On today’s episode of Quick Charge, the Trump administration has lost its first battle against state’s rights in California while Tesla faces down (what it’s calling) a union coup in Germany. Meanwhile, SoCal Edison puts 280 Chevy Silverado EV pickups to work on California’s roads and Colorado is putting up a bunch of new DC
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Tensions are rising at Tesla Gigafactory Berlin as the automaker accuses a local union of a coup against the head of its workers’ council. Tesla operates the only auto plant in Germany without a collective bargaining agreement with a union and it’s not sitting well with IG Metall, the most powerful union in the country.
Tesla is finally wide-releasing Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised v13 to vehicles with Hardware 4 computers. CEO Elon Musk commented on the release with a familiar comment: “Your mind will be blown,” again. The highly anticipated FSD v13 update was October’s main goal in Tesla’s new monthly AI roadmaps, which it gave up on after 2
Japanese automakers are taking drastic measures to keep pace with Tesla and Chinese EV leaders like BYD. Honda and Nissan are now closing in on an EV merger to join resources and fend off the incoming competition. The tie-up will likely involve a third auto partner from Japan. Honda and Nissan to enter new EV
Toyota’s electric SUV is getting even cheaper in 2025. Despite adding new features, 2025 Toyota bZ4 prices start at $6,000 less than the current model. For the first time, the bZ4X will also be available in a stealthy new Nightshade edition. Check out the new EV below. The bZ4X is the only all-electric Toyota model
Smog over Los Angeles. Photo: Steven Buss on Flickr The US Supreme Court today rejected a bid by Ohio and other states to stop California from implementing its own clean air rules, a legal right that California has had since the 60s which Donald Trump has repeatedly tried and failed to remove. Ever since the
An affordable EV with solid-state batteries? MG Motor is launching a new semi-solid-state battery-powered EV next year, claiming “the price is not expensive.” Here’s what you can expect. MG to launch a semi-solid-state battery EV in 2025 Formerly a British auto brand, MG is now owned by Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor. China’s auto giant is
Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV looks to be in line for an XRT upgrade. The Hyundai IONIQ 9 was spotted for the first time with rugged new XRT-like design elements. Check out the new photos that just surfaced below. With the IONIQ 9 set to arrive early next year, we are already getting a look
Brand-new Tesla vehicles are experiencing self-driving computer failures, which are resulting in significant problems. Inside sources say that the problem is contributing to overwhelming Tesla’s service. Over the last few weeks, Electrek has received several reports from new Tesla buyers claiming computer failures on brand-new cars. We have been investigating the problem, and based on
Mercedes is preparing to reveal what’s expected to be its most important EV in just a few months. The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV will “set standards” in terms of range, efficiency, and charging. According to the engineers, the new EV can travel nearly 800 miles (1,270 km) with two 10-minute charging stops. Here’s what you
The Trump transition team has fleshed out its plan to slash electric vehicle incentives and funding, which would result in a significant slowdown of the US EV market. The US EV market is already lagging way behind the rest of the world at roughly 9% of new cars, which is less than half the rate
Starting in January, BMW will fill up all new diesel models it builds in Germany with HVO 100 hydrotreated vegetable oil. The German automaker is working with Finnish manufacturer Neste on the initiative, filling up new diesel models coming off the line with a fuel produced from various wastes, such as cooking oil, residues, and
Zakir Hussain, one of the greatest exponents of tabla music, a form of Indian drumming, has died. Hussain, who during his career worked with George Harrison and Van Morrison among others, died at a hospital in San Francisco from complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, his family said. A family statement said: “He leaves
Tesla has announced that it is bringing back free Supercharging for life, an incentive abandoned long ago, to move some Model S cars at the end of the quarter. Model S and Model X sales have declined for years, but they are hard to track as Tesla is one of the rare automakers that doesn’t
It may not have a turbocharged engine where the back seat should be, but the aesthetic – the aesthetic is there, and the performance is undeniable. Meet the all-new Renault 5 Turbo 3E, a car its makers hope becomes a new French performance icon for the electric era. Like the original R5 Turbo, the new R5
Tesla is turning some of its Foundation Series Cybertrucks into regular Cybertrucks to sell them and sending hundreds of US Cybertrucks to be homologated in Canada as it is having issues selling them in the US. There have been several signs lately that Tesla has worked through its Cybertruck reservation backlog and it is now
Just when you thought it was safe to count out hydrogen as a viable competitor to battery-electric power in the North American medium– and heavy-duty trucking space, the new Hyundai XCIENT HFCEV Class 8 semi truck arrives in Georgia — and immediately gets to work. Hyundai’s new XCIENT hydrogen semi trucks are set to be
The Trump transition team is reportedly looking to kill the requirement for Tesla to have to report its crashes involving Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features. It probably has nothing to do with Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, being on Trump’s transition team. NHTSA has a program that requires automakers to report crashes involving advanced driver assist
Despite an impressive year in 2024, Hyundai Motor Group chairman Euisun Chung told employees that even more is on the way — and it’s coming very soon. With new EVs and advanced tech launching, Hyundai’s chief said, “The real best is yet to come.” Hyundai Motor Group, including Kia and Genesis, is having a big
Toyota is already offering big savings opportunities on the new version of its electric SUV. The 2025 Toyota bZ4X is available with a $10,000 discount, and the model has yet to hit dealerships. Here’s how you can snag the deal. 2025 Toyota bZ4X is available with a $10,000 discount Although the new model is expected