2 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Electric Cars Archive

Archives for July 2025

Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins
Lucid now selling its own NACS charging adapter.

The adapter will cost $220 and can be ordered on Lucid’s website. With it, Lucid Air sedan owners can simply roll up to any Tesla Supercharger station and plug in. Charging sessions can be initiated and paid for through the Lucid app.

Of course, Lucid Gravity owners won’t need to bother with the adapter since their electric SUV comes with a native NACS port. Lucid is also announcing a bump in the 2026 Air Touring’s range to 431 miles — maintaining the California company’s perch as king of the range among all other EVs.

1/2Photo: Lucid
Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Today I learned a real car can jump spikes and potholes like Speed Racer.

This is the BYD Yangwang U9, one of the fastest production EVs at 233MPH — but all I care about is how much closer we are to Speed Racer’s auto-jacks! Since BYD doesn’t want to get sued, a disclaimer states that “U9’s Leaping Function is prohibited for practical scenarios,” but it claims the feature works under very specific conditions. Would I rather have this or wheels that turn sideways, hmm...

BMW M5 review: a PHEV worth its weight

The German brand’s new plug-in hybrid may lack personality, but it makes up for it in styling.

Peter Nelson
Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins
New Trump tariffs on graphite will make EVs even more expensive.

EV prices could go up by as much as $1,000 thanks to the Trump administration’s decision to impose a 93.5 percent tariff on graphite imports from China. Tesla lobbied against the levy, arguing that US-based graphite producers aren’t prepared to supply the essential battery material “at the quality and purity required by Tesla and other battery cell manufacturers.” But those pleas fell on deaf ears. In addition to Tesla, companies like Ford and Panasonic that are building battery plants in the US are going to be negatively impacted.

Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins
Tesla’s head of sales is outie.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Troy Jones, director of Tesla’s North American sales, is leaving after 15 years at the company. This comes after Tesla reported a steep drop in sales for the second quarter. Other execs have similarly been fleeing. Elon Musk fired Omead Afshar, who formerly led operations in North America and Europe. And the company’s director of human resources for North America, Jenna Ferrua, departed in June, according to the Journal. The C-suite is getting thin.

Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins
Rivian’s maps get Google-fied.

The electric automaker is launching its new map built on top of Google Maps using the service’s Automotive SDK. Rivian, which notably does not allow Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in its vehicles, says the new maps feature real-time traffic updates, tappable points of interest, and satellite imagery.

And since it’s embedded software, it can integrate important vehicle information, like how much range will be left on arrival and whether charging stops will be needed. And don’t forget Rivian’s “charging score” so you can tell whether a charging station is up to snuff.

1/4Image: Rivian
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Tesla’s India launch isn’t a short-term fix.

Don’t expect Elon’s EV company to turn its fortunes around any time soon after launching in India today. It may be the world’s third-biggest auto market, but EVs make up less than 5 percent.

Throw in heavy auto import tariffs that leave the Indian Model Y priced almost a third more than in the US, and it’s clear Tesla should expect a slow start.