PUBG Mobile probably isn't the first game you'd expect to have an electric vehicle tie-in, but it's here all the same. Krafton and Tencent Games have rolled out a 1.5 update for the phone-focused shooter that includes a raft of not-so-subtle plugs for Tesla and its cars. Most notably, you can find a Model Y on Erangel that can drive itself when you activate an autopilot mode on the highway —not that far off from the real Autopilot mode.

You'll also find a Gigafactory on Erangel where you can build the Model Y by activating switches, and self-driving Semi trucks roam around the map dropping supply crates when you damage the vehicles. No, despite the imagery, you can't drive a Cybertruck or Roadster (not yet, at least).

The additions are part of a larger "technological transformation" for Erangel that includes an overhaul of the buildings and new equipment, including an anti-gravity motorcycle.

As is often the case, you shouldn't expect these updates in regular PUBG — the battle royale brawler for consoles and PCs has a more realistic atmosphere. The PUBG Mobile update is really a not-so-subtle way for Tesla to advertise its EVs in countries where it doesn't already have strong word-of-mouth working in its favor.

Jeep wants to bolster its EV lineup. To that end, the company says it will offer a "zero-emission, fully electric" 4xe model in every category of its SUV lineup by 2025. The automaker announced its electrification plan as part of its parent company’s EV Day 2021 event, the same showcase where we learned Dodge is working on an all-electric muscle car.  

By mid-decade, the company anticipates electric vehicles will account for 70 percent of all of its sales. “4xe is good for Jeep. It’s good for the Jeep community, and, more importantly, it’s good for the planet,” Jeep CEO Christian Meunier said during the event.

Jeep also offered a look at the 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe, marking the first time we’ve seen the new plug-in hybrid without camouflage. It’s expected to feature the same gasoline-electric powertrain as the 2021 Wrangler 4xe that allows that SUV to output a combined 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. Jeep will share more details about the entire Grand Cherokee lineup at the New York International Auto Show in late August.

When Harley-Davidson debuted its first electric motorcycle back in 2019, it was held back by an expensive price tag and early production issues. After spinning out LiveWire as a separate brand earlier this year, the company is back with its second electric bike, and it looks to address those issues.

Harley-Davidson

The most eye-catching feature of Harley-Davidson’s new LiveWire One is its price tag. The electric motorcycle will cost $21,999. That’s almost $8,000 less than the $29,799 the original LiveWire sold for when it came out in 2019. With federal subsidies, Harley-Davidson told The Verge it expects most people will be able to buy the LiveWire One for less than $20,000.

But a more attractive entry point isn’t the only change. Harley-Davidson has also improved the motorcycle’s range. Driving on slower city streets, the company claims the LiveWire One can travel 146 miles on a single charge. By comparison, its predecessor was limited to a maximum of about 110 city miles. Using a DC fast charger, the company says you can get the LiveWire One’s battery from dead to a full charge in about an hour, or from zero to 80 percent in approximately 45 minutes. The motorcycle also comes with a six-axis inertial measurement unit to assist with breaking and turns.

Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson will officially debut the LiveWire One at the Northern California International Motorcycle Show on July 18th. In the meantime, you can already order the motorcycle from the LiveWire website. Initial availability is limited to customers who live in California, New York and Texas since only 12 dealerships in those states are authorized to sell the LiveWire One at the moment. However, the bike will be available at more dealers come this fall.

Dodge will release an all-electric muscle car in 2024, just don’t call it an EV. The automaker announced its first foray into the battery electric vehicle market earlier today as part of an event held by Stellantis, its parent company.

The announcement started with Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis declaring the automaker “will not sell electric cars,” only for him to add then it will instead make “American eMuscle.” After that branding exercise, the executive went on to mention the environment only once in his pitch, noting the company’s upcoming EV will “tear up the streets, not the planet.”

“Performance made us do it,” Kuniskis said by way of trying to explain the pivot away from internal combustion engines. He went on to mention the company’s engineers believe they’re approaching a “practical limit” with existing ICE technology. “They know we know that electric motors can give us more,” he said. “And if we know of a technology that can give our customers an advantage, we have an obligation to embrace it.”

As for the car itself, we didn’t get to see much of it, but the concept Dodge showed off looks to borrow design cues from the company’s iconic 1969 Charger. Moreover, based on an earlier part of the Stellantis EV Day 2021 presentation, Dodge will build the EV on top of the company’s new STLA Large platform. When the technology rolls out in 2024, Stellantis claims it will allow its cars to go 0 to 60 in as little as two seconds and feature a maximum power output of 886 horsepower, as well as a maximum range of up to 500 miles. 

When we saw BMW's CE 04 electric scooter concept last year, it looked like something pulled straight out of a science fiction film. Now the company has unveiled the final consumer version of the CE 04, and while it's lost a bit of the fantastical edge, it still looks like a vehicle that would be right at home in Akira or Ghost in the Shell. Aimed at the urban commuter, the CE 04 features a 10.25-inch LCD screen (that's bigger than what's in most cars!), up to 81 miles of range, and a top speed of 75mph. It'll be available in 2022 for around $16,000. That's twice the price of the Vespa Elettrica, but that's also a far slower vehicle meant for even more casual users.

Just looking at the CE 04 makes it clear what BMW is trying to accomplish. It's a fresh new design that's meant to entice people who are interested in EVs, but may not have the money or space for an actual electric car. It can charge with a regular power plug or EV cables, and BMW claims it can quick charge after being completely drained in one hour and 40 minutes with a level 3 power connection. Still, even if you don't have the fanciest charging setup around, BMW says it can juice up in four hours and 20 minutes with a standard household socket.

While we're still waiting for more details on the CE 04's pricing and optional accessories, you can expect to see a reduced output model with a range of around 62 miles (100Km). That cheaper model will also spit out between 15hp and 30hp, whereas the standard one can reach up 42hp. Both versions should be well equipped for city traffic though, with the ability to reach 31mph in 2.6 seconds. 

After announcing a shift to hybrid and fully electric cars by 2026, Bentley has begun showcasing the existing vehicles getting an eco-friendly makeover. Following the Bentayga Hybrid SUV, the spotlight is now on the more powerful Flying Spur sedan. 

Bentley's second plug-in hybrid features a 410 break horsepower (bhp) 2.9-liter V-6 with twin turbochargers, paired with a 134 bhp electric motor, for a combined 536 bhp. That's 95 bhp more than its SUV counterpart. While the luxury vehicle's 0-60mph acceleration time of 4.1 seconds and top speed of 177mph is just shy of the standard Flying Spur V8. 

Bentley

To improve emissions, the new engine uses fuel injectors and spark plugs centralized within each combustion chamber for "optimal spray patterns." While the twin-scroll turbos and catalytic converts are positioned within the V of the engine.

Bentley says the Flying Spur packs a 14.1kWh battery to offer an expected all-electric range of around 25 miles, pending certification. With many city centres requiring hybrids to switch to full EV mode, those figures will be critical. Some car makers like Fiat and BMW have even developed tech that can fully switch hybrids to all-electric drive in low emissions zones. 

Similar to that feature, Bentley says the hybrid manages battery usage by automatically shifting between three drive modes, including EV, allowing it to store up energy for when you reach the city. The sedan's combined petrol-electric range is more than 435 miles.

Visually, little separates the new plug-in hybrid from the rest of Flying Spur range, apart from a charging port on the left rear wing and an understated hybrid badge on the front. As you'd expect, this is a car for the uber-rich. Prices for the Flying Spur Hybrid are expected to start from an eye-watering £160,000 in its native UK, according to Auto Express, with sales beginning this summer and deliveries to kickstart before the end of the year.

Tesla has once again topped its delivery record, and this time it reached a symbolic milestone. As CNBCnotes, the EV maker delivered an all-time high of 201,250 vehicles in the second quarter of 2021 — the first time it has ever shipped more than 200,000 cars to customers in a given quarter. It delivered 184,800 machines in the first quarter of the year.

The Model 3 and Model Y represented nearly all of the deliveries. Tesla delivered just 1,890 Model S and Model X units, although that wasn't helped by the wait for the Model S Plaid. The first deliveries for the upscale electric sedan officially started on June 10th.

The achievement came despite "many challenges," founder Elon Musk said. He didn't elaborate on what those were, but he'd previously mentioned "major" supply chain price issues as a factor. Raw materials were a particular sore point, Musk added. The automotive industry as a whole has also reeled from chip shortages, making it difficult for some companies to manufacture enough cars to meet demand.

The number isn't as large as what some analysts were hoping for. Estimates ranged as high as 231,000. Even so, it's notable that Tesla is besting its own results despite cooling momentum and a less-than-forgiving market. The bigger challenges lie ahead — it has to face stiffer competition as EVs become mainstream, particularly from potential blockbuster hits like Ford's F-150 Lightning.

Porsche is planning to recall its Taycan EV around the world over a software issue that can cause a sudden power loss, Bloomberg has reported. The action follows an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started in May following reports of cars switching to emergency mode. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries, according to sources familiar with the situation. 

The NHTSA identified nine complaints of sudden power loss, according to a filing uncovered by Automotive News in May. The problem, which affects model year 2020-2021 vehicles, reportedly stems from the auxiliary 12 volt battery and not the 800 volt main battery that powers the car. 

According to the complaints from May, "a loss of charge in the 12V battery may deactivate the entire electrical system and prevent the vehicle from operation." Loss of power reportedly occurred with no warning or error messages, and six complaints said the vehicle could not be restarted.

"We are already underway in addressing this issue and look forward to answering the NHTSA's questions and quickly resolving the underlying issue, should one be confirmed," a Porsche spokesperson told Road & Track at the time. 

The recall is a first for the Taycan, Porsche's debut all-electric car. Sales in the first quarter of 2021 nearly matched the company's iconic 911 and the EV is a key part of Porsche's fledgling subscription service. Porsche wouldn't be the only EV maker with recall issues — rival Tesla recently recalled nearly 300,000 Model 3 and Model Y EVs delivered in China over the Autopilot assisted driving feature. 

Volvo's electric vehicles to date have been offshoots of existing car platforms (yes, even the Polestar 2), but it's now ready to show just what it can do when it builds an EV from the ground up. The brand has unveiled a Concept Recharge design that shows the direction for the company's "pure" EV future — both in aesthetics and technology.

The Concept Recharge ditches the usual engine bay and tucks a large battery into a flat floor. That makes for more interior space, of course, but also leads to shorter overhangs, a lower hood and a slicker roof profile. This also gives Volvo an excuse to streamline its look — the Concept Recharge removes "all unnecessary elements" and looks more like a tall hatchback despite its SUV-like vantage point.

Volvo

The interior is equally stripped back and likened to a "Scandinavian living room." You'll still get plenty of technology, though, including a digital dash and a 15-inch infotainment touchscreen. Volvo's fondness for safety is in full view with a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor to collect environmental data and (eventually) enable autonomous driving features.

There's no mention of whether or not the Concept Recharge will evolve into a production car, or when you can expect the first EVs based on this formula. However, it's safe to presume that many of the design cues and basic technological ideas will reach cars you can actually buy. It's just a question of whether or not Volvo can compete against the many, many rivals planning from-scratch EVs in the next few years.

Renault has been sending signals that it wants to accelerate its EV plans, and it's now clear just how aggressive the firm will be. The French automaker now expects 65 percent of its lineup to be electrified by 2025 — potentially the "greenest" car mix in Europe, according to the company, and much better than an earlier 30 percent target. Its plans revolve around a lineup with 10 new electric cars, including the reborn 5, the 4ever (a modern Renault 4) and a Mégane EV.

Up to 90 percent of cars in Renault's brand stable (which includes Alpine and Dacia) should be electric by 2030.

The strategy hinges in part on making EVs more accessible. Renault is prepping a new platform (CMF-BEV) that should reduce costs by a third compared to the Zoe through an interchangeable battery, a "right-sized" 100kW powertrain and borrowed components from conventional cars. Renault is also focusing on more capable and affordable components, including more efficient nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries (with 20 percent more range versus alternatives) and an all-in-one powertrain that's roughly half as large as before while costing 30 percent less.

Renault is also hoping to cut the cost of recycling EV batteries to a third of its current levels by 2030, and have its Mobilize brand reuse batteries as stationary energy storage.

You'll have to wait a while for some of these cars. The Mégane arrives in 2022, and Alpine's "dream garage" will have to wait until 2024. Still, It's evident Renault wants to earn an eco-friendly reputation much sooner than originally expected.

Whether or not Renault will lead the pack is another matter. Volkswagen, for instance, hopes to be the worldwide leader in electric vehicles by 2025 "at the latest," and wants an all-electric European lineup by 2030. There's no guarantee rivals will meet their own goals, but Renault may have to tweak its plans again if it's going to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market.