BRIEFLY: IONIQ 3, EU Sales, US Used EVs & more | 21 Apr 2026
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➤ HYUNDAI REVEALS IONIQ 3 DETAILS
➤ HYUNDAI REVEALS PLEOS OS FOR FUTURE EVS
➤ EU EV SALES SURGE IN MARCH
➤ U.S. USED EV SALES HIT RECORD IN MARCH
➤ AFEELA SCALES BACK AS SONY AND HONDA RETREAT
➤ UK RAISES EV LUXURY TAX THRESHOLD
➤ FORD CUTS EXPLORER AND CAPRI PRICES
➤ GERMANY EYES 8 MILLION BEVS BY 2030
➤ EV RANGE NOW OUTRUNS MOST DRIVERS
➤ DUTCH SCRAPPAGE SCHEME SHIFTS TO USED EVS
➤ NISSAN STACKS 23 SOLID-STATE CELL LAYERS
It's EV News Briefly for Tuesday 21 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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Hyundai unveiled its first compact electric hatchback, the IONIQ 3, at Milan Design Week, featuring an "Aero Hatch" silhouette, E-GMP platform, and battery options of 42.2 kWh (213 miles) or 61 kWh (308 miles). At 4.15 metres long with a 441-litre boot, Android-based Pleos Connect infotainment, and an expected starting price of around £25,000, it will be built in Turkey with no US launch planned.
Hyundai has unveiled Pleos OS, an Android Automotive-based software platform debuting on the Ioniq 3 before rolling out across future EVs, featuring a large map-based home screen and its own App Market rather than Google Automotive Services. The system adopts a zonal controller architecture to reduce wiring and complexity, while retaining physical controls for volume, temperature, and seat functions to address criticisms of Hyundai's ageing in-car software.
Battery EV registrations across 14 key EU and EFTA markets jumped 51% year-on-year in March 2026 to over 224,000 units, representing 22% of all new car sales. Q1 2026 saw more than 500,000 new EVs registered across the EU — up 33.5% from Q1 2025 — with Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Poland all posting year-to-date BEV growth above 40%.
Americans purchased 42,924 used EVs in March 2026, setting a new all-time monthly record and marking a 27.7% year-on-year increase, driven by off-lease vehicles returning to dealerships and elevated petrol prices. This came as new EV sales fell nearly 25% year-on-year to around 83,000 units in the same month.
Sony Honda Mobility is winding down its Afeela EV joint venture following the March 25 cancellation of its first two models — a sedan and a crossover SUV — with its roughly 400 employees set to return to Sony Corp. and Honda Motor Co. The retreat marks the end of a venture that had positioned Afeela as a software-defined vehicle brand blending Sony's tech expertise with Honda's manufacturing, with the Afeela 1 sedan having been due for delivery later in 2026.
The UK has raised the Expensive Car Supplement threshold from £40,000 to £50,000, removing an annual £425 charge that had applied to many electric cars since April 1, 2025. Over the five-year duration of the supplement, this represents a total saving of £2,125 for affected EV buyers.
Ford has reduced prices on its Explorer and Capri EVs by up to £5,000, with the Explorer now starting at £35,185 and the AWD Premium variant dropping below £50,000. Both models gain a new LFP battery, upgraded motor, and increased Standard Range net capacity from 52 kWh to 58 kWh, adding 43 miles of WLTP range, while the Capri also gets a power boost to 140 kW via Volkswagen Group's new APP350 motor.
Germany is targeting 8 million BEVs and 2.4 million PHEVs on its roads by 2030, forecasting annual BEV sales growth of 24% and electric vehicles taking around 70% of total new car sales by the end of the decade. The number of available BEV models is expected to rise 40% between 2026 and 2030, alongside growing adoption of bidirectional V2X charging to support grid stability.
The SMMT reports average BEV range has reached nearly 300 miles per charge — almost double the 141 miles the average UK motorist covers weekly — meaning the typical driver could go nearly a fortnight without plugging in. Research from Close Brothers Motor Finance found 74% of UK drivers travel fewer than 150 miles weekly, suggesting real-world range anxiety is increasingly at odds with actual driving habits.
The Dutch government is launching a scrappage scheme as part of a roughly one-billion-euro package, directing 52 million euros toward buyers of used electric cars who trade in older ICE vehicles of Euro 1–4 emission class. The scrappage premium is expected to be around 3,500 euros per vehicle and is targeted at low- and middle-income buyers, though income thresholds have not yet been confirmed.
NISSAN STACKS 23 SOLID-STATE CELL LAYERS
Nissan has successfully stacked 23 cell layers into a solid-state battery prototype that meets real-world charge and discharge targets, as it works toward launching its first solid-state battery EV by fiscal year 2028. The company is partnering with US-based LiCAP Technologies for mass production using solvent-free Activated Dry Electrode technology, while broader industry momentum builds with Factorial claiming its Solstice platform can deliver up to 450 Wh/kg and over 600 miles of range, potentially reaching production vehicles as early as 2027.