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  • ⚡ From Beachside Cruisers to High-Tech Batteries: Mini Moke, Hyundai Safety, and EV Innovation Making Waves in the U.S.

⚡ From Beachside Cruisers to High-Tech Batteries: Mini Moke, Hyundai Safety, and EV Innovation Making Waves in the U.S.

Author

John Rooney
December 30, 2025

December 30, 2025

Diving into the new year headfirst—with a cup of coffee in one hand and this solo edition in the other, because even the news needed a lighter week to recover. The news today includes: 

  • Mini Moke returns to California – Limited-edition, fully electric EV with California-inspired colors, perfect for beachside cruises.

  • Hyundai tops 2025 IIHS safety rankings – EV models like IONIQ 9 and Kia EV9 earn top marks for U.S. buyers prioritizing safety.

  • NEV adoption rises in the U.S. – Sales grow with incentives, better charging, and expanding consumer interest.

  • Filante Record drives 627 miles on one battery – Renault showcases ultra-efficient, long-range EV performance.

  • Battery-swapping EV trucks hit Thailand – Whale Logistics and U Power roll out up to 1,000 electric trucks starting 2026.

  • Video: Kia PV5 driving REVIEW - surprising interior

New Year’s Day is the quiet reset button—where the calendar turns, the coffee brews slower, and hope feels just a little bit fresher. Happy New Year! 

“For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice.”

–T.S. Eliot

Top EV News Stories Powered by EV.Careers

  1. The Mini Moke returns to California as a fully electric vehicle, priced around $50,000. Inspired by the 1972 Moke Californian, it offers a 44-hp motor, 54-mile range, and 50 mph top speed—perfect for beachside cruises. Only 325 units will be sold yearly through Shaver Automotive in three California-themed colors. Exclusive and stylish, the EV Moke captures the charm of the original.

  2. Leading the 2025 IIHS safety rankings, Hyundai Motor Group earned an industry-high 21 TOP SAFETY PICK and TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards, including top-tier results for electric models such as the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 and Kia EV9, underscoring the strength of its EV platforms under tougher safety standards.

  3. In the U.S., NEVs still make up a smaller share of the market compared to China, but sales are steadily growing thanks to federal incentives, expanding charging infrastructure, and rising consumer interest in electric vehicles. American automakers are ramping up EV production to compete globally, though adoption remains slower than in China.

  4. The Filante Record 2025 demo car drove 627 miles in under 10 hours at motorway speeds on an 87 kWh battery, showcasing Renault’s advances in ultra-efficient aerodynamics and lightweight EV design.

  5. Thailand’s Whale Logistics partnered with U Power to deploy battery-swapping electric trucks, targeting up to 1,000 vehicles with initial deliveries beginning in April 2026.

  6. Plans to significantly expand deployment of sodium-ion batteries in 2026 across energy storage, battery swapping, and passenger and commercial vehicles were outlined by CATL, positioning the technology as a complementary “dual-star” alongside lithium batteries with advantages in temperature range, safety, and cost.

  7. In collaboration with Peking University, XPENG developed FastDriveVLA—a visual token pruning framework for autonomous driving that cuts computational load 7.5× while keeping high planning accuracy, accepted by AAAI 2026 to showcase progress toward efficient L4 autonomy.

  8. An MOU with BorgWarner subsidiary Cascadia Motion positions REE Automotive to jointly deliver a compact, off-the-shelf electric drive unit using REEcorner technology to accelerate global OEM EV programs.

  9. Stellantis-backed Leapmotor became the first Chinese EV maker to receive state-owned investment after FAW Group agreed to buy a 5% stake for about US$534 million, boosting confidence in the fast-growing affordable EV brand as it targets rapid sales growth and joint model development.

  10. Investors will watch closely for updates on electric and electrified vehicle strategy when Polaris Inc. reports Q4 and full-year 2025 results and hosts its earnings call on January 27, 2026, led by the company’s CEO and CFO.

Kia PV5 driving REVIEW - surprising interior

*If you’re using Outlook, click “Read Online” at the top to see the video links above.

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