You know what donut-ripping, V8-loving, gas-in-my-veins Dodge drivers really don't want? An electric car. Well, they're getting one anyway. The 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona—a battery-powered take on the storied American muscle car—has arrived. 

And while it's maybe not as controversial as something like the Tesla Cybertruck, everybody's got opinions about this thing. I think it looks badass and serves up respectable specs, like over 300 miles of range. I think it was smart of Dodge to develop a deafeningly loud fake exhaust, because is it even a Dodge if it can't terrorize your neighbors? The real question is: Will the brand's die-hard customers, the "Brotherhood of Muscle," bite? 

My co-host Patrick George and I discuss that and more on this week's episode of the Plugged-In Podcast. Also on tap: We talk EV road trip tips and break down why Honda and Nissan might merge. And, be sure to stick around to the end for Patrick's very sincere pledge of allegiance to "co-President" Elon Musk. 

Our podcast is available on the InsideEVs YouTube channel and all major podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Audioboom. New episodes drop every Friday. Make sure to subscribe on your favorite platform. 

Let us know what you think and what you want to see and hear, and thanks for tuning in! 

Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com

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This is a sponsored article from our partners at ERANGE EV.

All new electric vehicles receive a range estimate, just like gas vehicles see EPA-estimated fuel consumption ratings. However, much like their gas-powered counterparts, there are a number of factors that impact the distance an EV can travel on one charge. If you own an electric vehicle and are seeing a shorter range than you expect, there are a few things you can do to immediately improve the situation, and most of them won’t cost you anything more than a few minutes and a little extra care from behind the wheel. Here are some of the things you can do to improve your EV range overnight.

Lighten Your Lead Foot

One of the most effective ways to improve EV range is to alter your driving style. Many EVs offer strong torque off the line, making them wildly entertaining, but putting your foot down out of every red light or stop sign is a good way to drain the range. Just like gas cars burn more fuel under hard acceleration, EVs often see a significantly reduced driving range when the driver puts their foot down. Aggressive driving also impacts brake wear and can stress suspension and other components. Regenerative braking helps avoid some of that brake wear, but it’s not suitable for use in all stopping situations.

We’re not telling you to creep around at walking speeds. Instead, try to accelerate and brake smoothly, avoiding jerky starts and stops. It’s also a good idea to drive as close to the speed limit as possible on the highway, as EVs already miss their best range targets at higher speeds. Cruise control can help remedy some of the highway-speed range issues, as it maintains a constant speed and lets the driver avoid riding the accelerator pedal while cruising.  

More From ERANGE EV

Route Planning is Key

It might be challenging to plan a long road trip that avoids highways and high-traffic areas, but shorter trips are easier to map. Select a route that allows you to travel at lower speeds, and some mapping apps let the user avoid steep inclines and traffic. You likely won’t be able to avoid all hassles on the road, but choosing the route that offers the fewest interruptions will allow you to extract the maximum range from your EV.

Carefully Manage Climate Settings and Other Features

While you might not think much about using the heat, defrost, or heated seats in the winter, those features use electricity, which can drain the range faster. The same is true for air conditioning and other tech features. It’s never a good idea to make yourself uncomfortable while driving, but lowering the intensity of the heat or air conditioning can make a tangible difference in the distance you can travel on one charge. If you can manage it, turn off the heated or ventilated seats and open any sunshades in the car to warm the cabin as much as possible without using electricity.

Take Care of Your Battery

Electric vehicles can be fully charged to 100 percent, but it’s not always recommended. Most manufacturers suggest limiting the maximum state of charge (SoC) to around 80 percent on a regular basis, especially if you only plan on short commutes and regular driving. Regular charging to the maximum level can reduce battery capacity over time, leading to a shorter range and more charging.

It's also important to pay attention to any battery preconditioning features your vehicle has. Many new EVs have systems that warm the battery to the ideal charging temperature, allowing it to charge faster and more efficiently. However, preconditioning systems don’t operate automatically in most cases, so you’ll need to understand how to activate the function before heading to a charger.

Sailun eRange Tires

Tires Matter

EV-specific tires are designed with low rolling resistance (friction), which helps maintain the vehicle’s efficiency and range. They also feature a stiffer sidewall and special tread patterns that maximize EV range and cut noise. At the same time, it’s important to make sure your tires are properly inflated. Sailun Erange tires offer those benefits with the added upsides of a long tread life and great performance.

Under- or overinflated tires don’t provide the best performance, as their contact patch (where the rubber touches the road) may be compromised. You may also notice a drop in EV range with tires that don’t roll as intended.

Range anxiety is becoming less of an issue as EVs gain more range and faster charging times, but it’s still important to focus on the details if you want to get the absolute best out of your electric vehicle. A few small changes in how you drive and behave behind the wheel can have an outsized impact on the distances you can drive between charges, but you don’t have to go overboard to see a benefit.

 If you want to learn more about how Sailun’s ERange tires can make a difference for your EV, please visit erangetires.com.

Will they, won't they? That's the eternal question about a cheaper Tesla model. A supposedly $30,000 (or even $25,000) electric vehicle was supposedly in the cards for a while, before CEO Elon Musk nixed it in favor of making cars that don't have steering wheels. But now, a new report from Deutsche Bank—an organization I'd consider more serious than your average Tesla rumor-mill blog—says a $30,000 car they dub the "Model Q" could be unveiled next year.

Could that be the start of a new and more affordable era in EV ownership and a breakthrough for the whole sector? Maybe so. In this episode of the Plugged-In Podcast from InsideEVs, we'll be discussing a lot of those—especially with our 2024 Breakthrough Awards now live. 

In this episode, my tireless co-host Tim Levin and I are joined by two special guests: Deputy Editor Mack Hogan and contributor Abigail Bassett. We're going to discuss why we chose the cars that we did for our first-ever end-of-year awards testing—the Chevy Equinox EV, Rivian R1S, Tesla Cybertruck, Lucid Air Pure and Kia EV9—and why we felt the Chevy took top honors. 

But getting there meant weeks of testing and considerable debate before, during and after. And one car in particular very nearly took home the top prize instead. If you want to hear what we think of the best EVs of 2024, give us a watch above or a listen.  

Our podcast is available on the InsideEVs YouTube channel and all major podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Audioboom. New episodes drop every Friday. Make sure to subscribe on your favorite platform. 

Let us know what you think and what you want to see and hear, and thanks for tuning in! 

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

More EV News

Earlier this year, SAE International (formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers) announced a new acronym that sounds innocuous but may just change the world: J3400. That formalized the U.S. auto industry's shift toward Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS for short) charging connector and began the long process of creating more universal standards to help move toward a fully electrified future.

While it sounds like a lot of inside baseball, it merely means this: in a few years, pretty much every new EV sold in America will likely have Tesla's style of plug and be able to natively use its vast Supercharger network—something previously exclusive to Tesla drivers. The move represented a huge shift for the global automotive industry, while at the same time offering consumers more choice and availability for public EV charging.

That’s why our jurors selected the NACS standard, and the transition to it, as our inaugural Technology of the Year winner.

(Welcome to The Breakthrough Awards, InsideEVs' year-end awards program recognizing the EVs, people and technologies that are paving the way for our clean energy transition. Read about the awards and the other contenders below.) 

The 2024 Breakthrough Awards

Technology That Makes Public Charging Nearly Seamless

As Editor-in-Chief Patrick George noted during his recent Tesla Cybertruck experience, the Tesla charging experience is just better.

“Breaking out of my typical thinking around EV charging drove home just how ubiquitous Tesla's network is, and why the rest of the U.S. auto industry moving to use that network and Tesla-designed plug natively is such a game-changer,” he said.

Hyundai and Kia have more NACS-enabled EV models coming than Tesla currently sells.

That game changer means that more people will have easier access to a wider public charging network, and it's a very important step towards an electrified future. Because manufacturers now have a standard for charging, they can begin to offer a wider array of electric vehicles for consumers with a variety of needs and wants, at a variety of price points. 

“I think the biggest thing is that NACS offers manufacturers the value of interoperability and more choice in how they develop their vehicles,” Frank Menchaca, President of Sustainable Mobility Solutions at SAE International said in an interview with InsideEVs, comparing the experience to plugging in a new appliance. “You don't expect to have to make a choice between which plugs you use, and I just think it's inevitable that as this industry matures, that this will be seen as a, you know, kind of a key aspect of making it simpler and making it more dependable.” 

The new standard also makes it easier to third-party charge point operators to support vehicles with the NACS plug.

How NACS Came To Be

Tesla superchargers comprise nearly 75% of the U.S. quick charging infrastructure. Recent data from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation shows that the US currently has more than 200,000 public chargers offering a mix of charging ports. Prior to the NACS standardization, every other non-Tesla owner had to look for charging elsewhere because of the proprietary design of the plug.

Tesla originally designed the proprietary charging port so that only Teslas could use the Supercharger infrastructure. In 2021, that design seemed destined for obsolescence since the federal government chose to subsidize Combined Charging Systems or CCS connectors used by non-Tesla automakers. CEO Elon Musk then decided to make the design open-source and rename it the North American Charging Standard or NACS for short, and that opened the door for Tesla to strike a deal with the government to open its chargers to other automakers.  

In Europe, Tesla was forced to support the CCS2 standard. The company didn't want to have to rework its North American Superchargers, too.

Tesla currently still holds a lot of the power when it comes to getting adapters into the hands of consumers, whether you drive a Chevy, Rivian or a Hyundai, and that’s been a significant bottleneck, especially after Musk randomly fired the entire Supercharger team in the spring. Despite that, uh, mercurial hiccup (I’m being kind here), Tesla managed to open 2,800 new Supercharger stalls globally in Q3, a 23% year-over-year growth. In Q2, following the firings, there was a 31% year-over-year decline in new chargers. Despite this, the Supercharger network is still adding stalls faster than any other U.S. network. But not everyone can access them.

Automakers have been subject to the delays and whims of Tesla in getting the NACS adapters into the hands of customers who are chomping at the bit to get onto the Supercharger network. That’s led to the rise of knock-off adapters which are extremely risky to use.

Menchaca says that SAE is just finalizing some details about the NACS standard and starting to work on standardizing plans for the adapters (specifically) so that automakers can manufacture them themselves rather than rely on Tesla. Menchaca said that those plans should be finalized within a year. GM claims to already have an additional (unnamed) adapter supplier, but adding more suppliers should speed things up. Plus, the adapter era may not last long. Soon, the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be the first non-Tesla vehicle on the market to get native NACS charging, a sign of a larger transition to come. 

A NACS adapter with a Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally.

Why NACS Is A Game Changer

While the sheer number of Tesla charging stalls matters significantly, there’s one major reason that NACS also won out in the standards fight: It can support 277-volt charging.

That means that it can handle common industrial voltage that can be dropped down from power poles or up from bollards on the street without a need for additional infrastructure or power delivery. That’s a huge deal, as existing 240-volt chargers require expensive hardware to work with industrial power supplies.

As Menchaca pointed out, the adoption of NACS also helps people who live in multifamily units get access to charging without the need for additional power. The EV Buyers Guide channel on YouTube has a great explainer on why this alone is such a big deal.  

The Nissan Ariya was the latest EV to get Supercharger access.

Ultimately, NACS offers a quick path to full electrification and charging access if the American customer (and government) stays on the current path. That’s been put into question in the light of President-elect Trump’s threats to gut the Inflation Reduction Act, and eliminate the federal $7,500 tax credit for EV purchases, and we’ll have to wait and see what kind of chilling effect his mandates will have on the EV business and growth. But, as Menchaca points out, technology that does good in the world will have value outside of the profits it brings for big corporations.

“An innovation is only an innovation if it materially helps people solve a real problem,” Menchaca said. “So there may be flashier innovations, you know, flying cars or whatever, but, but the question I always ask of an innovation is, ‘what is it doing to actually help the lives of people, solve a problem, to do something they couldn't do before?’” 

The native NACS port on a 2025 Genesis Electrified GV70.

He continued, “Technology for technology's sake, is nice, and you always need some research and development, but technology that actually solves a problem gets my vote. This falls squarely in that, in that it helps to solve a very real problem of charging an electric vehicle and that has a domino effect. It allows consumers to be more comfortable with electric vehicles, which means that we start to move toward a lower emission vehicle with a lighter carbon footprint. It's all part of this sort of scaffolding of advantages.”

Abigail Bassett is an award-winning and experienced freelance journalist, writer, on-air talent and television producer with more than two decades of diverse experience. A winner of numerous awards, including two Emmys, her bylines have appeared in The Atlantic, Elle Magazine, National Geographic, Travel & Leisure, Fast Company, Inc., Fortune, The Verge, TechCrunch, CNN and more.

To understand why the Chevy Equinox EV was named the inaugural Breakthrough Vehicle of the Year at InsideEVs, you have to understand what this award is about.

This is about the transition to sustainable transportation, and here at InsideEVs, we are all too aware of the daunting barriers to that goal. EVs don’t yet offer all of the capabilities consumers want. They are confusing to use and, in many cases, not fully refined in their experience. They are reliant on an unreliable and arcane series of charging networks. Most of all, they still cost too much. So we designed these awards to recognize the products that are tearing down the barriers between us and the electric future we want. The EV market needs a hero.

In 2024, the Chevy Equinox EV is the best one we’ve got.

(Welcome to The Breakthrough Awards, InsideEVs' year-end awards program recognizing the EVs, people and technologies that are paving the way for our clean energy transition. Read about the awards and the other contenders below.)

The 2024 Breakthrough Awards

The Metric That Matters

Americans have been waiting for a car like this for so long that many thought it’d never come. Since before Elon Musk promised a cheaper Tesla. Before the Bolt. Before the rise of cheap Chinese EVs. Since before electric cars got embroiled in the culture wars, the tax credit debacles and the elevation of Tesla to juggernaut status, the people’s demands haven’t changed. Consumers want a long-range, affordable EV that’s cool enough to actually desire.

The Equinox EV is that car. 

There are two numbers you need to know: $48,397 and $27,495. The first is the average new-car transaction price as of September, per Kelley Blue Book. The second is how much a base-model 2025 Chevy Equinox EV LT costs after the $7,500 federal clean vehicle tax credit, including the destination charge. It is a stylish electric crossover with room for four, up to 319 miles of range, a slick Google-powered infotainment system, and it costs $20,000 less than the average new car.

It is not only cheaper than average; it is cheaper than its gas competition. The internal-combustion Equinox starts at $29,995. The Toyota RAV4 kicks off at $30,245. And you can’t get a new Honda CR-V for less than $31,450. 

The magnitude of General Motors’ achievement cannot be overstated. For the first time ever, it is cheaper to get an EV than a gas vehicle in one of the car market’s most vital segments.

“The more I think about it, the more convinced I am of the massive scale of this breakthrough,” InsideEVs Senior Reporter Tim Levin said. “Apart from those rather compromised models [like the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf], the EV market has always been for the well-heeled. For years and years, advocates, industry researchers and car buyers (me!) have been clamoring for attractive electric options that don’t break the bank. With the Equinox EV, Chevy has delivered.” 

Even in FWD form, the Equinox EV is compelling.

To be sure, there are holes in the value argument. Price parity requires a federal tax credit, which the incoming president has vowed to repeal. And, as with the gas vehicles I listed, the base price is for a relatively stripped-down version. If you want an all-wheel-drive model with all of the bells and whistles, prepare to pay around $35,000 after tax credits and certainly more with options. But across its trims, the Equinox EV is priced comparably with or below its internal combustion competition.

A Better Experience

With that one barrier broken down, it’s amazing how quickly you can convince the average American to go electric.

The 213-horsepower front-wheel-driver version is more potent and quicker to 60 than its gas-powered competition, though our EV-spoiled staff noted it feels dreadfully slow and squishy by electric standards. Opt for all-wheel drive—as most Americans probably will—and you get 288 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque. That’ll get it to 60 in under six seconds, making it likely the quickest vehicle most compact crossover buyers have ever owned. 

It’ll notch off that 0-60 mph run in near silence and cost almost nothing to run. For those with home charging, they’ll wake up every day with a full battery, and never think of range beyond the occasional road trips. Those trips shouldn’t be an issue, either. The FWD Equinox offers 319 miles of range and—for 2025—the AWD model’s max range goes from 285 miles to 307 miles. Both variants can charge at Tesla Superchargers with an adapter, too, so a good charging station is never out of reach. A Tesla NACS-equipped version is in the cards for later as well.

The Equinox EV will also plan your route for you, taking most of the hassle out of planning road trips yourself. Unfortunately, GM’s built-in route planner doesn’t seem to use Tesla Superchargers yet—at least, not in my personally leased Blazer EV—but hopefully that’s coming via an over-the-air update. At least its driver aids are even better. The Equinox EV offers Super Cruise, GM’s hands-off, eyes-on highway assistant, and it’s still our favorite driver assistance system on sale. It’s confident, reliable and safe, with worry-free hands-off driving and automated lane changes. Our editors couldn’t stop raving about it. 

2024 Chevy Equinox EV RS AWD

Plus, the Equinox benefits from built-in Google Maps and a slick software suite for its standard 17.7-inch display. You can also add 3rd-party route planning, music, podcast and charging apps via the Google Play Store, a consolation prize for those who bemoan GM’s decision to ditch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

I don’t miss it in my Blazer, and after an adjustment period, I don’t expect most customers to miss it in their Equinox. Comfortable, stylish EVs with flagship, home-grown software are the future. The Equinox EV is the cheapest way into that club.

Leading On Cost, But Not Quite Technology

Cheapest rarely means best, however, and that holds true here. We’re impressed by the Google-powered operating system, but not the entire end-to-end software experience.

Tesla’s route-planning and software experience is miles ahead of Chevy’s. Its app is world-class, while the MyChevrolet app is so slow and inconsistent that I get next to no value from it. And while GM is democratizing the long-range EV, it’s using battery size, not efficiency, to deliver that experience.

The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV RS AWD

The AWD Equinox EV’s rated efficiency of 2.86 miles per kWh (35 kWh per 100 miles) puts it behind the long-range all-wheel-drive versions of the Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Buyers won’t care, as range and price trump efficiency in the marketplace. But it’s a reminder that GM doesn’t exactly have a technology lead on that crucial metric which will, over time, unlock more range and cost advantages.

Some of our judges noted this lack of a cutting-edge. “Although it’s pleasant and cheap, the car fundamentally does nothing new in the EV space. Not saying it’s a bad car, but where’s the breakthrough? Where’s the technical advancement?” Staff Writer Kevin Williams asked. 

Certainly not in battery chemistry or thermal management, I’ll tell you that much. The Equinox EV’s battery pack may be a 400-volt-class system, but its true nominal voltage is 288 volts. At low states of charge, it’s closer to 250 volts. This may sound like technical jargon, but here’s why it’s important: When charging, most 150-kW chargers cannot provide enough current to supply the low-voltage battery with 150 kW of power.

So while the Equinox EV is rated for a similar peak charging rate as cars like the ID.4 and Mach-E, its real-world charging performance is far slower. At a normal 150-kW charger, it will take around 50 minutes to go from 10-80%. On a 350-kW charger or a Tesla Supercharger, it can do the trick in about 40 minutes.

You can find more efficient, faster-charging EVs out there. None of them are this cheap while offering this complete a package.

That’s behind the pack, and indicative of what Contributing Editor Abigail Bassett says is GM’s original sin.

“As innovative as the company can be, the bean counters consistently undermine every product that GM makes. The Equinox is no different,” Bassett said. Both Tim Levin and I also experienced rattles in our Equinox EV test cars, and I’ve had a few in my Blazer EV, more evidence of GM cutting costs. 

A Winning Compromise

There’s a reason we need bean counters. Someone needs to cut costs to deliver a cheap product. While the Equinox EV is still a compromise, it’s a far, far more compelling compromise than the affordable EVs that have come before it. The Nissan Leaf had a paltry range, God-awful thermal management and no real fast-charging. The Bolt felt like an economy car and couldn’t charge quickly enough for a real road trip. The Equinox EV sacrifices a bit of charging performance and some interior bits to deliver the specs Americans demand at a price they can afford.

Don’t take this as idle praise. We believe the Equinox EV will convince far more people to go electric in part because it’s already winning over our staff. 

“I personally leased a 2024 Equinox EV 2RS and have brought two personal friends of mine to the dealer to check them out. They both drove home in an Equinox EV,” Contributing Editor and YouTube’s State of Charge host Tom Molougney said.

“On a personal note, I’m considering leasing one because it meets my needs, is cost-effective, and offers Super Cruise, which I love. It’s basically a reliable and safe Tesla, without being a Tesla,” Bassett added. Despite being the lone defector on our judging panel, voting for the Cybertruck over the Equinox, Williams still says he’s considering leasing the Chevy. I would have one myself, but the deal I got on the Blazer EV was even cheaper than the Equinox EV at the time, and my dirt-road adventures necessitate the Blazer’s better ground clearance. 

None of us think it’s the coolest EV on sale. It isn’t the most high-tech, nor the flashiest. It looks sleek, but it’s not as sexy as striking as some options out there. But you’re not going to win America over on marketing alone. Offering a cleaner solution on ideology alone just isn’t working.

To win, EVs need a dollars-and-cents argument. They’re already better on the road. They’re already cooler. They’re already nicer. They just need to be more attainable. Its reliance on the tax credit means the Equinox EV isn’t all the way there. But it’s the closest an automaker has come to delivering the revolutionary experience you want at a price you can afford.

Editor-in-chief Patrick George said it best: “Put simply, the Equinox EV is exactly what the market needs right now.”

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

If the last year of bumpy electric vehicle growth has proven anything, it’s that Americans are done making big compromises just to buy an electric car. If what’s out there doesn’t have enough range, isn’t the right size or is too pricey, they’re probably just going to buy a hybrid or a straight-up gas car and call it a day.

The days of rich geeks lining up to buy anything and everything electric are behind us.

The good news for buyers is that the list of trade-offs one has to endure to go electric is shrinking by the day. For proof, just look at the Kia EV9, a stylish three-row SUV that has single-handedly introduced a whole new kind of buyer to the wide world of EVs.

Smell that? That reeks of a breakthrough.

(Welcome to The Breakthrough Awards, InsideEVs' year-end awards program recognizing the EVs, people and technologies that are paving the way for our clean energy transition. Read about the awards and the other contenders below.)

The 2024 Breakthrough Awards

Why The EV9 Is A Breakthrough

American families looking for an electric three-row SUV had few options until the EV9 launched. Everything was either weird, expensive, not that spacious or a combination of the three. Consider the egg-shaped Tesla Model X, the pricey Rivian R1S and the pricey and egg-shaped Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

“It’s wild how every three-row EV has some weird caveat,” says Kevin Williams, InsideEVs Staff Writer.

There just wasn’t a mainstream, affordable option for people who loved their Kia Telluride or Toyota Highlander and wanted something like that. And that brings us to the EV9’s breakthrough: As the first three-row electric SUV with mass appeal, it electrifies a hugely popular vehicle segment in a way that others before it have not. 

Not only does the Kia EV9 have room for adults in all three rows, but it has room for a lot of their gear, too.

It aims to address one of the most critical yet overlooked barriers to wider EV adoption. Buyers won’t even begin to confront their anxieties around charging infrastructure, range or cost of ownership if they can’t even find an EV in the basic form factor they want to buy.

Some segments have been oversaturated with battery-powered options. In America today, there are as many electric pickup truck models as full-size gas-powered options. There are around 20 premium electric crossovers from the likes of Audi, Porsche, Lexus and more. Full-size electric three-rows have been woefully overlooked. 

Kia plugged that gap with the 2024 EV9, which starts at $56,395 and comes in spacious six- and seven-seat configurations. That’s not exactly cheap—we’ll come back to that later—but its arrival slashed the entry price for a three-row EV by around $20,000 overnight. And you get a lot for the money. The EV9’s striking style, excellent tech, solid range and industry-leading charging speeds make it super appealing compared to both gas and electric competitors.

“Today, if you want a three-row SUV of any type, the mainstream option with the best design and best tech is the Kia EV9,” says InsideEVs Deputy Editor Mack Hogan. “The fact that it’s electric is a bonus.” 

Patrick George is right: This is the first three-row family crossover that isn't a chore to drive.

We loved its roomy third row, especially compared to the Rivian R1S. Many praised its highway driver-assistance tech, which smoothly follows lane lines and keeps up with surrounding traffic in most situations. One knock: It’s still a hands-on system, unlike Ford’s BlueCruise or GM’s Super Cruise. The EV9 is a charging champ, too, with long-range models able to juice up from 10-80% in a speedy 24 minutes, according to Kia. On a road trip, I charged my tester from 18-80% in a brisk 22 minutes, topping out at 216 kilowatts and confirming the automaker’s claims. 

In general, we thought the EV9 rode comfortably and quietly and didn’t have major complaints on that front. InsideEVs Editor-in-Chief Patrick George said it drove the best out of any big SUV he’s tested, agnostic of what powers it.

“Let me tell you the dirty secret about the three-row crossover: Americans may love these things, but they absolutely suck to drive,” he said. “The sole exception to this is the Kia EV9.” 

There were still gripes that came up more than once. The touch-based climate-control panel, though attractive, is completely obscured by the steering wheel. In base guise, an EPA-estimated 230 miles of range is just OK. But those small complaints aren’t why we ultimately decided against the EV9 in our inaugural Breakthrough EV of the Year competition.

Why It’s Not Our Winner

Although the EV9 represents a serious leap forward for a key segment, it’s tough to overlook its price compared to gas-powered rivals. A Telluride will run you as little as $37,585, destination fee included. That’s nearly $20,000 less than the cheapest EV9, setting aside for a moment the amazing lease deals that have proliferated thanks to the “leasing loophole” in the federal EV tax credit.

Must-have features widen the gap further. Adding on the long-range battery pack bumps the SUV’s range to 304 miles and the price to just over $60,000. Equip a second motor for all-wheel drive and you’re looking at over $65,000. The fully-loaded GT-Line variant I tested, for example, pushed $80,000. 

The EV9's price tag puts it up against cars like the Chevy Tahoe. We'd take the Kia for sure, but other three-row crossovers are far cheaper.

While the EV9 is a fantastic pick for a whole host of reasons, there are many hybrids and gas SUVs that do the job almost as well for far less money. On top of all that, our winner’s value proposition was clear as day.

Contact the author: Tim.Levin@insideevs.com. 

When Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq 5 N, I have to admit I wasn’t as excited as some of my colleagues were.

It’s not that I wasn’t convinced that Hyundai would make a true N car out of the Ioniq 5; I was. I just wasn’t sure that driving enthusiasts would be convinced. I found it hard to imagine that a high-performance version of the Ioniq 5 with muscle-car energy, faux gears, and artificial exhaust-mimicking sound would actually hit the mark.

Then I drove it.

I was wrong. Although I still find it hard to believe, I truly enjoyed the fake gears and loud exhaust sounds. Every other judge agreed. Staff Writer Kevin Williams had this to say: “The N shift is completely fake; it’s using regen braking and a subwoofer to fake the feeling of a DCT fart and shift shock. Yet it f—ing works. That’s… clever. I love it when automakers are clever.”

But while the Ioniq 5 N is undeniably impressive in many ways, and is a blast to drive, does it deserve the accolade of Breakthrough Electric Vehicle of the Year? Let’s break down our thinking with a mix of praise, critiques and a healthy dose of reality. 

(Welcome to The Breakthrough Awards, InsideEVs' year-end awards program recognizing the EVs, people and technologies that are paving the way for our clean energy transition. Read about the awards and the other contenders below.)

The 2024 Breakthrough Awards

The Good: Fast, Furious and Futuristic

I’ll start by giving credit where it’s due. We believe the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is an exhilarating performer that’s worthy of wearing the N badge.

First off, it looks like the future we were promised. The Ioniq 5 N seems as if it drove out of a retro-futuristic dream. Its pixelated LED lights, sharp angles and commanding stance scream Blade Runner, but a daily-drivable version of it. Unlike the monotony of many EV designs, Hyundai dared to be bold, and it paid off. Pull up in this beauty and anyone interested in performance vehicles will notice. They’ll probably have questions. 

With dual motors cranking out up to 641 horsepower and a 0-to-60 mph time of about 3 seconds, the Ioniq 5 N isn’t just fast—it’s neck-snapping, face-meltingly fast. And unlike other EVs, it doesn’t move with a near-silent hum.

Hyundai introduced an artificial soundtrack feature that mimics the growl of a combustion engine or the whir of a spaceship, adding a theatrical layer to your tire-shredding escapades. The fake engine—the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo from the Elantra N, among others—rises and falls in “revs,” with simulated gears that actually affect the power band. 

Contributing Editor Abigail Bassett also liked Hyundai’s faux ICE sounds: “I love, love, love, love the noises. While the sounds are essentially like a kid making engine noises while pushing a Hot Wheels car around, it never ceased to bring a smile to my face. Maybe that’s why I love it so much because it really taps into the joy I felt as a kid around cars.”

And it’s not only quick—it drifts! Hyundai didn’t just stop at straight-line speed; they gave the Ioniq 5 N a drift mode. Yes, this family-friendly crossover is also a drift machine. It’s equal parts absurd and awesome, proving that Hyundai won’t be afraid to have some fun in the electric vehicle era.

Despite its performance chops, the Ioniq 5 N is still an Ioniq 5 at heart. That means a spacious interior, a roomy hatch and ultra-fast-charging capabilities that rival the best in the business. It’s a car you can hoon on a track and then you can load up with groceries or take the kids to soccer in without a second thought. 

The Not-So-Good: The Devil’s in the Details

For all its brilliance, the Ioniq 5 N stumbles in some areas—and these flaws are what keep us from awarding it the coveted “breakthrough” title.

While the Ioniq 5 N is a marvel, it’s ultimately a souped-up version of an existing model. The Ioniq 5 itself was groundbreaking over three years ago when it first launched in 2021. Slapping an “N” badge on it, tweaking the motors and suspension and adding some fancy noises are all good moves, but they add up to a fun new version of a beloved car.

If we’re awarding Breakthrough of the Year, shouldn’t it go to something genuinely new, not an improved remix of an old hit? Something that moves the needle on accessibility, rather than another expensive toy? 

While the synthetic sound effects are fun for some, they can feel gimmicky to others. Purists might argue that the silent hum of an EV is its own badge of honor, a quiet rebellion against the internal combustion era. For those people, the Ioniq 5 N’s fake revs might feel like wearing a leather jacket to a yoga class—a fake personality that doesn’t suit its real one. 

Plus, the grippy tires take a major toll on efficiency. With an EPA-rated range of around 240 miles (if you’re not driving like I did most of the time I had with it), the Ioniq 5 N lags behind its main rival, the Tesla Model Y Performance. A Ford Mustang Mach-E GT or Rally also go a lot farther.

Push the Hyundai hard in N Grin Mode (yes, that’s the actual name), and that range drops faster than your phone battery on a transatlantic flight. For a vehicle aiming to break boundaries, this feels like a bit of a step backward. Sure, all performance products are less efficient than their normal counterparts, but the Ioniq 5 N is far less efficient than its quickest rivals. They may not have the N's track-capable cooling system, but that's rarely what compact SUV buyers are looking for.

The shift paddles for Hyundai's "N Grin Shift" simulated gearbox. In normal mode, the paddles control regenerative braking levels.

The extra cooling and performance hardware also adds a lot of weight. At nearly 5,000 pounds, the Ioniq 5 N is no featherweight. While Hyundai has done an admirable job disguising its heft with clever suspension tuning, physics still applies. It’s a blast in a straight line or on wide-open curves, but tighter corners reveal its Achilles’ heel. Breakthrough cars should defy our expectations, not succumb to them.

The Competition Factor

To declare the Ioniq 5 N a breakthrough, we’d have to ignore its formidable competition in the EV space—and that’s not easy to do.

Love it or loathe it, Tesla’s influence looms large. The Model Y Performance offers similar speed and better range while maintaining Tesla’s trademark minimalism and tech-forward ecosystem. It goes farther than the 5 N and does so with a smaller battery and costs $15,000 less. Sure, it lacks the personality of the Ioniq 5 N, but it’s hard to argue with the numbers. 

The Lucid Air is redefining luxury EVs, with its jaw-dropping range and spaceship-like interiors. While it’s a different class of car, the entry-level Pure costs just $2,500 more than the 5 N, and underscores how much car you can get for the same money.

If the MSRP for the Ioniq 5 N was around $50,000 instead of just under $70,000, I believe we would have given it more consideration for the Breakthrough Award. But with contenders like the Kia EV9 and Chevrolet Equinox EV offering tremendous value in their respective segments, we couldn’t really consider the 5 N, as much as we all love driving it.

The Breakthrough Awards are meant to recognize the car that’s done the most to advance the EV market this year.

We loved the Ioniq 5 N, but it’s a neat halo product that only really matters to EV enthusiasts with a lot of money to burn. 

“It’s a $65,000 compact Hyundai SUV, and consumers aren’t going to care,” Deputy Editor Mack Hogan said. “Its biggest selling point is that it’s track-capable and fun, but driving very fast on track is still a niche better served by internal combustion cars, and the volumes here are so small that electrifying them is a small benefit."

Why “Breakthrough” Matters

Let’s not forget what “breakthrough” implies. It’s about shifting paradigms, setting new standards and leaving competitors scrambling to catch up. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is undoubtedly an incredible car, and Hyundai deserves a lot of credit for making the faux gears and sound work—something I didn’t believe possible. But does it truly disrupt the market? No, not really. 

“It’s a blast for the gearheads, but does it matter much in a wider sense beyond the performance car awards the magazines hand out?” Editor-in-Chief Patrick George asked. “I’m not convinced that it does.”

Yes, it’s fun. Yes, it’s fast. Yes, it’s cool. But it’s not rewriting the EV playbook. Instead, it’s playing by the same rules—just louder and faster. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it doesn’t make for a “Breakthrough Electric Vehicle of the Year” award-winner. Just a well-loved nominee.

I think my colleague Tim Levin put it best when we were discussing why the 5 N shouldn’t win this year: “The Ioniq 5 N succeeds in making EVs slightly more appealing to die-hard gearheads, but that’s a tiny slice of the car market with hyper-specific preferences. As much as I loved the Ioniq 5 N, it’s a nearly $70,000 sports SUV that solves a very specific gripe of a small audience.”

If there were an award for “Most Fun EV of the Year” or “Coolest Way to Make Your Neighbor Jealous,” the Ioniq 5 N would be a shoo-in. But for a category that demands innovation and transformation, it falls short.

So, let’s tip our hats to Hyundai for delivering a vehicle that sparks joy, burns rubber and makes a lot of noise while doing so. But if we’re talking breakthroughs, we need to look elsewhere. For now, the Ioniq 5 N will have to settle for being the most fun EV you can buy today. It’s just not the one changing the game. 

The epiphany didn’t hit me right away. I was in the middle of borrowing this Lucid Air Pure for a weeklong test, and it wasn’t until day six that this question flashed through my head: “Is this the best electric vehicle I’ve ever driven?”

The more I thought about it, the more I was sure that the answer was somewhere between “maybe” and “probably, yes.”

I know that’s high praise, especially coming from the editor of a publication that covers electric vehicles. But it’s meant to be. The Lucid Air, especially in its most affordable Pure form, shows us what every other EV manufacturer should be aiming for and, if they’re smart, will be in the years to come. 

That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, however. Or enough to win our Breakthrough of the Year Award.

(Welcome to The Breakthrough Awards, InsideEVs' year-end awards program recognizing the EVs, people and technologies that are paving the way for our clean energy transition. Read about the awards and the other contenders below.)

The 2024 Breakthrough Awards

Why The Lucid Air Pure Is A Breakthrough

My first experience with any Lucid Air actually came earlier this year, Contributing Editor and State of Charge YouTube host Tom Moloughney and I drove one from New York to Boston and back in a day. The Air in question was the Grand Touring, good for a staggering 516 miles of electric range (or 480 miles with the wheels we had.)

That’s a hell of a figure to go with its 819 horsepower, sleek looks and plush, comfortable interior. That Lucid Air GT was one of the best road-trip cars I’ve ever driven, if not, again, the best. With its 900-volt architecture, the Air GT added 250 miles of range in a mere 13 minutes on a 350-kW charger. I didn’t miss gas.

It also cost $125,550. If you “need” 1,234 horsepower and the ability to do zero to 60 mph in 1.89 seconds, you can splurge for the top-level Sapphire flavor of Air. That’ll put you out a cool $249,000. 

2024 Breakthrough Award Nominee: Lucid Air Pure

The Lucid Air Pure, introduced late last year, is a much more reasonable proposition. An Air Pure can be yours starting at $69,900. With options, my tester came in at $74,350—still not “cheap,” and I’ll get to that issue momentarily. But that’s a whole car cheaper than the six-figure Lucid Air trims we’ve experienced before, and in many ways, it’s actually better.

The Air Pure delivers a still-better-than-damn-near-everything-else 420 miles of EPA-rated range, or 384 miles of range with the 20-inch wheels my tester used. That's impressive given that the Air Pure gets an 88-kWh battery (down to 84 kWh for 2025), compared to the Grand Touring's 111-kWh pack. Plus, the Pure's not even an ounce less comfortable inside than its more expensive big brothers, either. 

The interior of the Lucid Air Pure.

“It's hard to quantify how cavernous the interior of the Lucid Air is,” Contributing Editor Abigail Bassett said. “It's very future-forward and comfortable.”

Staff Writer Kevin Williams agreed with me that the Pure is actually the best-driving Air, in part because it weighs almost 1,000 pounds less than a GT or Sapphire thanks to that much smaller battery. 

“I was worried that the lack of brain-melting four-digit power numbers would make the car feel less special,” Kevin said. “It doesn’t. If anything the lack of power makes the Air more likable, because doesn’t feel like you’re piloting a guided missile.” 

But the reason the Air Pure is a breakthrough is because of how it delivers that range: efficiency. That term is nerdy as all get out, invoking some condescending guy pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose before he lectures you about the thermodynamic shortcomings of your F-150 Lightning.

Yet the proof is in the pudding: by emphasizing class-leading electric motors (made in-house by Lucid), aerodynamics, high-efficiency battery cells, a heat pump and so on, a Lucid Air Pure can drive further while using less energy than any other car out there. That’s a less grating way to put it. It means you can get more range without bumping the battery size, the key to avoiding stratospheric curb weights and prices.

Of all the cars we tested this year, some of the most effusive praise was saved for the Air Pure. 

“The Lucid Air Pure has the best combination of efficiency, comfort, driving dynamics and cost of any car on sale today,” Contributing Editor Tom Moloughney said. Williams concurred: “Out of all the contenders, I like driving the Air the most,” he said.

Why It’s Not Our Winner

As fast, comfortable, powerful and (God, there’s that word again) efficient as the Air Pure is, it’s also kind of a car for nerds. Yes, it outdoes the technology on the Model S, but it has none of the swagger—the sex appeal, even—that the Tesla did when it broke ground. Blame marketing or its engineering-led focus, but it’s hard to explain to most people what the hell Lucid Motors even is. The brand’s entire vibe needs a hell of a lot less Saab and a ton more Porsche or BMW.

But that’s for the ad guys to figure out. The Air Pure is objectively excellent on specs and experience alone. We just had to decide if it was a breakthrough or not. 

One key question we asked ourselves going into this process was, “What brings us closer to an electric future for everyone?” That thought held me back from giving this award to another $70,000-ish luxury car. (It also led me to similar marks against a few others in this crop, to be fair.) It’s time for the EV market to move beyond that sort of thing. 

I’ll also be candid and say the Air Pure might’ve clinched top honors in spite of that if it was perfect in its execution; it is, however, not. Lucid is a small company and it’s abundant that the R&D cash goes to production and powertrains. Its software experience and automated driving assistance tech are both lackluster for the class, and there are still some weird quality quirks that Lucid needs to iron out.

“The dual-screen setup sometimes left me scratching my head,” Senior Reporter Tim Levin said. “The highway driver-assistance system, too, was problematic. It constantly reminded me to put my hands on the steering wheel when my hands were there all along. And, when I was wearing a baseball cap, the Air regularly told me to pay attention to the road when I’d look away for a split second.”

Not things you want in any car, but especially not one that costs $70,000 or more. 

Multiple judges noticed that the volume rocker on the steering wheel felt unnatural and came with significant lag. Luckily the central volume roller is much nicer.

Ultimately, however, our judges came to the same conclusion: the Lucid Air feels like the car the Tesla Model S should’ve been in 2024, at a time when the world has moved on to the Tesla Model Y and cheaper options.

“To the average buyer today, the Pure doesn’t move the needle,” Deputy Editor Mack Hogan said. “A car that was already among the most efficient vehicles on sale got more efficient. Hooray. But this car represents the exact sort of car that Americans have completely moved away from. No one is buying $70,000 sedans, and those who do aren’t buying them from Lucid. That’s why the company’s future hinges on the Gravity, not the Air.”

Kevin agreed: “This incremental breakthrough is not selling cars. $70,000 is a lot of coin. And people aren’t buying sedans. They need something cheaper and/or crossover-shaped.” 

The Air is also a charging champion, which makes it ideal for road trips.

Lucid is working on all of that. And the company itself is a work in progress. But I do hope it figures things out; I could easily see a day where the Gravity or Project Midsize take full honors at the Breakthrough Awards.

“Efficiency” may not sound sexy, but it is the future of electric transportation. Lucid’s thesis has been proven right again and again. When all of that trickles down to more mainstream EVs, they’ll be unstoppable.

Right now, the best EV you can buy is another expensive sedan. And we just don’t need more of those in 2024.

Contact the author: Patrick.George@insideevs.com. 

Rivian has long toiled in the EV salt mines. It's spent its formative years competing against the likes of Tesla while sorting out various start-up issues including tech, production and profitability; call them "growing pains." But when Rivian launched the all-new R1 platform earlier this year with the aim of making its popular R1S and R1T better to drive, cheaper and easier to build and slightly more efficient, we were impressed by the work that the company did under the skin.  

“There is so much to like on this car,” Patrick George, the EIC of InsideEVs, wrote of his time in the 2025 R1S Adventure Dual Motor tester he tried out. “From its exceptional range to the many terrain options to its friendly styling. It’s packed with features, handles remarkably well for its size and has vastly better software than the last R1S I was driving late last year.”

Despite the updates, though, judges declared that Rivian’s “second generation” R1 didn’t yet offer enough meaningful improvements that really move the needle and make it a more enticing proposition for owners. The company didn’t pass cost savings onto consumers, and software bugs still abound. It’s clear that Rivian still has some things to sort out. 

(Welcome to The Breakthrough Awards, InsideEVs' year-end awards program recognizing the EVs, people and technologies that are paving the way for our clean energy transition. Read about the awards and the other contenders below.)

The 2024 Breakthrough Awards

Why We Nominated The Rivian R1 For Breakthrough EV Of The Year

As a Tesla alternative, Rivian stands out both for its innovation and the starkly different politics of its founder and CEO, RJ Scaringe. 

Rivian has an innovative and creative design with a focus on adventure and off-road experiences, and as a couple of our jurors rightly pointed out, on the road, the R1S is a lot like driving a lifted Toyota SUV: familiar but with a bit more tech underneath. While most people won’t take their Rivians out for an offroading adventure, the trucks still offer plenty of space, comfort and amenities to make any drive pleasant.

“Rivian is absolutely nailing the ‘big electric off-roader’ class of vehicles without feeling like a tank, as General Motors’ EV trucks do, or a practical joke gone too far, like the Cybertruck,” Patrick added in his driving notes. 

The updates aren't visible from the outside, but they are vast. In June of this year, Rivian announced what amounted to a very heavy mid-cycle refresh that ultimately made some features and software more efficient and made the vehicles lighter by approximately 44 pounds.

Most remarkably, Rivian removed 1.6 miles of wiring, cut down on the number of ECUs, and lowered the cost of production as the company continues to struggle with everything from massive supply chain missteps to significant OSHA violations in its Normal, Illinois, plant, and works its way toward profitability.  This is a significant development because it comes from what still amounts to a small, scrappy startup working very hard to avoid falling into the so-called EV Valley of Death, where electric vehicle companies struggle to ramp up production and make a profit.

What We Thought About the R1 Platform 

While the tech breakthrough was less obvious for the person behind the wheel, that doesn’t mean that our jury didn’t love many of Rivian's updates to the new platform, particularly in light of the promised (yet to come) smaller R2 and R3 SUVs. 

“The experience of driving a Rivian is as much about hardware as it is about software,” Senior Reporter Tim Levin said. “While automotive software can come off like an afterthought, Rivian’s is notably cohesive, quick, and thoughtfully designed. Interacting with its digital interface—whether it’s to find a charging station or view vehicle settings—feels a whole lot like using an Apple product. And that’s refreshing. The interior, too, has a modern flair without the Tesla austerity. All in all, Rivians feel like special vehicles that break the norm, and that’s because they are.”

Both Staff Writer Kevin Williams and Patrick noted that the R1S feels a lot like a Toyota. “The R1S feels like it almost shouldn’t exist,” Patrick said. “If Toyota—itself an early battery pioneer, as we’re all aware—had bothered to make an all-electric Land Cruiser or 4Runner or Sequoia, I bet [Rivian] might not be here. Yet here we are, with the most promising American EV startup since Tesla, making the kind of outdoor-friendly all-electric SUV that Toyota wouldn’t. That’s why it’s so charming to most of us: this country loves a good off-roader, and the R1S nails the assignment.”

Most notably, Kevin, who traveled to China to get a taste of electric innovation from overseas, noted that while the new R1 platform may only really benefit Rivian’s bottom line, there’s more than meets the eye. 

“I think the real breakthrough is Rivian’s software stack,” Williams said. “It’s quick and innovative. It’s pretty and has features that are executed way better than other Apple CarPlay-less interfaces,” he continued, noting that the Apple Music integration was slick. Williams said that the R1S was “one of the first cars [he's] driven in the U.S. that felt on par with Chinese stuff.”

Why Rivian Isn’t our Pick for the Breakthrough EV of the Year

But who are these updates for? As Deputy Editor Mack Hogan pointed out, we perhaps shouldn't overstate the scale of the breakthroughs that Rivian made. After all, the innovation targeted a specific audience: Rivian employees and shareholders, with some small benefits to the consumer.

"A company that makes $80,000 luxury cars has achieved a stunning breakthrough: It is now losing less money on the expensive trucks it sells," Mack wrote.

He meant this not as a criticism of Rivian; after all, making a car from scratch as a start-up is a Biblical undertaking. But this award isn't meant to hand car companies a trophy for doing what they need to do to survive in the short term. "It’s about breaking down the barriers preventing consumers to transitioning to EVs," Hogan said. "The new Rivian R1S doesn’t do that. It saves Rivian’s investors some money, but that savings isn’t passed onto the consumer."

Moreover, the R1S—while undeniably special—didn’t rise above the tough pack of competitors we assembled. Patrick summed it up: 

"As much as I like this thing, besides improving on a formula that’s clearly revealing the future of automotive technology in real-time, I’m not sure exactly where the R1S itself is a ‘breakthrough.’" he wrote. "It shows an extremely promising evolution for this exciting American car startup. But the product itself doesn’t move the needle for me enough.”

The Tesla Cybertruck Was Too Caustic To Win

The Tesla Cybertruck is controversial. You know this. I know this. Even the most dyed-in-the-wool Tesla loyalist would understand that the truck rubs a lot of people the wrong way. It’s also fair to say that’s especially true over the past few weeks and months, as the Cybertruck has become a rolling symbol of the politics of Tesla’s CEO and his big ideas for how America should be run.

But it would’ve been intellectually dishonest if we hadn’t thrown it in the running for the inaugural InsideEVs Breakthrough Awards. This is an important vehicle.

(Welcome to The Breakthrough Awards, InsideEVs' year-end awards program recognizing the EVs, people and technologies that are paving the way for our clean energy transition. Read about the awards and the other contenders below.)

The 2024 Breakthrough Awards

Why We Nominated The Tesla Cybertruck For Breakthrough EV Of The Year

It’s the most well-known EV launch this year. Suppose we ignore the cringe stories of clout-chasing owners and influencers spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in hopes that social media posts will make them millionaires. In that case, you’ll realize that the Cybertruck is full of a lot of industry firsts.

CEO Elon Musk may have underdelivered compared to the supremely outlandish concept shown off in 2019—the final product is more expensive, less capable and with less range than promised—but the tech on the roads in the production version of the Cybertruck is still pretty groundbreaking.

When Musk infamously unveiled the concept truck with its theoretically bulletproof-yet-can’t-withstand-a-metal-ball side glass, the world was convinced that it was far too impractical and not technically feasible. Yet, he and the team at Tesla did it: the wedge-shaped truck made of stainless steel made it to market just as we had seen four years before. Its windows are normal automotive glass, sure, but the design looks mostly the same.

Let’s give Tesla some credit for actually making something this outlandish. It looks like nothing on the road, prompting some to assert that the company has finally made the future look like the future. Soon, they figured, it would only be a matter of time before other EV manufacturers emulated the Cybertruck’s look, and we’d all be in a future where we’d all be driving in bulletproof stainless steel electric obelisks that looked like they drove right out of the Blade Runner set. Right?

Eh, let’s hold our horses here. It’s clear that there were some design concessions Tesla needed to make to get the Cybertruck on the road. Musk himself admitted that. Some big ideas got left on the shop floor. The truck’s proportions and dimensions changed quite a bit, turning the vehicle’s style and stance from a cool lunar rover to something akin to a shopping cart wearing worn-out orthopedic shoes.

The semi-structural exo-skeleton gave way to somewhat conventional stainless steel panels that aren’t all that easy to repair. The targeted $39,995 price magically became more like $100,000 when it finally dropped, though it’s since gone down and even more affordable variants are supposedly coming. But where the hell is the Cyberquad or the electric range extender? What about the Basecamp, which was supposed to be a futuristic camper shell and is, in fact, just a tent? In so many key areas, this truck failed to deliver.

Yet it also broke new ground in other ways. It launched with a first in the industry: a steer-by-wire variable steering system with no mechanical backup. It uses a 48-volt architecture for its non-EV-related accessory bits, something that even Ford CEO Jim Farley says the industry is likely to move toward, as it could tangibly increase vehicle efficiency. The Cybertruck even eschews the typical CANBUS communications protocol found on other vehicles for a single super-fast electronic data system that links all components through one wire.

In a world where "high-tech" has lost its meaning much of the time, the Cybertruck's innovations are a good reminder of what that actually entails.

What We Thought About The Tesla Cybertruck Platform 

Is it worth the hype, though? The InsideEVs Breakthrough Awards panel was decidedly mixed on the Cybertruck’s driving dynamics and impact on the EV market. 

Some agreed with me.

“It’s incredibly smooth, the software is excellent, the seats are comfortable, the minimalism-meets-brutalism interior is more upscale than it looks, and Tesla’s one-pedal driving is still probably the best in the business," Editor-in-Chief Patrick George said.

Contributing Editor Tom Moloughney, Deputy Editor Mack Hogan and Senior Reporter Tim Levin also agreed that the Cybertruck’s driving dynamics were nice. However, when it came to the technologies and design decisions that Tesla intentionally made for the vehicle, it wasn’t clear if the Cybertruck was better for it. 

For example, every single one of us on the panel complained about the truck’s build quality. Unlike other publications, which may have one unit to share between a fleet of staffers in one geographic location, the InsideEVs panel was pretty well distributed across the country.

We all had different Cybertruck units, and every single one of us complained about poor fit, half-working features and just an overall rickety feeling truck.

In California, contributor Abigail Bassett wrote that “about 50% of the time, [the truck] wouldn’t open either from the outside or the inside and the one I had had less than 1000 miles on it.” That’s bad. Testing an example in its native Texas, Patrick was stunned at how visibly uneven the tailgate was against the frame. Astounding, considering the truck’s been in full production for about a year now.

Then, when it came time for the Cybertruck to actually be a truck, it fell flat. I tried hauling an engine to the junkyard and got frustrated with how fragile the truck felt and how unusually hard thing it was to load the bed. The truck’s rear end may raise and lower, but the bed itself is oddly shaped, with high sills and no steps to help someone get in the back. Mack said the Cybertruck’s design made it compromised off-road, and it didn’t do anything better than the F-150 Lighting or Rivian R1T in that context. 

Despite those mixed sentiments, the Cybertruck likely could have stayed in the running as a potential winner. I’ve tested more than a dozen EVs from China this year alone. I hate to admit it, but comparatively, our EV market is starved for real innovation and choice, and other nominees feel like they’re so easy to outdo. The Cybertruck is far more innovative on a technical level, but there’s more to our decision here than just technical innovation.

Why The Cybertruck Isn’t our Pick for the Breakthrough EV of the Year

Ultimately, we all had to step back and think hard about what we were voting for. For this award, we wanted to nominate cars that move the needle on EV adoption. The car that would win would be something that gets more average drivers out of their ICE cars and into EVs. To be fair, Cybertruck probably has done that, but not on a huge scale. It’s too expensive to have wide appeal, and even worse, it’s just too socially caustic.

Whether it’s the truck’s design, Musk himself or the way the political world is shaking out right now, it’s impossible to divorce this truck from the context from whence it came. There are so many social and societal reasons to feel concerned about the proliferation of this truck. Everything about it portends an apocalyptic vibe, a dismal vision of the future; Musk has even admitted as much. That’s quite a turn from a company that once built its reputation on making the world a better, cleaner place, and now seemingly exists for the sake of its own market cap.

EVs should be accessible, affordable, useful and nice; the Cybertruck isn’t really any of these things. It’s not even clear if its technological advances made it a better truck. And for all the advancements this car makes to EV tech, we’re dismayed that Tesla’s focus is now wholly on robotaxis and less on more affordable and accessible models that can better drive wider electric adoption.

For what it’s worth, I still voted for the Cybertruck to win. I was the lone vote for the truck compared to the otherwise unanimous winner of our award. However, I respect my colleagues, who clearly stated their reasons for not thinking the Cybertruck was worthy of top billing. I don’t disagree with them, and I was more than happy to accept their verdict. 

So no, the Cybertruck didn’t win. The sum isn’t greater than the parts here; the technical breakthroughs on the truck aren’t making it a better truck. It actually might be worse off.

Contact the author: Kevin.Williams@InsideEVs.com

It’s a weird year to be covering EVs, and a weirder one to be giving out awards. 2024 has been defined by both EV excitement and heightened uncertainty as automakers backtrack from their lofty initial goals amid uneven demand. The novelty of an expensive luxury spaceship EV has worn off, and the next wave of affordable, desirable options hasn’t fully materialized. Many worry that EVs will never take over the market.

But this sector is moving at warp speed—far more quickly than the gas-car world did on its best year. And while there were plenty of stalls and dead ends in the electric world, we saw some quantum leaps as well.

So we created the InsideEVs Breakthrough Awards, to highlight the giant leaps we’ve taken this year, and the big changes up ahead. The story on our first contender—the Cybertruck—is out now. We'll release the other four contender posts throughout the morning, before crowning the Breakthrough EV Of The Year, Person Of The Year and Technology Of The Year this afternoon. Check here for for all of the stories:

The Breakthrough Awards: Contenders And Winners

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N was a performance EV breakthrough, which is why we invited it. Consider every nomination an endorsement as a groundbreaking product, even if there's only one winner. 

I wanted to rethink the existing awards model, which tends to prioritize what is fast and exciting over what is good for consumers and technological progress. Because yes, amazing, high-end flagships are awesome, but we’ve had those. What we need now are products, leaders and technologies that tear down the barriers between us and a truly sustainable future.

Our 2024 Contenders

For all that uncertainty, this was a landmark year for both EV sales and models hitting the market. We had a lot of cars to choose from but not all of them could be called “breakthroughs.”

These cars, for different reasons, certainly are: the Lucid Air Pure, the Chevrolet Equinox EV, the Tesla Cybertruck, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the Kia EV9 and the Rivian R1S. 

The Equinox EV is the first affordable EV the average American would want to own, a huge breakthrough and enough to earn a nomination.

Our team of judges stuck to cars that were either new or substantially updated in late 2023 or 2024, and actually on sale in the U.S. and available for testing during the evaluation process that began this fall. The cars we chose also had to be generally well-regarded by the InsideEVs staff and contributors throughout the year. In other words, this is also a test of the best of the best right now. Even being included is an honor.

We also insisted on choosing only one car per automaker (and we counted Kia and Hyundai as separate entities here because they technically are.) General Motors had a landmark year for new EVs, but after much back and forth, the Equinox EV was the contender we wanted to test most.

This is also why we chose the Cybertruck and not the updated Model 3, although that decision came with considerable debate. If we were judging which EV is best, the updated Model 3 might have won. But this is about what EV represents a breakthrough, and the Cybertruck has a much better argument there. 

Rivian's updated R1S is a technological breakthrough, with "zonal architectures" that massively simplify production.

Finally, and for reasons I’ll elaborate on momentarily, we emphasized more affordable models for this process. But first, we had the problem of geography to conquer.

How We Judged

It’s hard to evaluate the American EV experience in any one place, as it drastically differs between markets. Public chargers near my house in San Diego are plentiful, but many are old. My nearest Superchargers are V2s that don’t support non-Tesla EVs, and many CCS stations are broken. But then we have 20-stall 350-kW monster stations. Meanwhile, in Ohio and New York, there are fewer chargers, but they’re less crowded and newer on average.

So we opted for a dispersed model. Each of our six judges represented a different market. Contributing Editor and host of State Of Charge Tom Molougney is in New Jersey, with plenty of open highways for range testing. Editor-in-chief Patrick George has the rural area experience covered in upstate New York. Staff Writer Kevin Williams is our Midwestern correspondent out of Columbus. Then Senior Reporter Tim Levin in the Bay Area, Contributing Editor Abigail Basset in the LA Area and myself in San Diego have California well covered. 

With its 800-volt architecture, 48-volt electronics and true steer-by-wire, the Cybertruck is undoubtedly innovative.

We each provided our own notes on the experience of driving and living with these vehicles, then settled in for a few spirited Zoom debates about which car, person and technology we wanted to honor as our Breakthrough.

To do that, though, we needed to define what big barriers were really getting in the way. After hearing from countless readers, experts, family members and friends, one issue rose above the rest. 

The Affordability Issue

This award will evolve with the market. The products we need today are different from the ones we’ll be honoring in 2027. But right now, the biggest concern among buyers and readers alike is clear: cost. EVs are great, but the damned things are too expensive.

We hear you.

That’s why this year’s awards are so focused on affordability. I have no interest in an electric future that’s only for the monied elite. Neither, I suspect, do you. The EV revolution has arrived at a time when normal car prices are already beyond the reach of the average American. The average new car transaction price in October was $48,623, per Kelley Blue Book. That’s already a stretch, but for EVs it’s even higher at $56,902. Meanwhile, the median income for all “people with earnings,” per U.S. census data, is $50,310 as of last year. An average working adult between 35 and 44 years old would have to spend 94% of their annual income to buy a new EV. For a young adult between 25 and 34, that figure is a whopping 112%.

Something has to give. 

The Kia EV9 is the first true mainstream family EV. That's an important segment, and a big breakthrough.

Americans can either double their salaries overnight, or EVs need to get cheaper. If neither happens, we’ll be stuck polluting our air and water for decades to come.

So this year, I’m proud of our judges’ focus on accessibility for all. Cheap used EVs have already lowered the barrier to entry. But new options that can compete with gas cars on cost are an absolute must. EVs are already cheaper to own and run than gas cars. In the medium term, I’m 100% convinced they’ll be far more reliable, and more consistently last 200,000+ miles. In order for either of those things to matter, though, they have to be attainable.

The Other Barriers

This competition is not just “cheapest car wins,” though. As the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Bolt, original Fiat 500e and others have proven, cheap isn’t enough if you aren’t providing what consumers expect in a new car. Americans now demand around or over 300 miles of range, decent charging speeds, practical form factors and capabilities that match or exceed internal-combustion options.

In some segments, this is a solved game. We already build sedans that offer serious range and blazing-fast charging speeds without compromising on practicality. But American buyers want that to be true for big vehicles, too. Right now, it isn’t. So matching the capability of an internal combustion truck at a competitive price remains an unbroken barrier. 

How's this for a capability breakthrough: The Lucid Air Pure is the most efficient EV on sale.

Navigating America’s patchwork charging system is a nightmare, too, which is why we’re searching for EVs with great route planning. Tesla has this solved, though that’s far easier when you’re relying only on a wholly-owned network. The company that can network all of these chargers together into a reliable charge planner with no user stress will surely be a frontrunner for an award. Until that comes, we’ll settle for anything that makes charging a non-Tesla EV less of a headache.

Finally, there’s a hard-to-see barrier between us and EV adoption. It’s fear. Automakers’ forecast for perfect, hockey-stick-like exponential demand growth didn’t pan out. Based on the headlines, you’d have thought EV sales dropped 80%. In truth, they’re setting records here, in Europe, in China and in most places they’re sold. More EVs will be delivered in 2024 than ever before. Yet this isn’t enough for many companies, who are so hooked on internal-combustion profits that they’d clearly rather not bother.

This change will require courage. So we’re also awarding those that are blazing toward the future with genuine excitement and best efforts, rather than those companies that moan about problems without trying to solve them. Each one of these brands—Rivian, Tesla, Chevy, Hyundai, Kia and Lucid—is building something good enough to get consumers genuinely excited about EVs. 

All of the EVs, charging side-by-side, living in harmony.

A Bright Road Ahead

These companies all prove that the EV revolution will succeed. Not because of regulation, or because of mandates, but because the cars provide a better all-around experience than any gas car ever built. A month in any of our challengers would make the best gas car you’ve driven feel old, loud and absurd by contrast. So long as you have home or work charging, they’ll be effortless to own and remarkable on the road.

Their only weakness is a still-nascent public charging landscape and high entrance prices. That’s why I’m so proud to honor our inaugural Breakthrough EV Of The Year, Technology Of The Year and Person Of The Year. All three represent stunning achievements on their own. Linked together, though, they are even stronger. They paint a picture of an EV market that is more accessible to consumers, better equipped for public charging expansion and, importantly, still survivable for automakers.

So no, I don’t buy that 2024 was a bad year for the EV market. By any measure, it’s the best one yet. With so many positive moves, I’m confident 2025’s field will be even better.

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

“The average Chinese person and the average American are the same damn person,” one auto industry insider working in China told me recently. He was right, too. 

It was pretty easy to acknowledge this when I went to China, for the second time this year, in November. The country feels a lot like America, just optimized to be even more seamless and convenient. For example, we love fast food, and they do too; they even like some of the same brands. KFC, McDonald's and Burger King are just as beloved in China as they are here. 

But while we’re stuck in a drive-thru line in our big-gas-hogging crossovers, Chinese people can order fast food meals seamlessly delivered to their seats on a high-speed train zooming along the countryside at speeds upward of 200 mph. It’s the same concept, but ruthlessly streamlined. 

Can we apply that attitude to electric vehicles? In the U.S., there are a great many EV skeptics who can’t cope with the loss of convenience that they get with a gas car. Especially in the Midwest, where I live, they’re very adamant that waiting at a DC fast charger is just too long. “Yeah, when I can get 500 miles in five minutes, call me,” they tell me. DC fast charging speeds are getting better every day, but it’s not clear if the 500 miles in five minutes thoughtless desire will ever be feasible, (or wise.)

So, how the hell can the car business surmount that extreme desire for convenience, and win over those skeptics?

NIO Power Swap Station 4.0

If we look at what Nio and Onvo are doing in China, it’s simple enough: battery swapping.  You pull up to an automated station and a machine pops out your EV’s depleted battery and puts in a fully charged one. Nio has made headlines with this technology for years, but in 2024, it’s clear this is no experiment or one-off novelty. Nio has done more than 57 million battery swaps since it introduced its swapping service in 2018.

Now, Nio’s opened its battery swap technology up to other manufacturers, while others in China have started to formulate competing services. Could the EV industry be in the midst of a shift to battery swapping?

My time in China tells me that it’s a definite maybe.

Nio’s Battery Swapping: The Hows And Whys

Nio and Onvo vehicles can be purchased outright, batteries included. But the two brands offer their vehicles as a battery-as-a-service (BAAS) model. Effectively, buyers can get a significant discount on the vehicle’s purchase price if they opt to lease the battery instead.

They’ll still own the car, but the battery itself will remain the property of Nio.  It’s a pretty hefty discount; the Onvo L60 is normally about $29,000, but when enrolled in the BAAS service, it drops to about $21,000. For the Onvo L60, its smallest 60 kWh battery can be leased for about $85 per month.

Onvo L60

A battery lease isn’t a new idea; VinFast (in)famously tried this before it launched in the U.S., but Nio’s lease makes far more logical sense because the batteries are swappable. If a Nio owner eventually wants to buy out the battery itself and end the lease program, they can do that as well. 

The concept of an electric vehicle that can swap its battery isn’t unique either. Low-speed EVs like the Silence S04 microcar have their own roll-out battery that can be taken inside a home or Silence store to be recharged. Electric motorcycles are doing this too. Hell, back when Tesla was getting off the ground, it showed off some proof-of-concept test models of the Model S swapping its battery, but it later dropped the idea to focus on fast charging.

But Nio’s stuck with it, making it a cornerstone of its unique selling point, brand value, and business model. Every single one of Nio’s models supports battery swapping, including its new brand Onvo and forthcoming brand Firefly. 

Thus, Nio’s ground-up EV platform has been designed to accommodate a battery shape that is interchangeable between all of its models, except Onvo, which we’ll get into later. This means that each of Nio’s seven cars can take the the 75, 100, or 150 kWh batteries it has on offer, with no alterations to the vehicle’s structure or change in ride or handling quality. Each car's power and equipment figures are the same—the only variation is simply the battery. 

The process itself is easy. While in a Nio or Onvo vehicle, (or via a Nio app on your phone), the driver can make an appointment for a swap. Or they can just show up to a swapping station. Then, when ready the driver will park into a painted box in front of the station. When the car senses that it is in the correct place, a dialogue box will appear on the car’s infotainment screen.

Like magic, the car will maneuver itself backward from the space, doing as many small turns it needs to in order to place itself backward into the swap station. When the car is in position, it does a self-check, places itself in neutral, and starts the swap process.

The car’s main battery does shut off during this process. However, the center infotainment screen continues to work, allowing the passengers to continue to enjoy music or HVAC. (The blower motor will continue to cycle, but the car’s AC or heating element won’t actually be on.)

Then, the car raises upward, while the machinery undoes all the fasteners that keep the battery attached to the car. The battery is removed and shuttled to the back end of the swap cabinet, while and the car is lowered back onto its wheels. 

The cabinet finds a new battery, and the car is raised once more. The new one is installed, charged to 93%. Nio says that “fully charged” to them is 93%, in order to maintain ideal battery health and manage degradation. 

When swapped, the driver is billed for the energy used (state of charge of the battery you’ve swapped, subtracted from the state of charge in the new battery unit), as well as a small service charge. 

The whole process (including the maneuvering into the station itself), took anywhere from three to six minutes in total, much of that allocated to the car maneuvering itself into the correct place. Before I knew what had happened, the car was ready to rock back on the road. 

It’s a Logistics Issue

It all sounds simple enough. But what happens on the back end is incredibly complex. 

When the battery is removed and shuffled away into the Nio station,  a complicated proprietary algorithm decides if the battery will be slow or fast-charged for the next Nio driver. This algorithm also makes sure that the swap stations have the right number of batteries for local demand, including making sure they can handle increased demand during holidays, like say, Lunar New Year—a huge travel event in China.

Nio spokesperson Emma Hai compared the undertaking to Amazon's coordination of shipping and drivers in the U.S.

There are also other little nuances to the Nio swap station, too. For example, the largest 150 kWh battery is only available for rental per day, and cannot be purchased outright.

Also, not every Nio station can accommodate Nio’s new brand of cars, Onvo. The battery for the Onvo L60 is different; it’s only available in either 60 or 85 kWh forms and uses BYD’s blade battery technology, so Onvo and Nio representatives told me that the L60’s battery is thinner than the ones in Nio cars. Onvo’s crossovers are using batteries from BYD, instead of the LFP or NMC stuff found in its higher-end sedans or crossovers. Also, Onvo’s batteries are physically thinner than the ones in Nio’s cars, adding another reason as to why they’re not interchangeable. 

In fact, Nio itself has entered into partnerships with four other Chinese EV brands—Changan, JAC, Geely, and Chery to create a standard as well as potentially hook into Nio’s network. Even outside of Nio’s swap network other Chinese brands have implemented their own competing services, especially in the commercial vehicle realm. For example, the Beijing EU5 is a common taxi cab, and it has its own battery swap ecosystem. Same with Geely’s Maple CaoCao 60. Chinese EV battery giant CATL also has announced that it is funding its own EV swap ecosystem, with GM (via SGMW) models to be some of the first models to use the technology.

It is possible that more automakers could get in on this. Of course, not necessarily everyone is convinced of the viability of swapping. Accommodating a swappable battery locks EV manufacturers into some very specific engineering choices that some brands may not want to work with. For example, it’s not clear if a structural, cell-to-body pack design is possible with battery swapping, since removing the battery would severely compromise the car’s body integrity. Also, every vehicle that uses the Nio swap stations would effectively be locked into designing a vehicle that can accommodate the swap equipment. 

But once again, it’s simply a choice that manufacturers can choose to work with or around. In China, the Onvo L60’s efficiency rating slightly beats the Tesla Model Y’s, but the L60’s battery is swap-capable. Evidently, the ability of swappable batteries may not necessarily be a deterrent to vehicle efficiency. 

But Is It Working?

I'll admit that I was a little more dazzled by the technical details and the process of swapping a lot more than I expected. To me, every issue with EVs I’ve heard from readers and skeptics, or held personally, is gone in one fell swoop. Or maybe, one fell swap is more accurate.

Is the car too expensive? Easy; take a discount and lease the battery until the car itself is paid off. Does charging take too long? Well, a battery swap only takes a few minutes, which would make driving an EV just as convenient and easy as driving a gas-powered car. It even addresses concerns I have with battery longevity and wear since every battery in Nio’s rental service will be certified to be in good health.

I could absolutely see myself driving an older EV, but leasing a battery until I couldn’t. Swapping takes so many of the issues that people have with EVs, and takes it out of their hands, allowing the company to figure out how to manage all that stuff, while we just get clean, convenient motoring.

The value is appealing, Nio has said about 70% of its buyers have opted for its battery as a service. Nio itself has performed more than 57 million swaps, averaging about one every 30 seconds in China. Still, as impressive as this is, Nio’s profitability isn’t great, but the brand does see the swapping stations (and its charging network) as a source of revenue.

It’s not clear if battery swapping will ever catch on outside China. I mean, we’re still struggling to establish a strong charging infrastructure. We don’t even have a codified charging standard or port; how could we expect everyone to sign on to the same battery shape and allow for swapping? 

“I haven’t charged in months, honestly. I just swap every time,” said Hai, Nio’s international spokesperson. I believe her, too. 

Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com

More EV News And Features

I've been covering the auto industry for about a dozen years now, and I can't remember the launch of a new car or brand that drew as much controversy as Jaguar just did. Maybe the Tesla Cybertruck when it first appeared in 2019, but that was polarizing in a different sort of way. Jaguar's high-fashion, high-dollar electric reboot angered traditional fans of the British brand and created a politically tinged backlash that almost feels unique in the world of cars.

But sometimes, reboots have to happen. And here at InsideEVs, we're covering Jaguar's next moves with a reboot of our own. 

Because you demanded it, our audio and YouTube show has returned as the Plugged-In Podcast from InsideEVs. The first episode of the former InsideEVs Podcast is live today in its new form and we hope you'll check it out—we have lots to say. 

Every Friday, Senior Reporter Tim Levin and I—plus a cast of friends, experts and industry luminaries—will discuss and analyze the biggest news in the electric revolution and beyond. Like InsideEVs these days, it'll be about more than just cars: we'll be talking about batteries, autonomous vehicles, China, hydrogen power, the future of the EV tax credits, software and everything else about the high-tech transformation of the auto industry.

On our podcast's original run, a rotating cast of contributors racked up over 200 episodes with more than 1 million collective listens plus countless video views. In its first form, it was a YouTube livestream show, but now we're doing things a bit differently. The Plugged-In Podcast is now recorded, produced and audio-first with a concurrent version airing on our YouTube channel. Whether you want to listen to or watch your podcasts, we've got you covered. 

On today's inaugural outing: we discuss what's next for Jaguar, as well as the mess facing Stellantis pretty much everywhere and what it means if the governor of California picks a fight with Donald Trump—and maybe Elon Musk, too. 

Our podcast is available on the InsideEVs YouTube channel and all major podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Audioboom. New episodes drop every Friday. Make sure to subscribe on your favorite platform. 

Let us know what you think and what you want to see and hear, and thanks for tuning in! 

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

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Converting from combustion to electric cars sounds more traumatic in theory than in practice. I switched out both my family’s combustion cars for new EVs this year—a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and a Kia EV9—and would not count the EV shift among my list of top ten life cataclysms endured in 2024. 

But buying your first EV is a change. And as with any change in life, there’s an initial adjustment period and some apprehension. EVs do things differently than combustion vehicles. And there are a few quirks to watch out for that take some getting used to. Here are some of the major ones to look out for. 

More EV 101

Instant Torque

Torque delivery works differently in an electric vehicle. A combustion engine must rev up to its peak torque band. However, an EV can deliver that peak torque immediately from a standstill. To the first-time EV driver, that can feel unnervingly quick and responsive. That quickness is not a bad thing per se—it's great for tight traffic maneuvers and perhaps dusting that Subaru WRX with the unnecessary throaty aftermarket exhaust—but it may require an adjustment period. 

Some manufacturers try to mitigate the feeling of overwhelming torque. The Chevy Blazer EV and Chevy Equinox EV are tuned to bring on the torque more gradually to make it feel natural to combustion drivers. Chevy’s electric truck, the Silverado EV, also restricts the torque on tap, only unlashing all of it in “Wide Open Watts” mode. Other EVs require the driver to be more delicate with throttle inputs. 

Range Anxiety

Range anxiety is the common term. I’d opt for something like “range cognizance” or “range awareness” that better reflects the slow-burn worry. You seldom, if ever, need to worry about filling up a gas car. Unless you’re in the remotest desert, a gas station will be there and refueling will take only a few minutes. Driving an EV is far more involved. It requires advanced planning about where and when to charge. It also requires more diligence about energy consumption from activities like cranking the heat for the entire cabin up to Level 11. 

The short answer is you get used to dealing with the range. The countdown clock doesn’t consume your driving experience, especially if you have a Level 2 home charger installed and a modern EV with more than 250 miles of range. But the countdown clock is always in the back of your mind. 

More On Regen

Regenerative Braking

Braking can feel odd to novice EV drivers. Combustion cars rely on friction braking. EVs add regenerative braking into the mix, where the vehicle recovers otherwise lost energy and charges the battery with it. In a combustion car, you push the brake pedal to get the braking effect. In an EV with regenerative braking engaged, the car decelerates when you lift off the accelerator. Many EVs have a one-pedal driving mode where the deceleration is strong enough for the driver to stop without touching the brake pedal. It can be challenging for a new EV driver to use the system smoothly (and a rocky ride for passengers). 

Regenerative braking systems can differ widely based on the manufacturer. Some systems can be quirky. Mercedes EVs move the brake pedal automatically to match where it would be if you weren’t one-pedal driving. Some GM EVs have a regen on-demand hand paddle to enhance regeneration. Most new EVs have, at the very least, on/off functionality with regenerative braking. The best systems allow multiple levels of regen, allowing new drivers to find their comfort level. 

The Sound of Silence

EVs are smooth and quiet. Those are sought-after characteristics of Lexuses and other luxury combustion cars. But the pure absence of noise being emitted by the vehicle — mandatory low-speed noise that probably sounds like an alien spacecraft excepted—can confuse new EV drivers. Hearing the engine strain and gear shifts and feeling the visceral feedback is one of the main ways drivers can tell how fast they are going. 

There isn’t an excellent solution for this. EVs don’t offer alternate clues to replace that auditory feedback. The best option is to be more mindful of checking the speedometer when hitting the freeway or on that 25 mph residential street. 

Wait, how do I shift my Tesla into D?

A Tesla is still the first EV many owners buy. And one of the most immediate quirks one encounters with a new one is how to shift into drive or reverse. The brand that spearheaded the cabin minimalist movement has now eliminated stalks from the steering wheel. It provides a clean aesthetic. But it converts a mindless function into a nuisance.

Tesla does offer multiple (albeit less intuitive) ways to shift. Beta software allows Tesla to automatically determine the gear you need; the car’s camera system detects the giant brick wall in front of you and ascertains you need reverse. Alternatively, drivers can access shift controls on the driver’s side of the touchscreen or above the rearview mirror.

Automakers have put a lot of effort into making the electric vehicle driving experience as similar to a combustion vehicle as possible. Going from combustion to electric these days doesn’t require drivers to change what they do behind the wheel, with one important exception: what happens when you lift off the accelerator pedal.

In a combustion car, what happens when you lift off depends on whether the vehicle is in gear (and which gear it’s in). If it’s in gear, this will cause engine braking and slow the car down, while if it’s in neutral, it will just coast.

You will experience much of the same in an EV, with the exception that when you lift off, the car will immediately start slowing down and the rate of deceleration will be considerably higher than in an ICE vehicle. The deceleration that electric motors are capable of is so strong that lifting off fully in an EV with its brake regeneration set to high makes the brake lights come on to alert drivers behind you that you are slowing down.

An EV’s much stronger deceleration allows you to essentially drive the vehicle with just the accelerator pedal. In some EVs, lifting off will bring the car to a complete stop, while in others you will have to apply the friction brakes once the vehicle has slowed down to creep pace to scrub off the last few miles per hour.

How strong the brake regeneration is in an EV depends on the type of motor it uses and whether it can physically decouple its motors from the wheels. You can usually adjust the level of regen toggling through different strength levels, which gives you a lot of flexibility to use the system in the way you’re most comfortable with.

While earlier EVs only allowed you to toggle between fixed regen strength settings, newer models also have an automatic mode, like the i-Pedal 3.0 system that we tried out in the Kia EV3. This saves drivers from having to constantly adjust regen for any given traffic situation, and the car does it for them, taking into account what type of road it’s on or what’s in front of the vehicle.

For instance, in a more recent EV with automatic regen, the car will prefer to coast when you lift off and there isn’t another car in front or if no corners are approaching. This automated approach is certainly a sign of how regen will be handled in the future, but these systems aren’t perfect yet, and they lack the kind of consistency that instills confidence.

One of the best uses of automatic regen was in the refreshed Tesla Model 3, which seemed to anticipate what you wanted from it better than in most other cars we tried. Driving it in town, it always seemed to stop exactly where you expected and wanted it to without you having to correct that with additional acceleration or braking.

The biggest regen-related change that drivers who are new to EVs need to adapt to is to still keep the go pedal pressed about halfway to get the vehicle to coast. Once you start lifting off after a certain point (not necessarily close to the end of the pedal travel), you will feel the deceleration.

More EV 101s

Keeping the pedal partly pressed will take some getting used to, and it may even make your ankle sore since your right foot may not be used to staying in that position. This is what happened to me driving my first few EVs, when I found myself constantly toggling through the regen levels (usually done via paddles on the steering wheel) instead of having to retrain years of muscle memory.

The more you drive in one-pedal mode, though, the more you may start to like it, and it will make hopping back into a combustion car feel a bit strange at first.

You can turn brake regeneration to a very low level or almost off, in which case when you lift off, you will experience similar deceleration to a combustion car. However, you probably don’t want to do that since using high levels of regen puts electricity into the EV’s battery pack, essentially adding miles of free range.

This may not seem that important since in normal driving you will rarely see the predicted range going up while using regen, drive an EV down a mountain road, and you will see it add mile after mile of extra range as it descends. It also makes the physical brakes last a lot longer, to the point where automakers are envisioning future EVs with in-drive brakes that won’t require servicing for the lifetime of the vehicle.

One-pedal driving to me makes the most sense in stop-and-go traffic where you’re just sitting in a queue of cars slowly inching forward. It feels natural to use it in this instance and it’s also great practice to get a feel for which part of the brake pedal travel does what.

It’s not for everyone, though, and manufacturers of sporty cars don’t seem too keen on integrating one-pedal driving with strong regen into the driving experience. They want to retain as much of the combustion engine sports car experience in an EV that they are willing to forego some free electrons flowing back into the battery in favor of a more traditional-feeling driving experience.

Let us know in the comments how you got on the first time you experienced one-pedal driving and what your take on it is. Do you keep full regen on all the time and keep the go pedal partly pressed to coast? Do you just keep it off or do you adjust its strength manually while you drive?

Mercedes sees itself as both the inventor of the automobile and a beacon of innovation in the automotive industry in its over 100 years of existence. Even though some recent decisions haven’t really kept it ahead of the pack like it once was, it wants to retain its position as a technological leader as it transitions to an electric future.

Two weeks ago, Mercedes flew me to Stuttgart, where it showcased its exciting new CLA, which will be available in pure electric and hybrid forms, as well as in sedan and shooting brake body styles. It also gave me and a group of journalists a peek at innovations that are still in the very early stages of development and testing, which is quite a treat given the often secretive nature of these automakers' research and development projects.

These pieces of technology may or may not make it into a future production car, but it was fascinating to get a chance to see some developments that usually wouldn’t have been made public for years, if ever.

More On This

Three Major Urban Centers In 2040+

The presentation began with a look at what three large cities could look like in the year 2040 and beyond and how they are expected to evolve differently.

Mercedes showed off its "2040+" vision for London, Los Angeles and Shenzhen. London is seen as a blend of the traditional and cutting-edge, elimination of street parking with automated vehicles and robotaxis autonomously ferrying passengers around the city. Last-mile transport would exclusively be handled by electric vans and cargo bicycles and the vast majority of vehicles would be powered exclusively by electricity.

Mercedes Cities 2040

That’s quite different from Los Angeles, where the personal car will still be the predominant form of transport even after the end of the next decade. (Mercedes has to secure a future for G-Wagen sales, after all.) It would contain a mix of new electric vehicles and classics powered by gasoline, and spaces that were once dedicated to parking could be turned into green areas for leisure and relaxation. Robotaxis would be very common, which makes sense given that such vehicles are already operating without a driver in California.

Mercedes Cities 2040

Shenzen in the year 2040 and beyond would make a perfect backdrop for the Cyberpunk universe. It’s already like that today, and over the next 15 or 20 years, it will further embrace being highly digitalized. The number of vehicles, both driver-operated and autonomous, would increase even more, and the city would require smart infrastructure to keep everything flowing smoothly. Drones would handle last-mile delivery and high-speed trains and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft would serve as taxis.

Mercedes Cities 2040

Paint That Generates Electricity

While putting solar panels on electric vehicles so that they gain free miles of range while out in the sun seems like a logical next step, it’s not really that common. Automakers (Mercedes included with the EQXX) have tried implementing them, but current photovoltaic technology can’t provide enough current to justify having solar cells on cars.

Sono Motors wanted to integrate them in all of the car’s body panels, but the company has now abandoned its solar car plans. Aptera is another manufacturer that wants to integrate photovoltaics into its vehicles, and it promises to start building cars next year, but we’re still reserved concerning its success.

The Mercedes EQXX has a large solar roof, but it only added 18.6 miles of range during its 746-mile run. During my time in and around Mercedes’ facilities last week, I didn’t hear a single mention of integrating photovoltaic cells into future EVs. When I asked about it directly, it was told the automaker is working on something even better: paint that generates electricity, essentially turning the entire body of a car into a solar charging array.

While still far removed from a possible production application, Mercedes says its solar paint is already yielding promising results. Covering the entire body surface of a midsize SUV, which is about 11 square meters (118 square feet), it could potentially add 7,450 miles (12,000 km) of range annually.

That works out to about 20 miles per day (32.8 km), which would be enough to cover 62% of a typical Stuttgarter daily commute. In sunnier Los Angeles, Mercedes believes it could be enough to cover more than the average daily commute, and the rest of the electricity generated could be fed back into the network via vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging.

I Can’t Believe This Isn’t Leather

Moving away from the use of animal products in cars (especially leather) is a movement sweeping the entire industry. It has resulted in the creation of many synthetic leather alternatives that are getting better and better. Besides being kinder to animals, this has significant climate impacts as well—making animal leather is a pretty nasty business.

However, I’ve never experienced one that felt as real and as close to leather as Mercedes’ new bio-engineered substitute.

It tries to mimic leather down to the microscopic level, and even though it uses recycled plastic, its structure is very believable. I got a chance to sit in three different seats covered with this new faux leather, and had I been told it was the real stuff, I would have been fooled. It’s so similar to leather that it’s dyed in the exact same way, which gives it a distinctly leather-like smell.

Even the underside of the material does a great job of mimicking suede, although this is less believable than the outer part. Luckily, I was wearing suede shoes at the event, so I was able to compare first-hand, and it’s remarkable how similar the texture was to the real stuff.

Mercedes is also engineering this material to resist fade and not get damaged by prolonged exposure to the sun as well as the action of hand sanitizers, sunscreen, body lotions and sweat. It also needs to be waterproof, easy to clean and suitable for embossing and decorative stitching. It apparently allows the manufacturer to reduce the distance between perforations compared to real leather, making seat cooling perform even better.

Augmented Reality In Cars

Mercedes subjected us to one workshop with full virtual reality and another with augmented reality. The first involved putting on a headset in a room made of green screens, sitting on a sofa, walking to your car, and then allowing it to drive you to work autonomously. While I have experienced virtual reality before, this experience made me feel woozy for an hour after, which isn’t something I’d felt in the past, but it was nevertheless a unique way of seeing what the connected autonomous future might look like.

The mixed-reality experience was a lot more compelling. I was driven around in an EQS SUV with a pair of augmented reality glasses on, allowing me to watch videos on a virtual screen that hovered just above the dashboard. Looking to the right, I could see a map that was always there (which made the experience feel a bit like an open-world video game) and the car also had special modes that used the climate, seat massager and sound system to induce relaxation.

This second workshop started from the premise that augmented reality glasses could become very common and automakers must look at ways of seamlessly integrating them. Think of it like the future equivalent of smartphone pairing and integration.

Another way Mercedes wants to use augmented reality is to give future customers the ability to configure and customize their vehicle before they buy it. You would simply put on something like an Apple Vision Pro and see what the vehicle you’ve configured will look like via a full-lifelike representation generated right in front of you. This certainly makes sense for customers configuring high-end models with a lot of customization options.

Neuromorphic Computing For Autonomous Driving

One of the key takeaways I got from the neuromorphic computing workshop was that the energy requirement for higher levels of automated driving goes up exponentially. True autonomous driving will therefore use much more energy than today’s ADAS systems, and it’s enough to visibly negatively affect an EV’s range.

Mercedes is looking at ways to make self-driving use less juice, and one way it’s trying to do it is by using neuromorphic computing. This means it’s trying to artificially mimic the way a human brain works. They even had neuron-shaped circuit boards hooked together, and they showed us how this would work at a very basic level.

This builds on research from the Canadian University of Waterloo, and use cases include AI-powered traffic sign, lane, and other road user recognition while using a lot less electricity. It’s interesting how the best of human engineering throughout the ages has always resorted to trying to imitate nature, and now that we’re understanding how our brain works, we’re also trying to replicate it, appreciating its truly outstanding design.

EV Braking Reinvented And Battery Packs Of The Future

Two of the innovations that we previously covered in more detail are in-drive brakes and smart micro-converters. The former completely rethinks inboard brakes using a fixed water-cooled brake disc and a circular rotating brake pad. The system is completely enclosed; it promises to eliminate brake fade, brake dust particle emissions and the need for regular servicing.

Mercedes Future Experience

While the creation of wireless micro-converters may not sound very exciting, what Mercedes says it’s able to do with them certainly is. Using them and hooking up the cells in an EV’s battery in parallel rather than in series opens up an entirely new world of possibilities for future EVs. The manufacturer said it’s even looking at multiple-chemistry battery packs that could, for instance, have both LFP and NMC cells and take advantage of their unique strengths.

Will we really see any of these technologies come to fruition? It's hard to say; automakers are always working on new and different things that may or may not pan out. But it's interesting to see where Mercedes' thinking is at these days and I'm excited to see what's next. 

More Mercedes EV News

This is a sponsored article from our partners at ERANGE EV.

Today’s tires are a marvel of engineering, providing thousands of miles of useful life, a quiet ride, fuel economy benefits, and more. Tire manufacturers offer products for a range of vehicle types and uses, including tires made specifically for electric vehicles. Because of the large battery packs EVs tote around, they are typically significantly heavier than comparable gas-only vehicles, which makes selecting the right tire essential to a safe, convenient ownership experience. That said, there are a few weight-related things to consider when shopping for EV tires, so let’s take a closer look at how their weight affects tire choice and performance.

 How Much Heavier Are EVs?

Research has shown that EVs weigh around 30 percent more than comparable internal combustion vehicles. The study looked at a 2024 Hyundai Kona as an example, finding that the gas model weighed 3,053 pounds, while the Kona EV checked in at 3,758 pounds. The same is true for larger EVs, especially trucks, like the Ford F-150 Lightning, which weighs up to 6,500 pounds in some forms, while the gas-powered alternative tips the scales at just over 5,000 pounds in its heaviest format.

How Does EV Weight Affect Tires?

Tires are the only part of a vehicle designed to touch the road, so there can be considerable forces at play, even on a leisurely drive to the grocery store. Heavier vehicles stress tires more, placing a more significant load on the tire structure and exerting more downward force on the rubber treads. The extra weight can increase friction, causing tires to wear more quickly, making durability a key concern when shopping for EV tires. Over time, EVs’ weight can shorten tire life as the rubber is continuously pressed into the road surface with a higher force than with gas models.

EV tires must also have the structural integrity to withstand the added battery weight, and many tire manufacturers have adapted their tire development processes to adapt. Sailun’s ERange tires have increased load-bearing capacity with a reinforced sidewall to maintain the tire’s structure, deliver excellent performance, and withstand the test of time. Sailun employs specially formulated rubber compounds and unique tread patterns that help the tire perform its best under the heavier weights of today’s EVs.

Heavier vehicles also require longer braking distances to cope with momentum and acceleration. EV-specific tires are designed with this in mind and are better suited for the repeated stresses of slowing a heavy, battery-laden vehicle. Their tread patterns and structural rigidity also contribute to shortening braking distances.

What Else Impacts EV Tire Life and Performance?

One of the most prominent selling points for EVs, at least initially, was their “instant” torque. Unlike gas engines, which must rev to generate torque, electric motors offer peak torque off the line. That increased turning power can stress tires even in more relaxed driving scenarios, as drivers are often tempted to utilize their EV’s strong acceleration in everyday situations. More turning power creates additional friction for the tires, causing them to wear more quickly. Sailun ERange tires are manufactured with a liquid phase mixing EcoPoint technology that gives them an extended lifespan without sacrificing comfort or performance.

Sailun Erange series tires 11

What About EV Tires and Range?

You may have heard the phrase “low rolling resistance” when people talk about EV-specific tires. That relates to the tire design, which for EVs is intended to reduce friction (rolling resistance) and improve range. Less friction means less resistance for the electric motors to overcome, improving the vehicle’s range. Manufacturers achieve that friction reduction with a stiffer sidewall and specially designed tread patterns, which also help cope with the added weight.

Can I Install Normal Tires On My EV?

You can, but it’s not ideal. It might be tempting to save a few dollars buying a standard all-season tire for your EV, but you’ll miss out on the range and performance benefits, and you may find yourself shopping for tires again earlier than expected. Standard passenger car tires, including all-season, winter, and summer performance models, are fine for lighter cars and SUVs, but they are not designed to withstand the stronger forces exerted by EVs and do not deliver the same range benefit. It’s best to select a specially designed tire that matches your EV’s needs and performance specifications.

This may all sound overwhelming, but the good news is that with a bit of research, finding the right EV tire is surprisingly straightforward. Select a tire with the weight rating you need, and be sure to research the range, sound, and performance specs for the tire you want. Sailun’s ERange tires come in various sizes for many new electric models, so if you want to learn more, head to the website to see the available tire models.

Not everyone is ready for an EV yet. Plug-in hybrids (aka PHEVs) can be — at least in theory— a compelling EV alternative that offers the best of all worlds (if used correctly). An owner can deploy the battery for short trips and commutes while having the flexibility for an easier, long-distance road trip with the internal combustion engine. And many PHEV batteries can charge overnight on a conventional outlet without requiring a Level 2 charger.

One issue is that PHEVs tend not to be too affordable. They are typically built by adding an expensive battery pack to an existing combustion vehicle. However, certain PHEVs are eligible for federal tax credits. And if you are searching around, there are some great deals on PHEVs to be found.

More Of The Best Deals

Best Budget PHEV Deal: Toyota Prius Prime

Toyota crushed it with the recent Prius overhaul. It’s sportier, less dorky-looking, and packs some of the best hybrid battery tech available. The Prius Prime is America’s cheapest PHEV, starting at $32,795. And it delivers the most range among affordable PHEVs, 44 miles. The Prius Prime isn’t eligible for a tax credit. However, Toyota is throwing in $4,500 in lease cash to sweeten the deal in certain states. 

Best Luxury PHEV Deal: Lexus NX 450h+

The NX 450h+ is the top-of-the-line PHEV version of Lexus’s compact crossover. It puts out 304 horsepower, accelerates from 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds and provides 37 miles of EV-only range. Starting at $62,415, the NX 450h+ is not particularly affordable. However, Lexus has been lowering the price of leases in certain states, with $9,500 in lease cash for 2024 models and $7,500 on 2025 models. 

Best SUV PHEV Deal: Jeep Wrangler Sport 4xe

The Wrangler 4xe formula is impressive on paper. It’s the most potent non-V8 powertrain in the Wrangler lineup with 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. It offers 21 miles of EV-only range. And with eye-popping deals coming off a major recall, it may be among the most affordable Wrangler options. Jeep is currently offering 0% APR financing for 72 months or $7,500 cashback in addition to its $3,750 tax credit. Jeep also appears—at least in some zip codes—to be offering up to $15,000 off on lease deals. 

Best Crossover PHEV Deal: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV SE

Yes, we hear you. Mitsubishi isn’t the first brand you think of when buying your new family crossover. But the Outlander PHEV may change your mind. It approaches the Prius Prime-level EV-only range at 38 miles. Every trim level starts under $50,000, allowing you to fully load one for the price of the average new car in America. Lease deals on the second-tier SE trim can get the monthly price down to the low $300s per month.

Best Family PHEV Deal: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has been around for a while. But it still offers a competitive PHEV package. It’s the only plug-in hybrid minivan, with 32 miles of EV-only range, seating for seven and a potential 140.5 cubic feet of cargo space. It’s the only PHEV eligible for the full $7,500 tax credit. Chrysler is offering incentives similar to those of the Wrangler 4xe. Pacifica owners can get access to 0% APR for 72 months of credit or an additional $7,500 cash back.

One of the chief electric vehicle criticisms from skeptics is that they are expensive. No matter how much cheaper charging one may be than filling up with gas, an EV typically ends up pricier than its combustion alternative. That truism has validity, but it overstates matters. 

Not all EVs cost a fortune. Solid options are available for far less than the price of the average new car. And even if the sticker price seems high, the $7,500 federal tax credit, state, dealer and manufacturer incentives and lease offers can make an EV more affordable on a monthly basis than one would think.

No matter what segment you’re looking at, there are great EV deals out there. Here are our choices for the five best. 

More Deals

Best Deal on a Long Range EV: Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 looks quirky for a reason. That swoopy shape gives the car a super low 0.21 drag coefficient, which is aerodynamic efficiency on par with vehicles like the Tesla Model S, Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan for a little more than half the price. The Ioniq 6 offers a formidable range of up to 342 miles in RWD form and 316 miles in AWD form with the SE trim and 350 kW fast charging. The SE trim starts at just $42,700. Because it’s a little bit less conventional and tougher to sell than the Ioniq 5, Hyundai offers some surprisingly cheap lease deals to move Ioniq 6s off the lot. 

Best Deal on a Budget EV: Chevrolet Equinox EV LT

Chevy discontinued the Bolt EV. But even if the Bolt were still around, it would be hard to argue against upgrading to the Equinox EV. The Equinox isn’t the sportiest or sexiest EV on the road. It doesn’t pack the blistering 350 kW fast charging of other Ultium vehicles. But it’s hard to find a better range for value proposition. The Equinox EV offers up to 319 miles of EPA range and exceeded its highway estimate in our testing. The new LT trim starts at just $33,600 before you factor in eligibility for the full $7,500 federal tax credit.

Best Deal on a Luxury EV: Lucid Air Touring

The Lucid Air offers the best EPA range in a production car. And if you aren’t leveling up to the full bore Air Grand Touring, it can be surprisingly affordable. The Air Touring offers a lot better specs than luxury competitors at the price point with 620 horsepower, more than 400 miles of range, and dual-motor AWD starting under $80,000. Lucid provides thousands of dollars of “Air Credits” and incentives. With lease prices under $800, you can get an Air Touring for more than $200 less per month than a Tesla Model S with a cheaper down payment. 

Best Deal on a Family EV: Kia EV9 Wind AWD

The three-row Kia EV9 offers great all-around EV capability and family practicality. It’s high-design from the exterior to its infotainment tech. And it’s far more affordable than the Rivian R1S. Calling the EV9’s $54,900 starting price a “wake-up call for the industry” may have been an overstatement. But it undersells how reasonably priced an EV9 can be. Kia is offering cash back and 0% financing deals for up to 72 months. Lease deals are available with monthly payments of less than $400. The EV9 can be about the same price as or cheaper than a combustion Telluride. 

Tesla Model Y

Best Deal on a Tesla: Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD/AWD

Why is the Tesla Model Y America’s second-best-selling car? Value plays a big role. Tesla pricing can change on an Elon whim. But as of this writing, Long Range RWD and Long Range AWD Model Ys currently start under $50,000 before the federal tax credit. Tesla is sweetening that further with sub-$400 per month lease deals and 0% APR for up to 60 months for financing. With up to 337 miles of range and more than 30 cubic feet of cargo space, the Model Y is too good of an EV deal for many buyers to pass up.

The electric vehicle revolution cannot be stopped. It won’t be stopped by car companies, it won’t be stopped by consumers and it certainly will not be stopped by the president. The EV revolution is happening. The only thing left to decide is whether America wants to lead it, or be left behind.

Had an all-out push to stop EVs materialized 10, five or even two years ago, it may have succeeded. The EV market was new and underdeveloped. Few companies on any continent were making much to get excited about. But in the past two years, the market has been flooded with relatively affordable, long-range, fast-charging EVs that buyers love. Consumers across the globe are interested in and comfortable with EVs as an option.

Most of them say they won’t go back to gasoline again. And if there’s one thing you need to about public policy, it’s that inertia is tough to overcome. EVs are 22% of the auto market in California, electrified vehicles are half the market in China and Europe is pushing ahead. There’s nothing the federal government can do to stop it. 

Ford CEO Jim Farley has been driving a Chinese Xiaomi SU7 EV for months, and he says it's incredible.

I write this because I don’t want anyone who believes in this to lose hope. It is true that America’s next president is a strident critic of EVs. He indeed wants to cut incentives, erase a (non-existent) “mandate” and “drill, baby, drill.” However, his myriad unsuccessful attempts to shove an Affordable Care Act repeal through Congress last time around are instructive examples: It is very hard for presidents to get rid of things that voters like.

Not all voters like EVs. But voters like America’s status at the forefront of automotive and industrial technology. Voters like high-paying jobs in underserved communities. And voters, when they drive one, tend to like electric cars, too. They don’t want a “mandate,” sure, but EVs don’t need a mandate. They’ll win out because they’re a better solution. 

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To be sure, the current crop has its issues. Many models on the road are the first mass-market, long-range EVs ever produced by their parent companies. Teething issues are to be expected. But Tesla, a company not exactly known for quality control, has managed to make cars that consistently go to 200,000 or even 300,000 miles without significant work. That’s not because Tesla is a leader in quality, it’s because the initial promise of EVs holds true. They are far simpler to build than internal combustion cars, with fewer moving parts, fewer parts that require ultra-precise manufacturing and far less required maintenance. Figure out your battery chemistry and production, sort out your motors and the rest is easy money. In the future you’ll get tired of your car long before it requires expensive repairs.

Of course, many modern EVs also cost more than their internal-combustion counterparts. But that’s changing fast. With tax credits, a base Chevy Equinox EV already costs the same as a base Toyota RAV4. But it drives better, looks better, has better software, goes 319 miles on a charge and costs half as much to fuel. Remind me again why this is political. What, because of those incentives? 

Legacy automakers have sunk billions into their EV efforts, and those investments are just starting to pay off. The first wave of affordable, long-range desirable EVs is just beginning.

Hate to tell you, but the gas car market wouldn’t have been possible without incentives, either. American taxpayers built the roads. Government spending in World War 2 helped solidify the big automotive giants we know today. The U.S. has spent the last 100 years pulling every lever in its geopolitical control center to keep oil prices down, while subsidizing drilling and failing to charge users for the total environmental cost of what they do. Plus today’s cars all have internet connections—impossible without government backing from early on—and the biggest producers of gas trucks all took billions in federal money to survive the 2008 crash. They had got so used to making bloated, thirsty, excessively large vehicles that they couldn’t survive a market shift toward efficiency. Any automaker that wants to abandon its EV plans has only that example to follow.

Even foreign car plants building gas cars take billions in aid from state governments, who are eager to get jobs in politically important areas. Point is, if you want a car built without the explicit help of the U.S. government or the interference of politics, you’re going to have to build it yourself. Just make sure not to order any of the parts online, since the internet relied on government incentives to get going, too. 

While EVs from U.S. automakers are great, China's BYD is on pace to overtake Tesla as the largest EV manufacturer in the world. The company is building EVs at a price that American companies can't match.

As the internet example shows, the U.S. has long invested public funds in order to lead in the tech market of tomorrow. It’s that alignment of public and private spending that has helped the U.S. outpace all of its Western peers over the last five decades, in terms of jobs, technology, GDP growth, wage growth and value creation. China has now taken that playbook and applied it to EVs, and the result is a market where EVs are cheap, plentiful and already ahead of the West. Imagine if the U.S. lost the competition for tomorrow because we didn’t want to spend the money today, and for the first time maybe ever, failed to be a leader in some new form of technology. Starting today, every taxpayer and politician is going to have to ask themselves if that’s an America they want to live in.

But I’m not really worried about that. Because there are really only two things that a technology needs to succeed in a largely capitalist world. The first is investment. And on that front, EVs are safe. Some automakers may dial back their spending, but I’d bet my salary that none will give up entirely. GM says it'll push on regardless, and that's the smart move. Because whatever happens in the U.S., Europe is going electric. So is China. So is much of the Global South. So is Japan, albeit slowly. South Korea shows no signs of slowing down.. Many companies from those countries have already invested here, taking advantage of credits and loans offered through the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump may want to repeal these, but that Affordable Care Act problem comes back again. 

By being early and bold in the long-range EV market, Kia and Hyundai are taking advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime shake-up in the automotive industry. It's paying off for their business, and American companies know it.

Sure, maybe a politician wants to repeal “Obamacare,” but would any voter accept dropping protections for pre-existing conditions? Sure, you want to end the EV “mandate”, but do you want to tell 8,500 Georgia workers that they’re out of a job? That they’ll have to find another high-paying job in rural Georgia, a swing state? You’re not going to want to close the Honda plant in Ohio, or the Ford plant in Michigan, either, are you?

This brings us to criteria number two for technological success: Creating value. Whether through public or private mechanisms, Americans have proven that we will always invest in technologies that create value. It’s why we’re a leader in aerospace, in pharmaceuticals, in computer chips, in finance, in A.I., in everything and everything that can create a billion-dollar company. Love it or hate it, creating value for shareholders is what America is built to do. 

The lease payment for my 2024 Chevy Blazer EV is lower than that of a Honda Civic. For that, I get an ultra-quiet, ultra-smooth all-wheel drive crossover with a great interior, all the tech features I'd ever want and 279 miles of range. It's cheaper to run than a Prius and faster than any comparable gas crossover on the market. 

The value in the EV market is obvious. The world’s most valuable automaker pioneered EVs. The next 10 on the list all have EVs on sale, and more in development. More customers than ever say they are interested in EVs, and most that do buy EVs don’t go back. The value is that the experience is better. I say that to my own surprise, as a life-long gas car fan. EVs are quieter, more refined, offer better software and safety technology than most internal combustion cars. They’re cheaper to operate and—if you have home or workplace charging—far easier to live with. They require almost no maintenance. Make no noise. They don’t belch toxins at pedestrians, or into your garage or into the air. They’re faster, too, and far smoother to drive.

People like them. Get someone past the initial hesitation, give them a bit of education and it’ll be their favorite car they’ve ever owned. That doesn’t mean the problems with them are solved; Prices are still too high, the formula doesn’t really make much sense for trucks with current battery chemistry and charging for those without plugs at home or work is a true barrier.

But these are surmountable obstacles. The market will overcome them regardless of whoever is in charge. Because the EV revolution is happening. Any smart American company isn’t going to let itself be left behind.

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