🚨 Are car companies really ditching electric after investing £44.5 billion?

Major manufacturers have poured £44.5 BILLION into EV development — but now we’re seeing delays, petrol extensions, hybrid pivots and production slowdowns.

So what’s really happening in the UK car market?

In this episode of Ctrl Alt Refuel, we break down:

⚡ Why some car makers are scaling back EV targets

⚡ The truth about UK EV demand in 2026

⚡ Are hybrids making a comeback?

⚡ Is government policy (ZEV mandate) forcing the issue?

⚡ What this means for drivers, fleets & the future of electric cars

Is this an EV slowdown… or just a reset?

With billions already invested in battery plants, electric platforms and UK charging infrastructure, this shift could reshape the entire automotive industry.

If you’re into:

Electric cars UK

EV news

Hybrid vs electric debate

UK car industry updates

Automotive business analysis

Charging infrastructure rollout

— this episode is for you.

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments:

Are car companies overreacting… or is the EV market correcting itself?

⸻

🔔 Subscribe to Ctrl Alt Refuel for weekly UK-focused EV news, industry analysis and real-world electric car discussion.

🔥 Volvo EX30 fire recall? Ferrari EX2 electric rumours? And your biggest EV questions answered!

In this episode of Ctrl Alt Refuel, we tackle the latest headlines and dive into your viewer questions.

⚡ We break down:

• The Volvo EX30 fire recall — what actually happened and what it means for owners

• The rumours surrounding the Ferrari EX2 and Ferrari’s electric future

• Real-world EV charging costs in the UK

• Battery safety myths vs facts

• Range anxiety — still a thing in 2026?

• Home charging vs public charging

• What we’d buy right now

No scripts. No spin. Just straight answers to your EV questions.

If you’ve ever wondered whether electric cars are safe, affordable, or actually ready for everyday UK driving — this one’s for you.

👇 Drop your next question in the comments — we might feature it in the next Q&A episode.

👍 Like the video

🔔 Subscribe for weekly EV news, reviews & industry insight

⚡ Join the Ctrl Alt Refuel community

#VolvoEX30 #FerrariEX2 #EVNews #ElectricCarsUK #EVRecall #ElectricVehicle #CtrlAltRefuel

China has reportedly moved to ban certain electric / pop-out car door handles — and the move is sending shockwaves through the global automotive industry.

In this episode of CTRL ALT Refuel, we break down:

• Why China is targeting electric door handles

• The safety and reliability concerns behind the decision

• What this means for EV manufacturers worldwide

• How this impacts UK and European car buyers

• And what Toyota’s new CEO could do next with their EV strategy

With electric vehicles evolving rapidly, design choices like flush door handles, software integration, and electronic systems are under more scrutiny than ever. If major markets begin restricting certain features, it could reshape how future EVs are built.

We also discuss:

• EV safety standards

• Government regulation and automotive policy

• Toyota’s leadership change and future electrification plans

• The wider EV vs petrol & diesel debate

If you’re interested in electric cars, hybrid vehicles, automotive news, UK car industry updates, and honest EV discussions — this episode is for you.

👇 Let us know in the comments:

Should electric door handles be banned for safety reasons?

🔔 Subscribe for weekly UK automotive news & EV debates

🎙️ Podcast: CTRL ALT Refuel

📍 Covering electric, hybrid, petrol, diesel & hydrogen vehicles

No expense was spent to secure a chat with James Gee of Be.EV. And what a smashing chap he is.

Be-EV have acquired the UK arm of European charging behemoth Mer. In a stroke, Be-EV have tripled their charging network with a particular focus on the south of England, a region previously not well served by Be-EV.

Paul gets a bit giddy and turns the conversation to CHAdeMO, Chris asks very long questions and Gareth talks about places in Dorset. So, normal service has very much been resumed.

Do not adjust your set.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeEgfPd7qhdCKHAUMX6xYYA5zFcgapw6b

@Tedisiek

@eV_Newt

@PaulNissanEV

@_james_gee_

&

Chris Petchelli

Viewer ‪@REV-EV‬ asks us to talk about very long range EVs. And we do for a while.

Like an ongoing soap opera where everybody misunderstands everyone else to further the weak plot, the Petchellis are keeping their salary sacrifice Genesis GV60 until the summer, when its lease ends. As we find out, not much coherent planning has gone into finding its replacement.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeEgfPd7qhdD9T0eCCcDvItzGuxbdMtaW

https://x.com/ctrlaltrefuel

https://x.com/PaulNissanEV

https://x.com/eV_Newt

https://x.com/graeme_cobb

https://x.com/itskyleconner

Like an unexpected special forces unit taking your palace and stuffing you into a Blackhawk, Episode 13 of Ctrl Alt Refuel lands on the roof of your timeline, shrouded in acrid smoke.

Apparently immune to jet lag, Paul marshals his trusted lieutenants and rewards their loyalty with pictures of a new Honda that looks nice from the side, but mings when seen from the rear.

We discover that while Gareth and Paul were driving in the eighties, Chris was slurping his primary school milk in the playground.

We discuss the terrible Chinese EVs that Canada’s tariff change will allow into the United States’ favourite northern neighbour that isn’t Greenland and then we ponder on Tesla’s changes to the FSD offering.

We examine Octopus’s top 5 lease cars and why Petchelli has left Twitter, formerly known as Twitter.

Episode 12 is a feature-length offering because one of our team members is going away. Yes! Gareth is going as far as the Hampshire border!

We mourn the end of the F-150 Lightning and discuss EV pickups that will survive it: the Silverado and some Rivians. Dodge Ram? We forgot about it!

Waymoo is coming to London, and we hatch a plan to meet up and try them, though Gareth notes their I-PACE cars have only operated in dry places thus far - rainwater being Jaguar's kryptonite. Waymo have yet to return my calls. Perhaps it’s for the best.

Chris tells us some people ask him to stop talking – we suggest it’s Londoners and Scousers, who, Gareth reveals, live mostly in the New Forest now. Calm down!

Mentions:

@Rivian

@Tesla

@swearjar

@Waymo

@forduk

@NIOGlobal

@Hyundai_UK

@chevrolet

@TesCalendar1

and of course………. @NissanUK

Your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loan secured on it.

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.

May contain nuts.

You may experience a malodorous, reddish discharge. Seek medical advice if it persists.

Hannah deputises for Chris, who is unavoidably detained until his long-suffering partner pays the bond.

Gareth, Hannah and Paul press on regardless, discussing solar panels, home batteries and Octopus Energy's EV tariffs.

Chris' children shout poo poo.