The Change Optimist: Weekly News Roundup - November 8, 2026

Geely’s Smart #2 city car launches in China for $14,900 USD
Geely’s Smart brand has launched the micro-sized Smart #2 in China as a two-door, two-seater electric city car, with the Premium trim priced at 99,900 yuan ($14,900). Built on Geely’s ECA electric compact architecture, it has a CLTC-rated range of 410 km (about 332 km WLTP), and a 999-unit Couture Edition for China and Europe has already sold out. carnewschina.com

BYD sold more EVs last month than the US did all quarter, topping 300,000
BYD sold 305,743 battery-electric vehicles in October, its first month above 300,000 and the company’s highest monthly EV total in 2026. That single-month BEV figure topped the roughly 262,500 EVs sold in the US during the entire third quarter. electrek.co

BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao crosses 600,000 sales as their General Manager acknowledges delivery bottlenecks ahead of Ti 9 launch
BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao brand has topped 600,000 cumulative sales since its mid-2023 debut, with the Ti 7 responsible for about 300,000 units and leading China’s boxy SUV category for 12 consecutive months. FCB General Manager Xiong Tianbo said October deliveries missed internal targets due to production ramp-up issues, while the Ti 9 PHEV SUV is due after November 15, and the Shark PHEV pick-up is slated for customer deliveries in December. carnewschina.com

BYD’s 3 million USD supercar Yangwang U9 Xtreme crashed in China
A $3 million Yangwang U9 Xtreme crashed in China, possibly while attempting to reach 500 km/h, shedding its rear axle, and the driver escaped without injury. The quad-motor car makes 2,220 kW (2,977 hp) on a 1,200 V silicon carbide platform and previously hit 496.22 km/h in Germany. carnewschina.com

BYD’s flagship luxury EV with 1,000+ km of range hits 4,000 sales in just 19 days
BYD’s Great Han flagship sedan, which offers more than 1,000 km of range, reached 4,000 sales in just 19 days after its October 13 launch. The model uses BYD’s second-generation Blade Batteries and Flash Charging technology, which the company began equipping in March. Year-to-date sales through October grew to 1,953,700, up 6% compared to the same period in 2025. electrek.co

Chery iCaur V25 EREV set for November 19 launch with pre-sales from $19,650 USD
Chery will unveil the iCaur V25 extended-range electric SUV on November 19, after opening pre-sales on October 19 for four variants priced at 139,800 to 175,800 yuan (about $19,650 to $24,700). It pairs a 1.5-litre turbo range extender with either a single 185 kW rear motor or a dual-motor 335 kW AWD setup, and offers 600 mm of flood clearance plus overland accessories like a roof light bar, winch, and all-terrain tyres. carnewschina.com

Chery’s Audi-look Arrizo 7 sedan enters production with a 1,700 km hybrid range
Chery has moved the Arrizo 7 into production, with MIIT filings showing 1.5T petrol and 1.5L C-DM plug-in hybrid variants and a PHEV-listed hybrid range of about 1,700 km. The production car drops the Arrizo S concept’s 2.0T engine and is slated to launch in China in Q4 2026. carnewschina.com

Chery’s boxy Jetour R700 SUV to share platform with 892-HP G700 to debut November 27
Jetour will unveil the boxy, off-road R700 at the Guangzhou Auto Show on November 27, after showing a near-production version in a confidential viewing at the Beijing Auto Show. The two-row SUV uses the same ladder-frame platform as the 892-hp G700 and draws styling cues from the Zongheng G600 concept. carnewschina.com

Tesla to wind down Cybertruck production in Texas next year so it can ramp up Cybercab, Musk says
Tesla will wind down Cybertruck production at Gigafactory Texas around mid-2027 to free capacity for increased manufacturing of its Cybercab robotaxi, Elon Musk said. The Cybertruck is built exclusively at that plant alongside the Model Y and a two-seat Cybercab, and the pick-up has not reached mass-market sales and has faced several recalls. cnbc.com

Tesla and SpaceX lose over $420 billion in combined market cap after the midterms
Tesla and SpaceX lost more than $420 billion in combined market cap in the two days after the midterms, with Tesla down about 11% and SpaceX about 9%. Investors expect new congressional probes and tougher regulation after Democrats won control of the House and Senate and Texas flipped blue, and most GOP candidates Musk backed were defeated. cnbc.com

17 better ways Elon Musk could have wasted $446 million
Elon spent nearly half a billion dollars to support failed Republican campaigns. Elizabeth Lopatto from The Verge explores other ways you could waste that amount of money and have a better story to tell at billionaire-class type parties. theverge.com

Tesla wants its sworn Cybercab answers to NHTSA kept entirely secret
Tesla filed sworn answers to NHTSA’s special order about how the Cybercab meets federal safety standards, submitting its response on the October 30 deadline and asking the agency to keep the entire filing confidential. Only a 30-page firefighter guide is public; the certification details for a vehicle without a steering wheel, pedals, or mirrors are redacted, and the probe followed Tesla’s start of paid Cybercab rides in Austin and included 21 questions with up to $139 million in civil penalties and potential criminal exposure. electrek.co

Tesla cuts FSD’s speed margin from 50% to 10% over the limit in Europe
The Netherlands’ RDW confirmed Tesla has updated its driver-assistance software to cap the speed margin at +10% and renamed FSD Supervised to Tesla Assisted Driving. The margin now resets to 0% on every start-up; other speed-related functions are disabled by default, and the change mirrors Germany’s conditions ahead of an EU vote on wider approval. electrek.co

Tesla wins trade zone status for Texas Megapacks, but China tariffs stay
Tesla’s Megapack factory in Brookshire, Texas, has been approved as a foreign-trade zone, allowing the company to defer customs duties on imported parts under a 14-month FTZ authorization. Tesla’s own application makes clear that parts hit by Section 301, 232, or 122 tariffs still must pay, and it lists about 80 imported components, from battery cells and wiring harnesses to transformers and busbars, with duty rates up to 6.5%, while finished Megapacks and Bento inverters face duties from duty-free to 3.4%. electrek.co

Tesla Powerwall 3 now boosts heat pumps to store cheap solar as heat
Tesla’s new Heat Pump Optimization lets Powerwall 3 and three-phase Powerwall 3P tell compatible heat pumps to run a boost cycle, storing surplus or low-cost solar as hot water in a domestic hot water or buffer tank. The system monitors solar production and electricity prices and sends either a run-normal or boost signal to shift heating to cheaper hours, but the feature is live only in Europe, and Tesla has not announced plans for the US or Canada, where the required hardware standard is scarce. electrek.co

Tesla accused of selling FSD to Korean owners who can’t legally use it
Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty has asked the Korea Fair Trade Commission to stop Tesla from marketing Full Self-Driving to owners whose cars are not legally eligible to use it, citing Tesla’s own data showing that 99% of Teslas sold in Korea last year are affected. Only US-built Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck imports under the KORUS free trade agreement received “FSD (Supervised)”; Shanghai-built Model 3 and Model Y do not, and a Seoul court last week rejected a refund lawsuit from Korean buyers. electrek.co

SpaceX signs deal with Qualcomm to provide network technology for US mobile service
SpaceX struck a multiyear deal with Qualcomm to build base stations for its Starlink Mobile carrier as it moves to compete with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Qualcomm says the project is its largest 5G initiative to date, and SpaceX plans a terrestrial rollout beginning next year, with financial terms undisclosed. cnbc.com

Xiaomi’s humanoid robots work a full 8-hour shift in its EV factory
Xiaomi released footage showing its full-size humanoid robots completing an eight-hour shift at its EV factory, pulling center-console side covers from bins, carrying them to racks, and placing them into slots. The clip includes a cumulative clock and an “Autonomous, 100x Speed” label, and Xiaomi says the robots detected and corrected their own anomalies but did not provide the data needed to independently verify those claims. electrek.co

Serve Robotics launches a new business to become the AWS for robots
Serve Robotics is launching a new business to sell the cloud infrastructure, developer tools, and fleet-management software that power its delivery robots to other operators and manufacturers. The move lets Serve monetize its operational stack and makes it easier for third parties to deploy robot fleets without having to build backend systems from scratch. techcrunch.com

Humble Robotics raises $51M for cabless hauler pilots
Humble Robotics closed a $51 million Series A, led by Obvious Ventures, to move its cabless, electric Humble Hauler into customer pilots for port drayage and warehouse runs. The funding brings the start-up’s total to $75 million and will fund pilots, testing, early manufacturing, and a modular family of vehicles targeting regional routes under 250 miles, which the company says make up 87% of US truck tonnage, based on 2021 data. freightwaves.com

Old, Polluting Jet Engines Are Being Scavenged to Power Data Centers
Retired jet engines are being repurposed as generators for AI data centers, turning aircraft that would otherwise be dismantled into on-site power sources. The approach reflects the pressure data-center developers face as grid connections lag behind rapidly growing electricity demand, while also raising questions about emissions from using older turbine technology. nytimes.com

Diesel Prices Collapse, Then Rebound: What’s Driving Volatility?
Diesel futures plunged more than 25 cents in a single session after social media reports of US-Iran peace talks, only to recover about 10 to 11 cents when Iranian officials said no agreement was near. The DOE weekly benchmark fell just six cents to $6.292 per gallon, highlighting extremely low distillate inventories and about 10 million barrels per day of offline refining capacity that keep the market tight for carriers, brokers, and shippers. freightwaves.com

Can ‘BattMan’ secure the US battery manufacturing supply chain?
The Energy Department is launching a Battery Manufacturing Accelerator called BattMan to plug gaps in domestic material and component supplies as US battery demand is forecast to quadruple over the next few years. DOE Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson told Utility Dive the program, announced Oct. 28, 2026, will speed development and deployment of advanced battery technologies. supplychaindive.com

EVgo opens its first Tesla Superchargers, with hundreds more planned
EVgo has activated its first Tesla Supercharger site in a Chicago grocery store parking lot, installing 12 fast-charging stalls that support both NACS and CCS and deliver up to 325 kW. The location uses Magic Dock, so non-Tesla drivers can charge without an adapter through the Tesla app, and Tesla cars can route to it via in-car navigation and Trip Planner. electrek.co

BP Pulse makes 850+ EV fast chargers easier to use in the US
BP Pulse joined ChargeHub’s Passport Hub, linking more than 850 DC fast chargers at over 95 US locations to ChargeHub and other participating services. Drivers can now find, start, and pay for bp pulse sessions from their existing ChargeHub account, with real-time availability, pricing, and wallet balance shown in the app. electrek.co

Ottawa to extend flagship EV charging program with $587M cash infusion
The Canadian government plans to extend the life of its flagship electric-vehicle charging program with $587 million in fresh funding as part of its 2026 budget. Ottawa said renewed support for the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) will support the installation of 55,000 chargers between fiscal 2027-28 and 2032-33, fueling much-needed growth in the charging network as more drivers go electric. autonews.com

This Is the Jeep Wrangler Scrambler SRT With Independent Front Suspension, Reversible Jump Seats, and a V8
Jeep’s Scrambler SRT is headed for production and combines independent front suspension, a V8, and reversible rear-facing jump seats. It packs 15 inches of rear travel, 14 inches up front, Fox 2.5-inch shocks at all four corners, two doors, and 37-inch tires. thedrive.com

The Jeep Wrangler Might Get an Independent Front Suspension Option To Fight Off the Bronco
At SEMA in Las Vegas, Tim Kuniskis unveiled the Jeep Wrangler Scrambler SRT Concept with an independent front suspension and raised the question of offering that setup as an option for all Wrangler customers. The Scrambler is part of Stellantis’ product plan that includes 60 new vehicles and 50 refreshes by 2030, and Kuniskis said he wants to keep solid axles for low-speed rock crawling while adding independent suspension for high-speed off-road driving. thedrive.com

BMW is taking on Tesla’s FSD with urban driver assist starting in 2027
BMW will add navigation-guided urban driver assist to select models via over-the-air software updates starting in 2027, with Germany first, followed by other markets. The Level 2 system can steer, change lanes, make turns, yield, and negotiate roundabouts using GPS navigation, and it arrives amid growing regulatory scrutiny of Level 2 driving aids. theverge.com

The BMW iX is sold out, but you might like what takes its place even more
BMW has nearly sold out its 2026 iX inventory in the US, with CarsDirect finding about 10 new iX models left nationwide, and the iX landing page now redirecting to the new BMW X5. BMW is rolling out its Neue Klasse vehicles starting with the 2027 iX3, built on a platform that introduces Gen6 eDrive, new batteries, and an 800-volt electrical architecture. electrek.co

The BMW iX3 smashed its EPA range rating, driving well over 400 miles in a real-world test
A real-world run had the BMW iX3 covering well over 400 miles, beating the Volvo EX60 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC EV in range. The 2027 iX3 50 xDrive uses BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive 800V system and has an EPA-estimated range of up to 434 miles with 20-inch summer tires. electrek.co

Ferrari’s controversial Luce EV is sold out for 2027
Ferrari’s five-seat Luce, designed by Jony Ive, already has every 2027 car allocated, CEO Benedetto Vigna said on the company’s earnings call. The EV starts at about $615,000, and first deliveries are expected in the fourth quarter. techcrunch.com

Ferrari raises 2026 guidance after Q3 earnings beat
After a slight third-quarter beat, Ferrari raised its 2026 guidance, citing stronger customer personalizations, lower-than-expected currency headwinds, and its Formula 1 championship position. Adjusted EPS was €2.44 versus €2.37 expected, and revenue came in at €1.9 billion versus €1.89 billion, while shipments through the first nine months fell to 10,170, down 318 from the prior year. cnbc.com

Ford promises not to sell your driving habits to data brokers
Ford vowed never to sell customer driving data to third-party data brokers, a public privacy pledge that follows GM’s $220 million settlement over undisclosed telematics sharing. It says it will use aggregation and anonymization techniques and will not share driving data with brokers without customer consent. theverge.com

Ford Fathom EV pick-up prices will range from $28,350 to the high $30Ks
Ford’s Fathom starts at $28,350 for the standard-range model, and even with the $1,595 delivery fee, the price remains under $30,000. It’s the first vehicle on Ford’s Universal Electric Vehicle platform, and the company says it remains on track for a Q4 2027 launch after CEO Jim Farley test-drove a prototype and highlighted its 0-60 mph time, roomy interior, and hands-free ADAS. electrek.co

Ford’s electric pick-up is suddenly selling like hotcakes at 50% off used
With the last F-150 Lightning rolling off the assembly line last December, used examples are selling at discounts of about 50% to 60% off the sticker price. They’re selling in roughly 20 days, less than half the 44-day average for used vehicles, according to dealers and Bloomberg. electrek.co

Cadillac’s most affordable EV just got a bit cheaper
Cadillac trimmed roughly $900 off the starting prices for several 2027 Optiq trims. The base Luxury RWD now lists at $51,790, $905 less than originally announced, and the Optiq still offers up to 317 miles of range, a 33-inch infotainment screen, and a built-in NACS charge port. electrek.co

GM is recalling more than 67,000 Cadillac and Chevy EVs over a brake software defect
General Motors is recalling more than 67,000 Cadillac and Chevy electric vehicles because a software glitch in the brake system control module can cause a temporary loss of braking under certain conditions. The error can occur when drivers lightly tap the brakes during a sharp turn and hit a bump, which can confuse the slip calculation. GM says the defect affects pAWD Lyriq, Celestiq, Vistiq, and Blazer EV models, following a SUFS report filed April 10, 2026, after a 2024 Lyriq incident. electrek.co

Honda Keeps Setting Sales Records
Honda’s SUVs drove the automaker to its best October in North America since 2020, with the CR-V selling 34,815 units, about 10% more than the previous year. Fifty-three percent of those CR-Vs were hybrids, and the Acura MDX jumped 54% year over year while the RDX remains on hiatus. thedrive.com

Hyundai’s electric SUV finds some footing, with IONIQ 5 sales topping 33,000 in 2026
Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 rebounded in October with sales up 21% to 1,981 units, bringing US sales to 33,093 through the first 10 months of 2026. Hyundai cut 2026 IONIQ 5 prices by up to nearly $10,000, lowering the starting MSRP to about $35,000, though year-to-date sales remain 23% below 2025 levels. electrek.co

Kia racks up another record month as its new $30K electric SUV hits dealers
Kia posted its best October ever, selling 80,008 vehicles in the US, a 16% year-over-year gain. Electrified and hybrid sales jumped 112% and 114%, respectively, and the new $30,000 EV3 is now arriving at dealers as Kia eyes a fourth straight annual US sales record. electrek.co

Kia EV7 revealed as an upcoming mid-size electric SUV
Kia will add a mid-size EV called the EV7 to sit between the EV6 and the three-row EV9, according to a leaked Employment Stability Committee document. The news comes as Kia posted 291,219 vehicle sales last month, up 10.3% year over year and its eighth consecutive month of growth. electrek.co

Kia’s EV5 spotted with an updated design and a huge new infotainment display
Kia’s Sportage-sized EV5 was spotted without camouflage in a South Korean parking garage, revealing a refreshed exterior and a huge widescreen infotainment display. The camouflageless prototype adds a black accent light and a new bumper that echoes last November’s EV5 WKNDR Concept. The EV5 is on sale in China, Europe, Canada, and the UK, but not in the US. electrek.co

Kia’s PV7 electric van stretches over 17 feet and seats 9
Kia will launch the PV7 in 2027, a stretched version of the PV5 that measures 5,350 mm long, has a 3,500 mm wheelbase, and can seat nine or carry large cargo loads. Built on the E-GMP.S platform, the PV7 follows the PV5, which accounted for 37% of Europe’s electric C-segment van sales in the first half of 2026. electrek.co

Hyundai Recalls 38K Vehicles Over Faulty Airbags and Seatbelts
Hyundai is recalling 37,901 vehicles after a software error could prevent airbags and seatbelt pretensioners from deploying in a crash. The recall covers certain 2019–2022 Veloster N and 2019–2023 Kona Electric models, split between 8,843 Velosters and 29,058 Konas, and stems from possible corruption of the Airbag Control Unit’s software. caranddriver.com

Toyota’s Corolla Cross EV spotted for the first time
A prototype of Toyota’s Corolla Cross EV was photographed in public for the first time, giving a glimpse of the model ahead of its expected 2027 debut. Toyota says the next-generation Corolla will be offered in multiple powertrains, including an all-electric variant, as part of a broad redesign of its best-selling model. electrek.co

Toyota updates the 2027 RAV4 PHEV with an NACS port and up to 52 miles of EV range
Toyota’s 2027 RAV4 PHEV now includes a built-in NACS charge port on the driver’s side, letting owners use Tesla Superchargers without a separate adapter. The plug-in pairs Toyota’s sixth-generation PHEV system with standard AWD, an 11 kW onboard AC charger, and up to 52 miles of electric range. electrek.co

Lexus is taking a page from China for its next electric SUV launching in 2027
Lexus will build its next electric SUV at a new factory in Jinshan, Shanghai, the first Lexus plant constructed from scratch overseas in over twenty years. Toyota broke ground on the facility in June 2025, and the SUV is slated to roll off the line in fall 2027 using gigacasting and other advanced manufacturing methods to lower costs. electrek.co

VW’s affordable ID. Polo wins German Car of the Year 2027 as EVs dominate
VW’s new ID. Polo won the overall German Car of the Year 2027 after taking the entry-level category, with prices starting at €24,995. It offers a 37 kWh battery with up to 334 km WLTP range and 90 kW DC fast charging that can go from 10% to 80% in about 23 minutes. electrek.co

Automakers like Rivian and Ford are ‘democratizing 3D printing’ to reduce costs and increase speed
Automakers, including Ford, Rivian, and GM, are expanding 3D printing from prototyping into factory tooling and selected production parts to shorten development and repair cycles and cut costs. Rivian says it has invested more than $5 million in 3D printers and is widening employee access to the machines. cnbc.com

Germany’s EV share hits record 37% as BEVs beat gas and diesel combined
Battery-electric cars made up 37% of new registrations in Germany in October, with 94,086 BEVs sold, a 79.5% increase from 52,425 a year earlier. For the second month in a row, BEVs outnumbered gasoline and diesel combined, while gasoline registrations fell 40.5% and diesel fell 21.6%, leaving pure combustion cars at 24.5% of new sales. electrek.co

Lucid teases its cheaper sub-$50,000 Cosmos EV in a new video and images
Lucid posted a 1-minute, 34-second teaser that gives the clearest look yet at the Cosmos, showing sculpted LED headlights, a spoiler across the base of the rear glass, thin red taillight strips, and “LUCID” spelled out in illuminated letters on the tailgate. The company didn’t name the model, but the caption about sharing “this feeling with even more people” and prior reports of a sub-$50,000 price suggest the mid-size SUV is targeting a lower price tier, with deliveries still about a year away. electrek.co

Rivian spinoff “Also” wants to reinvent the wheel, but first, it has to ship
Rivian’s independent micromobility spinoff, Also, is working to move beyond prototypes and into production with a new electric two-wheeler. CEO Chris Yu says the company is developing a platform that combines compact electric transport with software, along with a production plan separate from Rivian’s vehicle business. theverge.com

Segway launches an electric motorcycle with a roll cage and seatbelts
Segway is developing the X Cruiser, an electric two-wheeler that adds a roll cage, seatbelts, and other automotive-style safety features around the rider. The company says the production model is planned for China and Europe between 2027 and 2028, with a targeted range of nearly 200 kilometres, although final equipment and certification will depend on each market. electrek.co

Waymo’s next robotaxi is a purpose-built Toyota bZ4X
Toyota will assemble Waymo-equipped bZ4X electric SUVs directly on its factory line in Japan ahead of planned robotaxi rollouts in Tokyo and the UK. theverge.com

Waymo confirms it’s shaking up its Uber relationship in January 2028
Waymo will end its exclusivity with Uber in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028 and start offering robotaxi rides through its own smartphone app, as it already does in other cities. Uber says it will continue hosting Waymo vehicles on its app while the agreements remain in place, after co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said the partnership, chosen for scale, had made the rider experience “a little bit of a crapshoot.” techcrunch.com

Harbinger raises $240M after expanding into defence
Harbinger raised $240 million in a Series D round as it broadened its product lineup to include battery storage and defence applications. The round was co-led by Tiger Global, Capricorn’s technology impact fund, and defence-focused Ridgeline, with FedEx reinvesting and the company having now raised more than $650 million while reportedly considering an IPO. techcrunch.com

Legacy automakers face a tougher 2027 as costs rise and the market tightens
Legacy automakers are warning that 2027 could be tougher as commodity, logistics, and memory costs climb while pricing power becomes harder to pass on to consumers. Analysts say continued pricing strength and more cost savings will be needed to offset inflation, higher investment spending, and a potentially weaker economy, and GlobalData forecasts global light-vehicle production will be essentially flat at about 91.65 million units in 2027. cnbc.com

Canadian auto sales defy the odds
Canada’s new-vehicle market is proving difficult to slow down, with October sales approaching a record for the month despite a challenging economic environment. According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC), an estimated 162,000 light vehicles were sold in October, an increase of 1.8 percent from the approximately 159,000 units recorded during the same month in 2025. The result marked the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. canadianautodealer.ca

Trump’s midterm drubbing gives Canadian auto industry new hope on tariffs
A wave of Democratic victories in US House and Senate races on Nov. 3 strengthens Canada’s position in contentious trade talks with the United States, as American voters issued a sharp rebuke of President Donald Trump’s trade policy, according to Canadian auto stakeholders. autonews.com

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