XPeng has revealed a series of crucial innovations at its annual 1024 Tech Day, including the latest and most sophisticated version of its in-house developed advanced driver assistance system XPILOT 3.5 and XPILOT 4.0, the design of new generation road-capable flying car, major supercharging technology breakthroughs, and robotic innovations, forming the key components of the company’s smart mobility ecosystem.

Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. are pushing ahead with plans to team up on electric and self-driving vehicles even as the coronavirus derails other projects, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal is expected to close by the end of next month, with both sides recognizing a need to share the large investments needed to develop battery-powered and autonomous cars, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the negotiations are private. The talks with Ford are progressing well, a VW spokesman said by phone, without giving further details. Alan Hall, a representative of Ford’s autonomous-car partner Argo AI LLC, said the plan is on track to close in the second quarter. Ford said separately it expects the same.

Dacia prepares to launch first EV with Spring mini-SUV The Spring was first revealed as a concept in early March, in an online presentation instead of at the canceled Geneva auto show. The production version will have a range of “at least” 200 km (124) miles, Dacia says.

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Milton Keynes are being invited to trial innovative new charging technologies. They can now apply to trial domestic smart chargers, vehicle to grid (V2G) chargers and home battery storage, with the option to keep the equipment at the end of the project. The project is investigating ways to balance the peaks of electricity use associated with charging EVs at home. CrowdCharge is delivering the trial on behalf of Milton Keynes Council, with Flexitricity as the energy demand response partner. The Domestic Energy Balancing EV Charging project aims to trial a range of charging technologies, using CrowdCharge’s digital charger and battery energy management platform. The ultimate aim is for these technologies to be available for EV owners to save money and reduce demand on electricity networks through balancing the load on the grid.

The Future of Automotive Interiors Conference 2020 will be held from May 7-8, 2020 at Wuhan International Expo Center in Wuhan, China.