288: Asterisk

Cybertruck production is coming to an end, but is it because of slow sales or because Tesla’s future is in autonomy? Does the wild pickup’s demise also open the door for another Tesla pickup? We discuss the options on this week’s podcast. Also, Hoffman unveils an oddball second-life vehicle, Ford’s Mach-E batteries run strong, Yangwang hits 300, and more. SHOW NOTESCybertruck production to end in mid-2027 to make room for Cybercab: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tesla-ending-cybertruck-production-next-year/ Ford unveils more pricing info about Fathom: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a74335716/2028-ford-fathom-top-trims-priced-under-40k/ The Hoffman Badger gives second life to salvaged Teslas: https://www.thedrive.com/news/startup-gives-new-life-to-old-tesla-parts-by-turning-them-into-vans-and-trucks 2021 Mustang Mach-E batteries holding up well: https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2026/mustang-mach-e-electric-vehicle-battery-health BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme sets new “production car” records (with some asterisks): https://electrek.co/2026/11/06/byd-yangwang-u9-xtreme-first-production-car-500-km-h/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayEpisode art based on Tesla media imageWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

On this week’s podcast, we speak with Collin MacGregor, Range Energy’s Vice President of Safety & Systems, about how it’s possible to electrify trucking without replacing the truck itself. Range Energy is approaching the problem from the back first, retrofitting freight trailers with batteries and e-axles, allowing every truck to benefit from electric propulsion. Lock in as we dive into the details. SHOW NOTESRange Energy: https://range.energy/ Drive Forward Expo: https://driveforwardexpo.org/experience/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayEpisode art courtesy Range EnergyWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

The Tesla Roadster reveal 2.0 was a big one, with stunts that wowed. But does the math math? We look at the numbers on this week’s podcast. We also discuss Subaru going all EV in Europe, GM advancing its EV platform, Ford soon offering (more) affordable backup power, Mach-E upgrades that are coming, and more.SHOW NOTESOur ‘26 Mach-E first impressions: https://www.thewattcar.com/2026/10/tesla-model-3-vs-mustang-mach-e-first.html Engineering Explained looks at the math behind the Tesla Roadster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJSbro3EBnY Mate Rimac said he considered thrusters for the Nevera: https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a74192515/mate-rimac-tesla-roadster-thrusters-downforce/ Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna gives Tesla Roadster “10 out of 10”: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ferrari-ceo-hails-tesla-roadster-redesign-bold-innovation-industry-needs-2026-10-20/ Subaru going all-EV in Europe: https://electrek.co/2026/10/20/subaru-killing-off-gas-cars-europe-will-only-sell-evs/ GM shares more details on next-gen EV platform: https://www.electrive.com/2026/10/22/gm-announces-new-efficient-ev-platform/ Backup power solution for Ford Fathom will be significantly cheaper than Lightning: https://insideevs.com/news/813326/ford-fathom-bidirectional-vehicle-to-home-charging/ 2027 Mustang Mach-E gets new standard battery, trim changes: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a74205300/2027-ford-mustang-mach-e-pricing-new-details/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayEpisode art courtesy TeslaWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

When is good, good enough? For Huawai’s premium Maextro brand, the company might have a lower standard than the rest of us, as brake pedals reportedly fail on those Chinese cars. In other news, Tesla renames FSD to Tesla Assisted Driving in Germany to obtain regulatory approval, Pilot installs MCS chargers for EV big rigs, city cars like the new Citroën 2CV and Smart are coming (but not to the U.S.), and it’s official (!), the Porsche Boxster and Cayman are going EV. All of this and more on this week’s podcast. SHOW NOTESFSD is now TAD in Europe: https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/4794/tesla-renames-fsd-to-tesla-assisted-driving-in-europe Brake pedal failure on Huawei premium brand Maextro vehicles raises concerns: https://carnewschina.com/2026/10/08/huawei-jacs-maextro-v800-faces-safety-scrutiny-following-brake-pedal-failure-reports/ Pilot opens Megawatt Charging with Tesla near Savannah, Ga: https://newsroom.pilotcompany.com/pilot-and-tesla-open-first-megacharger-site-announce-three-additional-locations-opening-soon/ DCFC charging points pass 80,000 in U.S.: https://insideevs.com/news/811678/us-ev-charging-growth-q3-2026/ The Citroën 2CV is coming back as an EV: https://insideevs.com/news/811436/citroen-2cv-electric-reborn-concept/ The Smart is back (but not in the U.S.): https://electrek.co/2026/10/12/smart-2-fortwo-successor-290-km-range-19990/ New Porsche Boxster and Cayman will be EV-only: https://www.motor1.com/news/811750/porsche-electric-718-batteries-instead-engine/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayEpisode art courtesy HuawaiWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

BrightDrop’s dead, but that’s not stopping FedEx’s shift to EVs. With GM abandoning its EV delivery truck lineup that FedEx bought into, FedEx is looking to Harbinger, recently ordering 2,000 electric trucks valued at over $300 million, with potential diesel savings for FedEx nearing $800 million over the life of the trucks. We dive in. In other news, we know a little more about the Tesla Semi thanks to test drives hitting the web – MCS is confirmed, production ramp looks promising, and sleeper cabs could happen. Also, the Tesla Roadster launch gets delayed (shocker!), Chinese EVs invade Canada, the Jeep Recon’s range lacks range, and more!SHOW NOTESTFL Truck drives the Tesla Semi: https://youtu.be/uVvUGgvKt7Q?si=rZpi5EVqihWH5wbW FedEx commits to purchasing 2,000 EV delivery vans from Harbinger, expects big payoff: https://electrek.co/2026/10/03/fedex-believes-300m-electric-truck-spend-will-save-them-800m-in-diesel/ Chery announces entry of Omoda and Jaecoo brands to Canada in “late 2026”: https://electrek.co/2026/09/28/omoda-jaecoo-canada-launch-late-2026-ev-lineup/ Trump administration slashes CAFE requirements: https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5918509/car-fuel-efficiency-cafe-standards-rollback Jeep Recon gets dismal 160-mile highway range at 75 mph: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a73642665/2026-jeep-recon-ev-drive/ Trump issues executive order allowing on-road use of “farm diesel”: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/emergency-tax-relief-on-diesel-fuel/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayEpisode art courtesy HarbingerWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

Making news this week, Tesla pushes into Europe with its Semi launching 100 megawatt chargers at 21 locations plus Top Gear gives an inside look at how the Semi can relieve financial pressures, and we can’t help but talk about it on this week’s podcast. Also, Windrose open sources its designs, Volkswagen shifts the GTI to rear-wheel drive, Saudi Arabia’s Ceer partners with Foxconn for two interesting EVs, and more.SHOW NOTESTesla announces 100 Megawatt chargers at 21 locations in Europe ahead of Semi launch: https://insideevs.com/news/808615/tesla-megacharger-europe-rollout/Top Gear checks out the Tesla Semi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WP9HizHCrk Windrose open-sources its truck parts: https://electrek.co/2026/09/17/open-source-semi-windrose-puts-its-electric-truck-online-for-free/Volkswagen makes a rear-wheel drive GTI: https://insideevs.com/news/808505/vw-id3-gti-official-range-specs/Saudi Arabia’s Ceer gets into the EV game with Foxconn’s help: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/09/saudi-arabia-wants-a-car-industry-launches-ceer-with-two-evs/California governor signs “Leno’s Law.” Honestly, we're not impressed: https://www.hotrod.com/features/lenos-law-sb-1392-california-classic-car-smog-exemption-assemblyThis week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayEpisode art courtesy TeslaWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

Nine years later, Tesla is ready to relaunch its Roadster, but is there a market for the $200,000+ supercar that may or may not use cold gas thrusters, and is there a more nefarious purpose for this upcoming announcement? We dive in. Also on this week’s podcast, VW showcases its Mission Efficiency parts-bin EV, Volvo extends the range of its PHEVS, and ICE emissions are about to get serious. SHOW NOTESTesla “Go For Launch” event set for 10/01/26: https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-roadster-event-date-spacex-package-demo/VW shows off “Mission Efficiency” concept: https://www.motor1.com/news/808114/vw-mission-efficiency-concept-specs-photos/2028 Volvo PHEVs double the electric range: https://insideevs.com/news/807862/2028-volvo-xc60-xc90-long-range-plug-in-hybrid/Emissions standards are getting significantly stricter from 2027 forward:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-18/pdf/2024-06214.pdf https://marqueeig.com/resources/epa-2027-emissions-standards-fleets/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayEpisode art courtesy TeslaWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

With ever-increasing global uncertainty (especially since the U.S. invaded Iran), energy is on everyone’s minds. On this week’s episode of The Watt Car EV Podcast, we speak with Euan Graham, Senior Analyst for Ember, an energy think tank that, as its website states, “aims to accelerate the clean energy transition with data and policy.” From the war to solar, wind farms, and more, we dive into what the data says the future holds.SHOW NOTESLearn more about Ember: https://ember-energy.org/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

Telo Trucks is taking the driver’s seat, poking Ford and Hyundai on the size and capabilities of their small pickups. Is Telo all talk, or is there more to this plucky little startup? We dive in on this week’s podcast. Also, Slate announces a cargo van attachment, Aptera solar panels get third-party testing, an American company breaks through on LFP battery tech, and more!SHOW NOTESTelo releases cheeky video flexing on Maverick and Santa Cruz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRCqKB6eo5o Slate teases cargo van variant: https://www.motor1.com/news/806667/slate-electric-pickup-high-roof/  Aptera gets its solar system tested & validated by a third party: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uzuW-YvBE0 American LFP battery company claims breakthrough in charging cycles: https://insideevs.com/news/806443/graphite-free-lithium-metal-battery-ev/ Waymo deploys in more cities, one of them Denver: https://insideevs.com/news/806758/waymo-denver-san-diego-tampa-launch-day/ Tesla is going to announce the launch of the Cybercab, Semi, and Roadster in September: https://electrek.co/2026/09/01/in-sept-tesla-will-re-launch-3-products-it-launched-a-decade-ago-for-a-stock-pump/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezEpisode art courtesy Telo TrucksMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

The original Mini was a fun-loving, tossable runabout. The new Mini has its own following for different reasons. But what if the next Mini was EV and rear-wheel drive? Rumors indicate that might be the case, and we discuss what that means on this week’s podcast. Also on the show, Polestar theories abound, the Genesis GV90 gets coach doors, diesel EREV tech comes to EV semis, and more.SHOW NOTESPolestar claiming “disparate treatment” from Volvo in U.S. ban ruling from Commerce Department: https://www.autoblog.com/news/polestar-says-its-u-s-ban-doesnt-add-up-after-volvo-gets-a-pass Next Mini Cooper could be RWD: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/electric-cars/next-mini-cooper-be-inspired-2001-r50-%E2%80%93-and-could-go-rwd Aptera partners with Shanghai-based Launch Design to streamline production processes, lower component purchasing costs: https://theevreport.com/aptera-launch-design-production-program Coach (aka “suicide”) doors make the cut on the production Genesis GV90: https://electrek.co/2026/08/20/genesis-gv90-luxury-coach-doors-images/ EREV tech comes to the heavy truck segment: https://insideevs.com/news/805476/electric-truck-range-extender-mahle/ Tesla says Semi will debut for the European market at IAA Hannover in September: https://x.com/tesla_semi/status/2090333014576488877Mate Rimac says the future of supercars is combustion engines: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/25/bugatti-ceo-mate-rimac-supercars-gas-engines.html This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezEpisode art courtesy MiniMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar