The Cadillac Lyriq was announced about four years ago and is now getting yet another refresh. The GM keeps it simple, though, and steers away from major changes. The pricing reflects that, as the newer Cadillac is negligibly more expensive and now starts at $61,695, which is $200 more than before.

Perhaps more importantly, GM swapped out the CCS connector with a NACS port. This means the 2027 Lyriq will have access to 25,000 Tesla Superchargers. Those 25,000 chargers account for about 75% of all fast chargers in North America.

According to GMAuthority, the 2027 Lyriq will be GM’s last EV to offer support for wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The company has already started phasing out Apple and Google’s phone mirroring on other models in favor of its own, built-in infotainment system.

GM believes it will offer a more seamless experience and better integration with the vehicle’s features and apps without needing a smartphone at all.

The upcoming Lyriq also has different EPA ratings. The RWD version with the same 102 kWh battery can now go up to 325 miles on a single charge, while the AWD version is rated at 319 miles. The high-performance Lyriq-V variant can go up to 285 miles.

And as for the pricing of all trims:

Last but not least, the vehicle can be customized with a few more colors.

There’s still no mention of when to expect the new Cadillac.

Via

Chinese car giant BYD surprised many last year with details of a small hatchback model that was spotted testing in China and was destined to compete in Japan’s unique Kei car market. It was later  unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show as the 2026 BYD Racco, which translates from Japanese to BYD “Sea Otter”.

Now, more details have come to light about the 20-kWh battery-pack-equipped Racco, which Best Car Channel Japan shared on YouTube and reshared by Sakura Yae on X.

In a new video of the almost 3.4 metre long city car from Japan, details around the sliding door, the rear folding and sliding seats as well as the car packing an umbrella in the rear were shared.

The rear doors of the car slide along the length of the car, making it easier for passengers to get in and out. That’s electrically operated as well, and is usually a feature seen in more premium peoplemovers/MPV.

In the rear, there is also adjustable seating, which allows for more cargo space in the boot or more legroom for passengers.

These seats can also be folded and stacked, allowing the Racco to be more flexible in the back for those moving or transporting items.

BYD has also made it easier for families to include an umbrella holder in the rear, with the umbrella coming in as standard. This is also something found in more premium models, priced much higher than what the Racco is expected to be priced at.

This model is designed specifically for the Japanese market, where competition in this popular segment is quite high. BYD is really amping up the focus on this smaller EV for the Japanese market to begin with, but derivatives of this could make it to other markets globally down the track.

On BYD Racco’s Japan website, the company shares what this model could bring to families wanting a cleaner electric commuting car: “Daily shopping, commuting, picking up and dropping off children, and even on holidays. Cleaner. Smarter. More environmentally friendly. The future isn’t just about big cars. A small EV revolution begins.”

The design aspects of the car are also shared: “Our goal was to “provide the best minicar in the EV category to everyone.” To achieve this, the first thing we did was to develop an EV-exclusive Super Tall x Sliding Door package.”

The ease of getting in and out is important for smaller Kei cars, so the sliding door will be a unique addition that may encourage buyers in that segment to test-drive the Racco.

Last month, at a car show in Tokyo, BYD revealed that the Racco will come equipped with two battery packs. The smaller 20 kWh pack delivers around 200 km of range, and the larger 30 kWh pack delivers around 300 km of range.

That’s plenty of range for most city drives, and the car is expected to have both AC and DC charging capabilities for top-ups. 

Earlier reports hinted at DC charging speeds of up to 100 kW on these small battery packs, but that is likely to be confirmed when full specs are released in the coming months.

Given that many of the Kei car models in Japan are powered by an engine with up to 660 cc of capacity, an electric offering by BYD could really help put BYD on Japanese consumers’ shortlist in the years to come, as the brand looks at big expansion plans in what appears to be one of the toughest markets globally for foreign brands.

Detailed specifications and pricing will be announced in the coming months, marking BYD’s first major step toward models designed and engineered for specific global markets.

BYD Racco EV Static Review on Best Car Channel YouTube

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.

• The funky, retro-looking Renault 4 electric crossover is getting a new feature that harks back to the original.
• The addition is part of a minor technical upgrade that comes just one year after the car went on sale in Europe.
• New stuff includes a water-to-water heat exchanger that can significantly reduce charging times in freezing weather.

The Renault 4 is one of the happiest EVs out there, with its unashamedly retro looks that hark back to the original do-it-all hatchback of the 1960s. And now, the French automaker is giving the Renault 4 EV a new feature that makes it even cooler–literally and figuratively.

Just like its predecessor, the Renault 4 E-Tech Electric can now be specced with a retractable fabric roof that transforms the battery-powered hatchback into a cut-price convertible at the push of a button. Renault has even launched a special trim called Plein Sud, which means “due south,” that is obviously inspired by the historic Renault 4’s Plein Air variant that was offered in Europe in the late 1960s.

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Source: Renault

That said, the Plein Air didn’t have doors, a roof, or a tailgate, while the electric Plein Sud has to settle for a more toned-down approach. (Blame those pesky safety regulations, I guess.) If buying a special edition car just for a soft top isn’t your cup of tea, then you should know that Renault also offers the retractable roof on the regular versions of the R4 EV, too, except for the entry-level trim.

The roof’s opening is 36 inches (92 centimeters) long and 31 in (80 cm) wide, and it increases the headroom for the driver and front passenger. However, because the mechanism itself takes up extra space compared to the fixed-roof car, rear passengers get roughly 1.5 in (4 cm) less headroom.

Renault says the roof can be partially or completely opened, and that the load-bearing parts are made of plastic to save weight.

Besides the new soft top, every new Renault 4 sold in Europe gets a revised driver monitoring system that detects fatigue and distraction, and will brake to a standstill if needed. A new water-to-water heat exchanger is also part of the pack, which is said to significantly reduce charging times at freezing temperatures.