ev.news Briefly: IONNA, UK BEVs, Tesla & more | 04 Oct 2026

It's ev.news Briefly for Sunday 04 October 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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IONNA SAYS 10–20 MINUTE CHARGING IS ENOUGH

Ionna is building its US charging network around reliable 10–20 minute stops with 400 kW chargers, arguing that drivers already spend that long using bathrooms, buying food or taking a break and therefore do not need EV charging to match a five-minute petrol stop. Backed by major automakers but aiming to become commercially self-sustaining, Ionna plans to triple its 80-site network during 2026 through partners including Circle K, Wawa, Sheetz and Casey’s, betting that reliability, useful amenities and viable economics matter more in America than pursuing China-style megawatt charging.

UK BEVS SET A NEW MONTHLY RECORD

Britain registered a record 99,199 battery-electric cars in September, up 36.3% year on year and representing 28.3% of all new cars, while first-nine-month BEV registrations reached 454,945 and market share climbed from 20.2% to 26.2%. Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y led September’s BEV rankings, while plug-in hybrids also hit a record 17% share with 55.7% growth, although their environmental benefit depends much more heavily on owners actually charging them.

TESLA REGISTRATIONS RISE ACROSS FIVE EUROPEAN MARKETS

Tesla registrations rose in September across France, Sweden, Spain, Norway and Denmark, with France up 61.9%, while the Model Y became Ireland’s best-selling car for the month and Tesla’s January-August registrations across Europe had already risen 43.3%, slightly faster than the overall BEV market. The recovery now looks broader after two weak years, but comparisons against a poor 2025, Tesla’s reliance on the Model 3 and Model Y, stronger Chinese and European competition and increasingly saturated EV markets mean it is too early to declare a complete comeback.

GERMANY CLEARS EV BATTERIES FOR HOME AND GRID POWER

Germany’s new MiSpeL rules remove a major regulatory barrier to bidirectional charging by allowing an EV battery to store both subsidised solar electricity and grid electricity without automatically jeopardising renewable-energy support. Using 15-minute metering to account for the different energy sources, the framework could let owners charge cheaply or from solar, power their homes and eventually export electricity to the grid, although grid and metering operator approval will remain necessary during a transition period lasting until September 2027.

EV CHARGING ENQUIRIES RISE 630% AS FUEL PRICES CLIMB

ScottishPower says enquiries about its EV charging offers have risen about 630% in a year and customers using dedicated charging products are up 430%, as petrol and diesel prices make the economics of overnight home charging increasingly attractive. Its comparison puts a typical petrol fill at roughly £96 versus about £10 of home electricity for an equivalent distance, although the 630% figure measures interest rather than EV sales and the very low electricity cost does not apply to expensive public rapid charging.

BUICK TAKES ITS CHINA-BUILT E7 TO SOUTH KOREA

Buick will launch the China-developed and China-built Electra E7 plug-in hybrid in South Korea in November, marking the brand’s entry into the market and showing GM using its SAIC-GM Chinese operation as an export product-development base. The E7 combines a 31.7 kWh LFP battery with up to 126 km of quoted electric range, around 20-minute 30–80% charging and more than 1,000 km total range, with its Chinese engineering and manufacturing helping Buick position it competitively on price.

AUDI PATENT MAKES EVS IDLE, SHIFT AND SPARK

Audi has patented technology that could make an EV simulate idling, gear changes, turbo lag, rev matching, misfires, sparks, flashes and even engine-related smells, including spinning a disconnected electric motor while stationary to create artificial vibration and sound. There is no indication that Audi plans to put the system into production, but the filing shows manufacturers exploring increasingly elaborate ways of deliberately restoring the noise, vibration and mechanical theatre that electric drivetrains naturally remove.