BMW has officially inaugurated its new vehicle plant in Debrecen. Starting end of October, the plant will begin series production of the new BMW iX3 — the first model of BMW’s “Neue Klasse.” The facility was planned entirely in a virtual environment before being brought to life and will become the BMW Group’s first automotive production site to run exclusively on renewable energy in regular operation.

As a result, CO₂e emissions per vehicle — including the high-voltage battery — are expected to be cut by around 90%, to roughly 34 kg CO₂e, compared with other BMW Group sites (at full production capacity). About a quarter of the plant’s annual electricity demand will come from an on-site 50-hectare photovoltaic system. Any surplus solar energy will be stored in a 1,800 m³ thermal storage unit with a capacity of 130 MWh.

Xiaomi has opened its first European research and design center for electric vehicles in Munich, called the Xiaomi EV Europe R&D and Design Center. The new site is focused on advancing technology, design expertise, and vehicle concepts tailored to European requirements.

Teams of engineers, designers, and researchers will work on vehicle performance, autonomous driving systems, EV platforms, and user experience solutions. Xiaomi also plans to collaborate with research institutions and build cross-industry partnerships. Sales of Xiaomi’s electric vehicles in Europe are scheduled to begin in 2027.

For the 2026 model year, Polestar is planning a major upgrade for the Polestar 3 based on the SPA2 platform. The key change is the switch from a 400-volt to an 800-volt system, enabling a maximum DC charging rate of up to 350 kW and cutting charging time from 10% to 80% to about 22 minutes.

Polestar will also introduce new battery packs from CATL: the rear-motor version will feature a 92-kWh pack, while dual-motor and Performance variants will be equipped with 106-kWh packs. Combined with more efficient charging and optimized energy management, this will deliver an estimated range of 593 to 635 kilometers (depending on configuration).