Big EV lineup shakeup
OEMs are reshuffling 2026: BMW confirmed 40 new launches by 2027 including its first electric M car, while Mercedes launched the electric VLE MPV and Volkswagen revealed the ID.UNYX 08 developed with XPeng as part of 20 custom EVs for China this year BMW 40 launches Mercedes VLE Volkswagen ID.UNYX 08. At the same time manufacturers are pulling back — Honda dropped the Prologue and three planned US‑built EVs, and Tesla will end Model X production in Q2 2026 Honda pulls plug Model X end.
BMW’s U.S. site accidentally leaked) names for its 2027 lineup — listings included an M2 xDrive and an M350 — exposing several variants before BMW’s formal roll‑out. Mercedes began pre‑series VLE production at its Vitoria plant on Sept. 25, 2025, as part of a ramp‑up ahead of series build announced). The VLE’s technical sheet shows a 115‑kWh battery and a claimed WLTP range above 700 km with a retractable 31.3‑inch 8K rear display and VLE 400 4MATIC producing roughly 409 hp in the top spec outlined). Volkswagen Group confirmed series production of the ID.UNYX 08 in Hefei — the first Volkswagen model co‑developed with XPeng — under its “In China, for China” push announced). Chinese filings and coverage list battery options (about 82.4 kWh and 95 kWh) with CLTC ranges up to roughly 730 km and 800‑volt fast‑charging support, and VW says the ID.UNYX 08 is the opening entry in a slate of ~20 China‑tailored EVs this year filed/reported). Honda said it has halted development of the Honda 0 SUV, Honda 0 Saloon and the Acura RSX EVs and expects related charges of up to ¥2.5 trillion (about $15.7 billion) as it revises forecasts for the fiscal year stated). The company’s release cites recent changes in the business environment and indicates a pivot of near‑term investment toward hybrids while pausing those U.S. EV launches reported). Elon Musk told investors on Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call that the company expects to “wind down” Model S and Model X production next quarter — effectively ending those lines by the close of Q2 2026 — and to repurpose Fremont capacity transcript/reported). Tesla plans to reconfigure the freed Fremont lines to build Optimus humanoid robots as part of a broader push into AI and robotics reported).
