Joshua Davis, 38, of Richland, has been found guilty of the 2021 murder of Pasco County school bus driver Richard Lenhart, reported AppleValley News.
Davis, who had reportedly pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, faces a sentencing date that has not yet been set. His defense team indicated they plan to pursue an appeal immediately.
According to the news report, during the trial, experts for both the prosecution and defense agreed that Davis suffered from schizophrenia. However, they disagreed over whether he understood right from wrong at the time of the killing.
Lenhart, 72, had students on board the bus when Davis boarded the bus outside Longfellow Elementary School on Sept. 24, 2021. Davis reportedly asked if the bus was headed to Road 100. When Lenhart said no, Davis stabbed him multiple times before fleeing toward his vehicle. Authorities apprehended Davis near the scene shortly afterward.
According to the article, at least 35 students were on the bus during the attack, though none were physically harmed. Authorities have not identified a motive, and there is no known connection between Davis and Lenhart.
The Pasco School District honored Lenhart’s legacy in 2023 by opening the Richard L. Lenhart Transportation Center, which serves more than 200 buses for the Pasco and Finley school districts. Lenhart’s widow, Nancy, has championed House Bill 2133, known as the Richard Lenhart Act, which would make it a felony to disrupt the normal operation of a public-school bus or unlawfully board one. While the bill did not pass during the 2023–2024 legislative session, Nancy Lenhart expressed her determination to continue advocating for it.
“This bill is too important not to be made into a law,” she said via the report, urging lawmakers to protect school bus drivers and students.
The road-going version of the Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept should deliver around 1,000 hp.
Mercedes-AMG’s Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT rival includes a fake ICE soundtrack.
George Russell showed off the car’s drifting prowess and its flowing lines in a promo video.
Mercedes-AMG continues to work on the long-awaited, all-electric GT 4 Door Coupe and to help promote the new model, has called in the services of Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt. Fresh off his starring role in the F1 movie, Pitt was in Las Vegas for last weekend’s Grand Prix and is the center of a new promotional campaign for the car.
The German brand brought along a lightly-disguised prototype of the new AMG GT 4 Door Coupe to Sin City, offering Mercedes F1 driver George Russell the chance to drive it down the Strip. The same car was also used in a commercial filmed with Pitt and Russell that highlights some of the car’s performance prowess.
In the video, Brad Pitt rocks up at a valet counter to pick up the keys to his ride, which is the camouflage prototype. The valet worker calls on the driver, none other than Russell himself, to bring the car up to Pitt. In the process, Russell performs some epic burnouts and drifts through the hotel’s underground car park before bringing it up to the hotel’s entrance and handing it over to Pitt.
The car featured is the road-going version of the AMG GT XX prototype that was unveiled earlier this year. Like that car, the production model has a sleek design that should nicely position it as a rival to the Porsche Taycan and Audi RS e-tron GT. While the idea of an all-electric sedan from AMG will no doubt upset some purists, it’s clear the carmaker is eager to ensure it is fun to drive and provides more than enough driving thrills.
Underpinning the new AMG GT 4 Door Coupe is the AMG-EA platform using aluminum, steel and lightweight fiber composites in its construction. Like the concept, it should use a trio of axial flux motors combining to pump out upwards of 1,000 hp.
Plaintiffs say charging shuts down at the advertised 32-amp rate.
Judge pauses class action, sends owners’ claims to arbitration.
VinFast is in the spotlight again, this time for reasons it would rather avoid. The Vietnamese automaker now faces another lawsuit, adding a fresh speed bump to its already bumpy road. Owners in the United States claim that the VF 8 Plus AWD charges so slowly it can take a full 24 hours to replenish its battery.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the lawsuit represents customers who leased or purchased a VF 8 Plus AWD in the past four years.
Why So Slow?
The electric vehicles are supposed to charge at a rate of 6.6 kW or higher. Instead, these customers say that their VinFasts charge at under 2 kW. That’s closer to the speed of an original Nissan Leaf than it is to a modern EV.
The plaintiffs, Gil Swigi and Joseph Mizrahi, say that they were led to believe that they were getting standard Level 2 charging performance. VinFast allegedly advertised that its cars could charge at up to 32 amps.
When Mizrahi and Swigi tried that, they claimed the cars would shut down due to software defects. Their only recourse was to charge at 19 amps, which cut total charging speed by almost 40 percent.
To make matters worse, the shutdowns would allegedly happen in the middle of the night with regularity, meaning that owners would wake up to a nasty surprise.
Not only did their car have a problem, but that meant less range to do whatever they had planned for that day. According to Carcomplaints, VinFast attempted multiple repairs on both vehicles in question.
Only when the owners bought additional charging equipment did their cars start to charge at the claimed manufacturer speeds. That said, VinFast successfully argued that both owners agreed to arbitrate their differences. A judge granted that motion, and arbitration is set for February 20, 2026.
2026 CLA EQ starts at $47,250 before destination charges.
Entry-level variant delivers 268 hp and 374 miles of range.
All-wheel drive model offers 349 hp and 312 miles of range.
Mercedes’ electric vehicle push has been an unmitigated disaster and things aren’t looking up as the company has announced the 2026 CLA EQ will start at $47,250 before a $1,250 destination fee. That’s $4,500 more than the outgoing gas-powered model and just $2,400 less than the C-Class.
That’s pretty pricey, but the CLA 250+ with EQ Technology features an 85 kWh battery pack as well as a rear-mounted motor producing 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS) and 247 lb-ft (335 Nm) of torque.
This enables the sedan to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in approximately 6.6 seconds, before hitting a limited top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h).
More importantly, the model has an impressive EPA range of up to 374 miles (602 km). The car also has a 320 kW DC fast charging capability, which enables the battery to go from a 10% to 80% charge in as little as 22 minutes.
Customers seeking better performance can upgrade to the $49,800 CLA 350 4Matic with EQ Technology. It has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing a combined output of 349 hp (260 kW / 354 PS) and 380 lb-ft (515 Nm) of torque.
Thanks to the extra oomph, the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time falls to 4.8 seconds. However, this comes at a price as the range plummets to 312 miles (502 km).
Comes Nicely Equipped
Putting powertrains aside, the CLA 250+ comes equipped with LED lighting units and an illuminated grille that features 142 individual stars. They’re joined by rain-sensing wipers, a panoramic glass roof, and 17-inch wheels.
The interior comes nicely equipped with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14-inch infotainment system, and heated power front seats wrapped in MB-Tex upholstery.
The compact sedan also has “smoky silver trim,” an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and an automatic climate control system. They’re accompanied by facial recognition technology and a selfie/video camera.
A host of driver assistance systems come standard including Distance Assist Distronic, Active Lane Keeping Assist, and Blind Spot Assist Plus. They’re joined by Evasive Steering Assist, Exit Warning Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Assist, Active Emergency Stop Assist, and Car-to-X communications technology.
Want More?
Upgrading to the Exclusive trim adds flush-mounted door handles and Keyless-Go. Bigger changes occur inside thanks to a wireless smartphone charger, a dual-zone automatic climate control system, and a 64-color ambient lighting system. The trim also adds a rear center armrest with cup holders as well as MB.Drive Parking Assist.
The range-topping Pinnacle trim comes standard with the MBUX Superscreen, which adds a 14-inch front passenger display. It’s joined by fancier LED headlights, a head-up display, a hands-free power trunk, and illuminated door sills. The model also has digital key technology and MB.Drive Parking Assist 360.
A dizzying array of options will be available including AMG Line and Night Packages as well as 18- to 19-inch wheels. Customers can also get leather seats, stainless steel pedals, and aluminum or wood trim. Other niceties include a heated steering wheel and a 16-speaker Burmester premium audio system.
Lawsuit claims Model 3 doors failed to open after a fiery crash.
Witnesses tried rescuing the couple but couldn’t open the doors.
Complaint says Tesla sold cars with faulty door handle designs.
Another day brings another legal challenge for Tesla, this time centered on a tragic crash that once again raises questions about the company’s design choices.
The latest lawsuit claims that the electrically operated door handles of a 2018 Model 3 failed to function after a collision and subsequent fire, trapping one of the occupants inside and leading to her death.
It marks yet another serious concern for Tesla, one that could prove costly and push the automaker to reexamine how its vehicles handle emergency situations, particularly when power is lost.
Door Handles Under Scrutiny
Filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the complaint outlines a sequence of events. On January 7, 2023, Jeffrey Dennis was driving his Tesla Model 3 with his wife in Tacoma, Washington, when the car reportedly accelerated suddenly and struck a utility pole at the corner of South 56th and South Washington Streets.
Shortly after impact, the EV caught fire. It’s alleged that several witnesses tried to open the Tesla’s doors to rescue the couple, but were unable to do so because they failed to operate without battery power. The lawsuit says that some witnesses even tried to break the Model 3’s windows with a baseball bat, but it also failed.
First responders eventually managed to extract the pair, though Wendy Dennis succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Jeffrey Dennis suffered severe burns to his legs.
The complaint says the Model 3 has a “unique and defective door handle design” that prevented rescuers from freeing the couple. It is also alleged that Tesla knew about the defect with the door handle but failed to address it, and continued to market and sell the popular EV.
The lawsuit doesn’t stop at the door handles. It also claims that Tesla’s Automatic Emergency Braking system failed to activate as the vehicle sped toward the utility pole. In addition, it accuses the company of using “a highly explosive battery chemistry” despite the existence of safer, more practical, and less costly alternatives.
Jeffrey Dennis is seeking financial relief for the wrongful death of his wife and his long-term injuries, as well as compensatory damages and punitive damages under California law.
Pre-production builds start in 2026 in South Carolina.
Prototypes closely match the final production design.
Range-extended and full-electric powertrains planned.
Scout Motors drew headlines last year for far more than just reviving a classic brand. It read the tea leaves and decided to launch with both an EV and an extended-range powertrain. Now, as production approaches, we’re getting a clearer view of the final design that customers will soon see in their driveways.
Spoiler alert: it’s almost a mirror image of the early promotional vehicles, apart from a few subtle design tweaks. Extensive testing, though, has been underway for months.
Cody Thacker, VP of commercial operations at Scout, told Autonews that the brand is “very quickly getting to something that looks and feels like real production vehicles,” as multiple generations of testers rack up miles across continents.
The brand already finished its first round of cold-weather testing in Sweden and is preparing for another bout of deep-freeze evaluation.
From a design standpoint, only a handful of alterations separate the early prototypes from the final shape. Chief design officer Chris Benjamin told the news outlet that while the prototypes’ elegant daytime running lights gracefully bleed into the metal of the front and rear quarter panels, that execution proved too intricate, too expensive, and too complex to stamp at scale.
So instead, the production version will use a “cool insert” that preserves the visual intent without breaking manufacturing budgets.
Under the skin, Scout still plans on both powertrain options, but it’s already benefiting from its initial plan. Since it didn’t commit solely to one or the other, it’s got the flexibility to delay EV production while market demand catches up.
In the meantime, it can build the EREV and sell it. Pre-production is set for late 2026 with customer deliveries in 2027. By that time, the EV market might have another uptick. Either way, Scout will have something to offer.
Built From Strong Partnerships
The platform itself benefits deeply from the VW/Rivian joint venture, leveraging Rivian’s electrical architecture as a base layer for Scout’s durability-focused hardware. Batteries, meanwhile, will come from VW Group’s in-house PowerCo network.
Scout is still publicly targeting a sub-$60,000 entry point, but final numbers will depend on material costs and powertrain mix. Also still undecided is whether the Traveler and Terra will launch simultaneously. As for when series production begins? Scout just says to “stay tuned.”
Kia delays U.S. debut of EV4 sedan and pickup amid tariff issues.
It seeks stable import costs before new American EV commitments.
Company warns gas models may face higher prices if tariffs persist.
Kia had a plan just six months ago, one that mapped out several new electric models for the North American market. Now, that plan seems to have hit a wall, stalling before it ever gained momentum.
At the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, Kia America’s vice president of marketing, Russell Wager, shared a candid update. The fate of both the EV4 sedan and Kia’s upcoming pickup truck now hinges on something entirely beyond the company’s reach: tariff stability.
Speaking to Car and Driver, Wager called out tariffs as the reason that Americans haven’t had access to the EV4 to this point. The car has suffered one delay after another.
What’s the Hold-Up?
When asked about that delay, Wager said “Can you give me the answer of when the tariffs are going to be resolved in Mexico, Canada, and Seoul? If you give me that answer, I’ll be as specific as possible.”
Wager made it clear that the Korean automaker isn’t waiting for tariffs to go away altogether, either. It just wants to see them set at a specific stable figure.
“At that point in time we look at it and say, are we at 25 [percent], are we at 15—and then we can build our business case,” he said. “It was originally designed and engineered when the tariffs were zero percent.”
For now, it’s the uncertainty that keeps cars like the EV4 and Kia’s planned EV pickup out of the USA. Of course, customer demand might not be strong enough anyway after the end of the federal tax EV credits.
Wager admitted that both factors are playing a role. “We’ve got a great portfolio of EVs that are on sale in a lot of other places in the world that we could choose from,” he added. “We just need resolution, and then we also need the consumer market here to want them.”
Get Ready for Price Increases
Between now and whenever Kia decides what to do with the pickup and EV4, it might have to bump prices up.
“Others have raised prices,” Wager said. “I’m not going to name names, and we’ve seen their sales drop. The takeaway is we can’t do it forever. We’ve made it eight months since April so far. If tariffs don’t get resolved or they’re that high, we’ll have to make the business decision. As far as parts tariffs and import tariffs, at some point in time, we can’t absorb it all.”
Hyundai Motor Group has already proven that it can bend a little but part of its biggest draw is being a solid value proposition against rivals. The near future will determine if it can bend enough to keep that reputation without breaking.
Porsche engineers were blown away by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N’s fun driving character.
N Grin Boost, virtual shifts, and synthetic sounds made a big impression.
German brand may add similar features to its electric 718 due in 2027.
Porsche engineers are not exactly easy to impress. These are the people who spend their days perfecting GT3s and wringing every last drop of magic from flat-six engines and setting Nurburgring lap records.
So when two of the brand’s most senior engineering bosses drove the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and came away buzzing like teenagers leaving an arcade, you know something interesting is happening in the electric-car world.
Frank Moser, Porsche’s vice president in charge of the 718 and 911 lines, admitted to Australia’s Drive that he has driven the Ioniq 5 N “several times” and called it an “eye-opening” experience.
Moser even dragged along Andreas Preuninger, the legendary head of Porsche GT cars, whose blood type is probably 98 RON premium, and definitely not amps.
From Skeptic to Convert?
Preuninger was not exactly enthusiastic at first. According to Moser, he grumbled, “I don’t want any of that electric stuff” when the idea was floated. But once they climbed inside and Moser pressed the Hyundai’s N Grin Boostbutton, the GT boss instantly turned into a believer.
“He was ‘wow’” Moser said, describing the moment Hyundai’s punchiest EV unleashed its full 641 hp ( 650 PS / 478 kW) and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm). “We learnt a lot from that car,” Moser told Australia’s Drive. “That’s why we decided to have a deeper look.”
It was not just the acceleration that snagged Porsche’s attention. The Ioniq 5 N’s signature party tricks, including its virtual gearshifts and synthesized powertrain noises, have Porsche seriously considering similar features for its upcoming electric 718 sports car.
Can Sound Create Soul?
Hyundai calls these systems N e-shift and N Active Sound+, and they replicate the snap of a dual-clutch gearbox and offer a selection of digital engine noises (most of them pretty lame, in my experience).
It is the kind of thing EV purists roll their eyes at, but performance engineers instantly understand. It makes the car feel alive and the driver connected to the driving experience.
“This is the way,” Moser said of the synthesized features, while making clear that Porsche wouldn’t force them on drivers.
“The customer could decide if he wants to drive in complete silent mode, or he wants to be part of the game, feeling the virtual sounds of a flat six and the virtual gear shifts,” Moser said. “That would be the direction for the future.”
Tuning the Future
Our money’s on it being part of a Sport Chrono-type option package that’ll add at least $2,000 to the bill of the new electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman.
The first 718 EV arrives in early 2027, and Moser promises it will be “really lightweight for an electric car,” though he declined to reveal an exact or even ballpark weight figure.
One thing is clear: Hyundai has just influenced one of the world’s most respected sports-car makers. Who could have imagined that happening 20 years ago?
RDW denies Tesla’s claim it committed to approving FSD by February.
Tesla urged fans to contact the regulator, sparking a backlash online.
Experts warn such tactics risk undermining regulatory independence.
Tesla took to X over the weekend to announce that Dutch automotive safety regulator RDW had committed to approving its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system in February 2026. As it turns out, Elon Musk’s company jumped the gun, and the agency made no such commitment.
The claim sparked quick clarification from the regulator and a flurry of online chatter about Tesla’s ongoing bid to expand FSD beyond American roads.
While Tesla has been offering its Full Self-Driving system in the United States for years, it hasn’t been able to do the same in Europe.
Europe’s Roadblock
According to the carmaker, it has already provided FSD demonstrations “to regulators of almost every EU country” and believes the most effective path to rolling out the system across the continent is through the RDW, with the goal of securing an exemption for the feature.
In its X post, Tesla Europe & Middle East proclaimed that “RDW has committed to granting Netherlands National approval in February 2026.” The company even urged followers to contact the regulator directly to “express your excitement & thank them for making this happen as soon as possible.”
However, the regulator quickly pushed back. In a statement published on its website, the regulator explained that it expects Tesla to demonstrate FSD next February, but it denied making any commitment to approval.
Tesla has been working hard toward shipping Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Europe for over 12 months now. We have given FSD demos to regulators of almost every EU country. We have requested early access, pilot release programs or exemptions where possible.
“We do not share details about ongoing applications from manufacturers, as this concerns commercially sensitive information,” it wrote. “Both RDW and Tesla are aware of the efforts needed to reach a decision on this matter in February. Whether this timeline will be met is yet to be determined in the coming period.”
Regulator Grows Tired of Tesla Fans’ Calls
The regulatory agency also asked Tesla’s fans to stop contacting it about FSD, noting that “it takes up unnecessary time for our customer service,” adding “this will have no impact whatsoever on whether or not the schedule will be met.”
Recently, Tesla boss Elon Musk said, “pressure from our customers in Europe to push the regulators to approve would be appreciated.”
Speaking with Bloomberg, the head of safe autonomy at the University of Warwick, Siddartha Khastgir, said it’s unusual to see a carmaker attempting to pressure the RDW.
“An approval process of an automated driving system is a deeply technical one to ensure the safety of the public,” he explained. “The sanctity of any such approvals is ensured by its independence and rigor, not force. While public sentiment is important for all authorities, this shouldn’t undermine the rigor of the approval process.”
Analysis on the annual National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey which found six students were killed by school buses over the 2024-2025 school year, a safety PSA in the works around the upcoming Super Bowl, and new plans to dismantle the Department of Education.
We are joined by the two youngest transportation directors in Washington state, Cassidy Miller (22) of Cashmere School District, also a Child Passenger Safety Technician and a 2024 STN Rising Star, and her boyfriend Bowen Mitchell (24) at Entiat School District. They discuss leadership strategies, operational insights, TSD Conference attendance and more.
A 4-year-old girl died on Nov. 17 after she was struck by a Panama Central School District bus in front of Milton J. Fletcher Elementary School.
Police and emergency crews were called to the intersection near the school at approximately 8:08 a.m. for reports of a child hit by a vehicle. Officers immediately administered first aid before the child was transported to UPMC Chautauqua, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
The Panama Central School District confirmed the bus was transporting one student to an out-of-district placement at the time of the incident. Neither the student nor the bus driver was injured. The student, Leanna Herrera, attended Jamestown Public Schools.
In a statement, Jamestown Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Whitaker expressed deep sorrow over the child’s death. “We are heartbroken by this devastating news, and our thoughts are with the student’s family and friends,” Whitaker said. “This is an unimaginable loss for the Fletcher community and for all of Jamestown Public Schools.”
The area around Fletcher Elementary is reportedly busy during morning drop-off hours as students walk to school or wait for buses. It remains unclear at this time exactly how the incident occurred, including whether the child was in a crosswalk or what circumstances led to the crash.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office Accident Reconstruction Team and New York State Police are assisting Jamestown Police in the investigation. No charges have been filed, and authorities noted that determining contributing factors will take time.
The Panama Central School District also released a message to families expressing condolences and acknowledging the ongoing investigation, calling the crash a “truly tragic accident.”
At Fletcher Elementary, the district has activated its Crisis Intervention Team to support students, staff and families affected by the tragedy. Counseling services will remain available throughout the week.
Community members have already begun placing flowers and stuffed animals near the school as a memorial grows. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information has been asked to contact the Jamestown Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.
Sarara safari lodge in Kenya had its diesel Land Rover Defenders EV-converted.
Switch was handled by Electrogenic, which built Jason Momoa’s 1929 Rolls EV.
As well as being quieter, the conversion enables the safari tours to run all year.
Out in northern Kenya’s rugged Matthews Range, where dusty tracks thread through elephant herds wandering at dawn, the loudest thing on a safari should absolutely not be your truck.
Yet for years, Sarara’s trusted but tired diesel Land Rover Defenders clattered and coughed their way across the bush, reliable and practical but about as subtle as a generator in a library.
Now, thanks to Oxford-based EV conversion specialists Electrogenic, those old warhorses have been reborn, and suddenly, safaris at Sarara sound more like nature documentaries than construction sites.
What Powers Them?
Two of Sarara’s Defenders got Electrogenic’s E62 kit consisting of a 62 kWh battery under the hood and a 161 hp (163 PS / 120 kW) water-cooled motor, delivering a real-world range of 120 miles (193 km) in mixed on-road driving, with 160+ miles (258 km) for off-road use.
A third Land Rover received the more serious E93 kit, which has a 93 kWh battery and 201 hp (204 PS / 150 kW) water-cooled motor, delivering a real-world range of 150 miles, with 200+ miles (320 km) for off-road use. All three SUVs can take 6.6 kW AC charging but also fairly rapid CCS fills, too, which juice the 62 kWh battery up in 50 minutes.
Electrogenic, of course, has form. This is the same outfit Hollywood star Jason Momoa tapped to transform his 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II into a silent, sinister EV cruiser.
For Sarara, the team shipped in their “drop-in” electric powertrain kit, complete with pre-terminated wiring looms and a plug-and-play philosophy, and trained local mechanics to handle the transplant. Three Defenders were converted in just two weeks.
On paper, the main motivation was survival. During Kenya’s rainy season, the roads into the 850,000-acre (344,000 hectares) conservancy turn into axle-deep mud pits, making diesel deliveries nearly impossible.
In past years, Sarara had to scale back operations entirely when fuel trucks failed to arrive. With the new electric Defenders running off solar power generated on site, the camp can now operate year-round.
But the real magic happens out on the trails. With silent motors and zero tailpipe emissions, the electrified Defenders let guides ease up on wildlife without disturbing them, and without spoiling guests’ enjoyment of it.
And the EVs aren’t just greener; they’re better off-road as well. Instant torque helps the Defenders claw up slippery inclines, while regenerative braking doubles as a natural form of hill-descent control. They still retain the original transfer box and low-range gearing, too, so capability hasn’t been sacrificed.
Sarara’s team loved the project so much that the lodge is now an official Electrogenic installer, ready to help electrify other African 4×4 fleets.
AlixPartners predicts EV battery capacity will triple global demand by 2030.
Ford cuts its planned battery capacity by 35 percent amid lower EV sales.
Panasonic’s expansion stalls as Tesla demand dips in North America.
Many automakers spent the past few years racing to electrify their lineups, betting heavily that global demand for electric vehicles would surge. The industry poured billions into new EV battery plants across the world, particularly in North America.
Now, a new report suggests that much of that production capacity could end up sitting idle by the end of the decade.
Overcapacity Ahead
AlixPartners speculates that global production of EV batteries will be roughly three times greater than demand for EVs in 2030. By that time, EV battery production capacity in North America is expected to roughly quadruple.
According to Nikkei Asia, many manufacturers are already scaling back their ambitious battery production plans. Ford, one of the most aggressive investors in U.S. battery manufacturing, is a prime example. The company is building a $5.8 billion facility in Kentucky with its partner SK On, which is expected to employ about 5,500 people by 2030.
However, the Blue Oval already reduced its planned battery capacity by 35 percent. It also recently halted production of the F-150 Lightning indefinitely due to dwindling demand in North America.
General Motors has also been forced to make changes. It has been confirmed that 1,550 workers at the battery plants it operates alongside LG Energy Solution in Ohio and Tennessee will be sacked due to “slower near-term EV adoption and an evolving regulatory environment.”
Nikkei Asia also reports that Panasonic opened a new battery factory in Kansas in July, but has yet to say when it will reach full-scale production. Initially, it was expected to hit this mark by the end of the 2026 fiscal year. However, as a major supplier to Tesla, it has been affected by the fall in demand for EVs as well.
Slowing EV sales in the States have led to the cancellation of some endeavors entirely. T1 Energy was planning to build a battery plant in Georgia, but has since canned the project.
Changing Policy Winds
The Trump administration’s policies have further tilted the scales toward internal combustion vehicles. By removing the $7,500 federal EV tax credit and scrapping penalties for missing emissions targets, the government has made it easier for carmakers to ramp up traditional ICE production once again.
The owner sold nearly new $142K Lucid Gravity after 400 miles.
Broken workplace chargers and no home charger caused the issue.
The seller still loves the car and plans to return to EVs eventually.
It’s hard to argue that owning a vehicle with 1,070 horsepower (797 kW) wouldn’t be extremely fun. However, that excitement turns on its head when you realize that there’s nowhere to refuel, or rather in this case, recharge it.
That’s exactly what just happened to a Brooklyn-based Lucid Gravity Dream Edition buyer. After snatching this unique EV up brand new in September of 2025, he ended up selling it just 400 miles later for a huge loss.
The seller on Cars & Bids shared a photo of the window sticker for this luxury SUV, listing an MSRP of $141,550. When the hammer fell on his auction sale of the car, it brought just $123,000. That’s a painful $18,500 lesson for 400 miles of usage in a little over a month, amounting to $46.25 for every mile he put on the odometer.
Where Do You Plug In?
Why take such a big loss for a vehicle that the owner says is “an awesome car”? It all comes down to charging it up. For the owner, it was almost like buying a Hellcat and then realizing that the closest gas station is 220 miles away.
Cars&Bids
He says that his initial plan was to charge where he works but then one option after another fell apart until he had to take the loss we’re talking about here.
“I was planning to charge at work but the chargers at my work aren’t working and there is seemingly no plan to fix them. Since I don’t have a charger at home and can’t get one installed this became an unsolvable,” he said in response to a question about the situation.
He then went on to fault his living location, New York, more than anything else.
“I tried to find another solution but in NYC most chargers (all the ones convenient to me) were in parking garages where you had to pay exuberant [sic] prices to park in order to use the chargers. I live a busy life so just couldn’t find a workable solution,” he added.
It’s a little ironic that in a city as vast and densely packed as New York, famous for both its wealth and its gridlock, a high-end EV can still be this impractical. For now, he’s out, but he hasn’t sworn off electric power entirely. According to him, he’ll be back behind the wheel of another EV “as soon as [a solution] presents itself.”
The Iron humanoid robot walks and talks almost exactly like a human.
Xpeng believes the robot market is far bigger than the car market.
Other Chinese brands like BYD, Nio, and Chery are developing robots.
You might assume that Tesla has the humanoid robot stage to itself, but several Chinese automakers are also sprinting toward the same goal. Among them, EV startup Xpeng is taking the lead, planning to start production of its humanoid robot in late 2026 with ambitions to sell millions of them around the globe.
Over the past several years, Xpeng’s flagship robot has progressed from an autonomous dog similar to what Boston Dynamics pioneered, and has now entered its seventh generation and morphed into Iron, a humanoid robot very similar to the Tesla Bot.
Iron runs on Xpeng’s in-house Vision-Language-Action 2.0 AI model and made its debut at a lavish launch event in China.
In a rather theatrical move, Xpeng silenced skeptics who suggested the figure on stage was a person in disguise. After clips of Iron walking in a pristine white suit spread online, rumors surfaced that it was simply a performer inside the shell.
To dispel any doubt, Xpeng brought Iron out onto the stage and proceeded to cut open the robot’s leg, revealing the mechanical components found within.
The Robot Potential
Xpeng chief executive and co-founder He Xiaopeng believes that producing humanoid robots like Iron will eventually come down to the same cost as manufacturing cars. He also sees “the market potential for robots is greater than that for cars”, revealing that the robot will be present in Xpeng stores, office parks, and factories by the end of next year.
According to JPMorgan, Xpeng’s next big leap in 2026–27 depends on how well its wider AI empire comes together, a mix of robotaxis, humanoid robots, and even flying cars. The American bank’s report predicts the robotaxi arm alone could add between US$6 billion and US$19 billion in value by 2035, while the humanoid side might deliver as much as US$24 billion by 2027, assuming all those timelines hold.
It’s not just Xpeng diving headfirst into robotics.
Who Else Is Building?
As reported by the South China Morning Post, Chery is collaborating with AI developer Aimoga on a humanoid robot called Mornine. Meanwhile, BYD, GAC, and Seres are pouring millions into robotic projects of their own, and Nio has announced plans for a robotic dog
Across China, more than two million robots are estimated to be already operate in factories, and that figure is set to keep climbing as automation becomes a cornerstone of industrial strategy.
GM invests $550 million to boost U.S. output of gas-powered vehicles.
Chevrolet Blazer production moves from Mexico to Spring Hill in 2027.
Orion Assembly retools for Silverado, Sierra, and Escalade production.
General Motors is doubling down on its US operations with a fresh round of investment aimed at boosting local production of internal combustion models at its Ohio and Michigan plants. The automaker has announced $550 million in new spending as part of nearly $5.5 billion set aside for wider production expansion across its network.
Roughly $250 million of that sum is headed to GM’s Parma Metal Center in Ohio, a facility central to the company’s manufacturing backbone. The added funding will support higher output of sheet metal stampings and assemblies.
Currently, the Parma site produces more than 100 million parts each year and handles over 400 tons of steel daily. It supplies components for a wide range of GM vehicles built across North America, making it one of the company’s most productive operations.
“Our commitment to Parma Metal Center isn’t just about upgrading equipment—it’s about investing in the people who make it all happen,” GM senior vice president of global manufacturing, Mike Trevorrow, said.
“Our manufacturing teams are the driving force behind GM’s success, and we’re committed to giving them the tools and training they need to excel in today’s advanced manufacturing world. When we invest in our workforce, we’re not only building great vehicles—we’re helping secure the future of American manufacturing.”
Other Investments
Beyond Ohio, GM is allocating $300 million to its Romulus Propulsion Systems plant near Detroit. The upgrade will expand output of the company’s 10-speed automatic transmissions, the same units found in its full-size pickups and SUVs.
Shifting consumer demands have forced GM to make significant production changes. Its Orion Assembly plant has been down since 2023 and was originally being retooled to build electric pickup trucks, but it will now instead handle production of gas-powered Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Cadillac Escalade models.
Looking further ahead, GM confirmed that production of the gas-powered Chevrolet Blazer will move from Mexico to its Spring Hill plant in Tennessee in 2027.
There, it will join the Cadillac XT5, Lyriq, and Vistiq on the production line, another sign that while GM’s electric future is still in motion, its gasoline-powered present remains very much alive.
GAC will build the Aion V electric SUV at Magna’s plant in Austria.
Move helps it avoid European import tariffs on fully built vehicles.
Aion V offers up to 466 miles of range and a 181 hp electric motor.
Guangzhou Automobile Group, better known as GAC, is positioning itself to join the growing list of Chinese carmakers setting up shop in Europe to sidestep rising import tariffs. The company has also chosen an established partner to make it happen, teaming up with contract manufacturer Magna to handle production.
GAC has confirmed that its all-electric Aion V will be built at Magna’s facility in Graz, Austria. Over the years, this plant has built several models for a variety of carmakers, including the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Jaguar I-Pace and E-Pace, BMW 5-Series, BMW Z4, and even the Toyota GR Supra.
Recent changes in client contracts have left Magna with open capacity. Several models, including those from Jaguar, have already departed the Graz lines, while agreements with BMW and Toyota will end next year. As a result, the company has been on the lookout for new manufacturing partners.
How Xpeng Does It
Guido ten Brink/SB-Medien
In September, Magna’s Graz facility began assembling Xpeng’s G6 and G9 SUVs for Europe. The process is somewhat unconventional: the vehicles are built in China, partially disassembled, shipped to Austria, then reassembled for final delivery.
This approach lets Xpeng pay tariffs only on parts rather than complete vehicles, a practical workaround in the current trade climate. Whether GAC’s Aion V will follow the same method remains unconfirmed, though the option certainly seems plausible.
The Chinese company unveiled the Aion V in the second quarter of last year and has been enjoying strong sales in recent months. It is underpinned by the firm’s modular AEP architecture and is equipped with an electric motor producing 181 hp.
Buyers can choose between 62 kWh, 75 kWh, and 90 kWh battery packs, the largest offering a CLTC range of up to 466 miles (750 km).
Global Aspirations
It’s too early to say how popular the Aion V will prove to be in Europe, but it certainly has the potential to sell well and appears to be a compelling alternative to the likes of the Geely EX5 and BYD Atto 3.
GAC plans to launch the SUV in more than 30 global markets, including Australia and various European countries, as it continues to expand its international footprint.
A Rivian R1T owner faced a massive bill after a low-speed parking incident.
Insurance estimated $1.7K but later refused to pay the certified shop’s bill.
Owner paid out of pocket, fought insurance, and recovered only part of it.
Rivian owners take on a risk that many may not fully appreciate when they buy one of these trucks. It’s not just about the company being young, or its future still being written. Those are expected gambles.
The real hidden concern and surprise comes when something goes wrong, and not mechanically, but physically. Damage that would be a quick fix on a Ford, a Toyota or most other legacy carmakers can turn into a financial nightmare with a Rivian, sometimes severe enough to write off the vehicle altogether.
It’s becoming an increasingly common problem, and the ordeal one owner continues to face shows just how complicated it can get.
When Simple Damage Isn’t Simple
Back in May of this year, the employee of a Rivian R1T owner backed into his electric truck. The damage appeared quite straightforward in the rear quarter panel. However, this is a Rivian R1T, so “straightforward” doesn’t really apply in this case.
The rear quarter panel is part of one giant piece that actually includes the roof. In other words, fixing a dent in it, especially a large one, isn’t a simple job. We’ve seen instances of paintless dent repair (PDR) being a savior in some cases. This isn’t one of them.
The owner of the R1T says that his employee’s insurance company initially quoted just $1,700 for the repair. Considering that many of these situations end up in the five-figure range, he knew that was potentially problematic. To that end, he contacted Rivian, and things only got worse from there.
The True Cost of Rivian Repairs
The automaker explained that there was only one certified repair shop within 300 miles (about 480 km), and their estimate came in at a whopping $16,000. Given the huge gap, the owner started asking PDR shops for help, but none would touch the R1T.
That said, the owner decided to go ahead and go with the certified repair shop, hoping that the final bill would come in lower than the estimate. Instead, the shop found additional damage once the truck was in the building.
The total came to $22,000 after a seven-week repair process. The ordeal wasn’t even over after all that because insurance refused to pay that amount.
Instead, it offered $13,000 and said that the certified repair shop’s rates were excessive. Faced with either paying the $9k himself or entering arbitration that would delay pickup indefinitely, the owner paid the difference, retrieved the truck, and launched an appeal.
His letters were ignored. A second, more forceful letter outlining what he considered an unfair settlement? Also ignored. Only after filing a complaint with his state’s Secretary of State did the insurer finally respond, this time offering an additional $5,100 to make the issue go away.
The state recommended accepting the offer, and the owner did. “I really enjoy this truck, but this is bonkers,” he says. “I hope Rivian improves design to allow for less expensive repair costs for common dings.”
No doubt, plenty of other Rivian owners hope the same thing.
There is growing attention on the links between artificial intelligence and increased energy demands. But while the power-hungry data centers being built to support AI could potentially stress electricity grids, increase customer prices and service interruptions, and generally slow the transition to clean energy, the use of artificial intelligence can also help the energy transition.
For example, use of AI is reducing energy consumption and associated emissions in buildings, transportation, and industrial processes. In addition, AI is helping to optimize the design and siting of new wind and solar installations and energy storage facilities.
On electric power grids, using AI algorithms to control operations is helping to increase efficiency and reduce costs, integrate the growing share of renewables, and even predict when key equipment needs servicing to prevent failure and possible blackouts. AI can help grid planners schedule investments in generation, energy storage, and other infrastructure that will be needed in the future. AI is also helping researchers discover or design novel materials for nuclear reactors, batteries, and electrolyzers.
Researchers at MIT and elsewhere are actively investigating aspects of those and other opportunities for AI to support the clean energy transition. At its 2025 research conference, MITEI announced the Data Center Power Forum, a targeted research effort for MITEI member companies interested in addressing the challenges of data center power demand.
Controlling real-time operations
Customers generally rely on receiving a continuous supply of electricity, and grid operators get help from AI to make that happen — while optimizing the storage and distribution of energy from renewable sources at the same time.
But with more installation of solar and wind farms — both of which provide power in smaller amounts, and intermittently — and the growing threat of weather events and cyberattacks, ensuring reliability is getting more complicated. “That’s exactly where AI can come into the picture,” explains Anuradha Annaswamy, a senior research scientist in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and director of MIT’s Active-Adaptive Control Laboratory. “Essentially, you need to introduce a whole information infrastructure to supplement and complement the physical infrastructure.”
The electricity grid is a complex system that requires meticulous control on time scales ranging from decades all the way down to microseconds. The challenge can be traced to the basic laws of power physics: electricity supply must equal electricity demand at every instant, or generation can be interrupted. In past decades, grid operators generally assumed that generation was fixed — they could count on how much electricity each large power plant would produce — while demand varied over time in a fairly predictable way. As a result, operators could commission specific power plants to run as needed to meet demand the next day. If some outages occurred, specially designated units would start up as needed to make up the shortfall.
Today and in the future, that matching of supply and demand must still happen, even as the number of small, intermittent sources of generation grows and weather disturbances and other threats to the grid increase. AI algorithms provide a means of achieving the complex management of information needed to forecast within just a few hours which plants should run while also ensuring that the frequency, voltage, and other characteristics of the incoming power are as required for the grid to operate properly.
Moreover, AI can make possible new ways of increasing supply or decreasing demand at times when supplies on the grid run short. As Annaswamy points out, the battery in your electric vehicle (EV), as well as the one charged up by solar panels or wind turbines, can — when needed — serve as a source of extra power to be fed into the grid. And given real-time price signals, EV owners can choose to shift charging from a time when demand is peaking and prices are high to a time when demand and therefore prices are both lower. In addition, new smart thermostats can be set to allow the indoor temperature to drop or rise — a range defined by the customer — when demand on the grid is peaking. And data centers themselves can be a source of demand flexibility: selected AI calculations could be delayed as needed to smooth out peaks in demand. Thus, AI can provide many opportunities to fine-tune both supply and demand as needed.
In addition, AI makes possible “predictive maintenance.” Any downtime is costly for the company and threatens shortages for the customers served. AI algorithms can collect key performance data during normal operation and, when readings veer off from that normal, the system can alert operators that something might be going wrong, giving them a chance to intervene. That capability prevents equipment failures, reduces the need for routine inspections, increases worker productivity, and extends the lifetime of key equipment.
Annaswamy stresses that“figuring out how to architect this new power grid with these AI components will require many different experts to come together.” She notes that electrical engineers, computer scientists, and energy economists “will have to rub shoulders with enlightened regulators and policymakers to make sure that this is not just an academic exercise, but will actually get implemented. All the different stakeholders have to learn from each other. And you need guarantees that nothing is going to fail. You can’t have blackouts.”
Using AI to help plan investments in infrastructure for the future
Grid companies constantly need to plan for expanding generation, transmission, storage, and more, and getting all the necessary infrastructure built and operating may take many years, in some cases more than a decade. So, they need to predict what infrastructure they’ll need to ensure reliability in the future. “It’s complicated because you have to forecast over a decade ahead of time what to build and where to build it,” says Deepjyoti Deka, a research scientist in MITEI.
One challenge with anticipating what will be needed is predicting how the future system will operate. “That’s becoming increasingly difficult,” says Deka, because more renewables are coming online and displacing traditional generators. In the past, operators could rely on “spinning reserves,” that is, generating capacity that’s not currently in use but could come online in a matter of minutes to meet any shortfall on the system. The presence of so many intermittent generators — wind and solar — means there’s now less stability and inertia built into the grid. Adding to the complication is that those intermittent generators can be built by various vendors, and grid planners may not have access to the physics-based equations that govern the operation of each piece of equipment at sufficiently fine time scales. “So, you probably don’t know exactly how it’s going to run,” says Deka.
And then there’s the weather. Determining the reliability of a proposed future energy system requires knowing what it’ll be up against in terms of weather. The future grid has to be reliable not only in everyday weather, but also during low-probability but high-risk events such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, all of which are becoming more and more frequent, notes Deka. AI can help by predicting such events and even tracking changes in weather patterns due to climate change.
Deka points out another, less-obvious benefit of the speed of AI analysis. Any infrastructure development plan must be reviewed and approved, often by several regulatory and other bodies. Traditionally, an applicant would develop a plan, analyze its impacts, and submit the plan to one set of reviewers. After making any requested changes and repeating the analysis, the applicant would resubmit a revised version to the reviewers to see if the new version was acceptable. AI tools can speed up the required analysis so the process moves along more quickly. Planners can even reduce the number of times a proposal is rejected by using large language models to search regulatory publications and summarize what’s important for a proposed infrastructure installation.
Harnessing AI to discover and exploit advanced materials needed for the energy transition
“Use of AI for materials development is booming right now,” says Ju Li, MIT’s Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering. He notes two main directions.
First, AI makes possible faster physics-based simulations at the atomic scale. The result is a better atomic-level understanding of how composition, processing, structure, and chemical reactivity relate to the performance of materials. That understanding provides design rules to help guide the development and discovery of novel materials for energy generation, storage, and conversion needed for a sustainable future energy system.
And second, AI can help guide experiments in real time as they take place in the lab. Li explains: “AI assists us in choosing the best experiment to do based on our previous experiments and — based on literature searches — makes hypotheses and suggests new experiments.”
He describes what happens in his own lab. Human scientists interact with a large language model, which then makes suggestions about what specific experiments to do next. The human researcher accepts or modifies the suggestion, and a robotic arm responds by setting up and performing the next step in the experimental sequence, synthesizing the material, testing the performance, and taking images of samples when appropriate. Based on a mix of literature knowledge, human intuition, and previous experimental results, AI thus coordinates active learning that balances the goals of reducing uncertainty with improving performance. And, as Li points out, “AI has read many more books and papers than any human can, and is thus naturally more interdisciplinary.”
The outcome, says Li, is both better design of experiments and speeding up the “work flow.” Traditionally, the process of developing new materials has required synthesizing the precursors, making the material, testing its performance and characterizing the structure, making adjustments, and repeating the same series of steps. AI guidance speeds up that process, “helping us to design critical, cheap experiments that can give us the maximum amount of information feedback,” says Li.
“Having this capability certainly will accelerate material discovery, and this may be the thing that can really help us in the clean energy transition,” he concludes. “AI [has the potential to] lubricate the material-discovery and optimization process, perhaps shortening it from decades, as in the past, to just a few years.”
MITEI’s contributions
At MIT, researchers are working on various aspects of the opportunities described above. In projects supported by MITEI, teams are using AI to better model and predict disruptions in plasma flows inside fusion reactors — a necessity in achieving practical fusion power generation. Other MITEI-supported teams are using AI-powered tools to interpret regulations, climate data, and infrastructure maps in order to achieve faster, more adaptive electric grid planning. AI-guided development of advanced materials continues, with one MITEI project using AI to optimize solar cells and thermoelectric materials.
Other MITEI researchers are developing robots that can learn maintenance tasks based on human feedback, including physical intervention and verbal instructions. The goal is to reduce costs, improve safety, and accelerate the deployment of the renewable energy infrastructure. And MITEI-funded work continues on ways to reduce the energy demand of data centers, from designing more efficient computer chips and computing algorithms to rethinking the architectural design of the buildings, for example, to increase airflow so as to reduce the need for air conditioning.
In addition to providing leadership and funding for many research projects, MITEI acts as a convenor, bringing together interested parties to consider common problems and potential solutions. In May 2025, MITEI’s annual spring symposium — titled “AI and energy: Peril and promise” — brought together AI and energy experts from across academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations to explore AI as both a problem and a potential solution for the clean energy transition. At the close of the symposium, William H. Green, director of MITEI and Hoyt C. Hottel Professor in the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering, noted, “The challenge of meeting data center energy demand and of unlocking the potential benefits of AI to the energy transition is now a research priority for MITEI.”
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