In this week’s EV/AV Report, governments and automakers continued accelerating investment in charging infrastructure, autonomous driving systems and AI-enabled electric vehicles as competition intensifies across North America, Europe and China.
Nova Scotia expands EV charging network
The Government of Nova Scotia announced additional funding May 8 to expand public EV charging infrastructure across the province through the Nova Scotia EV Charging Station Program.
The funding will support installations at workplaces, public facilities, multi-unit residential buildings and highway corridors as EV adoption continues increasing in Atlantic Canada.
The province said more than 11,000 electric vehicles are now registered in Nova Scotia, compared with approximately 7,500 registrations one year earlier. The latest funding round is intended to reduce charging gaps in rural communities and improve charging access for long-distance travel and apartment residents without home charging capability.
According to the government, the program forms part of Nova Scotia’s broader climate strategy targeting transportation emissions reductions and expanded electrification infrastructure throughout the province.
“Nova Scotians are increasingly choosing electric vehicles, and we need the infrastructure to support them,” said Trevor Boudreau, Nova Scotia’s minister of energy, in the provincial government announcement.
FLO launches ultra-fast EV charger for North American market
FLO, a Quebec City-based electric vehicle charging network operator and charging equipment manufacturer, launched a new ultra-fast DC charger designed for commercial fleets, transit operations and highway charging applications across Canada and the United States.
The company said the charger supports charging speeds of up to 400 kilowatts and includes modular power-sharing capability intended to improve uptime and simplify maintenance. FLO said the system was designed for high-volume charging environments and includes liquid-cooled charging cables and upgraded remote diagnostics capability.
FLO said the product launch comes as fleet operators, municipalities and charging network providers continue expanding investment in heavy-duty EV charging infrastructure across North America.
“Our next-generation fast charger is designed to meet the increasing reliability and uptime expectations of EV drivers and fleet operators,” said Louis Tremblay, president and chief executive officer of FLO, in the company’s product announcement.
Tesla in Europe
Tesla is seeking broader European approval for its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software after receiving provisional approval from RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority based in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, following 18 months of testing.
Representatives from European Union member states were expected to review the Dutch assessment during a meeting of the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles in Brussels. Regulators reviewing the system raised questions regarding driver-monitoring safeguards, winter-weather performance and system behaviour in urban environments.
China’s Auto China 2026 show highlights autonomous and AI-driven EVs
The Beijing Auto Show highlighted China’s continued expansion in AI-enabled EVs and autonomous driving systems, with X-Peng, a Guangzhou-based Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, and BYD, a Shenzhen-based automaker and battery producer, unveiling vehicles equipped with lidar, drive-by-wire systems and advanced onboard computing platforms.
Several manufacturers also introduced lower-cost EVs featuring advanced driver-assistance technologies previously limited to premium models. Chinese automakers continue increasing exports into Europe, South America and emerging markets.
“Smart EV technology is becoming the next core battleground in the global automotive industry,” said He Xiaopeng during Auto China 2026 presentations in Beijing.
Ford plans eyes-off autonomous driving for future affordable EV platform
Ford Motor Company, a Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker, said its next-generation affordable EV platform will support Level 3 “eyes-off” autonomous driving later this decade.
The platform is expected to underpin an electric pickup and additional lower-cost EVs intended for higher-volume production.
Ford is attempting to reduce manufacturing complexity and hardware costs as the company works to improve EV affordability and profitability. The automaker continues investing in software-enabled driving systems alongside broader electrification programs.
“We’ll have an all-electric, affordable vehicle to compete with Model Y and Model 3,” said president and CEO Jim Farley during a discussion at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference.
