[ARCHIVE] ev.news Briefly: IONNA Expands, Kia PV7, Leapmotor & more | 14 Sep 2026

IONNA HITS 1,488 FAST-CHARGING PORTS

Ionna has expanded to 1,488 fast-charging ports across 174 US stations, with ports up 50% and locations 74% in six months, while its Alpitronic hardware offers up to 400 kW charging, card readers and Plug and Charge support. The automaker-backed network has already ranked first in JD Power’s US charging-experience study, is offering discounts to owners of several major EV brands, and is targeting 30,000 charging bays by 2030.

KIA’S PV7 BRINGS 800-VOLT CHARGING TO ITS VAN RANGE

Kia’s larger PV7 electric van will arrive in South Korea and Europe in the second half of 2027 with 71.5 or 96.2 kWh batteries, more than 460 km provisional WLTP range and an 800-volt architecture capable of roughly 10–80% charging in 25 minutes. With up to 8.0 cubic metres of cargo space, 1,200 kg payload and eventually 23 variants, the PV7 extends Kia’s PBV strategy into a commercial class where charging downtime, payload and operating economics will determine its success.

KIA PV5 PASSES 50,000 GLOBAL SALES

Kia’s PV5 has passed 50,000 global sales just 13 months after launch, reaching 53,530 units by the end of July with around 60% sold outside South Korea. It was Kia’s third-best-selling EV during the first seven months of the year, giving the company meaningful evidence that its dedicated electric-commercial-vehicle platform has enough demand to support expansion into models such as the larger PV7.

LEAPMOTOR B03X STARTS AT €24,900 IN EUROPE

Leapmotor will open European orders for the B03X in July from €24,900, with a 39.8 kWh version offering up to 292 km WLTP and a 53.0 kWh model reaching 382 km. Both claim 30–80% charging in 16 minutes, while generous storage and extensive standard technology make the B03X a potentially strong value proposition if those specifications and prices survive localisation across European markets.

LEAPMOTOR MOVES B10 PRODUCTION TO SPAIN

Leapmotor will begin assembling the B10 at Stellantis’s Figueruelas plant near Zaragoza next month, initially targeting 40,000 cars annually while also localising battery-module and chassis production in Spain. British customers are expected to continue receiving Chinese-built cars because the UK does not impose the EU’s additional anti-subsidy tariffs, illustrating how European EV manufacturing decisions are increasingly being shaped by trade policy rather than production efficiency alone.

GM WANTS US-MADE SODIUM-ION CELLS BY 2029

General Motors and Peak Energy are targeting US commercial production of sodium-ion batteries around 2029, slightly later than their original 2028 goal, as GM seeks a cheaper domestic chemistry primarily suited to stationary energy storage. Sodium-ion offers lower energy density than lithium-ion but potentially lower costs, wider temperature tolerance and reduced cooling requirements, although GM must still overcome a supply chain currently dominated by China.

MAXUS REVEALS 615-KWH ELECTRIC TRUCK

Maxus has revealed its first 42-tonne electric tractor unit, the eDeliver 420L, using a huge 615 kWh CATL battery that it says can charge from 20–80% in 25 minutes, potentially fitting charging into mandatory driver rest periods. The crucial missing figure is range, but the truck marks SAIC-owned Maxus’s move into long-haul electric freight alongside the smaller 120 kWh eDeliver 75, which offers up to 250 km WLTP range.

A BYD KEPT A SYDNEY PUB OPEN FOR SIX HOURS

A Sydney pub used vehicle-to-load from a BYD EV to power essential equipment for six hours during a power cut, allowing it to continue serving customers rather than closing. The improvised setup did not power the whole building, but it provides a practical real-world example of how bidirectional-capable EV hardware can provide useful backup energy beyond the usual camping and power-tool use cases.

COSTCO MOTOR OIL JUMPS TO $58

Costco has raised a 10-quart pack of Kirkland synthetic motor oil from roughly the mid-$30s to $58 as surging base-oil costs tighten lubricant supplies, while also restricting how much customers can buy. Battery-electric cars avoid engine-oil changes entirely, unlike combustion cars, plug-in hybrids and range-extenders, modestly strengthening the BEV ownership-cost advantage even if higher oil prices alone are unlikely to change purchasing behaviour.