BEIJING based car maker Xiaomi Auto has taken EV charging solutions to a futuristic next level, previewing a robotic arm that can plug itself into a vehicle’s charging port and initiate charging automatically.

Without input from the vehicle owner, the robotic arm – extending from a 152mm-wide case – uses AI technology to accurately insert a charger into the vehicle’s port and can unplug itself once the battery reaches full charge or a set level.

Charging can also be initiated by the owner remotely via a smartphone app.

However, this isn’t a novelty concept that will never see the production light of day as it’s slated for rollout in its home market in the fourth quarter of this year.

This isn’t the first time a robotic charging arm has been tried by an electric vehicle company. 

Back in 2015, Tesla previewed a prototype of a similar device, but while it has invested heavily in robotics technology – going as far to repurpose its ex-Model S and Model X factory in California to manufacture the humanoid Optimus robot – the charging arm never made it to full production.

Xiaomi also isn’t the Chinese automotive player to preview such technology, with Li Auto, Zeekr, and the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance among those to showcase their own robotic charging arms.

Another method of electric vehicle charging that is slowly becoming more mainstream is wireless vehicle charging.

In 2018, BMW became the first manufacturer to offer a wireless vehicle charger from the factory for its 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid. 

The technology has slowly started becoming more widespread.

For instance, in September of last year Porsche announced the release of a one-box plate – meaning it does not require a wallbox or control unit – 11kW inductive charger alongside the Cayenne Electric SUV.

Up until this point, Xiaomi has exclusively sold its vehicles in China but has still made international automotive headlines in recent times, particularly with its high-profile Nürburgring lap record attempts.

Those attempts saw the SU7 sedan and YU7 GT SUV claim the production EV sedan and the production SUV lap records respectively around the world-famous racetrack (until the former’s record was taken by the Manthey-kitted Porsche Taycan Turbo GT).

In its home market, Xiaomi’s products have launched to overwhelming receptions.

When the YU7 – its Tesla Model Y competitor – was launched in China last year, Xiaomi secured over 240,000 orders within 18 hours.

While official plans to bring its vehicles to Australia are yet to be confirmed by the Chinese brand, it has announced plans to launch in Europe during 2027.

On April 9, 2026, the public got its first real look at the new XPeng Mona L03. This is the first SUV to join the Mona family – XPeng’s dedicated brand for buyers who want a great car without spending a fortune. The Mona L03 is a five-seat vehicle that takes the sporty style and mixes it with the space of a family SUV. XPeng is hoping this model will be just as successful as their first Mona car, the M03 sedan.

If you look at the Mona L03, you will notice it has a coupe-like design, which means the roof slopes down toward the back like a sports car. The front of the car has “T” shaped headlights that make it look modern and maybe even a little bit angry. It has semi-hidden door handles and a front bumper with an active grille to help it with air resistance.

The all-new XPeng Mona L03 – source: MIIT China

The Mona L03 is a mid-sized SUV. XPeng filed paperwork for two different versions of the car – one version is 183.1 inches long, and the other is 183.9 inches long – the difference is due to different bumper designs. Both versions are 75.6 inches wide and 63 inches tall. The car has a wheelbase of 112.2 inches. The car weighs about 4,090 lb – nothing unusual for an EV since batteries are quite heavy.

The wheels on the Mona L03 also come in two sizes. You can get 18-inch wheels with 225/60 R18 tires or larger 20-inch wheels with 245/45 R20 tires. The bigger wheels look cooler, but they might make the ride a little bumpier and will affect the range. XPeng also listed technical measurements for the overhangs – they range between 35 inches and 36.4 inches depending on which version of the car you are looking at.

The all-new XPeng Mona L03 – source: MIIT China

Most electric cars in this price range use one motor, and the Mona L03 is no different. It uses a single electric motor made by Luxshare Precision Technology. The motor has a peak power of 183 kW. That is actually more power than the Mona sedan has. If you have a heavy foot, the Mona L03 can reach a top speed of 112 mph.

The battery inside the car is an LFP pack – Lithium Iron Phosphate. These batteries are popular because they usually last a long time and are safer than other types. The batteries are supplied by CALB – interestingly, XPeng did not use the “blade” batteries from BYD for this model, even though they use them in the sedan version. We do not know the exact capacity of the battery yet, but we expect it to provide plenty of range for daily driving.

The all-new XPeng Mona L03 – source: MIIT China

XPeng loves technology, and the Mona L03 is packed with it. The car is covered in cameras. There are cameras on the front, the back, the mirrors, and even on the sides near the front wheels. These cameras are the “eyes” of the car. They help with driver-assistance features, which keep the car in its lane or even help with driving in busy cities. XPeng is sticking with a system that uses cameras instead of expensive LiDAR sensors and is using its own Turing AI chips.

Inside, passengers can look up through a large panoramic glass roof. It makes the cabin feel big and bright. For people who like to customize their cars, XPeng is offering a lot of options. You can choose different brake calipers, add a rear spoiler or even change the trim on the bumpers.

Optional equipment for the all-new XPeng Mona L03 – source: MIIT China

The Mona L03 is expected to be priced right in the middle of XPeng’s lineup. We believe it will cost around RMB 150,000, which is about £16,000. For comparison, the smaller Mona M03 sedan starts at RMB 119,800 (£12,700). The bigger XPeng G6 SUV starts at RMB 176,800 (£18,900). By pricing the L03 in the middle, XPeng is targeting families who need more space than a sedan can offer, but don’t want to pay the higher price of the G6.

The timing for this launch is very important. In March 2026, XPeng delivered 27,415 vehicles. While that is a lot of cars, it was actually 17% lower than the year before. The company needs the Mona L03 to be a hit to get their numbers back up. The Mona M03 sedan is a huge success, selling over 175,000 units in 2025 alone.

Various options for the all-new XPeng Mona L03 – source: MIIT China

But XPeng isn’t just thinking about China. The CEO, He Xiaopeng, has said he wants to bring the Mona brand to Europe and other parts of the world later in 2026. This means we might see the Mona L03 on roads far away from its home very soon. As the second model in the Mona line, it has big shoes to fill, but if it can match the popularity of the M03 sedan, XPeng will have a very busy year.

Via

• Donut Lab released its second independent solid-state battery test result Monday.
• The pouch cell was subjected to extreme temperatures as high as 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
• It appeared to perform well at elevated heat, but one battery scientist said the limited data revealed little about its real-world performance.

Finnish startup Donut Lab has released its second independent test result for what it claims is the world’s first all-solid-state battery. Once again, the data is raising as many questions as it answers.

This latest test puts the cell through its paces at high-temperatures of 80 and 100 degrees Celsius (176-212 degrees Fahrenheit), roughly double the maximum operating temperature of conventional lithium-ion batteries. 

On the surface, the results look promising. But experts urged caution, pointing to data they say is far too thin to mean much. Some of Donut’s biggest claims, like all-important battery chemistry and energy density, are still unverified. 

Eric Wachsman, a professor at the University of Maryland’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering who specializes in solid-state batteries and solid oxide fuel cells, said the insufficient data does not represent real-world usage in automotive applications. 

“The cells are not violating any law of thermodynamics,” Wachsman told me in an email. “But the data presented leaves a lot to be desired for many reasons,” he said.

A 2.4 kilogram steel plate was placed on the Donut Lab solid-state cell for mechanical pressure while charging and discharging.

Photo by: Donut Lab

Researchers say solid-state batteries are a “holy grail” technology that can unlock superior driving range compared to today’s lithium-ion batteries, while substantially reducing charging times and fire risk. At least on paper, the technology has the potential to vanquish range and charging anxieties and unlock broader EV adoption.

Battery companies and automakers are racing to develop the technology, but mass manufacturing of solid-state batteries without defects is extremely challenging. Several solid-state battery startup CEOs InsideEVs has interviewed have said it’s an unresolved problem.

That’s why Donut Lab’s claims took the internet by storm early this year. The Helsinki-based startup says it has developed the world’s first all-solid-state battery that’s production-ready. It will power Verge Motorcycles EVs starting this quarter. 

The specs it’s put forward are extraordinary: 400 watt-hours of energy density (roughly double today’s lithium-ion cells), a five-minute charge time, an operating range of -30C to 100C (-22F to 212F), a 100,000-cycle lifespan, and zero rare earth materials.

Photo by: Donut Lab

The announcement was met with deep skepticism from industry experts for making bold claims without providing any proof, patent disclosures, or live demonstrations. The company is now responding to the blowback by releasing independent test results from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

After demonstrating its fast-charging capabilities in a lab test last week, the company released a second independent test on Monday. This one showcases the cell’s apparent stability at temperatures as high as 80C and 100C (176F and 212F). 

At 80C (176F), the cell appeared to have delivered more energy than at 20C (68F), reaching 110.5% of its normal capacity. It basically suggests that the chemistry is possibly running more efficiently at elevated heat. After the high-temperature discharge, it recharged without any visible damage, indicating normal performance.

The battery was then pushed even harder. The agency raised the temperature of the testing chamber to 100C (212F), which is the boiling point of water. Again, the cell performed better than it did at room temperature, delivering 107% of its normal capacity. And it was able to charge up normally again thereafter.

That’s impressive because regular lithium-ion batteries don’t handle heat all that well. As temperatures climb, they lose efficiency. And if you push far enough, they can become unstable or sustain permanent damage. Studies suggest that the optimal operating range for lithium-ion batteries is between 25-40C (77-104F). The Donut Lab cell was able to survive in temperatures over twice of that.

However, there was one notable development after the 100C test: the Donut battery’s outer pouch lost its “vacuum.” Wachsman said the pouch issue was a potential red flag. The loss of vacuum, he explained, may indicate that the cell lost its “hermetic seal,” the barrier that keeps outside air away from the sensitive internal chemistry.

“Pouch cells will tend to expand due to internal pressure as they can give off gas during cycling,” Wachsman said. “It’s clear they experienced excessive swell after a few cycles,” he said after comparing the fast-charging images from last week’s test to this week’s high-temperature results.

Potential swelling on the Donut Lab solid-state EV battery cell after a discharge test at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit)

Whether this is a major safety issue or something that’s expected on solid-state cells remains unclear. However, the broader consensus is consistent among experts. Neither test reveals meaningful pack-level performance over the thousands of cycles that actually matter for real-world use. 

“To be commercially relevant, the cells need to be stable with less than 10-20% of capacity fade for thousands of cycles,” Wachsman said. “Without that, the tests are essentially meaningless.”

Donut Lab says more independent results are coming in the weeks ahead. Energy density figures and battery chemistry disclosures remain the two things worth watching for. Until those surface, the jury is firmly still out.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com