Electric cars have become a central part of Volkswagen’s global strategy, with a wide mix of models sold across Europe, Asia, and beyond. In the States, though, the lineup is far narrower, limited to just the ID.4 and the ID.Buzz. Even so, the ID.4 has taken on a critical role for the brand, climbing to Volkswagen’s third best-selling model in the country during the third quarter of this year.

Read: VW ID.4 Gets A Stealthy Blackout But Something Bigger Waits In The Shadows

Last month, VW managed to sell a total of 87,705 vehicles in the US, consisting of 73,444 SUVs and 87,705 passenger cars. The company’s most popular model proved to be the Tiguan LWB, shifting 22,050 units, a 4 percent increase from September last year. In second place was the Atlas, with 19,105 examples finding new homes, marking a 2 percent increase.

A Sharp Rise For The ID.4

Slotting into third place was the all-electric ID.4. September sales hit 12,470, a dramatic 176 percent jump over the 4,518 sold in the same month last year. That single month accounted for a sizeable portion of the 22,125 ID.4s delivered nationwide so far in 2025.

Needless to say, the surge didn’t happen by chance. Like several other automakers, Volkswagen benefited from a rush of customers eager to secure their EV purchase before the federal EV tax credit expired on September 30.

Although the 2025 ID.4 did not qualify for the incentive, unlike the 2023 and 2024 models, it was available with the $7,500 rebate if leased. Now that the government’s incentive is no longer available, it’s likely there will be a decline in demand through the remaining three months of the year.

Where The Numbers Land

Looking at the year as a whole, the ID.4 ranks as VW’s sixth best-selling new vehicle in the States with 22,125 units sold. This positions it behind the Atlas (51,181), the Tiguan LWB (48,951), the Jetta (48,610), the Taos (40,524), and the Atlas Cross Sport (24,282).

In September, VW also managed to sell 2,469 ID.Buzzes, roughly 50 percent of all the examples it has sold through the first three quarters of 2025.

VW US Sales 2025

Ford is preparing to expand its EV lineup in a way that could reshape how the company builds and markets its vehicles. And according to CEO Jim Farley, the upcoming mid-size electric pickup won’t just be another truck, but something designed to stretch beyond the typical template.

While the company remains cautious about how the loss of federal tax credits may affect demand, development is moving ahead on the new Universal EV Platform. This fresh architecture will debut with a $30,000 mid-size pickup truck, first mentioned in August, and now detailed further by Ford’s top executive.

Not Just a Truck

During a recent interview with The Verge’s podcast, Farley explained that the pickup will be the first model underpinned by the new architecture “but it’s not really a pickup. I would say it’s a new silhouette.”

It’s hard to know exactly what Ford’s head honcho means, as the teaser image Ford released earlier this year suggested a conventional truck shape, one instantly recognizable across all segments with the exception of the outlier Tesla Cybertruck.

Read: $30K Ford Electric Truck Coming In 2027 Is Seriously Bad News For Slate

Farley added that the new EV “has more room than a RAV4, the best-selling passenger car in the US. That doesn’t include its trunk and pickup truck bed”. The teaser indicated it’ll hit the market with a dual-cab design, helping to ensure that the second row has enough room for adult passengers.

Fun First, Utility Second

It’s not just space that Ford is promising. Farley noted that the vehicle will be rear-wheel drive, “very fast,” and “super fun to drive,” which isn’t the case for most pickup trucks. Not only that, but it will offer a “digital experience that no one’s seen – at least that we’ve seen – even in China.”

“The digital experience is quite different for customers,” Farley said. “I think the whole package is something that has not been offered in the US or anywhere else to date. I think this first product is quite revolutionary.”

Building EVs Differently

It’s not just the technology of the model that is promising to be revolutionary; the Universal EV Platform will be brought to life on an all-new form of assembly line and be made of three large cast pieces.

The revolution isn’t limited to the product itself. Ford plans to manufacture the Universal EV Platform in a new way, using just three large castings to form the vehicle’s structure. The process will involve 20 percent fewer parts, cut plant workstation needs by 40 percent, and speed up assembly at the Louisville facility by a similar margin.

Farley underlined the ambition of this approach. “No one has ever built a car in three pieces,” he said. “No one’s offered their own electric architecture at this price. We’ve never done it. We’ve never had two large unit castings and high quality. No one’s done it. Tesla’s talked about it, but it hasn’t done it. In fact, our manufacturing process has radically moved on beyond what Tesla’s ever shown in its unboxing. So, there’s a lot of risk here. This is not a guarantee that Ford’s going to get this done.”

The electric super-sedan rivalry just tilted in a new direction. Lucid’s Air Sapphire has claimed the title of the quickest-accelerating production car Motor Trend has ever tested, beating not only Tesla’s Model S Plaid, but also Porsche’s Taycan Turbo GT.

What makes the feat even more impressive is that the Air Sapphire managed it while being larger, heavier, and more luxuriously appointed than its rivals. The secret weapon, as it turns out, is rubber. Well, that and boatloads of uninterrupted power.

Breaking the Two-Second Mark

After jumping behind the wheel of a 1,234hp Air Sapphire fitted with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS Elect LM1 tires, now offered as an $8,250 option plus installation straight from Lucid, Motor Trend recorded a 1.881-second sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h).

That’s noticeably faster than the Air Sapphire previously tested with the standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S LM1 tires, which needed 2.2 seconds to hit 60 mph.

Watch: How Fast Can The Lucid Air Sapphire Lap The Nürburgring?

For comparison, the publication recorded a 2.07-second 0-60 mph time in the Tesla Model S Plaid. Until the Air Sapphire came along, the Taycan Turbo GT Weissach was the king of MT’s acceleration tests, recently hitting 60 mph just 0.006 seconds slower than the Lucid. Importantly, all of the times were recorded on an unprepped surface and include a one-foot rollout.

Motor Trend hasn’t said how quickly the Air Sapphire is without factoring in rollout, but tests of the Model S Plaid and Taycan Turbo GT show rollout adds about 0.2 seconds to the 0-60 mph time.

Stretching Its Lead

Down the quarter-mile, the Air Sapphire, priced at $250,500 and rising to $258,750 as tested, opens up a bigger gap on the competition. It had previously run a 9.21-second time at 157.1 mph with the standard Michelin tires, but fit a set of the stickier Pirellis and it takes just 9.03 seconds to launch down a 1,320-foot drag strip.

The new rubber also help in braking and handling. The EV needs just 93 feet to brake from 60 mph, which is the same as the Taycan Turbo GT Weissach and 10 feet less than the Air Sapphire with standard tires. It also ran around MT’s figure-eight course in 22.3 seconds, a 0.3-second improvement over a previous test, but slightly slower than the Porsche’s record-breaking 21.9 seconds.

Volkswagen has already learned the hard way that drivers aren’t keen on haptic controls, which is why the brand is reversing course and slowly, but gradually restoring physical buttons to the steering wheel. But a new patent filing shows the company is also exploring a different direction altogether, and this latest idea could prove even more frustrating than haptics ever were.

Read: VW Getting Rid Of Dreaded Touch-Sensitive Controls On Steering Wheels

The patent, filed earlier this month in Germany, describes a setup where a universal toggle switch would be fitted to the steering wheel, along with an eye-tracker in the center of the dashboard.

To operate basic features such as headlights or windshield wipers, the driver would need to look at the function they want and then activate it via the steering-wheel toggle.

Eyes On Everything

This setup could combine the eye-tracker with voice control, so you may not have to rely solely on your eyes to control a function. At least in theory, that is.

While Volkswagen’s system is certainly intriguing, it appears overly complicated and is likely to make errors. After all, if you quickly glance at the sunroof, hoping to slide back the sunshade, what’s going to prevent the system from thinking you actually want to open the roof, not just the shade?

Volkswagen argues in its patent filing that “an increasing number of functions/setting options leads to a deeper menu structure (softkey) or a multiplication of control elements (hardkey). The user is increasingly distracted from the traffic situation during operation.”

The reasoning isn’t wrong, but replacing simple buttons with a system that guesses your intentions feels like a recipe for distraction in its own right.

Back To Buttons

Importantly, we don’t actually expect to see VW employ a system like this anytime soon, if at all. The company is already committed to bringing back physical buttons for many important controls, including on the steering wheel and several key toggle switches below the infotainment screens of its next-generation models. The recent ID.Every1 Concept previewed these new buttons.

As for eye-tracking controls, they remain more of a speculative experiment than a real-world feature. If they ever do appear in production cars, don’t expect it to be anytime soon.

VW ID.Every1 Concept

Sources: Patent Office , Motor1,

A tragic crash in North Miami Beach has reignited concerns about Tesla’s door and safety systems, after a Model 3 driver lost their life when the car caught fire and rescuers were reportedly unable to pull them out.

The incident adds to a growing list of cases where occupants were trapped following collisions, raising more questions about emergency access to the company’s vehicles.

More: Crash Victim Trapped In Burning Tesla Sues Over Door Handles

The crash unfolded just after 4 pm on Wednesday when the Model 3, heading west on Northwest 163rd Street, was said to have been cut off by an SUV. The Tesla allegedly swerved into a utility pole and almost immediately caught fire.

North Miami Beach police spokesman Corey Darden said officers arrived quickly but were unable to reach the driver before the flames spread beyond control. Paramedics also transported another person to the hospital, though their condition and role in the crash remain unclear.

Read: Trapped Children Die In Tesla Fire After Door Handles Allegedly Wouldn’t Open

Footage captured in the aftermath of the crash shows local police crews desperately trying to control the blaze using fire extinguishers.

At one stage, they could also be seen smashing one of the rear side windows, but according to an eyewitness, “it really didn’t do anything.” Police had to let fire crews take over due to the fear that the Tesla might explode, the Miami Herald reports.

What stands out in the aftermath is that the body damage to the Model 3 does not look especially severe. The front of the electric sedan is not visible in the footage, but the rear and sides show little sign of a major impact. It’s unclear what initially triggered the blaze.

A Wider Pattern Emerging?

This crash occurred just a week after a Tesla Model S driver and two children were killed in Germany when their vehicle veered off the side of a road and burst into flames. In that case, a witness desperately attempted to rescue the occupants but was unable to get the doors open before the vehicle was consumed.

Tesla has acknowledged concerns over emergency access in its vehicles and recently stated it is developing a new door handle design that merges manual and electronic releases into a single button.

Screenshot via Leandro Seguro/Local 10 News/Youtube

Rivian has once again trimmed its delivery outlook for the year, now projecting it will finish 2025 with between 41,500 and 43,500 vehicles handed over to customers. Earlier forecasts had painted a more optimistic picture. In May, Rivian suggested it would finish 2025 with between 40,000 and 46,000 deliveries, which was itself a downward revision from an even earlier target of roughly 51,000 vehicles.

Read: Rivian Offers Owners Cash To Sign Away Their Legal Rights

To put these figures into perspective, Rivian sold a total of 50,100 vehicles in 2023 and 51,579 in 2024. While the electric car manufacturer would have inevitably hoped to see sales continue to grow throughout 2025, that hasn’t been the case.

Mixed Numbers

The revision arrives even after Rivian recorded its best sales quarter of the year. Still, the annual forecast hints that appetite for the R1T pickup and R1S SUV may be tapering off, a concern that pushed the company’s stock down nearly 10 percent.

During the past quarter, Rivian delivered a total of 13,201 vehicles and produced 10,720 at its facility in Normal, Illinois. That’s an increase of nearly 32 percent in third-quarter (Q3) deliveries, a surge driven in part by U.S. buyers hurrying to lock in tax credits, even through leasing, before they expired on Tuesday.

Rivian’s Big Hope

Rivian’s long-awaited mid-size R2 cannot come soon enough. It’s been in the works for a couple of years now and is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2026. It will initially be built at an expanded line at the company’s plant in Normal, Illinois, before moving to Rivian’s forthcoming multi-billion-dollar facility in Georgia.

During a recent interview with InsideEVs, Rivian Chief Executive RJ Scaringe noted that while a large car manufacturer like Chevrolet or Volkswagen could absorb the costs of a new model that does not prove popular upon launch, Rivian does not have the same luxury.

“For a big company that has lots of other products, you can absorb that not going well, and the business will be fine,” he said. “For a Rivian, it must go well.” Prices for the R2 will start at approximately $45,000, significantly undercutting the R1-series models that start at over $70,000.

The new 2027 Bolt is set to make its public debut before the end of the year, but the wait has effectively been cut short. A completely undisguised prototype was spotted and photographed by Instagram user chargepozitive , giving us an unhindered view of the updated design. The images confirm what earlier spy shots hinted at, that this is more of a facelift than a full redesign.

Read: Chevrolet’s Newest EV Sure Looks Familiar

Captured in a sharp shade of metallic blue, the Bolt EUV was seen charging at a Tesla Supercharger, where its new NACS port was on full display. Positioned on the driver-side front fender, the port mirrors the layout of the outgoing model while aligning the car with the industry’s growing charging standard.

Evolution Over Revolution

In terms of design, GM has worked to overhaul the front fascia of the Bolt by adding new LED daytime running lights that are now connected to the main headlamps positioned further down on the bumper. It has also added a different black grille with a honeycomb mesh pattern, which we think gives the updated Bolt a cleaner and slightly more premium look.

Viewed from the side, there’s very little to differentiate the new model from the one it replaces. That means it has the same door skins and the same thick C-pillars. At the rear, the most noticeable changes are the new taillights and the refined bumper, which features more painted elements.

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A post shared by Tollak (@chargepozitive)

Tech Beneath the Surface

Limited technical details about the new model are known at this stage, but we do know it will be underpinned by the BEV2 platform with a 400-volt electrical architecture. The old model had been criticized for only supporting DC charging speeds of up to 55 kW, so we expect some speed improvements to be made to this new model.

Powering the latest Chevy EV will be a lithium-iron phosphate battery pack supplied by CATL, a move that should help balance cost and durability. The last Bolt managed an EPA-rated 247 miles (398 km) of range, but expectations for this update are higher. To stand as a credible rival in today’s market, Chevrolet will likely need to push that figure closer to the 300-mile (482 km) mark.

Baldauf

Audi sells no fewer than 18 different models in the United States, and among them, it was an unexpected contender that claimed the sales crown through the third quarter. Outpacing long-time favorites like the Q5 and Q3, the spotlight landed on the electric Q6 e-tron.

However, that an EV managed to outpace Audi’s long-standing ICE models says less about sudden enthusiasm for electrification and more about the terrible year its combustion lineup has faced that was compounded by buyers rushing to make the most of federal EV incentives before they vanished.

Numbers Behind the Surge

Over the past three months, Audi sold 10,059 Q6 e-trons across the US. This represents a 22,761 percent increase over the third quarter of last year, although that’s somewhat irrelevant, as deliveries hadn’t started in earnest in 2024. Year-to-date, a total of 17,021 Q6 e-trons have been sold.

Read: Audi’s Electrifying Crossover Coupe Arrives With A 509 HP Range-Topper

The reason for the surge in demand is quite simple. The $7,500 federal EV tax credit is no longer available, leading to a rush of shoppers who wanted to benefit from it before it was discontinued. Interestingly, the Q6 e-tron wasn’t eligible for the tax credit when purchased upfront, but customers could receive it when leasing. While Audi hasn’t disclosed how many of the Q6 e-trons it sold in the third quarter were leased, we suspect most of them fell in that category.

With sales of the electric SUV climbing into five figures, the Q6 e-tron edged past the Q5, Audi’s traditional sales leader. In the third quarter, the compact SUV recorded 9,719 units, bringing its year-to-date total to 32,633. It still holds the top spot overall, but that position comes with a caveat: sales are down 17 percent compared with 2024. Looking at just the third quarter, the drop was even sharper, falling 34 percent from the 14,677 sold in the same period last year.

The Q3 was next in line during July through September, logging 5,597 units, a huge 25 percent dip year-over-year. Behind it came the Q7 with 4,281 sold, which marked a steep 24 percent decline compared with the same period in 2024. Even so, its year-to-date tally of 14,256 is actually 5 percent higher than last year’s, showing that while the third quarter dragged, the bigger picture looks better.

The electric Q4 e-tron also carved out its own space in the lineup. Sales rose 32 percent in the third quarter to 2,956 units, although its year-to-date total of 5,194 remains slightly behind last year’s pace.

Sales of virtually all other Audi models fell last quarter. These included the A5 (-34 percent), A6 (-41 percent), A7 (-2 percent), and Q8 (-22 percent). Demand also fell for some of Audi’s EVs, including the e-tron GT (-3 percent), Q8 e-tron (-98 percent), and the Q8 Sportback e-tron (-96 percent).

The Bigger Picture

Looking at the totals, Audi sold 46,758 vehicles in the third quarter, practically as many as it delivered a year earlier (46,752). Year-to-date, the brand has moved 128,709 cars and SUVs in the US, which is 8 percent fewer than in 2024.

Audi US Sales 2025

Additional reporting by John Halas

The Lucid Air may already be known as one of the most advanced electric cars on the road, boasting the longest range of any EV sold in the United States, but the brand itself is still fighting an uphill financial battle. Each vehicle sold continues to come at a steep loss, so its recent tie-up with Uber, along with efforts to lure drivers away from rival brands, could prove critical to securing a stable future.

Read: Lucid’s Next EV Isn’t A Sedan, It’s An Affordable Off-Roader Made In Saudi Arabia

Through its tie-up with Uber, Lucid will receive $300 million in investments, making Uber its second-largest shareholder after the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Uber will purchase 20,000 Gravity SUVs from Lucid and use them as part of an expansive robotaxi fleet that’ll be introduced across the States starting next year.

Big Backer, Big Bet

This deal could not have come at a more crucial time for Lucid. Following the Trump administration’s decision to axe the EV tax credit and eliminate fines for carmakers who don’t comply with emissions regulations, electric vehicle manufacturers face the prospect of falling sales. Even so, Lucid chief executive Marc Winteroff is confident the Uber deal will serve as the start of an important new era for the brand.

“The largest ride-hailing business in the world does a strategic deal and invests,” Winteroff said. “It tells you something… 20,000 is a starting point. The sky’s the limit.”

Lucid is also thinking of innovative ways to make the most of its Uber deal. According to the firm’s leader, it will sell vehicles to fleet managers on the Uber platform, and wants to source revenue from charging on a per-mile basis. Winteroff added that the removal of the tax credit is “a big number of pure profit that we know have to live without,” so it’s understandable why the firm wants to make the most out of the Uber deal.

Taking Aim at Tesla

During the same interview, Winteroff moved beyond the Uber deal and took a thinly veiled swipe at Elon Musk’s company. He said Lucid has noticed a rising number of Tesla owners making the switch, pointing to the brand’s aging lineup and Musk’s political involvement, which has turned off many buyers.

“We have seen an uptick, that’s definitely the case, in Europe and also here in the US,” Lucid’s CEO revealed. “The Model S, nothing has changed in 12 years now… [customers] are actively looking for other options.” However, Lucid has a long way to go before it can truly threaten Tesla when it comes to sales numbers.

Key to Lucid’s future plans is a mid-size SUV. This new model will start at under $50,000 and may be named the Earth. It will take styling cues from the brand’s existing models, and its production is scheduled to start by the end of 2026. It will also spawn a rugged version inspired by the recent Gravity X Concept and be followed up by an additional model, set to launch in 2028.

Hyundai sales surged to record heights in the US last month, thanks in part to a significant increase in demand for its EVs and a few of its SUV and sedan models. And, despite the removal of the federal EV tax credit at the end of September, the Korean carmaker appears confident it can keep the momentum going through the rest of the year and into 2026.

Read: The EV Price War Just Got Real And Hyundai Fired First

In September, Hyundai sold a total of 71,003 vehicles in the US market, a 14 percent increase over the 62,491 sold the same month last year. In addition, Hyundai’s Q3 sales were up 11 percent to 678,349 units compared to the 610,494 sold through the first three quarters of 2024.

EVs Leading the Charge

Several models contributed to the surge in demand last month. The all-electric Ioniq 5 stood out, with sales soaring 152 percent from 3,336 units to 8,408. While many automakers saw a final bump in EV sales before the federal tax credit expired, Hyundai has moved quickly to soften the impact.

The company is now offering a $7,500 cash incentive on 2025 models, along with price cuts of up to $9,800 on 2026 Ioniq 5s. Year-to-date, sales of the Ioniq 5 have climbed 36 percent, from 30,318 units to 41,091.

Hyundai US Sales 2025

Elsewhere, sales of the Ioniq 6 have jumped 36 percent, although it remains a small blip in terms of Hyundai’s overall sales, with just 814 sold in September and 9,132 sold this year. The large, three-row Ioniq 9 sold 4,177 examples.

Demand for the small Venue also soared by 77 percent last month, with 2,836 finding new homes across the country. Hyundai reported a 28 percent rise in Santa Fe sales to 10,114 units. In September, sales of the Elantra increased by 23 percent.

There are some outliers in what has been a very good year for Hyundai. For example, year-to-date sales of the Sonata are down 5 percent to 45,914, Santa Cruz has fallen 18 percent to 20,633, and the Kona is down 11 percent to 57,278.

Update: Well, that didn’t take long. Just hours after the leaked option codes surfaced, a prototype of what looks to be the most stripped-down version of the Model Y was spotted undisguised by X user Ryan Marble near Tesla’s Gigafactory in Texas.

The new photos confirm the removal of the front light bar, along with a more basic front bumper that no longer features the aero cut-outs. No doubt some diehard fans will hail it as “cleaner,” though others may just call it cheaper looking. At the back, the center light bar is gone as well, as is the spaced-out “T E S L A” badging, giving the rear fascia a plainer, less futuristic feel.

It’s still unclear from these shots whether the rumored change to the roof has gone ahead, swapping the panoramic glass panel for a solid black section. The wheels, meanwhile, seem to have shrunk to 18 inches rather than the 19-inch sets fitted to the current RWD and AWD variants. (By John Halas)

Original story continues below.

@SawyerMerritt spotted an uncovered cheaper Model Y variant driving near Giga Texas pic.twitter.com/Fy6devXree

— Ryan Mable (@RyanMable) October 2, 2025

What could be our first look at Tesla’s long-rumored entry-level Model Y has surfaced online, sparking plenty of debate about whether it’s the real deal. If it is, then the newcomer appears to take a seriously pared-back approach compared to the Model Y we know today, stripped of many features that define its higher-priced counterparts.

The open question is whether such a cut-down version would help Tesla boost sales across the US and other key markets, or if it risks being seen as too compromised to win over buyers. Of course, much of the answer will hinge on pricing, especially compared with the current base Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, which starts at $44,490 in the States now that the $7,500 tax credit has disappeared.

Simpler Looks

The image comes from TheTeslaNewswire on X, which claims the shot briefly appeared on Tesla’s website before disappearing. In the photo, the the new base Model Y ditches the full-width LED light bar fitted to current crossover and instead wears a pair of narrow headlights that resemble those on the refreshed Model 3. The front bumper has been pared back too, losing its usual air curtains and settling for a plainer black grille along the lower edge.

Read: Tesla’s Budget Model Y Is So Stripped Down It’s Begging For Tips

This entry version, apparently set to carry the Model Y Standard badge, rides on 18-inch wheels with black plastic aero covers. The effect is about as minimal as Tesla has ever gone on its mainstream models.

A No-Frills Cabin

Several changes are also being reported, although official images have yet to appear. The same account that dug through the website’s source code suggests the panoramic glass roof, standard on all current Tesla passenger models, will be dropped in favor of a solid roof, with textile trim pieces added in its place.

A manually adjustable steering wheel will also be part of the package. In the back, the second-row touchscreen has been dropped, replaced with manual air vents. Tesla has removed the HEPA filter as well, a change that lines up with reports from a well-known hacker who mentioned similar cuts last month.

Extract 1:

Model Y Standard","Bring Everyone and Everything","Unparalleled Efficiency","Have More Fun","Virtually Low Maintenance","Built for Safety"],"card_description":[" ","For anybody and every drive.","Load up your friends and family with seating up to five and bring all…

— The Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) October 1, 2025

An extract from Tesla’s website describing the new model was also shared on X by the same account. it says Tesla describes the model as providing “unparalleled efficiency” and having “virtually low maintenance,” which we suspect should say ‘virtually no maintenance.’ Tesla also notes that it doesn’t require “oil changes, tunes ups or smoke checks,” and that all owners will need to do is “refill the washer fluid and rotate your tires.”

When Cheap Isn’t That Cheap

Then there’s the all-important price. Apparently, the Model Y Standard will start at a claimed $39,990 in the United States. That’s only $5,000 less than the current base Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, which doesn’t sound like a good deal, particularly given all the features the Standard version is lacking. Even more so if you consider that just days ago, before the federal EV tax credit was scrapped, buyers could pick up the Long Range RWD for as little as $37,490.

🔥🔥 More affordable Tesla Model Y Standard leaked on the website!

✅ Called Model Y Standard
✅ $39,990 starting price
✅ Redesigned front fascia
✅ Single-part headlights
✅ Front bumper camera
✅ No front light bar
✅ No glass roof (“closed glass roof”)
✅ New 18” Aperture… pic.twitter.com/eGm4QnMxJm

— The Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) October 1, 2025

Lead image Ryan Mable/X

While most agree that the facelifted Model 3 that was unveiled two years ago is an improvement over the model it replaced, there’s one aspect that many dislike about the new model: the absence of a turn signal stalk. For some unexplained reason, Tesla decided to move the signals to the steering wheel. Others, like Ferrari, have done the same, but Elon Musk’s products are targeting a much wider audience.

Read: Tesla Quietly Brings Back Turn Signal Stalks To Model 3 After Years Of Complaints

However, much to our surprise, traditional stalks are making a comeback, but so far only on Asian-delivered Model 3s in three specific markets. This week, Tesla previewed an updated Model 3 that will be sold in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. In its promotional material, the brand revealed that the tweaked Model 3 includes a stalk for the turn signal positioned on the steering column, just as it should be.

A Quiet Reversal

The reappearance of the stalk isn’t entirely new. Beyond keeping them on the refreshed Model Y, Tesla also quietly brought it back for the Chinese-market Model 3 in August, even offering retrofits for older cars at 2,499 yuan, or about $350. This rollout now extends to three more countries, suggesting Tesla has fully reintroduced the hardware into its production line.

In addition to reintroducing a stalk for the Model 3 in Asia, the company has fitted a front-facing camera on the bumper. It’s a feature Tesla fans have been requesting for years, and it should make squeezing into tight spaces noticeably less stressful.

What About The US?

Despite those changes in cars sold in Asia, Tesla has yet to confirm if it will make the same small additions to American ones, but we think it’d be weird not to. Evidently, it has found suppliers for these parts and has all the tooling to install them, so it’ll simply be a matter of adding them to US-built cars.

🔥 Tesla has launched an updated Model 3 in select Asian countries, featuring:

✅ Front bumper camera
✅ Turn signal stalk
✅ No front logo

Available in:
🇯🇵 Japan
🇰🇷 South Korea
🇹🇼 Taiwan https://t.co/0B0coCN0pc pic.twitter.com/xQJmgMZlbV

— The Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) October 1, 2025

The end of the federal EV tax credit has left the industry on edge, and Ford’s top executive is warning of serious consequences. Without the $7,500 incentive, Jim Farley believes demand for electric vehicles in the United States could collapse, with sales potentially dropping by half. It’s a sobering reminder of how much the credit has shaped America’s shift toward electrification.

Read: Jim Farley – “If We Lose This, We Do Not Have A Future Ford”

Speaking at the automaker’s  “Ford Pro Accelerate” event in Detroit, Farley said EVs might soon represent only 5 percent of the overall US car market, a level last seen in 2022 and well below the record 10 to 12 percent share expected this month. That projection paints a far more modest future for electric adoption than many in the industry had anticipated.

A Shrinking Market?

“I think it’s going to be a vibrant industry, but it’s going to be smaller, way smaller than we thought, especially with the policy change in the tailpipe emissions, plus the $7,500 consumer incentive going away,” Farley said. “We’re going to find out in a month. I wouldn’t be surprised that the EV sales in the U.S. go down to 5%.”

According to Farley, Ford’s Model e team is continually analyzing the demand for electrified vehicles. The car manufacturer will also have to change plans and decide how it should make use of excess EV capacity and its battery factories.

Adjusting To New Rules

“We’ll fill them, but it will be more stress, because we had a four-year predictable policy,” Farley noted. “Now the policy changed. … We all have to make adjustments, and it’s going to be good for the country, I believe, but it will be one more stress.”

During the same event, Farley also acknowledged that Ford’s customers are not interested in an expensive electric car. As such, the carmaker will need to make cheaper EVs, but now that the tax credit is gone, doing so will be much more difficult than before.

“Customers are not interested in the $75,000 electric vehicle,” the Ford CEO said. “They find them interesting. They’re fast, they’re efficient, you don’t go to the gas station, but they’re expensive.”

Rumors of the Volvo EM90 minivan launching in the United States have kicked into overdrive after the company made a recent filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Not only that, but the vehicle depicted in the patent images appears to be a plug-in hybrid, while the EM90 introduced in China is all-electric.

Read: New Volvo XC70 Dumps Its Wagon Past And Goes Full Crossover

Car and Driver spotted the filings and noted that the the Volvo EM90’s design is nearly identical to its Chinese counterpart, save for one detail that stands out. While the EV wears its charging port on the left rear quarter, the U.S. patent drawings add an extra flap on the right rear side.

What’s Behind The Extra Flap?

That second hatch led to speculation that the model in question could be hiding a fuel filler, keeping the charging port in its original place and thereby creating a plug-in hybrid setup. On the other hand, several manufacturers, Audi among them, have opted for dual charging ports on their electric models to make public charging easier. With that in mind, Volvo could just as easily be following a similar path with the EM90.

Volvo’s Hybrid Plans

The emergence of this patent prompted suggestions that a plug-in hybrid EM90 could be the new hybrid Volvo has been promising to build at its Charleston factory in South Carolina. However, in a statement issued in response to the original story, Volvo denied any plans of selling the EM90 in the US and downplayed the possibility of it being the hybrid to be built in the US.

“[Volvo does] not have any plans to bring EM90 to the U.S. [Volvo] will share more details about the future hybrid to come to our Charleston plant at a later date,” the automaker said.

Of course, this begs the question as to why Volvo went to the trouble of patenting the vehicle in the US if it has no intention of selling it locally? It may have done so on the off chance that it reconsiders and decides to sell the EM90 in the United States.

It’s been eight long years since Tesla promised the second-generation Roadster, and yet the car still doesn’t exist outside of renders, prototypes, and Elon’s Twitter, err, sorry, X feed. Back in 2017, Tesla managed to talk plenty of people into dropping $5,000 for a reservation, followed by another $45,000 as a deposit, all with the confident assurance that production would begin in 2020.

The Refund Maze

For years, people have quietly wondered how you cancel a Roadster reservation, assuming anyone at Tesla would, you know, actually pick up the phone. Thanks to YouTuber Marquess Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, we finally know what the process looks like. Predictably, it’s a bit of a mess. Still, reservation holders can get their money back, even if it takes some persistence.

Read: 8 Years Later, Tesla’s Still Taking $50K Roadster Reservations Musk Promised For 2020

While speaking on a recent podcast, Brownlee said that he paid the $50,000 deposit for a next-gen Roadster when it was first announced in late 2017. When he later decided to cancel, he followed the required steps on the Tesla app and was given a phone number, but when he reached out, his call went straight to voicemail. When he did finally speak with someone, they said they didn’t know how to cancel the order, but assured him that they’d work out how to do it.

Money In, Money Out

Eventually, Tesla was able to confirm to Brownlee that he would receive the refund, but only for the $45,000 deposit, and not the initial $5,000 reservation fee that he had paid. Roughly a week after first sharing the story, the YouTuber took to X to reveal that Tesla had, in fact, also refunded him the $5,000, perhaps after realizing that its own website confirms this $5,000 is “fully refundable.”

The money paid to Tesla by Brownlee, as well as others who have placed deposits on the Roadster, may have been used by the electric automaker to help fund the development costs of the car, as well as other models. Either that, or it has been sitting in an account somewhere collecting interest over the past eight years.

Fun fact, had Brownlee put that $50,000 into Tesla stock back in 2017, when shares were around $22 a piece, instead of reserving a piece of vaporware, he’d be looking at more than $1 million today with the price sitting at $454 on October 1!

If you want to get behind the wheel of a Tesla Cybertruck in Germany, you’re out of luck. Not only is the electric pickup not directly sold by Tesla in the country, but it also fails to comply with European Union safety regulations. And based on a recent document shared online, it seems that not even US military personnel will be permitted to drive the Cybertruck on German roads.

The guidance, shared this week by the U.S. Army Customs Agency, sets out the reasons the Cybertruck is officially barred in Germany.

Rules For Imported Vehicles

Under an agreement between the US military and the German Federal Ministry of Transport (FMoT), American service members can bring in personal vehicles from the US and drive them locally without having to meet all European safety standards. That arrangement, however, doesn’t stretch to the Cybertruck.

Watch: Even With Rubber Edges, Critics Want Tesla’s Cybertruck Off Europe’s Roads

According to the agency’s letter, US Forces had asked the FMoT whether military personnel would be allowed to import the truck. The answer was a firm no.

The rejection centers on “significant passive safety concerns.” The Cybertruck lacks EU type-approval because its sharp-edged stainless steel bodywork doesn’t comply with safety standards designed to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. The agency states the truck “deviates significantly” from EU legal requirements and that “safe operation in German public road traffic…is not ensured.”

Attention Not Welcome

Beyond the safety issues, the document also highlights that the Cybertruck would inevitably attract unwanted attention in traffic, which conflicts with the purpose of USAREUR-AF cover plates intended for force protection. As the Customs Agency explained, “For the above reasons, U.S. Army Customs Agency will not issue import certificates for Tesla Cybertrucks.”

The US Army Customs Agency added that any military personnel who do personally import a Cybertruck to Germany risk having to ship it back to the United States at their own expense.

The end of BMW’s Z4 is on the horizon, and when production finally winds down next year, it will mark the departure of one of the brand’s most distinctive sports cars. The Z4 has never been a high-volume seller, but for buyers who wanted a stylish two-seater that mixed weekend fun with everyday usability, it carved out a loyal following.

Read: BMW Needs A Neue Klasse Z4 That Looks As Good As This

What happens after that is less certain. BMW has yet to confirm whether a next-generation Z4 will ever reach production, though in a recent interview one of its top executives suggested the Neue Klasse era could still make room for a sports car.

Space in the Neue Klasse?

Joachim Post, board member for development at BMW, recently spoke with Australia’s Drive and was asked directly if the Neue Klasse platform can support a sports car. He responded by saying it’s “feasible.”

The current Z4 was born from a collaboration with Toyota that also produced the Supra, though the Neue Klasse platform presents an opportunity for BMW to go it alone. When pressed on whether this would be the case, Post avoided specifics, instead stressing the company’s modular development approach.

“The philosophy of BMW also has been in the past to… we say baukasten, and that means that we have communal parts for different types of cars and different segments,” he explained. “Electronic control units, for example, a battery cell, all the things are the same, but integrated into a different package. So for us at BMW, it’s always core to think in that way, how we can develop a component and we can scale it in every one of our cars.”

That’s why we can be so fast to [spread] this new technology [across the line-up] in two years, in 40 derivatives – that gives you the possibility to make scaling combinations to make that feasible to run, from a business case [perspective]. We will see what’s coming up for future.”

According to Post, this strategy is what enables BMW to roll out new technologies quickly. “That’s why we can be so fast to [spread] this new technology [across the line-up] in two years, in 40 derivatives – that gives you the possibility to make scaling combinations to make that feasible to run, from a business case [perspective]. We will see what’s coming up for future.”

Electric or ICE?

That last point is key and leads to the bigger question: if BMW does bring back the Z4, which powertrain makes more sense? Slotting in an existing battery pack and motors would be the straightforward option, yet as Porsche has discovered while shaping the next 718, appetite for electric sports cars is thin.

That reality points to internal combustion as the safer starting point, perhaps with an electric spin-off later. The snag is obvious, though: pouring that kind of money into a low-volume roadster is hardly the kind of business case that keeps accountants and shareholders smiling.

Illustrations LS Design/Instagram

When Tesla started customer deliveries of the Cybertruck in late 2023, it seemed that every man and their dog was trying to buy one. For a brief moment, this demand led to a massive spike in prices on the used market with flippers rushing in to cash out. However, as is so often the case, these prices soon began to crash and can now be so low that it almost beggars belief. Take this 2024 Cybertruck, which recently failed to sell over at Bring a Trailer.

Read: Cybertruck’s Cheapest Version Is Already Dead

The first thing that stands out about this Cybertruck is the Gulf Racing livery. The blue and orange theme is one of the most iconic liveries ever used in motorsport and has previously adorned racing legends like the McLaren F1 GTR, Porsche 917, and Ford GT40. On a supercar, it looks great, but the livery seems totally out of place on a Cybertruck. Then there’s the fact Gulf is an oil company, so slapping its logo on an EV feels about as fitting as a steakhouse sponsoring a vegan festival.

The Depreciation King

While the aftermarket wrap is a little odd, this Cybertruck is a flagship tri-motor Cyberbeast model, carrying a $105,485 sticker price. Given that it has only been driven 2,200 miles (3,540 km) and was offered with a clean Montana title, it’s a little shocking that bidding topped out at a measly $76,500.

Bring a Trailer

That’s an extreme amount of depreciation, even by Tesla’s usual rollercoaster standards. The top bid came in nearly $29,000 under the original MSRP, which works out to around $13 lost for every mile driven. Factor in the $10,000 spent on the wrap, and the seller is staring at close to $40,000 gone in less than a year.

While the Cybertruck is controversial, as is Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, there’s no denying that the Cyberbeast is quick. Thanks to its three electric motors, it delivers an impressive 845 hp, allowing it to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 2.6 seconds. Evidently, not even the promise of performance like that, or a motorsport-inspired livery, was enough to convince someone to buy this Tesla.

Bring a Trailer

Sales momentum keeps building for Toyota, with last month’s modest increase adding to what has already been a strong run through the first eight months of the year. At the current pace, Toyota looks set to surpass the 10.8 million vehicles it sold globally in 2024.

But a closer look at the company’s latest report uncovers some striking details, or anomalies if you will, including the fact that only 18 battery-electric vehicles were sold in its home market of Japan during August.

Read: Toyota Finally Blinks As Europe’s EV Market Closes In

The good news for Toyota is that this year, the company has sold 7,409,273 vehicles across the Toyota, Daihatsu, Hino, and Lexus brands. This represents a 6.2 percent increase over last year. That said, August growth slowed to 900,598 units, down 1.3 percent year on year. More concerning was the drop at home, where Toyota’s group sales in Japan fell 10.2 percent in August despite being up 17.8 percent across the year so far.

Excluding Daihatsu and Hino, Toyota and Lexus deliveries in Japan dropped 12.1 percent last month to 96,269 units. The slowdown has been linked to operational setbacks and delayed deliveries connected with issues in the Kamchatka Peninsula, alongside lingering fallout from a wide-ranging Prius recall last year.

Toyota’s BEV Sales

The report also highlights how Toyota and Lexus are faring with electrified models. Globally, year-to-date EV sales climbed 20.6 percent to 117,031 units. Yet in Japan, the story is very different. Sales of battery-electric vehicles collapsed by 84.9 percent in August, amounting to only 18 units. Over the first eight months, the total was just 469 BEVs in Toyota’s home market, down 71.1 percent.

This decline comes despite overall electrified vehicles in Japan rising 8.8 percent this year to 617,947 units. The vast majority of these are Toyota’s traditional hybrid models, accounting for 603,676 sales. It has then sold 13,551 plug-in hybrids in Japan this year and 251 hydrogen fuel-cell models.

Growth Abroad

Outside Japan, Toyota’s EV business is heading in the opposite direction. Global demand has strengthened, with 117,031 EVs sold this year, a solid 20.6 percent increase. August proved especially strong, with 17,056 units delivered, marking a 34.5 percent rise compared with the same month last year.

The next few years will be make-or-break for Rivian, a brand still trying to prove it deserves a permanent seat at the EV table. For now, its line-up is limited to two models, the R1S SUV and the R1T pickup, both confined to North America. Sales and production have stumbled rather than soared, and momentum has been hard to come by.

To inject some life into the portfolio, Rivian plans to launch the smaller and more affordable R2 in the first half of 2026. This SUV is being positioned as both a volume-builder and the company’s ticket to international relevance.

Read: Rivian’s R2 Spotted With A Very Interesting Rear Window

Rivian has been planning to grow beyond North America for quite some time, and according to boss RJ Scaringe, it’ll first expand into Europe after the R2’s American launch. The UK, is one of the markets being targeted by the brand, although Scaringe didn’t provide any indication as to exactly when we can expect to see his company’s EVs on the other side of the Atlantic.

A Different Kind of Entry-Level

While recently speaking with Autocar on the sidelines of the Munich motor show, Scaringe described Rivian’s upcoming models as “highly aspirational but highly attainable,” noting that the two qualities rarely align. “Often, when you see the price go down, you see the desirability drop off. But this is what makes our R2 and R3 so interesting: they’re inviting and attainable in their pricing, but they still feel very special,” he said.

It’s likely that the smaller and cheaper R3 will follow in the footsteps of the R2 and will also be sold globally. Moreover, a European launch for Rivian means it will have to start building vehicles in right-hand drive, which will require significant alterations to be made to its factory tooling.

The Numbers That Matter

In the US, the R2 is expected to start at around $45,000, will utilize Rivian’s new midsize platform, and should be available in single-, dual-, and tri-motor configurations. A European price tag of between €40,000 and €50,000 is to be expected for the R2, with the R3 undercutting it slightly.

Rivian has also confirmed where the cars will be built. Production of the R2 will be split between a forthcoming multi-billion-dollar facility in Georgia and an expanded line at its existing plant in Normal, Illinois