Electrify News

07/02/2025

During a powerful conversation between Jimmy Douglas (Plug - EV Wholesale Auction), Matt Teske (Chargeway), and Diego Cardenas (Xoto) on the EV Reality Check stage powered by GreenCars at ElectrifyExpo LA, one thing became clear is that the used EV market is being bottlenecked by a lack of education, inside the industry.

05/28/2025

What happens when a 25-year company veteran takes the wheel of one of the most complex automakers on the planet?

You pay attention. Especially when that automaker owns Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo.

https://electrifynews.com/business/what-brands-does-stellantis-own-new-ceo-antonio-filosa-has-big-plans-for-jeep-ram-evs/

Antonio Filosa isn’t new to Stellantis. He’s been deep inside the machine, running plants, building markets, and driving brand growth across South America, Europe, and the U.S. This June, he officially becomes CEO. And the timing couldn’t be more intense.

Here’s why.

Stellantis plans to introduce over 75 battery electric vehicles by 2030. Not five. Not fifteen. Seventy-five. Now that’s a roadmap under pressure.

The U.S. EV market is brutal. Tesla dominates attention. Ford and GM are stumbling through electrification. Chinese EVs are creeping in fast. And Stellantis has been quieter. Until now.

Filosa has been tightening dealer inventory, reorganizing leadership, launching new product and powertrain plans, and reconnecting with dealers, unions, and suppliers.

As Jeep CEO, he helped make Brazil the brand’s biggest market outside the U.S. He launched the Pernambuco plant. Grew Peugeot and Citroën in markets where few thought they could. And now, he’s tasked with doing all of that... at once.

He said, “We have the world’s best and most iconic brands in automotive history and an over 100-year heritage of innovation.”

Will Stellantis be able to pivot fast enough to meet EV demand while keeping brands like Jeep Wrangler and Dodge true to form?

Can Filosa balance history with urgency?

And will the company’s U.S. strategy finally kick into high gear?

You tell me.

Read the full article here: https://electrifynews.com/business/what-brands-does-stellantis-own-new-ceo-antonio-filosa-has-big-plans-for-jeep-ram-evs/

What brands does Stellantis own? You might know a few. You probably drive one. But the next chapter might surprise you.

Antonio Filosa named Stellantis CEO, bringing 25+ years of experience to strengthen operations and expand electric vehicle development.

05/22/2025

What if we told you that painting a few lines on asphalt could save lives?

California loses around 4,000 people on its roads every year. One in four? Pedestrians and cyclists. And many of those deaths happen on state-controlled routes, roads that Caltrans manages. Roads that often double as local streets. Streets where people walk, ride, and die while the “official” improvement process drags on for years or even decades.

https://electrifynews.com/policy-politics/ebike-adoption-quick-build-projects-quietly-saving-lives-on-california-streets/

That’s why AB 891 matters. This bill would allow Caltrans to use “quick-build” strategies. Things like bollards, paint, and planters, to fix dangerous roads in weeks instead of years. Local governments already do this. Now the state can catch up.

But the bill might never make it to a vote.

It’s stuck in Sacramento’s Suspense File. And unless the Appropriations Chair decides to act, the bill could quietly die without a word. No public hearing. No vote. Just gone.

How many more lives need to be lost while the paperwork piles up?

In Berkeley, quick-build bike lanes on Adeline Street arrived 20 years earlier than planned. San Luis Obispo added buffered bike lanes downtown for just $15,000 using quick-build materials. And during COVID, San Diego created a 3-mile bus and bike lane for $100K, getting diverse local stakeholders involved from the jump.

Now combine that with the high adoption of e-bikes.

Denver’s rebate program helped more than 4,700 residents, most low-income, buy e-bikes in 2022. Those new riders replaced car trips with pedal power. The demand was so high, rebates disappeared in minutes.

Short trips dominate U.S. travel patterns. More than half are under 3 miles. E-bikes can handle those. But without safe infrastructure, adoption hits a wall.

We know what works. We’ve run the numbers. The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) even built a calculator to estimate the environmental and economic impact of replacing car trips with e-bike trips.

Do you think Caltrans should be allowed to act faster to prevent deaths on its roads? Should quick-build projects become the default for urgent fixes? What’s stopping other states from replicating what Denver has done with e-bikes?

Read the full breakdown here and consider what’s at stake.

https://electrifynews.com/policy-politics/ebike-adoption-quick-build-projects-quietly-saving-lives-on-california-streets/

Quick-build projects and e-bike adoption are helping cities cut traffic deaths, lower emissions, and give people safer ways to get around.

05/15/2025

Most Americans only drive 37 miles a day.

Let that sink in.

Not 100. Not 60. Just 37. That’s well within the range of most e-bikes sold today, and yet we’re still defaulting to gas-powered cars for grocery runs, school drop-offs, and errands that barely require a quarter tank.

So, what’s really holding us back?

https://electrifynews.com/news/bike-board/electric-bikes-ebikes-are-replacing-cars-and-getting-cheaper-fast/

At Electrify Expo, over 100,000 people test rode e-bikes last year. And they weren’t just browsing. They’re buying. Fat tire models. Cargo bikes. Throttle-controlled Class 2 e-bikes. Micro e-bikes… People are figuring out that an electric bike can replace a second car, and do it for a fraction of the cost.

And with the recent 90-day tariff pause on Chinese e-bikes, prices could drop even faster. Nearly 90% of U.S. e-bikes are imported. This window could mean serious savings for anyone on the fence.

So why are we still spending thousands on a second vehicle to drive less than 40 miles a day? Why aren’t cities doing more to support short commute solutions that people are clearly ready for? And are bike shops and dealers ready for what 2025 might bring?

Full article breaks it down on electrifynews.com... real trends, real data, real feedback from real buyers at Electrify Expo. Check out the traction for yourself!

Fat tire e-bikes are dominating all-terrain demand.�Cargo e-bikes are replacing cars.�Throttle e-bikes are winning first-time buyers.�$1,500–$3,000 is the sweet spot.�Tariff pause may accelerate everything.

Would you trade your second car for something that costs less, goes just as far, and skips the gas pump entirely? Because a lot of people already are.

Fat tire e-bikes, cargo haulers, throttle control, and a tariff pause are driving real trends in e-bike affordability and first-time buyer growth.

05/14/2025

314 miles of range. 338 horsepower. And access to Tesla Superchargers.

That’s not a Tesla. It’s the 2026 Toyota bZ.

https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/2026-toyota-bz-314-mile-range-plug-charge-tesla-supercharger-nacs-compatible-port/

Yes, that Toyota. The same company some critics said was “late to the EV party.” Well, they’re here now… with receipts. And they didn’t show up empty-handed.

The 2026 Toyota bZ is no longer called the bZ4X. Cleaner name. Much cleaner ex*****on. A new 74.7-kWh battery delivers up to 314 miles of manufacturer-estimated range on the XLE FWD Plus. That’s a 25% increase over the outgoing model.

And AWD? It gets wild… with 338 hp. That’s a 50% bump. Toyota engineers didn’t just tweak the output. They rebuilt the eAxle, integrated silicon carbide components, and optimized the whole drivetrain.

But what really surprised us? Plug & Charge is included. You plug it in. It authenticates automatically. No app. No swipe. Just charge.

And yes, Toyota joined the North American Charging Standard (NACS). Which means Supercharger access. Thousands of high-speed stations across North America. That was unexpected. And very smart.

Inside the bZ, things feel different. A massive 14-inch touchscreen. Dual wireless phone chargers. Heated SofTex steering wheel. Ambient lighting in 64 colors. It’s the first Toyota that made me say, “This actually feels premium.”

AWD versions come with X-MODE and Grip-Control. You don’t need to be climbing boulders in Moab to appreciate it. Think steep driveways in winter. Rainy hills. Slippery construction zones. It adjusts automatically. Quietly. Without drama.

Does this change how you look at Toyota in the EV space? Can the bZ go head-to-head with the Ioniq 5, Mach-E, or Model Y? Are we finally at a point where the badge on the hood doesn’t matter as much as the range, power, and tech under it?

2026 Toyota bZ boosts range to 314 miles, gains Plug & Charge with NACS access, and delivers 338 hp AWD power with style and tech upgrades.

05/05/2025

How low can EV prices go before they bounce back up?

That’s the question smart shoppers are asking right now. And with May's lease and finance offers, the answer might surprise you.

$0 down. $129/month. 0% APR up to 72 months.

https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/best-ev-lease-and-finance-deals-right-now-may-2025-offers-to-watch/

No gimmicks. No fluff. Just real numbers on real electric cars.

And why the urgency? Because the federal EV tax credits that make these deals possible could disappear. Soon. Trump has already said he wants to cut them. That could change the entire cost structure… overnight!

And tariffs? Also on the table.

We just broke down the best EV deals this month. From Teslas to Toyotas. Lucid to VinFast. Some are pushing leases below $200/month. Others are offering financing with no interest for 6 years.

You may not see these kinds of terms again.

Are you waiting it out? Or ready to take the deal while it’s still on the table?

Would love to hear what you’re seeing locally, too. Are the deals holding in your area, or drying up fast?

Compare side-by-side. Make a smart decision before the numbers change.

Read the full breakdown at https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/best-ev-lease-and-finance-deals-right-now-may-2025-offers-to-watch/.

May’s Best EV deals start at $129/month with 0% APR financing available. Lock in now before tax credits and prices change.

04/24/2025

Would you get into a car with no driver? No steering wheel. No pedals. Just you, a screen, and the soft hum of an electric motor.

Wild thought, right?

https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/volkswagen-vw-uber-autonomous-driving-collaboration-id-buzz-ad-hits-us-streets/

But Volkswagen and Uber are betting that soon, it'll feel as normal as ordering takeout. They’re rolling out a fleet of fully autonomous ID. Buzz AD vehicles across U.S. cities, starting with Los Angeles in 2026.

Yes. The car drives itself. And no, this isn't some future sci-fi concept. Testing begins this year. With trained human operators on board at first to fine-tune the tech and monitor safety. But the plan? Fully driverless ride-hailing at scale, within the decade.

Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility, said: “Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer—we are shaping the future of mobility, and our collaboration with Uber accelerates that vision.”
�A serious play. Built on real infrastructure. And mapped out for the long haul.

The tech powering this rollout comes from MOIA, Volkswagen’s autonomous mobility brand. It delivers a fully integrated system - combining the vehicle, the self-driving software, and intelligent fleet control - into one seamless solution.

But they're not alone…

Waymo is already running over 200,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in cities like Phoenix and SF. Tesla says it’ll launch a robotaxi pilot with Cybercabs by mid-2025 in Austin.

Would you trust an autonomous vehicle to get you to work? To pick up your kid? To drive your parents to the doctor? Or do you want someone, anyone, in the driver’s seat?

We’re approaching a moment that could completely change the way each of us gets around in our cities.

Curious. A little freaked out. And fascinated. Where do you stand?

https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/volkswagen-vw-uber-autonomous-driving-collaboration-id-buzz-ad-hits-us-streets/

Volkswagen and Uber team up to deploy autonomous ID. Buzz AD vehicles in U.S. cities, starting with Los Angeles in 2026.

04/23/2025

What happens when Tesla’s bestselling car takes a break?

You don’t sell as many. Wall Street panics. Analysts start typing. But behind the noise, something else happened.

Tesla retooled every factory that builds the Model Y. All at once. Why would a company pause global output on its top-selling product?

Because they’re not just building cars anymore.

Autonomous ride-hailing. Humanoid robots. A new kind of factory. Even Cybertrucks, yep, plural, already coming off the line upstairs at Giga Texas, while the Model Y continues below.

This wasn’t a stumble. It was a strategy. And it caught most people off guard.

Elon Musk said it himself, “We’re building sustainable abundance for all. Closest thing to heaven we can get on Earth.”

But here’s the part we can’t stop thinking about:�- While Q1 deliveries dipped, Tesla’s energy business hit record gross profit.�- While headlines focused on tariffs, Optimus, the humanoid robot, is on track for factory deployment this year.�- While critics complained, Tesla pushed autonomy in Austin to go live by June.

When does a company stop being ‘a car company’? Is it when the cars start driving themselves? Or when they build robots to assemble them?

What part of Tesla’s Q1 update surprised you most? And what do you think Wall Street is missing?

https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/teslas-q1-2025-earnings-arent-the-whole-story-they-are-just-the-setup/

Tesla paused Model Y output in Q1 2025 to prep for what’s next: autonomous rides, robots, Cybertruck, and record energy profits.

04/23/2025

Would you trade in your Tesla… for $20,000?

No, seriously. That’s what Polestar is offering right now in San Diego. A U.S.-built electric SUV, $20K off the lease, and all you need is proof of ownership or insurance on a Tesla, yours or even your roommate’s.

Wild, right?

San Diego drivers already log nearly four times the national average in EV miles. That’s not a trend. That’s a lifestyle.

So why now? Why here?

Because Polestar noticed. And they’re not just handing out deals. They’re building retail locations inside malls. Like Westfield UTC. Think test drives between Zara and Shake Shack.

Michael Lohscheller, Polestar’s CEO, states, “Even though much in the world seems to be going in the wrong direction, we are doubling down on our commitments. When the world zigs, Polestar zags.”

It doesn’t stop with incentives or retail expansion. They’ve also cut emissions per car by nearly 25%. That includes 100% renewable electricity in production, more efficient battery manufacturing, and smarter materials like low-carbon aluminum.

They’re trying to build a zero-emissions car. From scratch. With scientists. At a facility in Gothenburg called the Mission 0 House.

So this is a strategy. One that’s playing out in real time.

Would a $20K lease incentive make you switch brands? Have you visited a Polestar Space? Driven a Polestar 3? Is brand loyalty worth more than five figures?

https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/polestar-just-dropped-20000-off-a-lease-but-thats-not-the-wildest-part/

Polestar is giving Tesla owners up to $20,000 off a U.S.-built EV lease, only in San Diego, only through April.

04/21/2025

What if the best car on the market today… was electric? And affordable?

Here’s something many didn’t expect: the Kia EV3 just won 2025 World Car of the Year. That’s not best electric. Not best compact. Best car. Full stop.

Chosen by 96 automotive journalists from 30 countries. Over options from BMW, Hyundai, and others. Why? Because the EV3 delivers where it matters.

Up to 375+ miles of range. A fast charge from 10 to 80% in just 31 minutes. Smart tech like AI voice assistance. And a price starting around $35,000 before incentives. Let that number settle in.

This is a car regular people can actually buy. Families. First-time EV drivers. Daily commuters.

And the price you see? That’s just the beginning of the real value. On average, EV drivers save over $10,000 in maintenance over the life of the vehicle.
�Is it time we stop thinking EVs are out of reach?

Or are we finally seeing something that makes sense, not just for the future, but for right now?

We’re curious about what you think. Would you consider a $35K electric SUV like the EV3?

https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/the-35000-kia-ev3-just-beat-everyone-to-world-car-of-the-year/

The Kia EV3 won 2025 World Car of the Year for its range, smart tech, and price. Real people can actually afford this electric SUV.

03/28/2025

Starting April 2, your next car might cost thousands more.

Why? A 25% tariff on imported vehicles, light trucks, and auto parts is about to go live.

That’s not a prediction. That’s policy. https://bit.ly/4c5bUCe

And it’s not just foreign cars with price tags on the line. Many “American” vehicles rely on parts that cross the border multiple times. Some up to six. No duty drawbacks. Just layered costs. One tariff after another.

Think that won’t affect you? Think again.

Here’s what the experts are saying:
👉 “We expect disruption to virtually all North American vehicle production amounting to 20,000 fewer vehicles produced per day.” — Cox Automotive
👉 “Consumers are accelerating purchases to avoid potential tariff-related price increases.” — Thomas King, J.D. Power
👉 “Tesla’s perception… was harmed as a result.” — Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive

Meanwhile, U.S. factory lines are busy. Tesla in Texas. Hyundai in Georgia. Ford in Tennessee. Volkswagen in Chattanooga. These aren’t future plans. They’re humming now. American-made EVs that may sidestep the tariff surge altogether.

And they’re cheaper to own, too. “EVs have demonstrated a lower total cost of ownership than non-EVs for 13 consecutive months,” said Elizabeth Krear of J.D. Power.

How are these new tariffs going to impact your fleet strategy?

Would you consider buying American-made EVs to hedge against these price hikes?

Do tariffs help or hurt the American worker in today’s auto economy?

https://bit.ly/4c5bUCe

Join the conversation. Because pretending this won’t affect you? Not an option.

Trump’s new 25% auto tariffs are coming. Prices are rising. Many EVs are made in the USA. Consider one before it hits your wallet hard.

03/25/2025

$21 billion. That’s how much Hyundai is investing in the United States between 2025 and 2028.

And no, that’s not a typo.

https://bit.ly/429GshY

What does that look like?
1️⃣ Try 1.2 million vehicles produced annually—made in Alabama, Georgia, and soon with steel from Louisiana.
2️⃣ Try 14,000 new full-time U.S. jobs. With ripple effects creating over 100,000 more.
3️⃣ Try building battery packs, EV components, even low-carbon steel—right here. Local supply chain. Local production. Real infrastructure.

Hyundai is putting its foot down. And not just on the accelerator.

"Hyundai Motor Group is deepening its partnership with the United States, reinforcing our shared vision for American industrial leadership," the company said. They mean it.

They’re already working with Waymo on robotaxis. Collaborating with Boston Dynamics to mass-produce robotics. Investing in Supernal to fly eVTOL aircraft by 2028.

Also? A steel mill that turns U.S. scrap into low-emissions steel.
EV charging infrastructure with IONNA.
Small Modular Reactors with Holtec.

Manufacturing. Energy. AI. Flight. This plan doesn’t just touch industries. It threads them together.

https://bit.ly/429GshY

Here’s what we’re asking:
❓ Do you think other automakers are taking this same all-in approach to U.S. manufacturing?
❓ Is this the kind of investment that changes job markets and local economies—or is it just a big number?
❓ How much does “Made in America” matter to you when it comes to EVs, components, and tech?

Because this $21B blueprint is already being built.

�

Hyundai is investing $21B into U.S. manufacturing, EV tech, and clean energy, building jobs, supply chains, and the future—right here.