Manufacturing Technology
Tesla, Chevrolet, Nissan, Kia & Others Unveil EVs As Spain Boasts Biofuel Bus
Updated on Wed, Aug 20, 2025
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The drive to boost the adoption of sustainable but cost-effective vehicles is in top gear.
As a result, automakers around the world are introducing a wide range of electric vehicles (EVs) for a variety of purposes.
Just over a week ago, Ford unveiled a change to its production methods—the first major change in its 122-year history—which would see the introduction of the new Ford Universal EV Platform and Ford Universal EV Production System.
It would also come with a host of new EVs, beginning with a midsize, four-door electric pickup scheduled to launch in 2027, with a targeted starting price of about $30,000.
As for the manufacturing process, Ford will enable automation, cost-saving, and efficiency by opting to assemble the front and rear of vehicles separately, getting rid of dozens of smaller parts. Here, the entire vehicle will be assembled using three parts: the front, rear, and middle. The last will serve as the housing for the battery.
American automobile company Chevrolet announced an all-new, all-wheel-drive electric version of its prized, precious Corvette—the Corvette CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo (VGT).
The CX concept houses four motors, one powering each wheel, generating more than 2,000 horsepower. Meanwhile, the CX.R VGT blends electric performance with fuel power. Three electric motors—one for each front wheel and a third infused into the 8-speed gearbox—combine with a 2.0-liter dual-overhead-cam twin-turbo V8 that pushes 900 horsepower, to throw out 2,000 horsepower.
However, both these supercars are concepts—and the company currently doesn’t have any plans to move for production. Yet, the two cars “will serve as inspiration to inform Corvette design language for years to come.”
“The CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo demonstrate our design teams stepping away from the constraints of production vehicles and unleashing their creativity,” said Phil Zak, Executive Design Director for Chevrolet. “Through this exercise, we’ve added to Corvette and defined the design direction for Corvette moving forward.”
Nissan is bringing the new 2026 Nissan LEAF to dealerships in the United States soon—starting at $29,990 MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) as per a company announcement—as it aims to deliver the most affordable EV in the U.S.
This price marks the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently, and is lower than it was 15 years ago, when the 2011 LEAF carried a list price of $32,780. Furthermore, the 2026 SV+ is $1,960 cheaper than the 2025 LEAF SV PLUS—with an MSRP of $34,230—while offering more features and range.
The LEAF offers a driving range of up to 303 miles per charge and comes with built-in North American Charging Standard (NACS) compatibility with Plug & Charge, bringing the vehicle access to over 20,000 Tesla Superchargers.
Nissan also launched the LEAF PLATINUM+, which is priced at $38,990 MSRP,
“The LEAF really kicked off the mainstream EV market when it launched 15 years ago, and Nissan's still committed to making electric driving accessible to all,” said Vinay Shahani, SVP of U.S. Marketing and Sales at Nissan. “We've stuck to our mission of engineering EVs that are affordable but packed with value.”
The EV3, Kia’s electric SUV, has become a popular product in Europe—and the company is looking to lead in the EV segment as it introduces new models, including the EV5 and EV4.
In June, the automaker opened orders for the EV4 hatchback and just two weeks later it introduced the Fastback version, or sedan model—for which it plans to begin deliveries by September.
Meanwhile, the company plans to bring the EV5 later in the year, while the EV2—an even more affordable EV—will swing in next year.
As for vehicles in the U.S., Kia’s plan currently only includes a 2026 launch for the EV4—with no other models confirmed as companies navigate tricky tariff waters.
Although the company did announce the launch of the EV5 for the Canadian market in North America—despite testing out the vehicle in the U.S. It’s believed that the EV4 too will arrive, but only as a sedan.
Meanwhile, Kia is also bringing its first electric van, the PV5 Passenger and Cargo, across Europe, with no details on a U.S. debut.
It’s tough to talk about EVs and not mention Tesla—the company (or its CEO) is always in the news for some reason.
Either way, the globally renowned automaker opened orders for its Model Y L in China, which is an all-wheel drive, powered by dual motors, offers a range of 466 miles, and comes with an expanded body size, solid structural strength, and a more spacious interior that’s meant to seat six.
The new vehicle comes with a starting price of 339,000 yuan or $47,184. It supports over-the-air software updates to ensure the EV remains up-to-date, and an App that allows users to remotely set up, unlock doors and open the trunk.
However, this isn’t the only development that Tesla hit the headlines for this week.
Tesla lost a bid to dispose of a class-action lawsuit by customers alleging that the company had misled them about its self-driving capabilities for years. According to the lawsuit, Tesla has claimed that all its vehicles since 2016 possess hardware capable of full self-driving and has been selling software that is claimed to be capable of unsupervised level 4-5 self-driving—both of which aren’t true.
Essentially, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin recognized the company for falsely advertising its self-driving capabilities. Albeit such promises weren’t peddled by the company, but rather by its CEO, social media posts, blog posts, and its website.
“While these channels alone may not ordinarily be enough to establish class-wide exposure for a traditional car manufacturer, Tesla’s distinctive advertising strategy warrants a departure from the typical approach,” said Judge Lin.
Meanwhile, regulatory filings revealed that Tesla’s SVP Xiaotong “Tom” Zhu had sold around 82% of his shares in the company between 2023 and 2024. What’s more is that other Tesla executives and board members sold over 50% of their shares in the past year.
Yet, CEO Elon Musk maintains a positive outlook about the company and warned short sellers, saying, “If they don’t exit their short position before Tesla reaches autonomy at scale, they will be obliterated.”
While cars and SUVs have been the focus of the sustainability movement over the past few years, innovators are seeking multifaceted avenues to deliver clean, green transportation.
Over the past five years, researchers in Spain’s Barcelona have been testing a vehicle running on pure renewable natural gas.
Researchers from the city's water distribution company (Veolia) teamed up with the Barcelona public transport company (TMB) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona to run some buses in the city using biomethane from human sludge.
Basically, they’ve been experimenting with fuel made from human waste, which has successfully run buses on the V3 bus line, with the hopes of powering future public transportation using this method.
Using the Baix Llobregat water purification and treatment plant, the researchers managed to develop a renewable fuel that emits 80% less carbon dioxide than natural gas. As such, the plant can process around 400,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day, where 95% of the recycled water can be reused for various purposes.
The researchers will now take what they learn from this project—which is called Nimbus—and look to boost biomethane production to 10 to 12 cubic meters per hour, which will help power another bus line. The new project is called SEMPRE-BIO.
Do you think Project Nimbus’ fuel can power the future of sustainable transportation and rope in the private vehicle market, or do you think EV companies will be the torchbearers for this initiative?
Let us know in the comments below!
As a result, automakers around the world are introducing a wide range of electric vehicles (EVs) for a variety of purposes.
Ford
Just over a week ago, Ford unveiled a change to its production methods—the first major change in its 122-year history—which would see the introduction of the new Ford Universal EV Platform and Ford Universal EV Production System.
It would also come with a host of new EVs, beginning with a midsize, four-door electric pickup scheduled to launch in 2027, with a targeted starting price of about $30,000.
As for the manufacturing process, Ford will enable automation, cost-saving, and efficiency by opting to assemble the front and rear of vehicles separately, getting rid of dozens of smaller parts. Here, the entire vehicle will be assembled using three parts: the front, rear, and middle. The last will serve as the housing for the battery.
Chevrolet
American automobile company Chevrolet announced an all-new, all-wheel-drive electric version of its prized, precious Corvette—the Corvette CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo (VGT).
The CX concept houses four motors, one powering each wheel, generating more than 2,000 horsepower. Meanwhile, the CX.R VGT blends electric performance with fuel power. Three electric motors—one for each front wheel and a third infused into the 8-speed gearbox—combine with a 2.0-liter dual-overhead-cam twin-turbo V8 that pushes 900 horsepower, to throw out 2,000 horsepower.
However, both these supercars are concepts—and the company currently doesn’t have any plans to move for production. Yet, the two cars “will serve as inspiration to inform Corvette design language for years to come.”
“The CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo demonstrate our design teams stepping away from the constraints of production vehicles and unleashing their creativity,” said Phil Zak, Executive Design Director for Chevrolet. “Through this exercise, we’ve added to Corvette and defined the design direction for Corvette moving forward.”
Nissan
Nissan is bringing the new 2026 Nissan LEAF to dealerships in the United States soon—starting at $29,990 MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) as per a company announcement—as it aims to deliver the most affordable EV in the U.S.
This price marks the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently, and is lower than it was 15 years ago, when the 2011 LEAF carried a list price of $32,780. Furthermore, the 2026 SV+ is $1,960 cheaper than the 2025 LEAF SV PLUS—with an MSRP of $34,230—while offering more features and range.
The LEAF offers a driving range of up to 303 miles per charge and comes with built-in North American Charging Standard (NACS) compatibility with Plug & Charge, bringing the vehicle access to over 20,000 Tesla Superchargers.
Nissan also launched the LEAF PLATINUM+, which is priced at $38,990 MSRP,
“The LEAF really kicked off the mainstream EV market when it launched 15 years ago, and Nissan's still committed to making electric driving accessible to all,” said Vinay Shahani, SVP of U.S. Marketing and Sales at Nissan. “We've stuck to our mission of engineering EVs that are affordable but packed with value.”
Kia
The EV3, Kia’s electric SUV, has become a popular product in Europe—and the company is looking to lead in the EV segment as it introduces new models, including the EV5 and EV4.
In June, the automaker opened orders for the EV4 hatchback and just two weeks later it introduced the Fastback version, or sedan model—for which it plans to begin deliveries by September.
Meanwhile, the company plans to bring the EV5 later in the year, while the EV2—an even more affordable EV—will swing in next year.
As for vehicles in the U.S., Kia’s plan currently only includes a 2026 launch for the EV4—with no other models confirmed as companies navigate tricky tariff waters.
Although the company did announce the launch of the EV5 for the Canadian market in North America—despite testing out the vehicle in the U.S. It’s believed that the EV4 too will arrive, but only as a sedan.
Meanwhile, Kia is also bringing its first electric van, the PV5 Passenger and Cargo, across Europe, with no details on a U.S. debut.
Tesla
It’s tough to talk about EVs and not mention Tesla—the company (or its CEO) is always in the news for some reason.
Either way, the globally renowned automaker opened orders for its Model Y L in China, which is an all-wheel drive, powered by dual motors, offers a range of 466 miles, and comes with an expanded body size, solid structural strength, and a more spacious interior that’s meant to seat six.
The new vehicle comes with a starting price of 339,000 yuan or $47,184. It supports over-the-air software updates to ensure the EV remains up-to-date, and an App that allows users to remotely set up, unlock doors and open the trunk.
However, this isn’t the only development that Tesla hit the headlines for this week.
Tesla lost a bid to dispose of a class-action lawsuit by customers alleging that the company had misled them about its self-driving capabilities for years. According to the lawsuit, Tesla has claimed that all its vehicles since 2016 possess hardware capable of full self-driving and has been selling software that is claimed to be capable of unsupervised level 4-5 self-driving—both of which aren’t true.
Essentially, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin recognized the company for falsely advertising its self-driving capabilities. Albeit such promises weren’t peddled by the company, but rather by its CEO, social media posts, blog posts, and its website.
“While these channels alone may not ordinarily be enough to establish class-wide exposure for a traditional car manufacturer, Tesla’s distinctive advertising strategy warrants a departure from the typical approach,” said Judge Lin.
Meanwhile, regulatory filings revealed that Tesla’s SVP Xiaotong “Tom” Zhu had sold around 82% of his shares in the company between 2023 and 2024. What’s more is that other Tesla executives and board members sold over 50% of their shares in the past year.
Yet, CEO Elon Musk maintains a positive outlook about the company and warned short sellers, saying, “If they don’t exit their short position before Tesla reaches autonomy at scale, they will be obliterated.”
Barcelona’s Boastful Biofuel Bus
While cars and SUVs have been the focus of the sustainability movement over the past few years, innovators are seeking multifaceted avenues to deliver clean, green transportation.
Over the past five years, researchers in Spain’s Barcelona have been testing a vehicle running on pure renewable natural gas.
Researchers from the city's water distribution company (Veolia) teamed up with the Barcelona public transport company (TMB) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona to run some buses in the city using biomethane from human sludge.
Basically, they’ve been experimenting with fuel made from human waste, which has successfully run buses on the V3 bus line, with the hopes of powering future public transportation using this method.
Using the Baix Llobregat water purification and treatment plant, the researchers managed to develop a renewable fuel that emits 80% less carbon dioxide than natural gas. As such, the plant can process around 400,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day, where 95% of the recycled water can be reused for various purposes.
The researchers will now take what they learn from this project—which is called Nimbus—and look to boost biomethane production to 10 to 12 cubic meters per hour, which will help power another bus line. The new project is called SEMPRE-BIO.
Do you think Project Nimbus’ fuel can power the future of sustainable transportation and rope in the private vehicle market, or do you think EV companies will be the torchbearers for this initiative?
Let us know in the comments below!
First published on Wed, Aug 20, 2025
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