Hyundai Motor Wins Three Honors at 2026 What Car? Electric Car Awards

cleantechnica.com Sep 9, 2026

Hyundai Motor Wins Three Honors at 2026 What Car? Electric Car Awards

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 9, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Hyundai Motor Company secured three titles at the 2026 What Car? Electric Car Awards, including Best Electric Performance Car for the IONIQ 6 N, Best Used Hybrid Family SUV for the current TUCSON Plug‑in Hybrid, and Best Used Hybrid Seven‑Seat MPV for the previous‑generation SANTA FE. The IONIQ 6 N delivered 650 PS, 770 Nm torque, 3.2‑second 0‑62 mph acceleration, and a 302‑mile WLTP range. The TUCSON PHEV offered 288 PS, 379 Nm, and 43.5 miles of electric range, while the SANTA FE combined a 261 bhp hybrid powertrain with a five‑year unlimited mileage warranty.

💡 Why It Matters

· The trio of awards underscores Hyundai’s expanding dominance across electric performance, family plug‑in hybrids, and value‑oriented used models, reinforcing its strategy of long‑term durability and broad market appeal.

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Tesla Cybercab’s Backup Steering Wheel Is A Giant On-Screen Joystick

Tesla’s upcoming Cybercab, unveiled without a physical steering wheel, pedals or stalks, includes a concealed service menu that displays a virtual joystick on its large infotainment screen. The feature, captured in a video posted by X user Matthew Skrzypczak, shows the menu enabling steering and acceleration control with a single finger. Skrzypczak entered a Cybercab, found the joystick interface, and attempted to move the vehicle, but the car did not respond, suggesting additional activation steps may be required. The on‑screen controls reportedly allow speeds up to 7 mph and were previously seen in a separate video of an operator manually guiding the cab. Tesla has not commented on the functionality or intended use of the hidden interface for future deployments testing.

💡 The hidden joystick shows Tesla has a built‑in manual override, suggesting the company is preparing for jurisdictions that may still require driver input during autonomous operation.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 9

BYD Sales Outside of China Grew 134% to Record 189,466 Vehicles in…

BYD sold 189,466 vehicles outside China in August, marking a 134.5% year-over-year increase and setting a new monthly record. This performance follows consistent monthly growth, with 1,162,260 units exported so far in 2026. Despite these strong figures, BYD has set an ambitious target to sell 2.5 million vehicles abroad in 2027, significantly exceeding its current annual trajectory. Deutsche Bank notes that shipping constraints limited 2026 exports, which originally targeted 1.9 to 2 million units. To overcome logistical bottlenecks and high import tariffs in markets like the EU and Brazil, BYD is expanding its manufacturing footprint. A new plant in Hungary is scheduled to begin assembly by late 2026, with additional overseas locations under evaluation. Localized production aims to bypass tariffs, saving approximately 40,000 yuan per vehicle. Domestically, BYD seeks to increase its Chinese market share from 18% to 25%, reinforcing its dual strategy of aggressive international expansion and continued dominance in its home market.

💡 BYD’s pivot to localized manufacturing directly neutralizes protectionist trade barriers, allowing it to undercut legacy automakers on price while maintaining margins. This strategic shift transforms export challenges into competitive advantages, securing long-term global market penetration.

teslarati.com · Sep 8

Tesla Cybercab improvements are already on the minds of company engineers

Tesla has launched its Cybercab robotaxi service in Austin and immediately sent a rider experience survey to passengers. The questionnaire evaluates overall satisfaction, wait times, vehicle features, and cabin comfort, and asks riders to select up to three desired upgrades such as heated seats, reclining seats, or wireless charging. Tesla’s rapid feedback loop reflects its strategy of treating early users as collaborators, aiming to refine the autonomous taxi through software and hardware updates based on real‑world input.

💡 By soliciting passenger preferences so soon after launch, Tesla can prioritize cabin improvements that enhance daily ride quality, potentially setting a new standard for autonomous urban transport.

soyacincau.com · Sep 8

Volvo EX90 CKD priced from RM404k: Gets 671hp, 350kW DC charging, enhanced…

Volvo has begun locally assembling the EX90 SUV at its Shah Alam plant, offering the 7‑seat Ultra Twin variant as a CKD model priced at RM428,888, a RM14,000 reduction from the imported CBU version. Early buyers receive a RM25,000 rebate, lowering the price to RM403,888, plus a free AC wallbox charger. The CKD EX90 features an 800‑V architecture that boosts DC fast‑charging to 350 kW, cuts charging time to 22 minutes, and raises power to 500 kW (671 hp). It also upgrades ADAS with dual NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin chips and new safety functions. Five exterior colors and a 5‑year unlimited‑mileage warranty accompany the vehicle.

💡 The CKD launch demonstrates Volvo’s strategy to reduce costs and enhance performance for the Malaysian market, offering a higher‑powered, faster‑charging electric SUV at a lower price point.

teslarati.com · Sep 8

Elon Musk hints at Tesla Cybercab’s next market

Tesla CEO Elon Musk indicated that Europe is the next target market for the Cybercab following its recent public launch in Austin, Texas. On September 8, Musk responded to a German rider’s comment by stating, “Hopefully soon in Europe too,” signaling intent to expand the driverless, steering-wheel-less vehicle beyond the United States. Currently, only a few dozen Cybercabs are registered in Texas, operating via Tesla’s Robotaxi app. While early users praise the two-seat vehicle’s smooth, stylish rides compared to competitors like Waymo, European expansion faces significant regulatory hurdles. The EU prohibits self-certification, enforcing strict type-approval rules and a 1,500-unit annual limit for automated vehicles. Although supervised Full Self-Driving has gained provisional approval in some member states, unsupervised robotaxi operations remain unapproved. Musk previously acknowledged that European deployment depends on government approval, noting that even supervised features required extensive clearance time. No specific launch city, date, or approval pathway has been announced for Europe. Consequently, the Cybercab remains an Austin-exclusive service, with its international rollout contingent on navigating complex EU regulations rather than technical readiness alone.

💡 Musk’s public endorsement of a European rollout challenges the EU’s stringent regulatory framework, potentially forcing a reevaluation of automated vehicle approval processes. This move tests whether Tesla can overcome bureaucratic barriers that have historically slowed autonomous technology adoption outside the United States.

openpr.com · Sep 8

Aviation Digital Components Market Gains Momentum as Connected Avionics and Aircraft Replacement…

The Federal Aviation Administration reported that data‑communications services are now active across all 20 U.S. Air Route Traffic Control Centers, linking more than 8,000 equipped aircraft. This expansion of digital air‑ground links is spurring demand for qualified onboard computing, data‑interface, sensing, connectivity and control hardware. Fact.MR projects the aviation digital components market to rise from $8.7 billion in 2026 to $22.9 billion by 2036, a 10.1 % compound annual growth rate, creating a $14.1 billion opportunity over the decade. Growth is driven by fleet renewal—Boeing forecasts nearly 44,000 new commercial deliveries through 2045—and by increasing software‑driven, connected aircraft architectures. Integrated modular avionics, which allow multiple applications to share certified computing platforms, further boost demand for high‑performance, safety‑partitioned processors and deterministic networking components in modern.

💡 Suppliers that can offer pre‑qualified, lifecycle‑supported digital hardware will become essential partners, accelerating aircraft program schedules and reducing costly re‑certification.