The UK’s Department for Transport has published a report highlighting that the UK’s EV infrastructure has seen significant growth. For example, public charge points have increased by 27% over the past year, adding 17,370 new units since July 2024. This brings the total to over 82,000 public charge points nationwide, ensuring drivers can charge conveniently across the country. The expansion is particularly notable in regions like the North East, East of England, and West Midlands and was/is much needed. This development is part of the UK government’s broader £4.5bn Plan for Change initiative, aimed at making EV ownership more accessible and affordable. Alongside infrastructure growth, the government recently announced discounts of up to £3,750 on new EVs (priced at or under £37,000) and a £25m initiative to support home charging, potentially saving drivers up to £1,500 annually. These efforts reinforce the UK’s position as Europe’s largest EV market in 2024, with sales up c.20% YoY. Additional measures, such as a £1.6bn investment to fix potholes and a continued fuel duty freeze, further demonstrate the government’s commitment to supporting drivers during the transition to cleaner transport.
BlackRock and Eni have announced a c.$1.2bn partnership to help accelerate carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies. BlackRock will acquire a 49.9% stake in Eni’s newly formed company, Eni CCUS Holding, which consolidates Eni’s CCUS assets. The investment underscores growing institutional confidence in carbon capture as a viable climate solution and a major commercial opportunity. Eni will focus on developing large-scale CCUS hubs across Europe, starting with projects in Italy and the UK. These hubs aim to capture emissions from hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, steel, and chemicals, storing them safely underground. The partnership aligns with the EU’s climate goals and supports the bloc’s ambition to capture 450 million tonnes of CO2 annually by 2050. This partnership leverages Eni’s technical expertise and existing infrastructure, while BlackRock contributes capital and global investment reach. The deal also reflects a broader trend of private capital flowing into climate technologies, especially in areas such as CCUS, which are essential for achieving net-zero targets but require significant upfront investment. This collaboration is expected to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture infrastructure, reduce industrial emissions, and create a scalable model for public-private climate action in Europe and beyond.
QuantumScape and PowerCo SE have announced that they are expanding their strategic partnership to accelerate the commercialisation of solid-state battery technology. Just to recap, PowerCo SE are Volkswagen Group’s battery subsidiary and has championed solid-state batteries for a while. Under the new agreement, PowerCo will invest up to $131m in milestone-based payments to support the development and pilot production of QuantumScape’s QSE-5 solid-state battery line in San Jose. This builds on a previous $130m commitment, reinforcing PowerCo’s confidence in QuantumScape’s next-generation energy storage solutions. The partnership grants PowerCo additional production rights and licensing access to future QuantumScape technologies. It also enables earlier involvement in the QSE-5 production and automation processes, streamlining the technology transfer needed for industrial-scale manufacturing. The collaboration aims to deliver higher volumes of prototype cells for testing and integration, ultimately accelerating the path to mass production. QuantumScape emphasised the strategic, technical, and financial alignment between the 2 companies, calling the QSE-5 platform a potential game-changer for the battery industry. This move is a significant step toward bringing safer, more energy-dense, and faster-charging solid-state batteries to global EV markets.
EO Charging has announced it has partnered with Horizon Energy Ventures (HEV) to expand the UK’s electric bus (eBus) charging infrastructure through a fully funded Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) model. This strategic collaboration aims to accelerate the electrification of public transport fleets by removing the high upfront costs typically associated with EV infrastructure. The CaaS model bundles hardware, software, installation, and maintenance into a predictable monthly fee, thus making the transition to electric fleets more accessible and financially sustainable for operators. The partnership’s 1st project will launch in London with Transport UK, leveraging EO’s Charge Assurance platform to ensure vehicle readiness, high uptime, and operational reliability. This platform actively manages energy consumption and flexibility, supporting a market uptime of over 99%. The initiative is designed to meet the growing demand for scalable, flexible EV solutions as the UK’s public transport sector rapidly shifts away from fossil fuels. With a multi-million-pound joint investment, EO and HEV plan to scale the model across the UK, helping cities meet their sustainability goals while maintaining efficient transport services.
WeRide has announced it has launched its new HPC 3.0 platform, designed to power its self-driving taxis with enhanced performance and cost efficiency. Built on Lenovo’s AD1 L4 autonomous driving domain controller and powered by NVIDIA’s Drive AGX Thor chips, HPC 3.0 debuts in the GXR Robotaxi, already operational in China. This marks the first time a mass-produced Level 4 autonomous vehicle has used NVIDIA’s Thor chip, capable of delivering up to 2,000 trillion operations per second. The platform consolidates critical modules, such as inertial navigation and collision detection, into a single system, thus reducing production and maintenance costs. WeRide claims HPC 3.0 cuts autonomous driving suite costs by 50% and lowers total vehicle ownership costs by up to 84% over its lifecycle. Designed for durability, it supports 10 years or 186,400 miles of use and operates in extreme conditions. WeRide emphasised the strategic collaboration with Lenovo and NVIDIA, noting plans to extend HPC 3.0 across other autonomous vehicles like the Robobus and Robosweeper. The platform is expected to accelerate WeRide’s global expansion, making smart mobility more accessible worldwide.
Lyft and BENTELER Mobility have announced a strategic partnership to introduce autonomous shuttle buses in the US, aiming to transform urban mobility. The initiative will integrate BENTELER’s HOLON autonomous shuttles into Lyft’s ride-hailing platform, offering shared, electric, and driverless transport options. HOLON shuttles are designed for Level 4 autonomy, meaning they can operate without human drivers in defined environments. These shuttles are pencilled in to enter service in H2 26, around certain city centres and airports (yet to be disclosed). The collaboration addresses key challenges in public transportation, such as driver shortages and environmental concerns, while enhancing connectivity in urban areas. By combining BENTELER’s manufacturing and autonomous tech expertise with Lyft’s mobility network, the partnership seeks to deliver scalable, efficient, and inclusive transport solutions. This move marks a material step toward mainstream adoption of autonomous public transit in North America.
XPENG Motors has launched its global localisation strategy by establishing its 1st overseas production base in Indonesia, marking a major milestone in its international expansion. Furthermore, the company delivered its first locally produced XPENG X9 at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show 2025. This move positions Indonesia as a strategic hub for XPENG, given its status as Southeast Asia’s largest automotive market. XPENG also unveiled its new G6 smart EV at the event, which is equipped with advanced technology, including an 800V architecture and a 5C ultra-fast charging AI battery, which allows it to charge from 10% to 80% in 12 minutes. The vehicles are being produced at XPENG’s new facility in Purwakarta, enabling the company to tailor its offerings to local needs and accelerate EV adoption in the region. XPENG emphasised the company’s commitment to Indonesia’s manufacturing ambitions and talent development. This initiative is supported by a strategic partnership with ERAL, a key player in Indonesia’s tech and retail sectors. Together, XPENG and ERAL aim to deliver a seamless ownership experience and educate the market on smart EVs.
Deals
Estes Energy, a San Francisco-based materials and manufacturing startup, has secured $11m in seed funding led by BMW i Ventures and Fortescue. Investors such as New System Ventures and DCVC also participated. Estes Energy specialises in developing zero-emission power systems aimed at electrifying commercial and industrial markets. Their technology is designed to outperform diesel in both cost and performance, catering to both established OEMs and new market entrants. The funding will be used to expand the company’s development team, build a pilot manufacturing facility, and begin deploying battery systems to customers by Q4 25. The startup’s mission is to accelerate access to electrification through standardised, high-performance powertrain solutions.
Lumotive, a Washington-based startup specialising in programmable optics, has expanded its Series B funding round to $59m with new strategic investments from Amazon’s Industrial Innovation Fund and ITHCA Group. Lumotive develops light control metasurface chips, solid-state devices with nano-scale pixels that electronically manipulate light. These chips offer a compact, cost-effective alternative to mechanical lidar and have applications in autonomous vehicles and data centre optical switching. The startup emphasised Amazon’s strategic value beyond financial backing. Lumotive began selling its chips in 2024 and has kept its customer base intentionally small and focused. With over $100m raised to date, Lumotive plans to use the new funds to scale sales, marketing, and R&D. The startup noted that the technology is no longer experimental but proven and deployable, marking a significant shift in how light can be shaped and steered electronically.
Nevoya, a San Francisco-based electric trucking startup, has raised $9.3m in a Seed funding round led by Lowercarbon Capital. Investors such as Floating Point, LMNT Ventures, and (strategic angel) Qasar Younis also participated. This startup aims to disrupt freight logistics through AI-powered solutions. Nevoya’s transportation management system is purpose-built for EV operations, offering intelligent fleet orchestration, route optimisation, and predictive charging schedules. The platform also provides real-time visibility into emissions, costs, and performance metrics, helping logistics leaders make data-driven decisions. Nevoya aims to make zero-emissions freight not only viable but cost-competitive with diesel, while enhancing service reliability. The funding will support further development and deployment of its AI-driven logistics technology, positioning Nevoya as a key player in the transition to sustainable trucking.