrid.
Oregon's electric-vehicle rebate programme has about $8.5 million remaining and is expected to last little more than two months, having already been suspended once by the Department of Environmental Quality after a previous scheme lasted three and a half months. The standard rebate has no income test and pays $2,000 for a new EV, $1,500 for a plug-in hybrid and $375 for an electric motorcycle, while the income-targeted charge-ahead rebate pays $7,500 for a new EV, $5,000 for a new plug-in hybrid, up to $4,000 for a used EV and up to $2,500 for a used plug-in hybrid.
BYD REVEALS MAKO PLUG-IN HYBRID UTE IN BRAZIL
BYD has shown pre-production Mako plug-in hybrid utes to Brazilian media at Interlagos ahead of an October or November launch, positioning the roughly 4.8-metre, monocoque-based model as a smaller, more car-like alternative to the ladder-frame Shark 6 and a rival to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz rather than one-tonne utes. It retains a separate load bed of about 1,000 litres with a reported 750kg payload and uses a flex-fuel DM-i system running petrol or ethanol, with front-wheel drive at launch, an all-wheel-drive version reportedly in development, and battery capacity, electric range and right-hand-drive export plans all unconfirmed.
BYD has shown pre-production Mako plug-in hybrid utes to Brazilian media at Interlagos ahead of an October or November launch, positioning the roughly 4.8-metre, monocoque-based model as a smaller, more car-like alternative to the ladder-frame Shark 6 and a rival to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz rather than one-tonne utes. It retains a separate load bed of about 1,000 litres with a reported 750kg payload and uses a flex-fuel DM-i system running petrol or ethanol, with front-wheel drive at launch, an all-wheel-drive version reportedly in development, and battery capacity, electric range and right-hand-drive export plans all unconfirmed.
QUEENSLAND SETS AGE 16 AND LICENCE RULES
Queensland introduced tougher e-bike and e-scooter rules on 31 August 2026 requiring riders to be at least 16 and hold at least a learner licence, with parents liable for fines when under-16s are caught riding illegally. Interstate and international licences are accepted while suspended or disqualified drivers are barred entirely, and exemptions apply to 12-to-17-year-olds riding with a parent and to people unable to hold a licence because of certain medical conditions or disabilities.
Queensland introduced tougher e-bike and e-scooter rules on 31 August 2026 requiring riders to be at least 16 and hold at least a learner licence, with parents liable for fines when under-16s are caught riding illegally. Interstate and international licences are accepted while suspended or disqualified drivers are barred entirely, and exemptions apply to 12-to-17-year-olds riding with a parent and to people unable to hold a licence because of certain medical conditions or disabilities.
NISSAN AND HONDA SIGN ECU SOFTWARE PARTNERSHIP
Nissan and Honda signed an agreement on 31 August to jointly develop standardised electronic control units, an in-vehicle operating system, middleware and vehicle-control software for what they call software-defined vehicles. The resulting electronic architecture is scheduled to reach next-generation vehicles in 2029, with both companies claiming faster development cycles, more efficient investment and improved competitiveness in an intensifying global market.
Nissan and Honda signed an agreement on 31 August to jointly develop standardised electronic control units, an in-vehicle operating system, middleware and vehicle-control software for what they call software-defined vehicles. The resulting electronic architecture is scheduled to reach next-generation vehicles in 2029, with both companies claiming faster development cycles, more efficient investment and improved competitiveness in an intensifying global market.
CHINA PROPOSES 30,000 KILOMETERS OF ROAD TESTING
China is proposing to double mandatory road testing for new-energy vehicles to 30,000 kilometres, according to Bloomberg, even as carmakers push for shorter development schedules that IAT Automobile Technology and the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers estimate AI could compress to an 18-month standard, against a current pace of around two years and three to five years for established foreign rivals. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is monitoring online customer complaints and inspected at least five leading automakers in July, including GAC Aion days after reports that batteries in some models were failing beyond 150,000 kilometres.
China is proposing to double mandatory road testing for new-energy vehicles to 30,000 kilometres, according to Bloomberg, even as carmakers push for shorter development schedules that IAT Automobile Technology and the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers estimate AI could compress to an 18-month standard, against a current pace of around two years and three to five years for established foreign rivals. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is monitoring online customer complaints and inspected at least five leading automakers in July, including GAC Aion days after reports that batteries in some models were failing beyond 150,000 kilometres.
POLAND'S COAL SHARE FALLS TO 52.7% IN 2025
Poland's coal share of electricity generation fell from 72.5% in 2021 to 52.7% in 2025, dropping below half in five separate months and being outproduced by renewables across a full month for the first time in June. The country generated 24.4 TWh from gas, 23.8 TWh from onshore wind and 20.3 TWh from solar in 2025, and the IEA expects renewables to overtake coal on an annual basis in 2028.
Poland's coal share of electricity generation fell from 72.5% in 2021 to 52.7% in 2025, dropping below half in five separate months and being outproduced by renewables across a full month for the first time in June. The country generated 24.4 TWh from gas, 23.8 TWh from onshore wind and 20.3 TWh from solar in 2025, and the IEA expects renewables to overtake coal on an annual basis in 2028.