BRIEFLY: Volvo, Cupra, Denmark & more | 04 Mar 2026

It's EV News Briefly for Wednesday 04 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.

Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDaily

VOLVO ADDS CAPACITY TO BUILD EX60  
Volvo will extend production at its Torslanda plant to meet surging demand for the all-electric EX60 SUV, which has seen strong early orders across Europe. German wait times now stretch up to 17 months, prompting Volvo to negotiate shorter summer breaks with unions, mirroring BMW’s own ramp-up for the iX3. 

VOLVO PUSHES NEW UX TO 2.5 MILLION CARS  
Volvo is rolling out a major over‑the‑air update to around 2.5 million vehicles, bringing its latest infotainment system from the EX30, EX90 and EX60 models to cars as old as 2020. The update ushers in a unified user interface and, later this spring, a switch from Google Assistant to the more conversational Google Gemini AI. 

CUPRA RAVAL SPIED UNCOVERED AHEAD OF MARCH 2026 REVEAL  
Cupra’s upcoming Raval — its most affordable EV yet — has been spotted fully uncovered during Scandinavian winter testing. Riding on the new MEB+ platform with two battery options, it launches mid‑2026 from around £23,000 to rival the Renault 5 and Peugeot e‑208 in the urban EV segment.  

DENMARK HITS 81.6% BEV SHARE IN FEBRUARY  
Battery‑electric vehicles made up 81.6% of Denmark’s new car sales in February, surging to 94.4% among private buyers. The shift reflects strong government incentives and rapid public adoption as EVs become the mainstream choice in the Danish market.  

2026 WORLD CAR AWARDS SHORTLISTS TILT ELECTRIC  
Electric models dominate the 2026 World Car Awards shortlist, with the BMW iX3, Nissan Leaf and Mercedes‑Benz CLA leading major categories. Luxury and performance finalists like the Lucid Gravity and Hyundai Ioniq 6 N further show how EVs now span every segment from affordable urban cars to high‑end models.  

2027 BMW IX4 SET FOR X4 REPLACEMENT  
BMW’s 2027 iX4 coupe SUV is testing in Sweden, set to replace the X4 with two all‑wheel‑drive variants and a 108 kWh battery offering up to 800 km WLTP range. It adopts BMW’s latest design language and a minimalist cabin similar to the iX3, with a large central screen and refreshed controls.  

BARCELONA TO PAY €600 FOR ELECTRIC MOPED SWAPS  
Barcelona will grant residents €600 to trade in petrol mopeds for new electric ones starting March 2026, covering up to 40% of the purchase price. With €15 million in funding through 2030, the scheme could replace around 24,000 mopeds and is open on a first‑come, first‑served basis.  

ENBW SIGNS MULTI-YEAR XCHARGE DEAL FOR HYPERNET  
German utility EnBW has sealed a multi‑year deal with XCharge to supply 400 kW DC fast chargers for its HyperNet network after successful trials. The high‑power C7 units, supporting dual CCS connectors and liquid‑cooled cables, will serve high‑throughput highway and hub charging locations.  

STELLANTIS SETS 2026 SPAIN BUILD FOR LEAPMOTOR B10  
Stellantis will start producing the Leapmotor B10 electric SUV in Spain in late 2026, marking the brand’s European manufacturing debut. The €29,990 model anchors Leapmotor’s expansion through Stellantis’s joint venture, which now runs over 800 European sales points and continues rapid growth.  

THATCHAM TARGETS EV WRITE-OFFS WITH REPAIR BLUEPRINT  
Thatcham Research has launched an EV Blueprint to stop repairable electric cars being written off after minor crashes by improving safety, diagnostics and battery repair standards. The plan calls for modular, serviceable battery designs, open diagnostic tools, and replaceable safety components to cut repair costs and extend EV lifespan.