While there are many EV conversions that feature Tesla drive units and battery modules, there are hardly any that feature the bonkers three-motor Plaid powertrain with 1,060 horsepower. This lengthened and widened Cobra kit car is one of them, and it’s pretty bonkers.

The car needed to be bigger to fit the 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack out of a Model S Plaid and its three motors. You can see how much metal was added since it’s not painted, and the car looks about two feet longer than standard as well as about 10 inches wider. The longer wheelbase and wider track should also help improve comfort, stability at high speeds and the predictability of the handling while driving the car spiritedly.

It has Plaid front and rear subframes, so the wheels still stick out even though the body has been widened. The wheelbase appears to be a bit shorter than a Model S Plaid’s.

The vehicle was built by Don Swadley, who used a special custom controller created by Ingenext that makes the powertrain work. The result is impressive and, frankly, a bit scary too. We’d love to see this on a drag strip to see how it compares with the world’s quickest-accelerating vehicles.

Weighing around 3,300 pounds, it’s considerably lighter than a Model S Plaid, which weighs nearly 4,800 pounds. That’s an almost 1,500-pound difference, which explains why the acceleration looks so scary in the driving video posted by Revolt Systems. It shows the car not only accelerating from a standstill and pinning the occupants to their seats even under partial throttle but also how all four tires lose traction even when you floor it at higher speeds.

This Cobra is lighter and should, therefore, be even quicker than the Dodge Challenger Hellcat Plaid swap we featured last month.

The car has fully slick tires, whose grip on an unprepared surface and, when not up to temperature, can vary greatly. Even with all-wheel drive and sticky tires, though, this is still a pretty scary EV conversion, although if you take it to a drag strip with a grippier surface, it should catapult itself off the line and easily beat a Model S Plaid.

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The Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric minivan is one cool EV. It looks fantastic, which isn’t something you can usually say about minivans, but VW has managed to blend enough nostalgia and new stuff into the ID.Buzz’s design that it just works.

However, since the U.S. specs of the reimagined Microbus hit the interwebs, a lot of people can’t move past one figure: 234 miles. That’s the maximum driving range of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, as per the EPA, and it’s a huge pain point for those who were looking to get VW’s electric minivan for the purpose of cross-country travel.

The original Microbus from the 1950s and 1960s was far from a luxury vehicle, but it made a name for itself as a great road-tripping machine. So, can the new ID.Buzz live up to its ancestor’s legacy? Well, it’s complicated.

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Our friends from The Fast Lane EV traded in their Tesla Cybertruck and got a brand-new Volkswagen ID.Buzz thinking they would use it for long and very long road trips. But a dodgy charging experience, freezing temperatures and a snowstorm made the car’s inaugural road trip a “total train wreck.”

As you can see in the video embedded below, the team set out to travel roughly 500 miles. They set off from a hotel that supposedly had EV chargers on site, but those turned out to be Tesla Superchargers, which the ID.Buzz can’t use yet. So, with 15% juice left in the battery, the first charging stop was an Electrify America DC fast charging station, where the ID.Buzz can charge for free for the first 500 kilowatt-hours.

However, all the stalls were broken and couldn’t be fixed remotely, according to an EA call center worker who said that a service team was booked to go to the site and make it operational once again.

The next stop was an EVgo station 11 miles away that was thankfully online and working. After this first successful top-up, the driver gave up using the built-in navigation system and turned to PlugShare to plan the next charging stops. The EVgo stop took 41 minutes during which nearly 70 kWh of energy was dispensed.

The next charging stop was at a Shell, which required a separate smartphone app to start using the stall because there was no credit card reader on the charger. Not great, but the team was able to recharge here.

Almost 100 miles later, another charging stop was necessary, this time at an Electrify America station. This time, the stalls worked, and because the ID.Buzz has Plug&Charge, there was no need to use a credit card or an app because the EV communicates with the network automatically. Several charging stops were made during the trip and at the end, 12 hours were needed to go 500 miles. The average efficiency was around 2 miles/kilowatt-hour, which is slightly worse than the EPA-rated 2.4 miles/kWh.

At the end of the day, the car is “way cool” but the route planning is way behind what Tesla is doing with their Supercharger network and the non-Tesla charging infrastructure is still lackluster–although it is rapidly improving across the country. Next year, EVs made by Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Scout will gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network in the U.S., which should make road trips much easier, but a concrete timeline has not yet been disclosed.

The Tesla Cybertruck is advertised as being dent-proof, rust-proof and even bulletproof. It all sounds very good, and it’s some very good marketing on Tesla’s side, but it’s not exactly true, as some owners found out the hard way. (Please don’t shoot your own car.)

That said, there are benefits to owning an unpainted car that’s covered in stainless steel panels, as one Cybertruck owner from Detroit found out after another vehicle dented the driver-side door of his electric pickup just a few weeks after getting delivery.

The ding was on the lower part of the door on the factory crease that extends to the rear wheels. Naturally, this being a brand-new car, the owner went to a Tesla collision center to get a quote for the repair. The estimate was a pretty hefty $3,000, with $828 for a new door panel and the rest in labor.

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Unfazed by the potential repair costs, the owner went home and tried to fix the ding with the help of a friend. The first attempt was with a sturdy suction cup, but it wouldn’t stay attached to the body panel and the dent was still there.

The next step was to heat the steel panel and then stick some glue sticks on the damaged area. The sticks were simply pulled by hand. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t work either.

However, a second try with the suction cup on a warm panel resulted in a definite fix, which was very satisfying to watch, as you can see in the video embedded above. The “pop” of the metal returning to its original form is nothing but bliss for people who like working on their own cars (this news writer included).

The cost? Chump change compared to the Tesla collision center estimate: a $25 lunch for the owner’s buddy who did all the work.

The Tesla Cybertruck was America’s best-selling electric pickup in the second quarter of 2024, the third-best-selling EV in the country in Q3, and the best-selling vehicle costing over $100,000 in the first half of the year. However, after starting the year strong, interest in the radical-looking stainless steel electric truck appears to be waning.

Cybertruck assembly line workers were told to stay home for three days at the start of December, hinting that there may be a demand problem. Reuters is now highlighting data that shows used Cybertrucks are taking far longer than expected to sell than earlier in the year, up to 75 days compared to 27 days in May, which should mean there’s a much higher chance that you can negotiate the price down and get a good deal on a used Cybertruck.

This is a strong sign of weakening demand and, according to Kevin Roberts, director of economic and market intelligence at CarGurus, "The number of days they're sitting is getting longer and the price is coming down, and I can tell you the sales volume has come down.”

The Cybertruck almost matched the combined sales of all other electric trucks on the market (Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV) in July when it sold 5,546 units. However, analysts at the time argued that it may have simply been a case of Tesla filling a backlog of older orders, which wasn’t indicative of the vehicle’s actual demand.

Reservation holders are also taking delivery of their Cybertrucks ahead of schedule, and even those who reserved a non-Foundation Series (FS) truck have started receiving emails to finalize their vehicle’s configuration as their vehicle will soon start to be assembled. This while dozens of Founders Series Cybertrucks are waiting unsold in inventories across the country, and there are even reports that some of them are having the FS script buffed out and sold as regular models.

The cheapest used Cybertruck I could find on Cars.com was a Cyberbeast sold through CarMax that had covered just under 13,000 miles and was selling for $85,000. There were plenty of dual- and tri-motor Cybertrucks with very low mileage selling for under $90,000.

CarGurus says the average price of a Cybertruck is $106,845, which marks a 3.19% decrease over the last 30 days and almost 10% in the last 90 days. The lowest-priced used Cybertruck listed here is a dual-motor with 17,400 miles that has been wrapped in black and already has two previous owners, which costs $82,995.

The Cybertruck doesn’t address what you might call “typical truck buyers” in the U.S., who tend to be more conservative. If such a buyer were looking to go electric, they would likely pick something more conventional, like an F-150 Lightning or a Silverado EV, over the Cybertruck with its polarizing design.

It may be that after the initial hype and excitement following the start of deliveries in November 2023 has died down, the pool of people willing to spend $100,000 on a novelty showoff EV may have also been exhausted. Not that the Cybertruck isn’t an accomplished and capable vehicle, because it is. It may not be taken seriously because of how it looks or, more recently, because of company boss Elon Musk's full-on support of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and his key role in getting the former president reelected.

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While most Cybertruck owners say they really enjoy the vehicle, some were also dissatisfied with the build quality of the truck, which suffered multiple issues, including a dangerous flaw with the accelerator pedal and pieces of exterior trim coming loose and flying off at speed.

We liked the Cybertruck when we tested it, and we think it was a ballsy move by Tesla to make it as unique and innovative as it is, even though it wasn’t quite the revolution we were hoping for. We nominated it as a potential Breakthrough EV Of The Year in our 2024 Breakthrough Awards, but it didn’t win. As cool as it is, it just doesn’t do enough to spur EV adoption, especially considering that the highly anticipated cheap version probably isn’t happening.

Electric cars are rapidly taking over the streets. Recently, you might have passed a Tesla Model Y cruising down the highway or seen a family unloading their gear from a Honda Prologue by the soccer field. They're everywhere. But there is one significant effect: more cars than ever need to get plugged in. 

If you've charged in a busy urban area, you might have encountered full or over-capacity chargers. This means that drivers must be familiar with the proper etiquette to ensure swift and courteous charging sessions. Like the rules of the road, there are rules to charging. InsideEVs has compiled five key tips to make sure all EV drivers have hassle-free charging sessions. 

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Rule #1: Plug In If You're Sitting In An EV Spot

The cardinal rule of charging an electric car on a public charger is to plug in. This rule applies to all chargers, but primarily level 2 stations at work, hotels, or shopping centers. Namely, if you're in a charging spot, plug in. If your car is at a high enough state of charge where it doesn't need to be plugged in, then you should find a regular parking spot. 

The charging spots are there for vehicles to charge, not for people's cars to occupy. 'ICE'ing' is a term used to describe an internal combustion engine-powered car that is intentionally parked in an EV spot. It's annoying and inconsiderate when this happens. But in the case of an EV not plugging in, it's the exact same scenario. There's a vehicle blocking other people's access to the charger. 

With the influx of EVs on the road, charging spots are more likely to be occupied. And some people rely on these chargers for their daily travels. Therefore, if you see an open charging spot and need a charge, plug in!

Rule #2: Leaving Your Car Sitting After Charging

As an extension of the first rule, you should always leave a charging spot once a session is complete. When your car has completed charging, the spot should be vacated to allow others to charge. Especially at hotels, many EV drivers have likely planned their trip to account for an overnight charging stop. Therefore, if your car is done charging at ten at night, the courteous thing to do would be to unplug and find a different spot. 

Most DC fast charging stations have idle fees, meaning you will receive a bill if your car is done charging and still plugged in. Tesla charges an idle fee of up to $1.00 a minute, depending on station business. Therefore, if your car has completed its charging session, it's time to find somewhere else to park. 

Rule #3: Charging In The Optimal Range

While every electric car on the market features different charging profiles, generally, they charge faster at lower states of charge. This means that when road-tripping, it is sometimes more time-efficient to "bottom charge" your car. For instance, the Model Y takes around 33 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent. But it takes 30 more minutes to go from 80 to 100. In other words, if the next charging stop isn't far away, it's not worth waiting to "top charge" the battery. 

Some drivers have EVs that come with free charging subscriptions. BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen (not anymore), and Hyundai are a few automakers that supply their electric cars with unlimited 30-minute charging sessions on Electrify America. While free charging is undoubtedly a perk, some drivers like to fully maximize the offer by charging from, say, 60 to 100% while they're shopping. 

While there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of an offer, one should be cognizant of others in line. If you're road-tripping, pulling in at 10 percent, and waiting for an ID.4 to reach 100%, you may not be a happy camper. 

Rule #4: Supercharger Parking Rules

While Tesla opening up the Supercharging network to other makes and models is a big deal, there's one big caveat. A lot of EVs on the market have their charge ports in different locations. All Ford and most GM EVs feature charging ports on the driver's side front quarter panel. Meanwhile, BMW's electric cars bestow their ports on the passenger side rear. 

On the other hand, Tesla's lineup has the charging port positioned on the driver's side rear. Since Tesla developed the charger and vehicle simultaneously, the engineers designed the cable to be just long enough to accommodate the port location. Shorter cables mean less coolant is needed, lessened electrical resistance, and a smaller bill of materials (particularly less copper). 

Tesla Ford NACS Supercharger Double Park

Depending on the station design, shorter cables might have trouble reaching all cars. Pull-through Superchargers should pose no serious issues, though the traditional parking-space style ones might. To charge a Chevrolet Equinox EV on a Supercharger, occupying more than one spot might be necessary. 

Simply put, if you're in a busy region, taking up multiple supercharging spots might block another driver's access to a stall. Tesla recommends not parking perpendicular to the spot lines, as that would block three stalls. Instead, drivers must straddle the dividing lines for the front charge port to come close enough to the cable. End spots are obviously the most desirable, though taking up two spots is the temporary solution for now. 

Tesla's 4th generation Superchargers will have longer cables, so this issue is isolated with previous generation stations. 

Rule #5: How Queuing Works

Unfortunately, queuing at charging stations is a bit of an issue. If you arrive at a full charging station in a busy spot, the best method is to park in a spot opposite the stalls. Therefore, you can see the cars entering and exiting. If there isn't a lot of parking lot traffic and it's safe, then it's usually all right to park in the lot facing the chargers. This way, other arriving drivers know that you were there first. 

Finally, once you've been queuing and get on a charger, it's recommended not to stay at the station unnecessarily long. If there's a long line, and the next charger on your trip is less busy, you should charge as much as you need to get there with a buffer. This will help get people in and out of the station and on their way. 

Final Note: Don't End Up In EV Purgatory 

The electric car community is rapidly evolving, with more members than ever. However, proper etiquette is needed to ensure everyone can get to their destinations quickly and seamlessly. This means that drivers must be conscious of their time at stations. 

But the best way is education. If you meet a new driver at a station, tell him or her about how charging works. Let that person know about the different types of charging stations or what charging curves are. Driving electric demands a learning curve, so keeping other drivers up to speed is good for everyone.

Carlos Ghosn was never one to pull his punches. Even at the peak of his power at the helm of one of the world's largest automakers, he always had a lot to say. So following his daring escape from Japanese prosecution for alleged financial crimes, nobody should have expected the former Nissan-Renault boss in exile to just chill on a yacht somewhere. (Well, he had one, but he had to give it back.) 

Now, Ghosn is back in the public eye to weigh in on Nissan's potential merger with Honda, and he hasn't lost his fiery touch. That kicks off this Friday edition of Critical Materials, our morning roundup of auto industry and tech news. Also on tap: a Tesla recall that you should know about (but one of the over-the-air sort,) and possible news about a Tesla Cybercab deployment in Austin. Let's dig in.

Panic! At The Nissan-Honda Merger Talks

You may not care what Ghosn has to say about Nissan—or anything—anymore, especially since he hasn't been involved with the automaker since his 2018 arrest in Japan and subsequent flight from prosecution about a year after that. But I'd argue few people on earth know Nissan like Ghosn does. And few people know about mergers to save Nissan like Ghosn does.

After all, Ghosn was a top executive at Renault in 1999 when it formed the Nissan-Renault Alliance, an odd cross-continental team-up that rescued Nissan was on the brink of bankruptcy. Nissan's problems back then should sound familiar: an unsustainable focus on volume, forgettable models, a hangover from a financial crisis, and so on. He would soon lead both companies to a surprising degree of financial and sales success until his downfall. 

Now, Nissan is in crisis again. It's the poster child for how far behind the Japanese auto industry is technologically, and for how much ground it's losing to new, high-tech players in China. Japan Inc. needs capital and expertise to deliver a future focused on batteries and software, and Honda—despite being in much better shape these days—has been called up on to help make that happen. Merger talks could start as soon as Monday, according to reports.

But Ghosn told Bloomberg he doesn't see the point: 

“It’s a desperate move,” Ghosn said Friday on Bloomberg Television. “It’s not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find.”

Nissan and Honda operate in the same markets with similar brands and products, Ghosn said, casting doubt on the merits of the two combining. He believes Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has pushed Honda to go forward with a deal.

“They’re trying to figure out something that could marry the short-term problems of Nissan and the long-term vision of Honda,” Ghosn said. While there is “no industrial logic” to a deal, “there is a moment where you have to choose between performance and control.”

It's also worth noting here that Ghosn is hardly some benevolent, unbiased actor. He has maintained both his innocence and a huge axe to grind against Nissan since his departure, and has spent the years since railing against the automaker's management and failures in the marketplace. 

But he's right that synergies are hard to find here—in Nissan and Renault's case, the alliance was a tight partnership between two giants that often operated in very different markets and wasn't an outright merger. (Neither Japan nor the French government, which partially owns Renault, ever seemed good with that.) But Honda and Nissan are direct competitors basically everywhere and in every segment. How does this make sense for Honda, in particular? 

Ghosn also addressed the reports that this merger was prompted by interest in Nissan from Taiwanese electronics giant (and iPhone manufacturer) Foxconn, which has wanted to get into the carmaking game for some time. The current thinking by many industry watchers is the Japanese government is moving this along to protect some of its most important companies from foreign control. But Ghosn warned Foxconn will be back, somewhere:

“I can understand that a company like Foxconn — headed by very serious and realistic management — is going to say, ‘You know what, instead of us investing to do our own electric car, let’s buy a car company,” Ghosn said. “They’re not going to be the only one to try to do that.”

We'll know more as this reportedly starts to play out next week. 

60%: Tesla Recall For Tire Sensors

Tesla Model Y Tire

Hey, Tesla owners: you may own one of the 700,000 models affected by a new recall. Luckily, this one's an over-the-air update. Here's what to know from the Associated Press:

According to a letter Thursday from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall includes certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles.

The issue is that the tire pressure monitoring system warning light on the vehicles may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure. Driving with improperly inflated tires can increase the risk of a crash.

Are OTA updates "recalls"? I say if they fix a problem, I have no issue with that phrasing.

90%: Tesla Cybercab May Be Headed To Austin 

Tesla Cybercab, LA Auto Show 2024

It's not uncommon to see Google's Waymo driverless cars zooming around tech-crazed Austin these days. But if Tesla CEO Elon Musk gets his way, Austin could eventually see Tesla Cybercabs on its roads too. Here's one more from Bloomberg:

Emails acquired by Bloomberg through public records requests show a Tesla employee has been communicating with the city of Austin’s autonomous vehicle task force since at least May to establish safety expectations for the vehicles as the company decides if Austin will be the first Texas city where Tesla deploys driverless fleets.

“Tesla is still working to strategically find a city within Texas to deploy... The city of Austin is obviously on our roadmap, but has not yet been decided where we will deploy first as we have many options available,” a November email from the employee said.

 A successful rollout is key to Tesla as Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has increasingly bet the company’s future on autonomous technology and robotaxis, but the needed approvals could be years away. A number of competitors have already deployed driverless cars on public roads in select cities.

But Austin's own mayor has been a critic of the technology too, and as the story notes, Texas isn't necessarily the regulatory free-for-all that you might expect it to be:

In Texas, where autonomous vehicles are regulated much like any other car and cities do not set regulations, Tesla will face few regulatory hurdles. Companies must have insurance, be able to follow traffic laws and be equipped with video recording devices. Robotaxis must have their own licensing, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has yet to list Tesla as a licensee.

Still, testing the Cybercabs—which will controversially rely on cameras and AI instead of Lidar and other advanced sensor suites like Waymo's cars—in the warm-weather home of Tesla makes a lot of sense for the company. I would not be shocked at all if testing begins there as early as next year. 

100%: How Do You Feel About Robotaxis In Your City?

Tesla Cybercab Robotaxi

You may live with them already if you're in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco or Austin. Are you fine with them being in your town, or coming to them eventually? What safeguards would you want if they were to hit your streets?

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

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Europe is experiencing some weird times. From politics to economy and car sales, it’s far from rosy, and arguably the biggest player in the electric vehicle game is having a rough year.

Eleven months into 2024, Tesla recorded a double-digit decrease in registrations, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), which released official figures for November.

To be clear, Tesla is still the largest EV manufacturer in Europe and the United States, but its grip is weakening on the other side of the Atlantic. Last month, Tesla recorded a 40.9% decrease in registrations in the European Union compared to the same month last year. The number of registrations went from 31,810 in November 2023 to 18,786 last month, marking a decrease in market share from 3.6% to 2.2%.

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Year-to-date, Tesla had 211,405 registrations in the EU, 15.2% fewer than last year’s 249,265 units.

It’s a similar story when the European Free Trade Association members and the United Kingdom are included in the mix. EFTA members include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. On these markets, Tesla registrations went down 28.4% in November, from 36,563 units last year to 26,191 units this year, which made the American automaker’s market share go down from 3.4% to 2.5%.

Year-to-date, Tesla registrations in the EU, EFTA and UK went down 13.7% from 327,635 units in 2023 to 282,692 units this year, while the market share shrunk from 2.8% to 2.4%. In the EU alone, which has 27 member states, Tesla’s market share went down from 2.6% in the first 11 months of last year to 2.2% this year.

The automaker’s losses can be attributed to a number of factors, including the increasingly controversial attitude of its CEO, Elon Musk, and the decrease in government incentives. Some European states have reduced the amount of money offered toward the purchase of a new EV, while others have eliminated the incentives altogether.

That said, Tesla’s significant drop in European registrations has largely left the EV industry unaffected. Considering the sheer volume of electric cars sold by Tesla, EV registrations as a whole only went down by 1.4% in the EU, EFTA and UK from January to November and they actually went up 0.9% in November compared to last year. In the EU alone, EV registrations went down 5.4% year-to-date and 9.5% in November.

This can only mean one thing: other automakers have stepped up to try and fill the gap left by Tesla, and customers are following suit.

American e-commerce giant Amazon now has over 20,000 Rivian Electric Delivery Vans (EDVs) making deliveries across the United States. This year, the American-made commercial EVs have delivered over one billion packages for Amazon.

The previous fleet update came at the beginning of August when Amazon said Rivian had delivered 15,000 EDVs. At the end of November, the e-commerce giant said its Rivian commercial van fleet has expanded to over 20,000 units, but many more are yet to come.

Amazon and Rivian struck a deal in 2019 to put 100,000 electric delivery vans on the road by 2030. The first Amazon-branded EVs were delivered in the summer of 2022. In other words, roughly two and a half years were needed to produce 20,000 units, which comes out to approximately 700 units per month.

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With five years left until the 2030 deadline, Rivian has a good shot at reaching its target if it keeps up the same production pace. In a previous email sent to InsideEVs, the company said it remains on track to deliver on its EDV commitments.

Roughly 300 Rivian-made Amazon Electric Delivery Vans were sent to Germany, but the vast majority are shipping parcels in the United States in cities like Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego and Seattle.

To keep the huge fleet of electric vans running, Amazon has installed over 17,000 chargers at more than 120 delivery centers throughout the country, making it the largest private charging operator in the world.

The Rivian-made electric commercial vehicle was designed exclusively for Amazon, but the exclusivity deal was shuttered last year when Rivian said anyone could buy its now-renamed Commercial Van or RCV. AT&T has a pilot program where it’s testing several RCVs and R1 EVs, and Canada Post has commissioned several custom-made delivery vans known as the Morgan Olson C250e, which is based on the Rivian ECV.

Dodge, perhaps alone among contemporary automakers, has seen immense success in translating the archaic 20th-century Muscle Car formula into the 21st. It has done this by stuffing increasingly outrageous iterations of its modern Hemi V8 into nearly every vehicle in its product line. Its fervent Hellcat-ing has been enough, surprisingly, to maintain steadily vigorous sales of its Challenger coupe and Charger sedan, 20-year-old cars aping 55-year-old designs and riding on platforms developed more than 30 years ago.

But those vehicles are finally going away. They will be replaced by flexible-powertrain two- and four-door models, both called Charger, that will be motivated, at launch in early 2025, solely by a 100.5 kWh battery pack and a pair of electric motors. (And if you’re a Mopar nut but are committed to internal combustion, your muscle-car future means an inline-six engine, as if you were one of those guys whose entire wardrobe consists of ///M apparel. Can you imagine?) So how does Mopar’s methylized muscle-maker plan to convince potential consumers to buy into such a blasphemous switcheroo?

2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV

To get enthusiasts’ “butts-in-seats” and assist with this electron baptism, Dodge is planning a whole series of events in the upcoming year, said Matt McAlear, the brand’s CEO. It will take its new EV muscle cars on tour in the first quarter of 2025 to train its sales and dealership staff and demonstrate the vehicles’ capabilities. It is launching a courtesy transportation program wherein it will send EVs to dealers to use for short-term consumer test drives, or as 96-hour loaners when customers come in to have their vehicle serviced. It will host consumer-facing “Thrill Ride” drive events at upcoming Mecum and Barrett-Jackson classic car auctions, and at its drifting/drag racing “Roadkill Nights” live events in the summer–—prime sites for the gathering of Hemis of all vintages.   

“Dodge is always best as a brand when it does something different,” McAlear said, referencing the automaker’s marketing slogan from the 1980s and 1990s, Dodge Different. And he’s certainly right about convincing people with actual seat time and not just ads. Study after study indicates that once people experience EVs for themselves, or hear from friends and family who do, they’re far more likely to pull the trigger themselves.

Plus, he said, this EV has the bona fides. “This vehicle, it's a muscle car first. If you look at the specs, the design, the capability, and take powertrain out of it, it’s a better muscle car on paper than the cars it replaces,” he noted. “So while there is a polarizing, controversial aspect to this—that it happens to have an EV powertrain as one of the powertrains that’s going to power it—no one can argue the battery electric technology enables terrific performance, and that's what we're bringing to market with this.”

2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV

To enunciate this point, McAlear pointed out that even after Dodge introduces ICE-powered iterations of the Charger in the second half of 2025, gasoline power will represent “the entry-level vehicles from a performance standpoint.” So if a potential consumer desires a car with the quickest acceleration (0-60 in 3.3 seconds) they’ll learn that that capability is a battery-only option.

This powertrain rollout and hierarchy is a stated part of Dodge’s strategy for muscling the muscle car faithful toward EVs, according to McAlear. Another prong in this program is to focus on added utility and daily drivability, to create what Stellantis design chief Ralph Gilles called “emotional alibis” to lead consumers toward acceptance of this new product.

2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV

McAlear listed a suite of capabilities that can provide such cover for what amounts to a highly irrational and emotional purchase. “All-wheel-drive, for instance, helps us compete more in the North as a daily driver,” he said, referencing its all-weather capability. “A hidden hatchback capability gives you amazing cargo space that you didn’t have in your old vehicle. The new Charger two-door now has more rear-seat legroom than the outgoing four-door,” he said. “So this becomes much more of a daily driver than any of the muscle cars that we've had prior.”  

Will this litany of added functionality convince Dodge die-hards, who will receive a defeatable synthetic exhaust note that is as boisterous as that of the outgoing car, but no scent of unburned fuel or ability to smoke the rear tires from a standstill? 

2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV

“Probably not immediately out of the gate,” McAlear said. “It's going to take some time. It's going to take them seeing one on the street. It's going to take them going in for service and testing one while they're getting an oil change. But I've seen those people get behind the wheel and come out with changed opinions.”

However, convincing the faithful may not be the ideal tactic for furthering this car’s market penetration. “Though a muscle car and an electric vehicle seem diametrically opposed, there is an opportunity for electrification to magnify the idea, benefits, and aspirational nature of the muscle car,” said Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision, a Southern California automotive research and consulting firm. “However, the conversion of those from the past, I do not believe is the best strategy. Instead, a new generation of muscle cars can find success with younger folks who think they like muscle cars.”

As it turns out, Dodge has just such consumers in its targets. “If you look at our current demographic today, we have the youngest demographic in the mainstream auto industry,” said McAlear. “We have the highest percentage of Gen Z and Millennials. And those customers have the highest propensity to be willing to adopt electrification. So that sets us up.” 

2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV

Dodge might be onto something here. Though muscle car seems like an anachronistic category to anyone who isn’t a Boomer, research shows that these vehicles have and maintain broader appeal. “The interesting thing with those cars, I think, is they’re far more long-lived than cars like tri-five [1955-57] Chevys, or other American cars of the era,” said Brian Rabold, vice president of valuation for Hagerty, the world’s largest insurer of collectible vehicles. “There are a lot more entry points for younger generations to become interested in them—through driving video games, through movies like the Fast and Furious franchise.” As Rabold notes, pop cultural exposure conjures interest and desire, and translates into purchases, whether those be old Polaras and Road Runners, or more recent Fox Body Mustangs and fourth-gen Firebirds.

Still, rumors have persisted that interest in Dodge’s new muscular EV is less robust than the brand initially suspected and that it is thus rushing the inline-six-powered iterations to supplement this engagement. McAlear denies this categorically.  

“That's what you call an urban legend,” he said. “Someone put one thing on the Internet. And if it's on the Internet, it's true, right?” He laughed, underlining his sarcasm. “We're always trying to bring every new vehicle to market as quickly as possible,” he continued. “It doesn't do us any good from an R&D and a capital expenditure standpoint to hold sales any longer than we have to. So nothing has changed with our timing.” 

2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV

Overall, once both powertrains are on the market, McAlear expects the mix of Charger buyers to segment about evenly: half electric, half gas. This aligns with Dodge’s current mix of high-test Hemi- versus lesser-powered Challengers and Chargers. “If we look historically at our V6 versus our performance V8, it was roughly 50/50,” McAlear said. “So I still think there's an opportunity, over time—as adoption continues to happen, and as infrastructure comes in across the U.S. in terms of charging capability—I think there's the ability for this [EV] to beat a 50/50 mix.” (Dodge officials declined to address questions about demand or pre-orders, but said they plan to remain flexible in terms of production based on consumer demand.) 

If any marque is positioned to succeed with an electric muscle car, it seems to be Mopar’s performance brand. “Consumers who own the Charger and Challenger usually love their vehicles,” said Edwards, whose firm conducts hundreds of thousands of in-depth psychographic surveys with new car buyers annually. “Even those who never buy a Dodge can often agree that Dodge is an exciting brand that has a lot to offer. If Dodge takes the position that they are innovating excitement, then this next step could be a doorway for Dodge’s electric future.” He added one further provision. “They just have to get the messaging right.”

2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EV

McAlear and his teams seem to be thinking about this carefully, calibrating their messaging to entice purchasers who may be simultaneously powertrain-aware and -agnostic. “People buy a muscle car for so much more than just what powers it. They buy it because of how it makes them feel. It's an extension of their personality. It puts a smile on their face. They have fun being in it. They have fun being seen it,” he said. “So I think that's what this vehicle does. And it opens this up to a much larger demographic and audience.”

After spending some time in the Daytona Charger EV, recently, I felt like it succeeded in charting a freshly charged path into the moribund world of muscle cars. So Dodge seemingly has the product right. And it has a history of creating memorable messaging.

We’ll see if it can find a magic recipe that yields results from a youthful audience open to this surprisingly compelling and venerable category.

Brett Berk is a freelance automotive writer based in New York. He has driven and reviewed thousands of cars for Car and Driver and Road & Track, where he is a contributing editor. He has also written for Architectural Digest, Billboard, ELLE Decor, Esquire, GQ, Travel + Leisure and Vanity Fair.   

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Solid-state batteries are a big buzzword on the electric vehicle scene these days because they promise to address many of the downsides of today’s EVs. Several automakers and specialized battery companies are working to make this groundbreaking technology financially viable for electric vehicles. Still, before true solid-state batteries reach a production car, we will likely first see semi-solid-state batteries implemented.

One automaker that plans to introduce a semi-solid-state is MG, according to CarNewsChina, which quotes local media sources. It says its new semi-solid-state model will offer great range and excellent charging performance. Semi-solid-state batteries are halfway between regular lithium-ion and solid-state batteries that do away with the former’s liquid or gel electrolyte in favor of a solid-state material.

China’s SAIC now owns MG and it makes all its cars in China. It plans to launch the new EV in 2025 and says the semi-solid state battery won’t raise the vehicle’s price. It will come standard and likely related to (or the same as) the pack in another SAIC-owned brand, IM Motors, which unveiled its semi-solid-state sedan earlier this year.

The IM L6 has a 133-kilowatt-hour semi-solid-state battery pack, giving it a claimed CLTC range of over 1,000 kilometers (623 miles). It’s built on an 800-volt platform and its maker says it can charge at 400 kilowatts, adding 400 km (249 miles) of range in 12 minutes.

However, unlike the IM L6, which gets the semi-solid-state battery as an option in the highest trim (you can also get it with two cheaper NMC packs), the MG derivative will be semi-solid-state-only. The L6 with the mid-tier NMC battery costs the equivalent of around $41,500, while the top “Lightyear Max” trim with the special battery costs $45,650.

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This gives us an idea of what MG could charge for its semi-solid-state EV. If it’s competitively priced to compete with rivals from Volkswagen, Hyundai or Tesla but offers more range and faster charging, it could prove very successful. MG is already doing great in Europe thanks to the MG4 EV, a VW ID.3 rival offering more performance at a very attractive price.

However, people may be wary of buying a vehicle with battery technology whose durability and longevity have not been proven, although the financial proposition will also play a determining role. The new electric MG will be revealed in the first part of 2025 and will go on sale before the end of the year.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV is a very important electric car. It’s so important that InsideEVs has chosen it as our inaugural “Breakthrough EV Of The Year.” While the electric Equinox offers sleek styling and impressive range, its best attribute is its price point. 

Starting at $34,995 in base LT form, the Equinox EV offers what's probably the best range-to-price ratio in the entire industry right now. For example,  the Equinox EV undercuts the Volkswagen ID.4’s $41,160 sticker price by $6,165. Yet, the Equinox can travel 113 additional EPA-rated miles. Add in the EV tax credit and the price drops as low as $27,495. But that’s not all. 

2024 Chevy Equinox EV RS AWD

If you currently own or lease a 2010 or newer non-GM vehicle, you will be able to get an additional $1,500 off the purchase or lease of a new Equinox EV. Prospective owners who have a Costco membership are able to shave another $1,000 off the MSRP of the car. Since these offers can be stacked, a Costco member with, say, a 2018 Tesla Model 3 will pay just $24,995 for a new model. 

But there are ways to get into an Equinox EV for even less. We’ve seen several U.S. dealerships advertising new 2025 Equinox EV LTs with steep discounts, like this one in Michigan selling a car for $29,040. Add in the tax credits and you’re potentially looking at a new, high-range EV for around $23,000 after taxes and dealer fees.

Now, you need to make sure the advertised offer is what the dealer is actually going to honor, but the point is that we’re seeing Equinox EVs at prices far lower than expected as 2024 winds to a close. (Additionally, the Equinox EV lineup was simplified for 2025, so the one you want for a cheap deal is the 2025 Equinox EV LT.) 

There’s no doubt the Equinox EV is a compelling case on paper. But all this begs the question: with these ultra-low prices, is now the time to buy an electric Equinox? 

The Equinox EV: Tech Specs

The Chevrolet Equinox EV’s most impressive attribute is its range. All Equinox EV variants come with an 85.0 kilowatt-hour usable battery pack. The base front-wheel-drive version can travel 319 miles on a charge and the $40,295 all-wheel-drive can manage a respectable 307 miles. Our own Tom Moloughney recorded 303 miles of range at 70-mph in the front-drive version. The FWD model creates 213 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The AWD manages 288 horsepower and 333 pound-feet. 

2024 Chevy Equinox EV RS AWD

While the power is okay, there’s one big limitation: the weight. The front motor Equinox EV weighs 4,923 pounds and the all-wheel-drive tips the scales at 5,073 pounds. This makes the Equinox EV one of the heaviest non-luxury electric crossovers on the road. The omnipresent Model Y, which manages 320 miles of range, weighs 4,154, a far cry from the Equinox EV. This weight takes a hit on performance. The FWD can accelerate to sixty in 8.0 seconds and the AWD can accomplish a more venerable 5.9 seconds. 

Nevertheless, consumers purchasing an affordable electric crossover probably don’t care about performance and weight, but they do care about charging. The Equinox EV comes as standard with an 11.5-kilowatt (48 amp) onboard charger, allowing for a Level 2 charge time of just 7.5 hours. On the AWD RS trim, Chevrolet offers a $1,295 onboard charger that can accept 80 amps or 19.2 kilowatts. This drops the charge time to just 4.5 hours.

Chevrolet Equinox EV charging inlet

While it charges fast enough on a Level 2 plug, its DC fast charging capabilities are just okay. Tom recorded a 20 to 80% charge time of 34 minutes, which is not groundbreaking. For comparison, the Kia EV6 crossover can manage 20 to 80% in just 17 minutes, thanks to its incredibly high-voltage battery pack. It’s not bad, but doable—and miles better than the recently discontinued Chevrolet Bolt EUV.

Trims And Options 

When it comes to trims and options, the Equinox EV is one of the weirdest vehicles in Chevrolet’s lineup. The base LT version comes low on features, what you’d expect for a car with a low price point. The entry-level Equinox offers a light dusting of features including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, a 17.7-inch display, cloth seats, and a six-speaker sound system. But the option packages get a bit confusing.

Equinox EV LT Interior

GM offers a $1,455 Comfort Package and a $545 Active Safety Package, though these must be added together. Therefore, the $2,000 combined package comes with a 360-degree camera, traffic sign recognition, heated front seats, a power driver's seat, and a heated leather steering wheel. But then there's an $8,300 Convenience Package. It comes with ambient lighting, trailer hitch guidance, auto-dimming mirrors, a wireless phone charger, a power liftgate, and a front LED lightbar. 

Even more odd is the $11,400 Convenience Package II, which comes with 21-inch wheels, dual zone climate controls, a head-up display, heated rear seats, venilated front leatherette seats, and memory seat functionality. Drivers can choose either the Convenience I or II package. Nevertheless, the Convenience Package II costs a staggering 33.9% of the car’s MSRP. Supercruise hardware is available for $3,355 with 3 years included. 

Equinox EV LT Interior

The more pricey RS version comes with additional features, as you’d expect. It features sporty 21-inch black wheels, ambient lighting, leatherette seating material, heated and powered front seats, wireless phone charging, and auto-dimming mirrors. The Convenience Package II is available, though it starts at a more digestible $3,095. It comes with ventilated front seats, a head-up display, dual-zone climate control, and a digital rearview mirror. 

One thing to note is that the higher-end Equinox EV variants are often the ones that dealers add more incentives to. 

Should I Buy One?

The Equinox EV is not the perfect electric car, but it comes pretty close, all things considered. It doesn’t have the best charging capabilities and it won’t knock your socks off, but it’s a solid crossover with an even better starting price.

Considering the incentives that both dealers and GM are offering, the Equinox EV is incredibly affordable. It undercuts just about every other crossover on the market, gasoline or electric, all while offering over 300 miles of range. 

Chevy Equinox EV LT

We recommend the base version as it is the same vehicle, just with fewer options. Instead of adding on $10,000 to $15,000 in options, it’s better to just buy a more premium vehicle, like a Tesla Model Y or a mid-level Kia EV6. Those offer better performance, driving dynamics, charging speeds and other features.

Even at $34,995 with no incentives, the Equinox EV is an excellent deal. But for prices encroaching upon the $23,000 mark, there is simply no reason for interested buyers not to buy one. 

Andrew Lambrecht is an industrial engineering student, TEDx speaker, and freelance writer based in the Carolinas. He has previously written for Forbes Wheels and co-hosts The Current Review EV and technology podcast. Andrew is a former intern at Lucid Motors, where he worked on the charging validation team.

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The Nissan Leaf was the first mass-produced electric vehicle. It set the paradigm for the early adopter EV, providing anemic power with minimal range and looking like a bug-eyed space capsule. It perfectly suited the core EV buyer in 2010: someone who felt the Toyota Prius was not quirky or hardcore enough. 

Competitors surpassed the Leaf. Tesla proved EVs could be cool and offer more than three times as much range as the Leaf. Chevrolet built the more fully baked Bolt EV. And the market now has a robust segment of entry-level electric crossovers. But Nissan has kept updating the Leaf. And the brand has clung doggedly to its main virtue against the competition: affordability. 

The Nissan Leaf S is America’s cheapest EV in production, with a starting MSRP below $30,000. And if you’re looking to get from A to a reasonably distanced point B on a budget, a used Nissan Leaf could be an intriguing option.

If you’re in the market for a used Nissan Leaf, here are the questions you must ask (and potential pitfalls to avoid).

Which generation Nissan Leaf are you buying?

The main distinction between Nissan Leafs is generational. The first-gen Nissan Leaf (2011-17) was a pioneer. But it also put out 107 horsepower and offered a paltry 73 miles of EPA-estimated range with its 24 kWh battery pack. A larger 30 kWh pack added late in the model run bumped the range to 107 miles. Remember, those cars now deliver significantly less in range than they did then. 

Nissan broadened the Leaf’s niche with the second generation (2018-present). The base 42 kWH battery now brings an EPA-estimated 149 miles of range. Nissan now offers the Leaf Plus, introduced in 2019, which bumps the power output to 215 hp and the EPA-estimated range to 212 miles with its 62 kWh battery. 

How much does a used Nissan Leaf cost?

Used Nissan Leafs have a broad price range. You get what you pay for. First-generation Leafs tend to be dramatically cheaper. Older first-gen models, often with high mileage and diminished range, can be found for below $5,000. Later first-gen models with the 30 kWh battery may cost between $5,000 and $10,000. 

Second-gen Leafs tend to be priced higher, between $10,000 and $20,000, depending on the age, usage and whether it was a Plus model. A used Leaf Plus model of recent vintage might crack $20,000. Almost every used Nissan Leaf should be beneath the $25,000 threshold for the used EV tax credit. 

Is battery degradation an issue with used Nissan Leafs?

Yes. All lithium-ion batteries lose capacity over time. That can be a particular concern for first-gen Nissan Leafs. These cars have been on the road for a decade or more, had relatively primitive battery tech, and were often used hard by their owners, who charged 100 percent frequently. A Leaf that began with 73 miles of range may top out in the 40s or 50s now. 

Some pre-2015 Leafs suffered particularly bad degradation when exposed to extreme heat in climates like the American Southwest. Nissan used passive air cooling for the battery packs rather than liquid cooling, which many modern EVs use. Nissan introduced a more resilient 24 kWh “Lizard” battery in 2015. 

Nissan LEAF fast charging (CHAdeMO) at EVgo station

What type of charger does a Nissan Leaf have?

Nissan sold differently configured Leafs. That can make a difference in how quickly the vehicle can charge. For Level 2 home charging, first-gen models came with a base 3.6 kW capacity and an optional upgrade to 6.6 kW. The latter now comes standard on second-generation Leafs. This rate is slower than the 11.4 kW home charging some EVs are capable of. But remember that the Leaf has a smaller battery. 

Fast charging for a Leaf is relatively slow by modern EV standards. Leaf vehicles come with a 50 kW quick charge port. Leaf Plus models upgrade to a 100 kW high-output quick charge port. The Leaf uses the CHAdeMO plug for fast charging; it’s basically the only EV still using it. That leaves Leaf owners with comparatively few options for fast charging. 

Does the used Nissan Leaf struggle in cold weather?

Early first-gen Nissan Leafs struggled with cabin heating demands, sapping the range in cold weather. Nissan added the option for a more efficient heat pump in 2013, listed on the Monroney as the “Hybrid Heater System.” It came on higher trims and as part of a cold weather package. Having that can help diminish winter range loss. 

Testing has shown second-generation Leafs to be stouter than the original model in cold weather conditions. A 2019 Leaf outperformed several competitors, maintaining its range in cold weather. 

Does a used Nissan Leaf have warranty coverage?

Yes. However, make sure to read the fine print. Nissan typically sold Leafs with a three-year or 36,000-mile comprehensive warranty, a five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty and (on battery packs larger than the 24 kWh pack) an eight-year or 100,000-mile battery warranty. Most first-gen Leafs will be out of warranty. Most second-gen Leafs will still have some warranty on the battery. 

Remember that the battery warranty does not entitle the owner to a new battery. Nissan scores its battery capacity out of 12 bars. Dipping below 9/12 bars makes the Leaf eligible for a battery warranty repair. The warranty only covers repairs to bring the battery back up to 9/12 bars.

Tesla is working on a revised version of the Model Y electric crossover called Project Juniper. Like the Highland update for the Model 3, this Model Y refresh is expected to bring numerous changes and improvements to an already very successful vehicle, but we don’t know exactly when it will enter production.

The local media in China, quoted by CnEVPost, reports that the Model Y Juniper will enter mass production in January, which is less than a month away. The Model Y is built in China at Tesla’s massive production facility in Shanghai, which supplies China and other world markets.

Tesla Model Y Juniper

There have been multiple sightings of camouflaged Model Y prototypes both in China and the U.S. with its front and rear parts hidden. It is expected to feature completely redesigned fascias and light clusters, and it may even have full-width light bars in the front and rear. It will also have revised wheel designs and new paint colors.

Inside, we expect a similar makeover to the Model 3 Highland, which lost its indicator and transmission stalks (which are available as an aftermarket add-on), but it upped the materials and assembly quality compared to the pre-refresh model. The revised Model 3 also has a much softer and more compliant suspension, which features frequency selective dampers, and we expect a similar solution will be used on the Model Y Juniper, too.

Elon Musk said that the Model Y update wasn’t a priority, which is why it was coming so much later than the Model 3 facelift, allowing the company to focus on other projects like the Cybercab. However, there are many rival models gunning for the Model Y’s success, even ones that perhaps follow its formula a bit too closely, like the Onvo L60, while others tread their own path, hoping to woo buyers with a very different proposition.

We also heard reports about a possible six-seater version of the Model Y, which would be available in China and Europe but not the United States.

The fact that the revised Model Y may enter production in China in early 2025 isn’t necessarily relevant for the U.S. market since the locally sold Model Y is made in the States. However, there have been multiple camouflaged Model Y prototype sightings in the U.S., the most recent being in San Jose, California, which may indicate that Stateside production is also imminent.

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The world was a bit shocked when news of a potential merger between Honda and Nissan was dropped. But the bigger question that crossed many minds was, "Why?" We know Nissan has been in some financial trouble lately, but for Honda to consider throwing it such a lifeline is perplexing. However, new reports indicate that Honda could be a bulwark between Nissan and a potential hostile takeover.

Welcome back to Critical Materials, your daily roundup for all things electric and automotive tech. Today, we're chatting about Honda and Nissan's merger talks potentially entering the negotiation phase as early as next week, plus Canoo furloughs even more workers, and Subaru's secret weapon: hybrids. Let's jump in.

30%: Honda and Nissan Merger Talks Could Start As Early As Next Week

The rumors have been circulating all week: industry big-wig Honda and troubled Nissan could be in talks for one of the most unexpected mergers in recent years. While critics remained skeptical of initial reports, Bloomberg confirmed that higher-ups at both companies have been in talks over a deal, and perhaps an even bigger shocker, it could spill over to become a triumvirate that includes Mitsubishi as well.

These types of deals typically move at the speed of molasses. So it should come as a surprise that a new report from Nikkei Asia, the publication that originally reported initial talks of a merger, says that formal negotiations could begin as early as next week on Dec. 23.

Make no mistake—this marriage isn't really one of convenience. Honda has been working to pivot its focus to electrification for some time. Following a dissolved partnership with General Motors, Honda joined forces with Nissan (and then Mitsubishi) to form a technical partnership to accelerate the development of EV-related tech.

So what's the rush in speeding up negotiations? For starters, Nissan has a time clock running. Some have pegged the company's chance for survival requiring a complete financial turnaround in 12 to 14 months.

Other reports suggest that the trifecta alliance was at risk of falling apart after Taiwanese electronics company Foxconn approached Nissan to acquire a stake in the company. Reuters says that Jun Seki, former deputy COO of Nissan who now leads Foxconn's EV unit, is headed to France to speak with Renault to purchase at least some of the automaker's stake in Nissan. Renault currently holds a 15% stake in Nissan.

According to reports, Foxconn "directly expressed" its willingness to purchase Nissan equity directly. Honda reportedly threatened to dissolve the partnership if Foxconn were to purchase Nissan, and ultimately Nissan declined to sell to Foxconn. The Taiwanese company then approached Renault.

Here's where things get interesting. Bloomberg says that Honda could be positioning itself as "a white knight in the event of a hostile takeover attempt," which may be exactly what's starting as Foxconn has reportedly approached Renault about purchasing the shares given that Nissan has already declined to sell.

Either way, company officials have yet to comment about talks of the merger publicly other than a joint statement addressing that the brands were “considering various possibilities for future collaboration." 

60%: Canoo Furloughs Even More Workers

It's starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but EV startup Canoo is in trouble. Yes, again. Or maybe still. Either way, the startup has once again furloughed employees and is officially pressing pause on its Oklahoma manufacturing plant in order to scrape together funds to stay afloat.

Its decision to furlough 82 of its remaining employees comes just over a month after it decided to furlough about 30 people in November, bringing an estimated 90-day halt to more than 130 workers. The brand went from 800 employees at its peak in 2021 to a currently unspecified number. Its most recent round of furloughs represents both salaried and hourly employees and is a grasp to remain alive as it remains in “advanced discussions with various capital sources," according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

TechCrunch points out a few recent events that led up to today's furloughs:

The announcement comes just a few days after board member James Chen resigned, and roughly one month after the company saw its chief financial officer and head lawyer depart. Canoo is also facing multiple lawsuits from suppliers over alleged late payments.

 

The new furloughs cap what has been a rough year for the startup. The company has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs and furloughs, and closed the Los Angeles office that used to serve as its headquarters. Canoo’s chief technology officer left in August, and all of the company’s founders are now gone. In the meantime, it has been kept afloat by loans from the venture firm run by its CEO, Tony Aquila.

“We regret having to furlough our employees, especially during the holidays, but we have no choice at this point," wrote Canoo in a statement published by TechCrunch. "We are hopeful that we will be able to bring them back to work soon.”

As for the idled plant, it's not quite clear exactly what Canoo is manufacturing in Oklahoma right now. The most obvious answer is debt, as the brand isn't exactly pumping out vehicles left and right. Sure, it had some trial contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, the U.S. Postal Service, and the State of Oklahoma, but Canoo's future was far from its original plans of being a consumer-facing EV manufacturer with some pretty darn cool cars.

The future for Canoo looks bleak. Lawsuits over unpaid bills, furloughed employees, and little commercial interest in its vehicles being communicated to the public make it seem like the brand could go belly-up in the coming months without a sack of investor cash being dropped on its doorstep.

90%: Subaru's Secret Weapon Is Its New Hybrid Plant

Subaru is well known for its rugged all-wheel-drive cars—whether it be sporty sedans like the WRX or capable family SUVs like the Ascent, the automaker has a reputation for being the go-to brand in many parts of the world are plagued with less-then-stellar weather. However, one thing that Subaru isn't exactly known for is electrification.

The brand has admittedly had a late start to the EV game. Its only EV on sale today, the Solterra, was brought to market with the help of Toyota. As will its next four EV models if its joint-development partnership continues as planned. Subaru has found itself in a bit of a conundrum—it doesn't yet have the battery tech to compete with the rest of the industry on its own, and with strict emission regulations cracking down across the globe, its hybrid game could use some work, too. Thankfully, the automaker has a Hail Mary up its sleeve for the latter, according to Automotive News.

See, Subaru wants to electrify all its models in the first half of the 2030s. This means either going full battery-electric (as it's doing with the help of Toyota on some models) or varying degrees of hybridization, both standard and plug-in.

Enter the Kitamoto factory. This plant has been around since 1995 and has served Subaru well for non-passenger car needs (think industrial equipment, snowmobiles, and the like). The automaker phased out this area of its business in 2019 and has since chosen the facility to be the home of its new hybrid transaxle—the last-ditch effort to keep its venerable Boxer engine alive in a world where there are plenty of more efficient choices to choose from.

Kitamoto is Subaru's answer to a stop-gap between combustion and full electrification. The brand plans to apply the lessons learned at Kitamoto to its next-gen Oizumi plant that will build future EV and hybrids after 2027.

This particular plant has started the production of Subaru's new electrified transaxle that will power a new generation of strong hybrids beginning with the next-gen Crosstrek and Forester crossovers. In Japan, this will begin as early as Spring 2025. The U.S. will receive the transaxle the following year—built in Kitamoto and shipped to its plant in Lafayette, Indiana where the next-gen Forester will be built.

The U.S. market accounts for 71% of Subaru's global sales. And hybrids? Well, Americans are lapping them up as of late. In fact, hybrids made up 10.8% of the entire light-duty vehicle market last quarter, significantly ahead of the 7% share for BEVs in Q3. To remain relevant, Subaru needs to compete in the hybrids segment, and its underpowered mild hybrids have historically not been the right answer.

So while Subaru might not be at the forefront of pure electrification, it is pouring its heart into pumping up its hybrid offerings to keep competing in global and U.S. markets. Kitamoto will prove to be Subaru's proving ground—that it can scale and compete with even the biggest player. More importantly, it means keeping a legend, its horizontally opposed Boxer motor, alive.

100%: Is Subaru's Hybrid Push The Right Direction?

Subaru's push forward with hybrids over pure electrification is an interesting one. The brand is a small player compared to other Japanese giants, which means that dumping billions of dollars into a homegrown electrification program isn't as easy as, say, Ford, GM, or any other the big European brands out there. Joining forces for development (like it's done with Toyota already) is a logical step forward.

Other big automakers are also pulling back from their once-big electrification plans and others have always insisted that a "multipathway" approach was the right way to go.

Do you think that Subaru's approach will work in the long run? Where might it run into some hurdles along the way? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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Tesla's Robotaxi ambitions are sending its share soaring right now. Investors are riled up over Tesla's promises to deliver a commercial autonomy platform, and that all starts with its first dedicated vehicle: the Cybercab.

During a recent overview of the Cybercab at the Petersen Automotive Museum, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen made a cryptic remark: “We have other vehicles in our lineup and future vehicles coming that will basically take multiple passengers.” Could this be referring to the teased Robovan concept, or does Tesla have something else up its sleeve for its future fleet of autonomous cars?

Let's remember that Travis Axelrod, Tesla's Head of Investor Relations, told Deutsche Bank that 2025 would be "a year of product launches."  We know this refers to Tesla's unofficially-named "Model Q" and a long wheelbase Model Y with three rows for the Chinese market, but Axelrod also noted that the second half of 2025 would feature the release of "other new vehicles"—yes, that's vehicles with an "s."

Between Axelrod and von Holzhausen's comments, it raises the question of whether or not Tesla has some additional Robotaxis on the horizon that the world has yet to see.

Tesla has said that designing the Cybercab with two seats was deliberate. Data suggests that most ride-hailing trips involve just one or two passengers, meaning that Tesla could cut down on costs and maximize storage by limiting the Cybercab to just two seats. However, that leaves a huge gap in the market for larger groups of people looking to hail a ride from an autonomous car.

Tesla has long planned to fill that gap using its fleet of existing cars on the road as robotaxis. Even before the robotaxi was a twinkle in Elon Musk's eye, the CEO had talked about launching the Tesla Network, an autonomous ride-sharing app that utilizes customer-owned Teslas equipped with Full Self-Driving to provide Uber-like services when not in use. That was all the way back in 2020 and a lot has changed since then—like the idea of bringing a dedicated robotaxi platform with no steering wheels or pedals into the mix.

One of the biggest hurdles for this approach comes from within. Tesla will first have to figure out if its cars equipped with aging Hardware 3 and current Hardware 4 FSD computers will be able to actually operate fully autonomously. The Cybercab will ship with Hardware 5 (or, as Musk has called it, AI5). It's unclear if older cars will be able to operate at a hardware level necessary for Level 5 fully automated driving, which means either Tesla pushes existing models with new FSD hardware, or consider new dedicated vehicles. Could this be what Franz has suggested during his talk at Petersen?

It's questionable if the next dedicated platform will be the Robovan, as that would require certain costly accessibility concessions to the Tesla network very early on rather than be developed as it grows. The Robovan, which is slated for carrying over 20 people, must meet the Americans With Disabilities Act's "readily accessible and usable" standard for demand-responsive transportation systems—meaning that the Robovan must be designed from the ground up to be immediately usable by people with disabilities (think built-in ramps, doors, and multimodal controls). The two-seater Cybercab (and the rest of Tesla's fleet) would only need to provide "equivalent service," which would be an alternative method for folks with disabilities to utilize the service.

This is obviously a more complicated approach to launching a service, which is why Tesla could be focused on launching smaller capacity vehicles—like the Cybercab and enabling the function on existing models—prior to the Robovan. Even General Motors recently threw in the towel with Cruise's robotaxi service, given concerns over the capital requirements to launch and maintain it.

Von Holzhausen's comments hint at Tesla's bigger picture. Its CEO has said time and time again that Tesla's is an AI company that just happens to build cars, so maximizing its offerings to meet that narrative would be Tesla's main priority. Tesla has yet to confirm what other robotaxi designs—if any—are in development, but it's clear that the company sees the need for additional models across its fleet to meet some needs; otherwise, why would Axelrod drop the hint that Tesla would announce several vehicles in the new year?

For now, the Cybercab and Robovan are the only two dedicated robotaxi platforms that Tesla has officially previewed to the world. Whether it complements those vehicles with existing models or completely new vehicles is still to be seen, but it at least creates a bit of justification for Tesla's hyped-up stock price.

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Rivian makes some very compelling adventure-oriented electric cars, but if you were stuck charging on a slow DC stall, you had very limited multimedia options on the built-in center touchscreen.

Some owners found clever workarounds such as using a USB memory stick to watch pre-downloaded videos, but that’s no longer needed, as the California-based startup is finally rolling out features that have been promised for over a year.

A native YouTube app, a native SiriusXM app, as well as Google Cast functionality, are rolling out right now as part of the software version 2024.47, which is available for both the first- and second-gen R1S and R1T.

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The update was announced back in May when Rivian said it would come “soon.” Well, it’s finally here, which means owners can watch YouTube videos on the car’s center screen without having to use their smartphone. The same goes for the SiriusXM app, which uses WiFi or cellular data to stream audio to the vehicle’s speakers.

When it comes to Google Cast, you can think of it as having a built-in Chromecast in the car. If you’re unfamiliar with the tech, it basically means you can use a smartphone as a remote to cast content, including video, to the car’s screen. The content is pulled from the internet by the car, but you need a smartphone to control things like subtitles or choose episodes from a TV series.

Videos can only be played while the car is in Park. Furthermore, while video streaming apps that offer Google Cast functionality include Netflix, Amazon, Prime, Disney+ and Max, Rivian R1S and R1T owners cannot currently cast content from the Netflix app.

Things get a little more complicated when looking at how Rivian is bundling these new features. The YouTube app and Google Cast functionality are part of the company’s Connect+ technology package which costs $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year. Connect+ also includes an in-vehicle hotspot, satellite images for the navigation system, Amazon Alexa commands, Apple Music, Audible, Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, Gear Guard Live Cam and priority software updates.

SiriusXM satellite radio, on the other hand, is separate from the Connect+ bundle and needs a subscription bought directly from SiriusXM, which costs between $9.99 and $24.98 per month.

Rivian said all customers will have “a temporary preview of the Google Cast and YouTube features that can be streamed through Connect+,” and that a free trial subscription to SiriusXM will be offered.

Besides these new features, the latest software version includes improvements for the Highway Assist system on Gen 2 vehicles, new graphics for some sections of the infotainment system and a bunch of smaller fixes.

As the year is coming to an end, the European electric vehicle market couldn’t be murkier. It’s a mishmash of numbers and depending on where you look or who you ask, you might get two completely different answers to the question, “How are EVs doing in Europe?”

In November, some countries like Greece, Cyprus, Ireland and Czechia had double- and even triple-digit increases in EV registrations, while others, such as Croatia, France, Germany and Romania had double-digit decreases in EV registrations last month compared to the same period last year.

These are all members of the European Union, but there’s also the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, that can go into the mix. The United Kingdom is also a big market that needs to be considered.

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So, how does the electric vehicle market look in Europe? In November, EV registrations in the European Union went down 9.5% compared to the same month last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). However, when adding the numbers for the EFTA and the UK, registrations actually went up 0.9%.

In the first 11 months of the year–an arguably more important metric than the monthly numbers–EV registrations in the EU went down 5.4% compared to last year. In the EU, EFTA and UK, registrations went down 1.4%. To date, a total of 1,787,600 EVs were registered in Europe, down from last year’s 1,812,987. Some countries like Germany, France and Romania reduced or removed financial incentives for buying all-electric vehicles this year, and it shows in their registration numbers.

The only power source that saw consistent gains throughout the year is hybrid electric. Last month, hybrid vehicle registrations increased by 16.4% compared to last year. Year-to-date, 3,704,732 hybrids were registered in the EU, EFTA and UK, an 18.7% increase year-on-year.

Monthly car registrations in Europe, November 2024

January-November 2024 vehicle registration numbers in Europe

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) went down 8.6% in November, with 83,400 registrations. Year-to-date, PHEVs recorded a decrease of 4.6% with a total of 860,739 units registered. Gas- and diesel-powered cars were also down. Gasoline vehicle registrations declined 12.4% in November and 6.6% after 11 months. Meanwhile, diesel registrations went down 15.4% last month 11.6% year-to-date.

Overall, the European car market, including the EU, EFTA and UK, went down 2% in November. Year-to-date, the market went up a very modest 0.6%, an increase attributed almost entirely to the uptick in hybrid vehicle registrations.

All this being said, probably the most important takeaway is that the market share for both gasoline and diesel cars is shrinking. Eleven months into 2024, gas vehicles have a 33.4% market share, down from 36% last year, while diesel cars have 10.6%, down from 12% last year. All-electric vehicles have a 15.1% market share, down from 15.4% last year. Plug-in hybrids went down from 7.6% last year to 7.2%, while hybrids soared from 26.5% market share in the first 11 months of last year to 31.2% this year.

Honda has big plans for its electric vehicle future. After collaborating with General Motors to produce the Prologue crossover–which is doing rather well, sales-wise–the Japanese automaker will do everything on its own for the next chapter.

You might have read something about the Honda 0 Series lineup, which was first previewed last year by the Saloon and Space-Hub EV concept. The Saloon was a wedge-shaped EV with strong DeLorean DMC-12 vibes and at the time, Honda was adamant that it would form the base for a series production model.

Well, now Honda has released a new teaser showing two EVs. Both are prototypes, but the automaker said they “represent the next models in the Honda 0 Series.” That’s exciting stuff because the Saloon had a pretty radical design, and it’s cool to see car manufacturers sticking to their promises and bringing some well-needed attitude to today’s roads.

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While we already know what the sedan looks like, the crossover on the right has never made an appearance until now. At first glance, it’s quite boxy, which should translate into a spacious interior. There’s a U-shaped LED light strip at the rear, as well as a pair of LED stoplights. The rear bumper also seems to protrude quite a lot.

Both prototypes will be revealed at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on January 7. Moreover, Honda will show its new proprietary vehicle operating system, as well as the automated driving tech it’s working on. The Japanese carmaker is also planning to introduce a new energy service that’s scheduled to go online when the new Honda 0 Series models go into production.

The production version of the Saloon concept is expected to go into production in 2026 at Honda’s new EV hub. It will be cheaper than the Tesla Model S or Model X, but still solidly in the premium segment, as our own Kevin Williams found out during a press trip to Honda’s R&D center in Japan. Besides the sedan, Honda is planning to launch two more electric crossovers, a three-row SUV and two more cheaper SUVs later on. A compact sedan will be the final piece of the puzzle.

It’s unfortunate that it feels like the EV revolution is stuttering. Yet, this lull feels more manufacturer-related. Everything’s a compact semi-luxury crossover rather than what the people really want: cheap EVs, and, according to AutoPacific’s latest study, three-row crossovers. The analyst group just released its 2024 Future Vehicle Planner, showing that a surprising number of three-row crossover shoppers would consider an electric version.

The survey asked more than 14,000 vehicle shoppers and found that “nearly half” of all three-row SUV and crossover buyers would consider going full EV. About 8% of those buyers said they intend on buying a full EV three-row crossover, something the study says is actually impressive considering the lack of three-row options on sale. Currently, there are only seven models on the market: The Volvo EX90, VinFast VF9, Tesla Model X, Rivian R1S, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Mercedes-Benz EQB SUV and Kia EV9. Leave out those that are expensive, unproven or have tiny third rows and you're left with... just the Kia. There are more coming; the Cadillac Escalade IQ, Lucid Gravity and Hyundai Ioniq 9 are on their way next year.

This strong desire for EV three rows shows that there’s real room for growth in the segment, especially for cheaper models. AutoPacific found that 59% of three-row crossover and SUV buyers intend to spend less than $50,000. The only three-row EVs that get close to that price are the Mercedes-Benz EQB and Kia EV9. The EQB’s tiny third row might not be what families are looking for, but if judged by the fairly healthy sales of the Kia EV9, AutoPacific might just be onto something here. 

The firm predicts that if trends continue, the three-row EV segment will grow from 100,000 units sold in 2024 to almost 400,000 units by 2029. “All-electric three-row SUVs and crossovers are set to become one of the most important growth segments in the EV space,” says Ed Kim, AutoPacific’s president and chief analyst.  Perhaps it wasn't so wise for Ford to kill off its three-row EV crossover. 

The study also says that the ideal buyer of a three-row EV SUV is a single female who lives in a single-family house and drives less than 30 miles a day. This person is aware of the need for home EV charging but doesn’t think it’s too hard to get installed (or they have it done already). They like the convenience of a three-row vehicle, love the tech gadgets inherent to a modern EV and like the idea of an environmentally-friendly car. But, they don’t want to make any concessions to get any of that stuff. It’s not an easy target for any manufacturer to hit, that’s for sure.

Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com

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The Biden Administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has green-lighted California's Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, effectively approving the state's proposes gas car ban. With 11 other states already committed to adopting the regulations and the first set of requirements taking effect in 2026, this will have a seismic impact on the U.S. auto market.

If it survives.

California has long been given the authority to impose different, tighter emissions standards on top of federal regulations. This dates to the Clean Air Act days, as California's geography makes it particularly susceptible to smog. Low-lying coastal areas fenced in by mountains can cause heavy pollutants to settle, which blanketed much of LA with thick smog that was dangerous to breathe consistently. But the EPA has to approve many of its environmental regulations, and incoming President Trump is likely to roll back federal support for this initiative. 

During his first term, he withdrew California's ability to set its own new vehicle rules. Biden reinstated it. Trump has promised to roll back any EV mandates this time around, and that's what this policy effectively is. Advanced Clean Cars II will require 100% of light-duty passenger vehicle sales to be Zero-Emissions Vehicles—EVs or Hydrogen vehicles—or plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). To ramp up to that, it requires 35% of all new vehicle sales to be ZEVs or PHEVs in 2026, with the quota getting stricter from there.

Eleven other states are committed to following this plan, albeit some of them with different timelines. Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington are all on board. Washington D.C. is also committed. This is important, as the broad number of states and their relatively scattered geography make it difficult for automakers to handle compliance. They can't ignore these states—California alone is the nation's biggest auto market—but they also can't just ship all of their EVs west and continue as normal in the rest of the country. 

California is a car-heavy state, with regulations that affect the whole auto market. 

The hard part is that the market is not yet moving fast enough to satisfy California's requirements, and there's not much time before the 2026 targets hit. About 25% of vehicles sold in California this year will be EVs, with PHEVs taking up around 4% of sales. If you include standard hybrids California is already above the 35% threshold, but the regulations don't count those. While California may be able to hit that 35% target in 2026, it remains to be seen whether the other states will get there.

Or if it'll matter at all. The approval is unlikely to survive a Trump Administration EPA. While California can and likely will fight for its right to set strict emissions standards, that's a court battle that could easily end up at the Supreme Court. A quick decision is unlikely.

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That's a big, big problem. You can have your own opinion on the EV mandates. I certainly do. I'm not sure that the timeline is realistic for the states outside of California, and the auto industry is starting to crack under the financial pressure of having to sell so many EVs at a loss. But climate change demands action, and some companies are clearly slow-rolling things. Wherever you fall though, there's one obvious truth: Multi-billion-dollar industries with global supply chains, crazy high investment costs, skilled labor pools and countless challenges in dozens of markets cannot afford this level of uncertainty. 

Mandate EVs or don't. But if we spend another four years jockeying back and forth with wild swings in the regulatory climate, the U.S. auto market will face a collapse like it's never seen. The industry needs clarity, and so do consumers.

Contact the author: Mack.hogan@insideevs.com.