👋 Watts up? BYD has just announced that its “God’s Eye“ self-driving system will be available for free across its entire vehicle lineup. The company’s goal is to make autonomous driving widely accessible, undercutting rivals like Tesla that charge upwards of $8,000. Also, TNC has unveiled plans for 17 new solar and battery projects that will be built on former coal mines. Learn more on these stories, and others, in todays issue.

We hope you have a great day!

Data provided by Google Finance*

Electric vehicle sales are up 18% globally

🚗 Global sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose by 18% in January compared to 2024, according to research from Rho Motion. This is also the first time that growth in Europe and the United States outpaced China since February 2023.

Rho Motion’s data revealed that global sales reached 1.3 million units, a 17.7% year-on-year increase.

In China, sales rose by 11.8% to 0.7 million units, meanwhile, Europe reached 0.25 million units sold, a 21% increase. Within Europe’s key markets, France saw a sharp 52% decline due to a newly introduced weight tax on plug-in hybrids. In contrast, Germany’s sales surged by over 40%.

In the United States and Canada, sales rose by 22%, selling 0.13 million units. For the rest of the world, January sales increased by 50%.

Also, Endura, a company that specialises in electric bus manufacturing, has secured $49 million in funding, aiming to accelerate the growth of electric shuttle and bus adoption.

SWITCH Energy to power 2,500 electric vehicle chargers across Washington

🔋 SWITCH Energy is set to manage one of Washington State’s largest multi-family EV charging deployments, overseeing 2,500 charging stations across 136 properties. Its dedicated smart charging platform will aim to provide thousands of local residents with seamless access to electric vehicle charging.

The initiative is part of the Washington Department of Commerce’s electric vehicle charging program, benefiting from $25.6 million in funding. The deployment is being carried out in partnership with Greystar, a real estate management firm. Charging hardware will be supplied by Wallbox, while installation services will be handled by COIL.

As electric vehicle adoption continues to rise in Washington State, ensuring access to charging infrastructure has become increasingly important. Multi-family residents have historically faced challenges in adopting electric vehicles due to limited home charging options, the deployment aims to address this gap and make sustainable transportation more accessible.

Jeremy Cohen, director of real estate partnerships at SWTCH, noted: “The transition to electric vehicles shouldn’t be limited by where you live. We’re excited to work with Greystar to support Washington State’s vision of making EV charging accessible to all residents.“

Also, Circle K has opened its largest EV charging hub in Sweden. Spanning over 30,000 square meters, the station features 26 fast-chargers for light and heavy vehicles.

TNC unveils plans for 17 new clean energy projects

☀️ The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Cumberland Forest Limited Partnership have announced new agreements with Sun Tribe Development and ENGIE to develop 14 solar projects and 3 battery storage projects on 360 acres of former coal mines in the Appalachians. This marks the second phase of clean energy projects under TNC’s Cumberland Forest initiative, which spans Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

The projects are set to generate approximately 49 MW of solar power and 320 MW of battery storage, enough to supply electricity to 6,638 Appalachian homes annually.

Sun Tribe’s contributions will focus on Virginia and Tennessee, where the company plans to develop a 5 MW solar farm and three battery energy storage systems ranging from 80 MW to 150 MW.

ENGIE’s projects will include 13 community-scale solar developments across Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, ranging from 1 MW to 6 MW.

The Cumberland Forest project aims to demonstrate that renewable energy can be cost-effectively developed on former mining sites while providing benefits to local communities. TNC adopted a “3C” approach, ensuring the projects contribute to climate, conservation, and community welfare.

Also, Tesla’s Megafactory in Shanghai, which produces energy storage products, has officially started production. Construction of the factory started in May 2024 and marked Tesla’s first energy storage project outside of the United States.

BYD to introduce autonomous driving in all of its vehicles - for free

🚀 BYD has once again disrupted the electric vehicle industry by announcing that its advanced self-driving system will be available for free across its entire vehicle lineup, including its most affordable Seagull model, which is priced at under $10k. The company introduced 21 models equipped with its “God’s Eye“ advanced driver-assistance system on Monday, marking a significant step towards making autonomous driving widely accessible.

BYD’s founder, Wang Chuanfu, stated: “We are starting an era where autonomous driving is for everyone. It is no longer an unattainable luxury, but an essential tool, like safety belts and airbags.“

The company has developed three versions of its “God’s Eye“ system, all featuring automated parking and lane-assist. The basic version, included in models priced up to $30k, enables autonomous highway driving under human supervision. More advanced versions, available in BYD’s premium brands like Yangwang, offer additional self-driving capabilities for complex urban environments.

By integrating self-driving features into models priced as low as $10k, BYD has significantly undercut competitors. Tesla, for example, offers its Full-Self Driving system for $8,000 in the United States. Analysts predict that this will potentially spark another price war, comparing the move to how China’s DeepSeek disrupted the global AI industry with its aggressive pricing.

Also, NxtWave has announced a partnership with NSDC, TIER IV, and the Autoware Foundation, aiming to create the world’s largest autonomous vehicle development community.

🙏 Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter!

Feel free to share us around and check us out on social media, all support is greatly appreciated.

*As of 11:00am EST, on the same business day. Includes top movers from a curated list of companies we cover.