• Tesla patented a new way of cooling down your EV’s cabin in the summer heat.
• Its new method involves using vacuums to suck up hot air and put it directly into the car’s HVAC system.
• This would make cooling hot spots inside of cars much easier, potentially unlocking more range.

Car interiors get hot, and conditioning them (whether it be preconditioning before you get in, or just keeping it at the right temperature while scooting down the road) saps up a significant amount of juice that could have been translated into mileage instead.

That’s what makes one of Tesla’s latest patents so interesting. Its invention proposes a new way of cooling down a car’s interior by targeting “hot air pockets” in the cabin. Here’s how it’s done.

Photo by: Tesla

According to the patent, Tesla’s method involves installing a suction unit into the car’s HVAC system. This creates negative pressure (aka: vacuum) that can be applied to specific vents in the car near these pockets of hot air. The hot air is then sucked into the car’s HVAC system and conditioned with the rest of the cabin air before being recirculated back into the car.

A good example of this would be solar radiation. The sun beating down on the car’s glass roof is an easy way to heat up the cabin—I’m sure you’ve felt this before when getting into a car on a hot day, or even when feeling the sun hitting your arm or leg for an extended time while driving down the road. The larger the vehicle and its interior space (Think Model X compared to a Model 3), the more surface area and ambient cabin space that requires conditioning.

But Tesla’s idea is that this thermal conditioning can be a done a bit more efficiently. The goal, according to the patent, is to “maximize thermal comfort and minimize energy consumption”—basically, pull air from spaces that need to be cooled and more evenly distribute the temperature in the cabin.

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Based on the data in the patent, Tesla shows that the tech could lower the power draw by as much as 7.4%. That might not seem like a lot, however, that’s a savings of around 127 watts when it’s 104 degrees outside. That cuts the peak power consumed by the HVAC down from 1,720 watts to just 1,593.

Tesla’s patent goes further by noting that the suction can be conditionally activated by sensing the temperature in the cabin and activating the suction only in areas that need to be conditioned.

The idea is admittedly pretty innovative. Of course, this is just a patent, so it may never actually make it into an actual production car. But this is a clever way of improving range without boosting battery capacity, playing with aerodynamics, or doing anything special to the powertrain. 

On a 100-degree day, for example, air conditioner use contributes to a range loss of up to 18%, a study from Recurrent found. If Tesla’s method is able to squeeze a bit more range out of its cars while also improving passenger comfort, that’s a win-win.

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The Beijing Auto Show hosted the debut of a new vehicle that might make some luxury car owners look twice at their bank accounts. BYD revealed its latest flagship sedan: the Seal 08. This car does look sleek, but more importantly, it carries technology that promises to solve the biggest headaches people have with EVs – how far you can drive and how long you have to sit at a charging station.

The secret of this sedan is the second-generation LFP Blade Battery. BYD says the new battery allows the car to travel over 620 miles on a single charge based on Chinese testing standards. While real-world driving in the United States or Europe will result in a lower number, it still beats most electric cars currently on the road.

If the range does not impress you, the charging speed might. The Seal 08 uses an 800V system that supports “megawatt-level” flash charging – you can add 249 miles of range in just five minutes. If your battery is sitting at 10%, you can get it up to 70% in the same five-minute window. Even if you live in a place where it gets freezing cold, the car performs well. At -22°F, it can charge from 20% to 97% in 12 minutes. Most people take longer than that to defrost their windshields.

The Seal 08 is a battery on wheels and it has plenty of muscle too. The top-end version comes with all-wheel drive and two motors. Together, they produce 510 kW – that’s 684 horsepower. The front motor provides 190 kW, while the rear motor does the heavy lifting with 320 kW. If you do not need that much power, BYD offers rear-wheel-drive versions with either 255 kW or 320 kW. No matter which one you pick, each version can reach a top speed of 149 mph.

This is a big vehicle – it measures 202.8 inches in length. To help with parking such a long car, BYD included rear-wheel steering. This feature lets the back wheels turn slightly, making the car much easier to turn in tight spots. The wheelbase is 119.3 inches – this usually means there is a lot of legroom for people sitting in the back. The car apparently weighs 4,497 lb, which is surprising for an EV this big and packed with heavy batteries.

BYD also put a lot of work into how the car rides and drives. It gets the DiSus-A system, which is an intelligent body control setup using air suspension. This helps the car stay level and comfortable even on bumpy roads. For safety and self-driving features, the Seal 08 has a LiDAR sensor sitting on the roof. This sensor acts like a set of eyes for the “God’s Eye” driving system, helping the car see obstacles and navigate traffic more safely than a human might on a tired Monday morning.

BYD has not given a final price for the Seal 08, but we believe it will sell for between RMB 300,000 and 350,000. That is roughly £30,600 to {{$49,000}. The Seal 08 is part of a new “Ocean 8” series from BYD. It was revealed alongside a sister vehicle, the Sealion 08 SUV. BYD plans to launch the sedan in China during the second quarter of 2026. While the company has not officially said it will sell the car in the United States or Europe yet, they are moving quickly into international markets.

Via

• The vast majority of electric vehicles are holding on to their original range even after years of driving, according to a new report.
• Even after three to five years, the range retention on modern battery-powered cars is impressive.
• Automakers have started including buffers to minimize perceived degradation.

Electric vehicles are holding on to their range far better than many buyers expect, and now fresh data from more than a billion miles of real-world driving is backing that up in a new way. In addition to constantly improving battery technology, automakers are also using software to keep the driving range more consistent over a period of time.

EV analytics firm Recurrent said in a report on Thursday that most EVs on the market lose very little usable range in their first several years on the road. The average EV now retains 97% of its range after three years of ownership and 95% after five years on the road. Put simply, an EV with 300 miles of range when new should still deliver 291 miles after three years and 285 miles after five, according to Recurrent.

Photo by: Patrick George

Range anxiety has long been one of the biggest barriers for EV buyers, even though there’s now a robust number of EVs on sale today across segments with at least 300 miles of EPA range. Many new EVs in premium segments are pushing over 400 and even 500 miles of range. However, it’s not always about how far a car can go when new. The other question is what happens after a few years of ownership. 

That’s where the new data helps cut through the noise. Strong range retention can support resale values, make used EVs less risky, and give buyers more confidence that they are not settling for something subpar compared to combustion vehicles. 

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Recurrent used historical data to come to this conclusion. About 68% of model year 2023 EVs are still exceeding their EPA range today, the firm said. However, it is using a slightly different metric called Expected Range, derived from real-world driving data that factors in things like climate, driving conditions, and battery age. It also projected that a model year 2026 EV with 325 miles of range, for example, will still deliver 301 miles of range in 2031.

According to the report, EV brands with no significant range loss after five years of ownership include Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Rivian. 

There are a bunch of reasons why this is happening. Automakers are able to minimize range loss over the years by releasing reserve battery capacity and tuning range algorithms with over-the-air software updates as the vehicles age, Recurrent said. Many include a “buffer” of unused cell capacity early on, which allows the car to automatically unlock that capacity later on to erase the effects of degradation.

Photo by: Lucid Motors

But that’s not it. Automakers and battery companies have been laser-focused on improving the underlying battery tech. Batteries now get a higher energy density, translating to more miles from a similar-sized pack. Things like a cell-to-pack design reduces weight, so more of the car’s floor can store energy. Add to that sophisticated thermal management systems, aerodynamic improvements, and the gains are happening without needing dramatically bigger packs or different chemistries.

In fact, InsideEVs’ own analysis projects that the U.S. will have over 60 EVs with over 300 miles of range by the end of this year, up from 43 last year and 35 the year before. Of course, driving range largely varies across models and segments and continues to be impacted by the weather, driving styles, and road conditions. But with the U.S. public charging infrastructure also growing quickly, range anxiety is increasingly becoming a problem of the past. 

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com

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The only significant way my situation differs from the typical EX30 buyer’s is that I’m not an empty-nester – my wife and I have an 11-year-old daughter in tow. As a result, the EX30’s introduction to Pringle family life has been a diet of short suburban journeys, mainly to and from school, football training and matches, and the shops.

That means I haven’t tested the car’s range at all, although it was a deliberate choice to pick the Extended Range model – as most EX30 buyers do. This can officially manage 296 miles per charge, and while that hasn’t been a concern so far, a welcome side-effect is that I’ve only had to charge the car once in its first three weeks with me.

Tougher tests will come, but for now the EX30 is settling perfectly into its role. I’m enjoying the smooth and responsive electric powertrain around town, as well as the excellent refinement – in terms of both the lack of noise inside the car, and the way the suspension deals with poor road surfaces.

The Volvo is practical enough for our three-person family, and the tech works well, too. I particularly like the built-in Google Maps navigation, Apple CarPlay has worked faultlessly for streaming music, and I easily linked the car to the Volvo smartphone app.

My only complaints so far are that – as in so many cars these days – some of the safety-assist features are a little over-eager (although I’ve programmed a button on the steering wheel to turn off the speed alert with a single press). I’m going to need a while to get to grips with the complexities of the infotainment system, too. Otherwise, I’ve certainly come up trumps with this Volvo.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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Kia is rapidly expanding its EV lineup, the most recent addition to its fully-electric family is the being the EV4. It is offered in hatchback and sedan versions and is aimed primarily towards the European market.

The car should bridge the gap between the smaller EV3 and the larger EV6. Today we got our hands on the Kia EV4 hatchback, equipped with the larger 81.4 kWh battery in the Long Range trim.

It also came with the GT-line trim, which improves the look, but slightly decreases range. Combined with the 19-inch wheels, we had the car with the highest consumption, with EV4 Long Range Air with its 17-inch wheels representing the other end of the spectrum. Going for the sedan version would likely bring another range boost, but this model is not as widely available as the hatchback.

The purpose of today’s test is to determine how efficient the model is in the real world, whereas a dedicated review will be coming shortly, examining all aspects of the car in detail.

After completing severl real-world runs we plug in data to our widget, which uses our own complex algorithm for figuring out the range you can expect in any combination of temperature or speed.

We drove our usual test routes, doing the same track both ways at constant speeds at the same place as with every other car we test. The ambient temperature while testing the Kia EV4 Long Range was 46°F, which certainly isn’t optimal testing weather for an EV. Further improvements can be made by equipping more efficient summer tires and having smaller wheels to build on the range figures presented below.

Even so at our lowest testing speed of 37 mph, the Kia EV4 Long Range performed tremendously. At this lower speed the efficient motors are really counting for someting. Compared to most direct rivals in terms of shape, the EV4 hatchback has a comfortable advantage.

When we sped up to 56 mph, consumption rised noticeably as the shape starts taking its toll on efficiency. The EV4 still performs great for its segment.

At the highest testing speed of 81 mph, the EV4 hatchback continues being among the best in its class. At the highway test it’s only behind more aerodynamic sedans or larger models with bigger batteries. Still, it provides more than sufficient range on a single charge and shows that the EV4 is a great choice for longer trips both on and off the highway.

In the compact electric segment, the Kia EV4 hatchback stands out for its impressive efficiency and driving range. The big 81.4 kWh battery is among the biggest in this class and it delivers a well rounded and highly capable package.

Beyond its range credentials, the EV4 offers a number of appealing features that will be explored in greater detail in our full review. For now, the results from our efficiency testing highlight its ability to cover long distances with ease, making it a practical choice for extended journeys.

Naturally, the shape of the EV4 doesn’t allow it to compete with the very best performers in our range test. The closest rival it loses to is the Renault Scenic E-Tech, which comes with an even larger battery pack and offers similar efficiency. For buyers focused primarily on range in a compact electric hatchback, the Kia EV4 Long Range remains a strong and commendable option that largely delivers on its promise.

Coming back to the widget we mentioned earlier – feel free to give at try!

REAL-WORLD SOLUTION: Chery’s Rhino battery will address charging time, durability, and safety issues associated with current EV battery technology.

German luxury car maker BWM has unveiled the i3, its first electric sedan under the Neue Klasse (New Class) platform, which will boast a whopping 900 km of range, outdoing the newly announced iX3’s 805 km range spec.

Details were unveiled in Munich this week, where the BMW i3 sedan had its world premiere, and will also be the city where the factory that will produce this model.

The dual-motor BMW i3 50 xDrive will be the first car off the rank under the i3 model name, with an expected arrival in early 2027, around 6 months after the iX3 lands on our shores this year.

This powertrain delivers 345 kW of power and 645 Nm of torque, making it one of the most powerful sedans the company makes.

Like the new iX3, the i3 sedan can charge at up to 400 kW at the right fast charger, adding 400 km of range in just 10 minutes.

Behind this charging speed is BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive tech, which moves to an 800 V architecture and cylindrical battery cells. That not only helps with hitting those charging speeds but also the range the sedan can deliver. 

Although specs on the battery pack were not disclosed for the i3, we can expect a similar capacity to that on the iX3, which stands at 108 kWh.

This battery also forms part of the cell-to-pack setup, which allows for high energy densities at the pack level and a flatter high-voltage battery pack.

Another bit of tech which would be welcomed by future i3 owners is Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability, as well as Vehicle-to-Home and Vehicle-to-Grid. More details on these capabilities will be announced later.

On the i3, there is also the new BMW Panoramic iDrive system, which will bring the traditional iDrive system into quite a modern experience. 

Like the iX3, the BMW i3 50 xDrive is the first variant in the lineup, and we can expect more variants with different specifications to be announced later down the track.

More details, including pricing and specifications, will be announced at a later date, likely closer to its early 2027 launch.

With a 900 km range on a single charge, 400 kW charging speeds, and a modern sports-car look with its tech-focused interior, it could be the best-selling European sedan on the market next year.

BYD’s premium brand Denza has unveiled the Z9 GT, claiming more than 1,000 km of range on China’s CLTC test cycle –  a new benchmark for production electric cars.

In a post on Weibo, the company shared an image with the caption: “Denza Z9 GT: The All-New Denza Z9 GT – The world’s longest-range pure electric model.”

Crossing the 1,000 km mark is symbolically significant and, while based on China’s more generous CLTC test cycle, would likely translate to well over 800 km on the WLTP standard.

Reports from China last month revealed key specs for the new Denza Z9 GT model, as part of the approval documents submitted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

This upcoming Z9 model will come with two new batteries, using BYD’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) blade batteries with capacities of 102 kWh and 122 kWh.

The larger 122 kWh pack delivers up to 1,036 km on CLTC, while the tri-motor version drops slightly to 1,002 km

due to added power.

Specs also showed that the model will be available in both single and tri-motor versions. The single-motor version will come with a 370 kW rear-wheel-drive configuration, while the tri-motor version will have a combined power output of 850 kW.

New wheel designs are aimed at reducing cabin noise, while an integrated roof-mounted lidar forms part of Denza’s “God’s Eye” advanced driver assistance system.

Having driven the current-generation Z9 GT in Shenzhen last year, I found it more comfort-focused than outright sporty, positioning it as a long-distance tourer rather than a track weapon.

The performance figures for touring and daily driving in the Z9 GT are still well above pretty much anything else available in the Australian market.

With Denza’s D9 already approved for sale in Australia, the Z9 GT could follow if the premium brand expands its local lineup.

With rapid battery development, 1,000 kW charging claims and now four-digit range figures, BYD is accelerating its technological push and reshaping expectations around what mainstream EVs can deliver.