The Duck Curve#electric vehicles
Octopus Fleet launches FleetBoost, discounted UK public charging for fleets
Octopus Fleet launched FleetBoost on 7 October 2026, discounted public charging for UK business EV fleets at MFG EV Power, IONITY and Be.EV chargers. Octopus says fleets could cut public charging bills by up to 30% and save up to £730 per vehicle a year, net of the subscription, which costs an additional £10 (ex VAT) per driver per month, assuming 15,000 miles a year at 0.3 kWh per mile.
California offers at least $28M for fast chargers, up to $100,000 a port
The California Energy Commission opened at least $28 million in Fast Charge California Project incentives on October 7, 2026, covering up to 100% of eligible costs for public DC fast chargers, at up to $100,000 per port, for ready-to-build projects applying by January 14, 2027. The $100,000 rate is for ports of 275 kW or more; a window from February 24 to May 27, 2027 pays up to $55,000 per port.
Tesla turns on Powershare home backup for new Model 3 and Model Y
Tesla Energy said on October 6, 2026 that Powershare Home Backup is available for new Model 3 and Model Y with a Powerwall 3, extending home backup by over two days per Tesla. Its Powershare page covers new orders from October 1, 2026, narrowed in a footnote to US and Puerto Rico orders after that date, says some but not all earlier cars are capable, and offers the two models no setup without a Powerwall.
Australian BEV share eases to 24.2% in September on FCAI's count
Battery-electric vehicles took 24.2% of Australia's new vehicle market in September 2026, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said on October 6, below the record 24.9% it reported for August and up from 11.3% in September 2025. The Driven counts 26,087 EVs against 26,018 petrol cars, a second straight month ahead of petrol.
Ampol agrees to buy Evie Networks and its 1,031 charging bays for A$225M
Ampol agreed on October 1, 2026 to buy Fast Cities Australia (Evie Networks) for A$225 million, adding more than 1,030 public charging bays for a combined network of about 1,425 bays at over 400 sites. Ampol anticipates breakeven EBITDA for the combined charging business in 2028 and targets annualised EBITDA of $30 million, including synergies, from Evie and its Energy Solutions unit within three years of completion, which is targeted for the first half of 2027 subject to ACCC clearance.
BMW opens Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant to assemble Neue Klasse batteries
BMW Group opened its around €1 billion Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant in Bavaria on October 1, 2026, starting two-shift series production of sixth-generation high-voltage batteries for the new BMW i3 built in Munich. The plant assembles packs from cells BMW says come from leading cell manufacturers, which the release does not name; at full operation it expects around 1,600 employees and several hundred batteries a day on two lines, with no GWh capacity given.
Norway's new vans were 74.6% electric in September after a tax increase
Electric vans took 74.6% of Norway's 2,036 new van registrations in September 2026, a share the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) calls a record. New diesel vans fell 70% from September 2025, to 468, after the one-time registration tax on combustion-engine vans rose on September 1, 2026, while new electric vans rose 22% to 1,518. Of the 526,284 vans on Norwegian roads, 85% are diesel, and nearly nine in ten vans that changed owners in September were diesel.
Ultium Cells to make LMR prismatic EV cells at Spring Hill, Tennessee
Ultium Cells, the GM and LG Energy Solution joint venture, said in a September 28, 2026 release that it will upgrade its Spring Hill, Tennessee plant to make LMR prismatic cells for future GM EVs: modifications begin in 2026, completion is expected in 2028, 500 projected jobs join 1,200 employees, and combined investment with the plant's LFP storage-cell program and facility improvements will reach $1B by 2030. It expects Spring Hill to be first in the world to mass produce prismatic LMR cells, with the potential, it says, for 33% higher energy density than LFP at comparable cost.
EIA: light-duty EV electricity use grew 8% in 1H26 after 13–24% half-years
The U.S. Energy Information Administration said on September 30, 2026 that light-duty electric vehicles in the United States consumed 8% more electricity in the first six months of 2026 than in the second half of 2025, down from the 13–24% growth it recorded in six-month periods in recent years, with the modeled estimate at nearly 14 billion kWh for 1H26, more than double 1H23. EIA says the slowing followed a decline in sales after federal tax credits expired in September 2025: new EV sales in 1H26 were down 19% compared with 2H25.
NHTSA final CAFE rule sets standards without counting EV fuel economy
NHTSA's final SAFE Vehicles Rule III, published September 30, 2026 and effective November 30, 2026, sets CAFE standards for model years 2022 through 2031 that it says are based solely on gasoline- and diesel-powered light-duty vehicles, including non-plug-in hybrids, with EV fuel economy and PHEV electric operation not considered. NHTSA estimates the average of manufacturers' requirements at about 34.9 mpg by MY 2031 against about 49.3 mpg under the 2024 standards; inter-manufacturer credit trading ends beginning with credits earned in MY 2028; crossover reclassification starts in MY 2030.
Geely agrees to take 30% of NIO Power for Yiyi Power plus RMB640 million
NIO Inc. said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing on September 28, 2026 that, subject to closing conditions, a Geely Holding Group subsidiary will subscribe for newly issued equity of NIO Power with its 100% stake in Yiyi Power plus RMB640 million in cash, holding 30.0% at completion at a post-money valuation of approximately RMB16 billion; NIO China keeps a controlling 63.6%. Under the same conditions, NIO China will take 10.0% of Geely's charging arm, Haohan Energy. The filing calls plans for battery swapping on Geely consumer-facing models and commercial mobility businesses preliminary.
Geely says new station peaks at 2,250 kW, test cars took 4.5 minutes to 70%
Geely Auto Group said on September 23, 2026 it introduced Geely Smart Charging, an AI-managed charging system, alongside a fifth-generation Geely Smart Charging Station it says delivers peak charging power of up to 2,250 kW. In tests it calls real-world, the battery used in the Lynk & Co 10 and Zeekr 001 charged from 10% to 70% in 4 minutes 30 seconds and from 10% to 97% in 8 minutes 40 seconds. The release names no pack capacity, test temperature or price; CnEVPost puts BYD's flash charger at a maximum of 1,500 kW per connector and its network at 11,586 stations in China as of September 24.
Colorado awards $23.2M in fast-charging grants from NEVI and state funds
The Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Department of Transportation said on September 22, 2026 that $23.2 million in Direct Current Fast-Charging Plazas grants, funded by the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and the state's Community Access Enterprise, will fund what the release counts as 270 fast-charging ports at 35 locations. The release's own awardee list names 34 locations, and the awards sheet it links shows 34 sites with 260 ports requested for the round, with the sheet's NEVI, CAE and BESS EI columns summing to $23,195,000.
Newsom signs six EV bills on charger permits, fees, and battery labels
Governor Gavin Newsom's office said on September 20, 2026 that he signed SB 969, SB 1283, AB 1820, SB 1213, SB 1267, and SB 615. Per the Legislative Counsel's digests, SB 1283 extends California's expedited charger permitting to supporting infrastructure; AB 1820 caps Level 2 charger permit fees at multifamily housing from July 1, 2027 (January 1, 2028 in jurisdictions under 200,000 residents); SB 615 requires a permanent label on new vehicle traction batteries from July 1, 2028. As of September 20 each bill's history page still ended at "Enrolled and presented to the Governor."
BYD Sealion 7 joins Amber's ARENA-backed V2G program in Australia
Amber Electric and BYD Australia announced on September 18, 2026 that the Sealion 7 joins Amber's vehicle-to-grid program, which Amber calls Australia's largest live V2G program, scaling to 1,000 households with A$13.6 million more from ARENA (May 29, 2026). The release says Sealion 7 owners in the program will have their EV battery covered under BYD's warranty support and that participants will be able to buy eligible Atto 3 or Sealion 7 variants at six per cent off the base RRP; as of September 20, 2026 the eligibility list and discount offer on Amber's program page name only the Atto 3.
NYC picks it's electric for its 600-point curbside charging expansion
it's electric said on September 15, 2026 that New York City and the New York Power Authority selected it to build the city's permanent curbside EV charging network, replacing the current pilot infrastructure over three years. NYC DOT's August 4, 2026 release set the expansion at 600 new curbside charging points, which it counts with the existing 88 Level 2 points as nearly 700 and the company's release calls 700. Gothamist, citing the DOT, reports contracts of $55.3 million for installation and $4.9 million for operating; DOT says it will keep operating the existing stations.
UL Solutions opens V2G certification under new UL 1741 Supplement SC
UL Solutions Inc. announced on September 14, 2026 a certification program for vehicle-to-grid equipment: bidirectional EV supply equipment tested to UL 1741 Supplement SC, which the Vehicle-Grid Integration Council says UL Standards & Engagement published on May 21, 2026 for EVs with SAE J3072 onboard inverters, plus a second route pairing UL 1741 multipiece DER requirements with UL 9741. Its borrowed figures: a GM Energy-funded E3 study's 2030 model (V2G 5 to 15 times managed charging per vehicle) and a 2020 EPRI Journal projection (about 90% of EVs will be parked at any given time).
NCDOT awards $14.4M in NEVI funds for 14 corridor charging sites
The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced on September 11, 2026 its second round of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure awards: $14.4 million to eight businesses to build and operate charging stations at 14 locations along major travel corridors, including Asheboro, Columbus, High Point, Kinston, Raleigh, Wadesboro, and Weaverville. NCDOT's awards page puts the round at $14,405,524 and lists five round-one stations under construction, after nine conditional awards announced in September 2024; in January 2026 NCDOT cut its planned second-round corridor sites from 41 to 16.
Tesla says Cybertruck Powershare now backs up homes with a Powerwall 3
Tesla's official Cybertruck account said on X on September 10, 2026 that a Cybertruck and a Powerwall 3 can now power a house together, which it says extends home backup by over 3 days, equivalent to 9 additional Powerwalls. Tesla had told owners in October 2024 the Powerwall pairing would be enabled in 2025, and a December 2025 email to customers, published by Drive Tesla, rescheduled it to mid-2026. Electrek puts the truck's pack at 123 kWh and says Powershare delivers up to 11.5 kW to the home, the maximum shown on the post's app screen.
Wildflower breaks ground on 38-stall JFK Park fast-charging hub in Queens
Wildflower Ltd and the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced on September 9, 2026 the groundbreaking of JFK Park, a 2.6-acre EV charging hub adjacent to JFK Airport that is to open with 38 DC fast chargers, operated by Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging, with completion anticipated in late fall 2027. NYCEDC's March 2024 selection release had described an initial 65 EV-ready charging stations including 12 rapid ones, anticipated to complete in 2025; the 2026 release gives no cost and calls the project one of the largest public EV fast-charging stations in the city.
Pennsylvania opens $11M NEVI round for chargers in 26 central counties
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced on September 8, 2026 that $11 million in federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding is available for public EV chargers in a 26-county central region, the third of four regional Community Charging rounds; applications are accepted until March 12, 2027. PennDOT says the rounds direct over $100 million in federal funding on top of $58 million already invested in corridor charging, and counts nearly 50 NEVI-funded stations built.
Wisconsin awards $25M in NEVI grants to 42 fast-charging sites
Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced on September 8, 2026 that 42 sites will receive $25 million in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grants through the WEVI Connecting Corridors program, for fast chargers on U.S. and state highway corridors the release says were not previously considered for WEVI funding. WisDOT's award list shows Universal EV LLC on 25 sites and Kwik Trip on eight; the release lists federal shares from $396,800 to $930,849, and the governor's office counts approximately $62 million awarded across 120 projects to date.
Bruegel: Europe's EVs hold 600 GWh, about ten times its stationary storage
Bruegel's European Clean Tech Atlas, published September 2, 2026, says 60 GWh of stationary battery storage had been connected to the European grid by 2024 and estimates 600 GWh of capacity in the EV fleet. Assuming away physical constraints, it says the stationary fleet could absorb or supply the grid's average output for about a quarter of an hour, and the vehicles, if all connected, hypothetically for almost two hours; SolarPower Europe's June 2026 outlook says 2025's additions took operational stationary capacity beyond 100 GWh.
Australia's battery-electric sales hit a record 24.9% share in August
Battery-electric vehicles took 24.9% of Australia's new vehicle market in August 2026, with 27,089 sold across all reporting sources, the highest number in any month, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' September 3 release; The Driven calls the share the best on record, above 23.5% in June. The Electric Vehicle Council puts BEVs plus plug-in hybrids at 36% of the market with the Tesla Model Y the best-selling vehicle at 6,414, and The Driven's tally has petrol cars at 25,824 and diesels at 23,608, both below the BEV count.
MnDOT opens $41.2M NEVI round for fast chargers in Greater Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced on September 1, 2026 its third and largest National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding round: up to $41.2 million in federally funded grants for fast-charging stations in Greater Minnesota, split 80% federal and 20% grantee. Proposals are due November 2, 2026; MnDOT intends to make up to 40 awards, one per eligible cluster, and to announce conditional awards by a tentative December 30, 2026.
Norway's new passenger cars were 98.7% zero-emission in August
Zero-emission cars took 98.68% of Norway's new passenger car registrations in August 2026, which the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) describes as the highest monthly share it has recorded, up from 96.89% in August 2025. The market fell 3.35% to 13,451 cars as Tesla registered 2,387 fewer than in August 2025; electric vans were 44.9% of new van registrations, below their 53.1% share for the year to date.
Gorham, NH Tesla Supercharger site to shut October 25 over power bills
Terry MacGillivray plans to shut down the four Tesla Superchargers he installed in Gorham, New Hampshire in May on October 25, 2026, the Concord Monitor reports. Net revenue was almost $15,900 through mid-August while electric bills topped $32,500, driven by delivery and demand charges.
Schneider Electric launches a home EV charger that manages panel load
Schneider Electric launched Schneider Charge on August 25, 2026: an 11.5 kW (48 A) Level 2 residential EV charger for the United States and Canada with built-in SmartAmp dynamic load management that adjusts charging speed to the home's real-time electrical load, supporting UL 3141 managed-load installations where accepted by the authority having jurisdiction. It ships in NACS (J3400) and J1772 versions; a plug-in model is planned for early 2027.
PG&E expands V2X program to Nissan, Volvo, Polestar, and Kia EVs
PG&E expanded its Vehicle-to-Everything program on August 24, 2026: the Nissan Leaf, Volvo EX90, and Polestar 3 with dcbel's Ara charger, and the Kia EV9 and EV6 with the Wallbox Quasar 2, are now eligible alongside new partners Bidirectional Energy and PowerFlex. Residential incentives run $2,500 to $4,500, PG&E says the new vehicle-and-charger combinations qualify for up to $13,000 in California Energy Commission grant funding subject to additional eligibility requirements, and enrollment stays open through June 30, 2027.
GridLab: V2G could supply 30% of California's utility-scale storage target
A GridLab, Kevala, and E3 report released in August 2026 and announced on August 18 finds that enrolling 10 percent of the 9.7 million light-duty EVs California projects for 2036 in vehicle-to-grid programs could supply 30 percent of the state's cumulative utility-scale storage procurement target, if V2G resources are accredited on a comparable basis with grid-scale storage. The report recommends replacing California's fragmented demand-flexibility programs with standardized products that pay only for measured performance, below verified avoided costs.
