Electric range, recycled materials, and smarter design are coming together in BMW’s next-generation SUV. Next month, we’ll get our first look at the iX3, but we’re already learning more about it. The all-electric SUV is the brand’s first production foray into its Neue Klasse design and aims to offer 400 miles of range, a very unique interior, and a lot of artificial intelligence baked in.

Now, there’s another notable point: roughly 33 percent of the iX3 is made from recycled materials.

More: BMW’s Baby M SUV Might Be Lurking Under This iX3

BMW says that it applied what it calls “design for circularity”. In other words, it prioritized the use of secondary (recycled materials) wherever it could. For example, the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material used in some of the seat covers increases recyclability. The yarn used therein is recycled PET already.

The engine cover and the storage compartment under the front hood also source 30 percent raw material from maritime plastic. Those are things like old fishing nets, ropes, and other debris. BMW didn’t stop there: 80 percent of the aluminum in the wheel carriers and swivel bearings is recycled, while 70 percent of the wheels are from recycled aluminum.

That’s all well and good, but what if all this work added more carbon to the atmosphere than it saved?

BMW evidently thought of that from start to finish with the iX3. The high voltage system relies on 50 percent secondary cobalt, lithium, and nickel and leverages renewable energy sources to produce the anode and cathode materials and the battery cells it uses.

In total, it’s decreased CO2 emissions in its supply chain by 35 percent, it says. Notably, that makes it so that this car reduces overall emissions after just a year, or 21,500 km (13,360 miles) of use.

This all sounds great, but it’ll be important to see. Production for the iX3 begins later this year, with deliveries to begin shortly thereafter. We’ll know more once we see it at the Munich Motor Show this fall. 

Earlier this year, two Tesla board members joined a special committee with a singular mission: figure out how to “retain and incentivize Elon.” After several months of deliberation, the solution has come into focus. It wasn’t a brainstorming session or a bold new vision, it was $29 billion. In cash-equivalent stock. Turns out, when it comes to keeping Elon Musk engaged, nothing speaks louder than a mountain of money.

More: Elon Musk Somehow Managed To Make Everyone Hate Electric Cars

Before we get too far along, don’t forget that in 2018, a Delaware court struck down a $50 billion pay package to CEO Elon Musk. It said that there were issues in the board approval process and that it was unfair to investors. Musk has appealed the ruling, but in the interim, Tesla and its board just approved a new $29 billion pay package.

What’s in the Package?

The award consists of 96 million shares of Tesla, granted to Elon as a ‘good faith’ payment. The committee is also working on a long-term CEO payment plan that it’ll put to a shareholder vote on November 6. Regardless of how things come out, this interim pay package ensures that Musk remains a part of Tesla leadership for at least two years. If he were to leave before that, he would lose it.

As Bloomberg points out in its coverage, Musk has already committed to staying on with Tesla for at least five more years. According to the board, this move is all about satisfying Elon’s personal desire to have increased voting rights.

In a post on X, the company explained: “This interim award is structured to incrementally increase his voting rights upon grant, which he has repeatedly told us—and shareholders have confirmed—is an important part of incentivizing him to stay focused on the critical work we are doing here at Tesla.”

A Letter to Our Shareholders on the 2025 CEO Interim Award

Dear Fellow Tesla Shareholders,

Today we announce an important first step in compensating Elon Musk for his extraordinary work at Tesla. As you know, Elon has not received meaningful compensation for eight years since…

— Tesla (@Tesla) August 4, 2025

No Overlap With the 2018 Package

Importantly, the Tesla board made it clear in no uncertain terms that Musk won’t get this pay package and the 2018 one if the courts reverse their ruling.

“If the Delaware courts fully reinstate the 2018 CEO Performance Award, this interim award will be forfeited or returned or a portion of the 2018 CEO Performance Award will be forfeited,” it wrote in a letter to shareholders. “To put it simply, there cannot be any “double dip.” Elon will not be able to keep this new award in addition to the options he will be awarded under the 2018 CEO Performance Award should the courts rule in our favor.

As of this writing, Musk hasn’t commented on the package, though knowing his usual online habits, it’s entirely possible he’s saving his thoughts for a meme, a Mars reference, or a reply to someone asking about Dogecoin. Subtlety was never really his thing.

Electric vehicles didn’t just change how cars move; they reshaped how they’re built. Without the need to accommodate a bulky engine and transmission, designers gained a new level of freedom. Batteries and motors can be positioned wherever they best serve the car’s layout, efficiency, or style.

Somehow, the engineers at Volkswagen decided that they’d leverage that freedom to put the cabin filter where you can only get to it by removing the hood.

More: ‘Still Squeaking After 50 Days In Tesla Service’ Says Frustrated Cybertruck Owner

That’s right, changing out the cabin filter, a routine maintenance item, requires taking off an entire body panel. In fact, it requires removing more than just the hood because adjacent panels on each side of the hood also have to come off. On top of that, the area hiding the cabin filter also contains another vital maintenance component. We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves, though.

Not Where You’d Expect It

Typically, cabin filters are hidden behind the passenger side glove box. Simply opening the glove box, emptying it, and then squeezing it to allow it to lower is enough to gain access to the filter. In several cars, it takes less than a minute to get to the filter and around the same amount of time to change it. That’s why the spot where VW placed it in the ID. Buzz is so surprising.

Doing the job requires several steps. One must open the front panel, then unbolt two upper body panels on each side of the upper hood. Once those are off, the hood itself can come off, but only after disconnecting its electrical connections and windshield wiper sprayers. Once that’s done, the filter itself sits buried in the area between the body panel and the firewall.

While this is technically something that anyone can do without specialized tools or skills, it’s not exactly simple. That would probably be less of a big deal if the only thing under the panel was the cabin filter. After all, it’s a relatively rare maintenance item.

It’s Not Just the Filter

Sadly, Volkswagen also put other important bits like the brake fluid reservoir under there. That’s right, just to check your brake fluid level, you’ll need to go through all of this, too.

In other words, lots of folks are going to pay dealers to do this when it likely should’ve been simpler. As Jalopnik, who spotted this issue first, pointed out, “the ID Buzz is already expensive enough.” Perhaps it determined that customers willing to pay a premium would be happy to let the dealer maintain it. That’s just one more reason that it’s a far departure from the original.

@chromelizard

Volkswagen ID. Buzz 2024 Pollen Filter Replacement #volkswagen #idbuzz #2024 #vw #van #pollenfilter #mechanic #buzz #mechanicsoftiktok #cartok #automaintenance #germancars

♬ son original – dj.mk.18

Photos Katarina Brattli / YouTube

Building an electric vehicle company from the ground up is no small feat. Many startups fizzle out before delivering a single car. Lucid is among the rare few to make it through that gauntlet, scaling up to full-scale production and getting cars into customers’ hands. But manufacturing vehicles is only part of the equation.

Automakers also have to navigate the less glamorous parts of the business, like managing lease agreements and the often fraught process of lease returns. According to both customers and even Lucid itself, this is an area where the company still has some work to do.

More: Service Nightmares Leave Lucid Owner Considering Ditching $100K EV

Every automaker that handles lease deals has to figure out how it’ll navigate excessive wear and tear when a leased car comes back. To its credit, Lucid publicly posts its guidelines for all to see. Many of them are commonsense rules like, don’t return the car with bald tires, or cracked headlights, or cuts to the interior upholstery. None of that is uncommon across the industry.

Customers Say the Charges Don’t Match the Condition

What is a bit strange is the experience some lessees say they’re having when they return their cars. On LucidOwners, several report four-figure bills for ‘excessive wear and tear,’ and we’re not talking about broken mirrors or ripped seats. One says they ended up with a $5,800 charge after returning their car despite the intake employee calling it “one of the cleanest lease returns she’d seen.”

Digging into that $5,800 figure, $1,200 was for a small piece of missing plastic from the inner fender liner. Another $585 was billed for a tiny rock chip in the paint. A $200 fee was added for light wear on the phone holder. Somehow, these tiny blemishes aren’t just an issue for this customer either, because others are having similar problems.

Photos BenTexas / dapellegrini 

The person who started one thread mentioned a $1,825 bill for wear and tear. That total mostly came from a $1,450 charge for a new windshield. Did it have a giant crack or several medium-sized spider cracks in it?

No, instead, it had three very small rock chips that are almost imperceptible. Even more surprising is a $375 charge for “Left interior Qtr Trim Broken,” but the actual issue is even harder to find. “I honestly don’t even see what they are trying to show in the photos,” says the lessee.

Others Echo Similar Complaints

In other places like Reddit, customers are complaining just the same. One says that Lucid charged them $4,300 for wear and tear, including $650 for a charger that was allegedly gifted to the customer. Another said that they received a bill in excess of $1,500 but managed to get it waived because they did their pre-inspection three weeks before returning the car. That inspection came back completely clean, and the customer was able to leverage that to get out of the extra charges.

Lucid Says It’s Working on It

It’s worth pointing out that some of the examples mentioned above still have active cases open. There’s a chance that Lucid will come to an agreement with those customers that both sides are happy with.

In fact, it appears as though the automaker is eager to straighten things out. It told The Drive that “We are aware of some instances where our lease turn-in standards have not been interpreted consistently. We are collaborating with our banking partner to resolve disputes and sincerely apologize to those who have been inconvenienced.”

It said almost the exact same thing to CarBuzz. The automaker has reached out to some of the affected customers mentioned above, which is a good sign.

Who’s Actually Making the Call?

Importantly, that banking partner is Bank of America, the brand that handles all servicing through a third party. Essentially, when a lease gets turned back into Lucid, a third party reviews the car, BoA demands what it believes it’s owed, and Lucid, the car company, ultimately relays that to the customer.

That sounds like an old-school game of telephone with much more financially impactful results than a silly phrase popping out at the end of the line. At this point, only time will tell whether or not Lucid gets the act together or if more customers find leasing from the brand a risk too big to justify.

Photos BenTexas / dapellegrini 

In news that Henrik Fisker might take personally, Faraday Future not only still exists, but it’s just started trial production. That’s right; not only is this company still alive, but it’s building a production vehicle called the FX Super One MPV. And it’s a minivan with a front-end display and luxury aspirations. That said, trial production is still a long way from full-scale manufacturing.

More: Faraday Future Lost $44 Million And Only Delivered Two Cars In Q1

If there’s a brand that seems like it survives almost entirely on buzzwords, it might be Faraday Future. Since its inception over a decade ago, it’s built just 16 (!) production cars and its future (pun not intended…) seemed bleak. Now, though, it’s hoping that a full-scale pivot away from the super-luxury space can save it. That pivot has a name, too: the FX Super One MPV.

Gunning for the Escalade, Apparently

Unveiled on July 17 in Los Angeles, the FX Super One MPV is aimed at taking market share from vehicles like the Cadillac Escalade. That’s not just us saying it – Faraday Future does so itself. To accomplish that, the FX Super One MPV comes with what the brand calls the Super EAI F.A.C.E. or the Front AI Communication Ecosystem. In other words, it’s a screen that aims to interact with other road users in a way never before possible.

Of course, it’s hoping to lure buyers with a badge-engineered Wey Gaoshan minivan from Great Wall Motors. While the two vehicles will share underpinnings, Faraday Future promises to heavily integrate AI into the FX Super One MPV. Evidently, the system that it dubs ‘EAI Embodied Intelliigencen AI Agent 6×4 Architecture’ will manage everything from the F.A.C.E. system to the infotainment to the driver aids.

Don’t get too excited, though, as there’s still a lot of work to do before anyone can buy one of these. The team is going to use this time to verify and plan its processes. It’ll determine things like how to optimize the workflow and what quality standards it wants to achieve.

In fact, when this trial production is over, it still has to finish vehicle engineering before it can do things like conduct crash and validation testing. In other words, you might have a better chance of buying the Tesla Roadster 2 before this comes out. 

As the federal electric vehicle tax credit approaches its end, some buyers are moving quickly to take advantage of it. They’ve made that clear in a recent swelling of purchases for the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The retro-futuristic hatchback just saw a gigantic boost in sales during July. In fact, the brand had a great month overall.

More: Porsche Fast-Tracks New Compact SUV With Gas And Hybrid Power

When we say a huge boost, we’re talking about a 70 percent jump in sales compared to July of 2024. 5,818 people bought an Ioniq 5 in July of 2025. In other words, Hyundai sold almost eight (7.8) of them for every hour of every day of the month, nonstop. For the year, the Ioniq 5 is up 12 percent. Hyundai itself is up 11 percent this year, but let’s break that down further.

Mixed Results Across the Lineup

Most models are either up or down by two digits. For example, in the first seven months of the year, the Santa Cruz and Kona are down 20 and 13 percent, respectively. Their downturns aren’t enough to snuff out the success of other badges, though. The Venue is up 14 percent year over year. The Palisade was up 53 percent in July and is up 13 percent for the year. Both are dwarfed in total sales by the Tucson, which is up 20 percent for the year with 129,716 sales.

“Hyundai delivered an outstanding July, setting an all-time July total sales record with 79,543 units, up 15% year-over-year,” said Randy Parker, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America.

HYUNDAI US SALES

“We achieved new records across multiple nameplates, including Elantra HEV, Elantra N, Santa Fe HEV, Palisade, IONIQ 5, and the Santa Fe family, while electrified vehicle sales surged 50% compared to last year. Retail sales climbed 18%, highlighted by strong demand for Santa Fe and Palisade, and a 71% jump in IONIQ 5 retail sales. These results reflect Hyundai’s momentum in sustainable mobility and our ability to deliver an innovative lineup that continues to resonate with customers.”

Interestingly, the Ioniq 5 is a real outlier among the family. It’s the only EV under the Hyundai Motor Group to be outpacing sales when compared to 2024. Technically, the Ioniq 9 is also, but that’s only because it wasn’t on sale last year. That said, the Ioniq 6, Kia EV9, and Kia EV6 are all struggling to match the sales figures they saw in 2024. 

Electric vehicle sales may have surged over the past few years, but 2025 is shaping up to be more complicated for the segment. Despite steady innovation, fresh designs, and continued refinement, demand seems to be cooling.

That trend is particularly evident for Kia, whose EV9 and EV6 models are struggling to keep pace with last year’s numbers, n unexpected turn, considering the recent surge in EV sales as buyers hurry to take advantage of the $7,500 federal tax credit, whether through purchases or leases.

More: Kia Is Done With Gas GT Performance Cars

The automaker just released sales figures for the month of July so let’s focus on those first. During the month, Kia sold 1,737 EV9s and just 1,290 EV6s. Last year in the same month, it sold 1,815 and 1,545 respectively. Sure, that doesn’t look so great for what is an awesome crossover, but the EV9’s number could be an aberration. Except that yearly totals say otherwise.

A Steeper Decline Over Time

This year, Kia has sold 7,165 EV6s. That’s 5,323 less than it had after July of 2024. In other terms, that’s a full 42.6 percent decline in sales. The EV9 is actually fairing ever so slightly better as it’s down 41.8 percent from 11,486 sales through July of 2024 to just 6,675 sales so far this year. Somehow, though, the brand is having a great year overall thanks to gas-burning options.

Gas-Powered Models Carry the Load

The K5 is crushing it in sales with over 40,000 units sold already. The Carnival minivan is up 52.4 percent year over year with 39,080 sales so far in 2025. The Telluride, Sorento, and K4 are also selling well. Finally, the Sportage is crushing it with over 101,000 sales already this year, contributing to Kia being up 8.3 percent for the year in total.

“Kia is steadily progressing toward its highest annual sales record and an all-time high market share, fueled by record-breaking consumer sales growth,” said Eric Watson, vice-president, sales operations, Kia America.

He added, “As our SUV lineup maintains double-digit growth month after month, we recently rolled out a new ad campaign for the 2026 Sportage, which offers the ideal combination of efficiency and capability. As Kia’s longest-running nameplate, our customers have a strong sense of connection to Sportage, and we are fostering similar connections between our customers and other models.”

At this point, the brand might lean more heavily into its gas-burners because it appears that, unless something unexpected happens, the EV side of the business won’t be able to match last year’s performance. 

Police in Santa Monica are trying to send a clear message to electric dirt bike riders: if it’s not street legal, keep it off public roads. On Saturday, July 26, the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) impounded 12 off-highway vehicles, all of which officers say were being ridden illegally on city streets. 

While many of these bikes resemble electric bicycles, officials say they fail to meet even the most basic standards under California law. For example, they all lack pedals, are capable of high speeds, and were never certified for on-road use. SMPD says the crackdown comes after growing community concerns and complaints as, apparently, these riders have been causing disruptions. 

Read: City Cracks Down On E-Bikes With Strict New Rules

“These vehicles often exceed 40 mph, lack operable pedals, and are not classified as legal electric bicycles,” the department said in a public statement. “They are not permitted on public roads, bike paths, or sidewalks.” Essentially, these bikes are high-powered electric dirt bikes rather than everyday e-bikes. 

What Makes an E-Bike Street Legal?

California classifies e-bikes into three categories, with legal use tied to features like speed limits and whether the bike has functional pedals. Most of the impounded vehicles in question fell into a legal gray area. They were either originally sold as high-powered off-road bikes or everyday ebikes modified to go much faster than originally intended. 

Either way, these bikes are considered off-highway vehicles and can’t be legally ridden in places intended for bicycles or cars. “We’re increasing enforcement in response to serious safety concerns and community complaints,” the department said. “If your vehicle doesn’t have pedals or meet California’s e-bike standards, it doesn’t belong on the road.” 

Fines in Effect, Enforcement Underway

It’s unclear what the riders in this case will have to face to get their bikes back, but the fine for riding them starts at $100. Second-time offenders pay $200 and each offense after the first two costs $500. These fines went into effect on July 9, so this is one of the very first times that police have had the legal right to crack down on it. 

Credit: SMPD

The Tesla Cybertruck can be called a lot of things, but a smashing sales success isn’t one of them. In fact, even Ford’s F-150 Lightning outsold it in the first half of the year. Despite that, the automaker might not be done with truck models.

Over the weekend, Lars Moravy, the company’s VP of Engineering, shared that a smaller truck could be on the table. That could open the door to bringing the Cybertruck’s distinctive design to a broader, global market.

Read: You’ll Notice What’s Gone From Tesla’s New Budget EV Before You Even Step Inside

At a Tesla owners and investors event in California, Moravy responded to a question about the idea of a smaller, more compact truck, saying, “We always talked about making a smaller pickup.” Specifically, the automaker knows that the Cybertruck, in its current form, is simply too big for some markets.

A Truck That Fits More Markets

Building a smaller truck wouldn’t just help expand Tesla’s footprint in the pickup segment. It could also meet needs the current lineup doesn’t quite address.

“I think in the future, as more and more of the robotaxi comes into the world, we look at those options and we think about, OK, that kind of service is useful not just for people, but also for goods,” said Moravy, according to Business Insider. This could be a signal that Tesla is looking to expand into the medium-truck or even small van segment.

Speaking specifically about the former, Moravy elaborated further, saying, “We’ve definitely been churning in the design studio about what we might do to serve that need for sure.”

Right now, Tesla doesn’t have anything that really fits into the category of ‘delivery vehicle.’ In fact, many of its remote service vehicles are small gas-powered vans. No doubt, it would prefer to service customer vehicles with one of its own.

Practicality could prove a big selling point, too. The Cybertruck isn’t selling the way Tesla hoped it would. Early adopters picked it up, but sales have stalled out. Plenty of folks see it as a lifestyle vehicle more than a tried-and-true pickup in the conventional sense. Perhaps a mid-size truck would be a way to crack back into the practicality market, the same way the Model Y did so where the Model X couldn’t.

As electric vehicle become more common, the conversation is shifting from how many are being sold to how well they’re being supported. A new study suggests that dealership service departments may not be keeping up.

Also: EV Crash Claims Jump 38%, And Repairs Are Pricier Than Ever

Based on customer survey data, the report reveals that 82 percent of EV buyers are open to purchasing another one. What’s shocking, though, is that this high level of satisfaction comes despite 85 percent needing some form of dealership service within the first year.

In the first half of 2025, more than 607,000 electric vehicles were sold in the United States, setting a new record. That surge may partly reflect a rush to buy before federal incentives begin phasing out. Those growing adoption numbers might make a concerning statistic even more challenging, too. EV owners who were able to get same-day service for their cars dropped from 40 percent in 2023 to just 28 percent in 2024.

Wait Times Are Increasing

That’s one of many data points we’re learning about via a new study from CDK Global. It also tells us that owners who had to wait three days or more jumped from 9 percent to 14 percent between those two years.

Nearly a third of EV owners said servicing their electric vehicle took longer than a gas-powered one, with non-Tesla drivers feeling the wait more acutely. According to CDK, 34 percent of non-Tesla owners reported longer service times, compared to just 23 percent of Tesla owners. On the bright side, 53 percent of non-Tesla drivers said EV service cost less than gas vehicle maintenance, compared to 41 percent of Tesla owners.

“We know dealers are prepared for EV service, but our most recent findings show EV owners are waiting longer to have their cars serviced, and it’s taking multiple visits to have their issue resolved,” David Thomas, director of content marketing and automotive industry analyst at CDK, told Auto News.

How Long Did EV Service Take from Drop-Off to Completion?

While lots of owners had their issues fixed in a single trip, repeat visits to the dealer are on the rise. Just 65 percent of non-Tesla owners reported one-and-done service experiences. A whopping 21 percent needed four or five visits to fix their problem. That certainly sounds familiar, given some of the strange service issues we’ve covered here.

Not All the News Is Bad

The study isn’t without its upsides, though. Only 13 percent of EV owners said they had to pay out of pocket for service. 16 percent of appointments were recall-related, and that figure split evenly between Tesla and other brands.

Mobile service is also expanding, with 19 percent of owners reporting that a technician came to them to work on their car in 2024, up from 14 percent the year before. Dealer pickups are slowly gaining traction as well, climbing from 6 percent in 2023 to 9 percent in 2024.

Finally, it’s important to point out that this study is entirely based on customer surveys. These are electric vehicle owners, so while they do have first-hand experience, the data gathered here isn’t unquestionable. As is the case with any survey, bias is a major concern and almost certainly a factor in the results. That said, some statistics mentioned here, like how long service took, are likely good indicators of the average ownership experience. 

Imagine coming back home after a couple of weeks away to find your six-figure EV dead as a doornail. If it had been unplugged the whole time, slowly draining its battery, the situation might have made more sense. But in this case, the Cybertruck in question was connected to a charger the entire time.

More: Tesla Suddenly Wants You To Buy Now After Years Of Opposing EV Credits

When the owner, AJ Esguerra, returned to his Cybertruck after two weeks away, he realized it had been getting juice for almost two straight weeks. Parked in scorching-hot Arizona, he worried he’d fried something for good. One message to Tesla service ended up being all he needed.

Unexpected Silence After Two Weeks Plugged In

The initial worry for Esguerra was real. He posted to the Cybertruck Owner’s Club on Facebook looking for insight. “Need some help- we were on vacation for 2 weeks and just returned and the CT won’t power on at all. I looked at my app and it says it last connected 11 days ago,” he wrote.

Given the conditions, he thought perhaps the heat waves passing through Arizona might have come together with a constant trickle charge and ruined something on the truck.

“We’ve had record heat the past week. Is it possible it overheated and damaged the battery or can I try a master reset before I set up a service call,” he asked fellow owners. Responses were mostly kind but a few probably weren’t what he wanted to hear.

“It’s bricked bro…” said one person. “An insurance fire is the only solution,” said another. Thankfully, some folks provided reassurance and simply directed him to contact Tesla service. When he did, the ball rolled quickly downhill.

“Tesla service is on the way. Quick response through app and received a call immediately,” Esguerra says. From there, the technicians jumped the truck to life, towed it to a service center, and dug deeper.

The Real Culprit

What they found was that the power converter failed. According to AJ, it had nothing to do with charging the truck or the heat or the combination of the two. In fact, he says that Tesla told him to just leave it plugged in for as long as he wants.

“They recommend to keep it on the charger at all times. It will stop charging when it’s full. He said they have a lot of snowbirds with CTs that leave for months and keep it on the charger with no issues,” he says.

In a world full of cases where cars break and warranty or service work ends up being less than ideal, this is a nice break from that disappointment. AJ says he’s back on the road and that Tesla covered everything. That’s as happy an ending as one could hope for here. 

Beyond serious mechanical issues, squeaks and rattles rank high amongst the most annoying things one may have to deal with in any car. Imagine, though, if your ride had an incessant rattle or squeak despite it being basically brand new and costing six figures. That’s what one Cybertruck owner is dealing with right now, and Tesla seems incapable of fixing the electric pickup.

Also: Cybertruck Came Back From Tesla Service With 26,000 Miles Less And That’s The Least Of Its Worries

The owner first posted about his experience on Facebook in June: “My Cybertruck is in service for a squeak coming from the front left pillar near the windshield. The service team tried using foam and insulation, but couldn’t fix it,” he said. At that point, the team decided to send the truck to a collision center.

Ongoing Repairs With No Resolution

From there, things haven’t improved. In a newer post, he claims that the center has had the truck for 40 consecutive days without finding a fix. “They’ve replaced parts, added insulation, and tried multiple approaches, but the issue remains,” he says. That appears to include disassembling several components and reworking them to no avail. A message from Tesla service to the owner says it’s a top priority and that they’re working on it.

Interestingly, this doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident, as in the original post from June, several other owners claim to have similar issues.

“My CT has a rattling noise from the same area (front driver’s side dashboard / a-pillar area near front window) when going over bumps,” said another owner. “I have dashboard and pillar rattle and squeak too. This is third attempt to fix,” said another. “I’ve had so many creeks, squeaks, and rattles…. I’ve taken it in 5 times already,” said one more.

From Annoyance to Dealbreaker

Both ironically and sadly, one even admitted that it rattles so much that they just take a different car when they want a quiet ride. It sounds like that’s where the owner in this story is on his journey, too. He now wants Tesla to either buy the truck back altogether or for the automaker to give him a new one. There’s no telling if that one will squeak too though. We’ll follow this story and update you if we hear more.

Credit: Facebook

Τesla is about to widen out its Robotaxi footprint, though that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, seeing as Elon Musk recently said that “half of the population of the US will be covered by Tesla’s Robotaxi by the end of the year.” Well, everyone’s got to start somewhere, and now that the system is alive in Austin, Texas, it apparently is time to expand.

Read: Robotaxis And Roadsters Can’t Save Tesla From This Revenue Crash

According to Business Insider, Tesla is about to roll out a similar, albeit heavily neutered, version of the program in California. Specifically, it’ll begin Robotaxi testing in San Francisco over the weekend. Just like the service in Austin, the shuttles will work within a geo-fenced area.

Testing With a Safety Net

Never a company away from pushing its limits, Tesla isn’t being conventional about this launch. Rather than release driverless Model Ys across all of San Francisco, it has put several caveats into the service. For instance, every ‘Robotaxi’ will come with a human behind the wheel.

That’s markedly different from what it’s doing in Austin and there’s a good reason for it. Tesla doesn’t have the legal ability to offer the kind of driverless service it does in Austin, in San Francisco. Notably, even the cars in Texas have a Tesla employee in the car, albeit in the front passenger seat.

It needs regulatory approval, and since it doesn’t have it, there must be a driver in the driver’s seat. Essentially, the way it sounds is that this is going to be akin to calling your friend who has FSD on a car and then letting him or her ferry you around while hopefully not needing to intervene while the car drives.

Pushing the Boundaries, Carefully

In addition, Tesla doesn’t have the regulatory freedom to offer autonomous rides to the general public in this manner. To that end, it’s only going to allow select members of the public, employees, and family members of employees into the testing program.

Basically, it seems as though it’s skirting the line regarding legality in just about every way that it can. Importantly, it reportedly requested a permit to extend its operations with the California Public Utilities Commission. It hasn’t yet applied to provide a commercial service to the public, though, so it appears as though all of this is in the very early testing phase. 

Elon Musk may have let the cat out of the bag on Wednesday when he mentioned the Model Y during Tesla’s Q2 earnings call. When asked about the company’s next vehicle, his response led many to believe it could end up being little more than a stripped-down Model Y. Whether that turns out to be the case or not, there’s reason to think the timing might actually work in Tesla’s favor.

Tesla just had an incredibly rough first half of the year. It reported the steepest decline in quarterly revenue (12%) it’s seen in over a decade. That comes despite the recently updated Model Y, the brand’s most popular car. As a result, the stock is down over $30 as of this writing.

Read: Robotaxis And Roadsters Can’t Save Tesla From This Revenue Crash

The company promised that it has high hopes for the future, and one is a new ‘affordable model.’ Set to go into volume production later this year, Tesla is apparently already building it in low numbers. Amid questions at the end of yesterday’s earnings call, someone asked what the new model would look like.

Hints at the Next Model

Elon Musk cut off another executive who was hesitating to answer the question by saying either “It looks like a Model Y,” or “It’s just a Model Y.” The audio from the video just isn’t crisp enough to be certain. That said, it gives us enough information to come up with some additional conclusions. For one thing, don’t expect some jarring, abrasive, futuristic design like a shrunken Cybertruck.

Whatever this turns out to be, it’s likely to look like, if not actually be, a Model Y with significantly fewer features. Tesla could cut back on battery capacity, remove elements like the rear-seat screen, reduce the number of cameras, and scale down on sound-deadening materials. It might also modify the battery chemistry or swap in different motors to lower production costs. Reusing existing Model Y tooling would almost certainly help keep expenses in check as well.

That said, not everyone is stoked about the possibility of a de-contented Model Y. Some called it out for just being disappointing as a new model. Others are worried it’ll be a massive problem for Tesla as a business. “Model S, Model X, CT are all failing, Model 3 was cannibalized by Model Y being such a success. And now the Model Y lite will crush the Model Y sales with lower margin.”

A Well-Timed Launch?

That may or may not be true, but fans of the brand still have reason to hope for good things. Tesla could still come out on top of this entire situation. Whether the cheaper vehicle coming looks exactly like the current Model Y or a scaled-down version, it sounds like it’s coming at the right time. Federal tax credits are about to go away, at least for the next few years, it seems.

That’ll make selling electric vehicles harder for just about every brand. If Tesla can launch this new ‘affordable model’ just as other brands are now having to sell their cars without the tax credit, it could help Tesla dig out of the hole it’s in.

That would be extremely disappointing. If it’s just another trim… why not release it a long time ago? Doesn’t make any sense. A cheaper made Model Y that’s a free thousand dollars cheaper is not going to move the needle. We need a CyberCab with pedals and steering wheel

— Ramy (@TeslaXplored) July 24, 2025

Volkswagen’s electric reboot of the microbus has landed with a mix of curiosity, nostalgia, and sometimes, eyebrow-raising price tags. While it hasn’t been a smash success with a backlog of orders, it’s sold quite well for a van that is clearly overpriced, has questionable range, and keeps getting recalled.

More: VW Denies Halting ID. Buzz Exports To US Over Tariffs

Back when it first arrived, dealers were tacking on markups that reached as high as $35,000. Hopefully, the seller in this particular auction wasn’t one of the people who paid that premium. If they were, the sting of depreciation just hit a whole lot harder.

A Van With Name Recognition and Flashy Extras

At launch, there really was no ID.Buzz customers could want more than the very-literally-named 1st Edition. That’s what we just saw trade hands over at Bring A Trailer. In this case, it is a 4Motion model with Mahi-Green and Candy White paint.

The cabin sports Volkswagen’s Dune color palette, heated second-row captain’s chairs, and massaging power-adjustable front seats. All of this should’ve been available to new customers for $72,385, said Volkswagen at launch.

Photos BaT

We have no idea if the original buyer paid that, but as mentioned, markups were normal when this van first came out. Even if this Volkswagen originally traded hands for exactly MSRP, the buyer just lost a ton of cash on it, and all they got to do with it was drive 398 (or fewer) miles in the process.

The high bid at auction was $61,500, which is still a lot of money for this vehicle, but it’s a far cry from MSRP. It lost 15 percent of its value in five months. That’s right, the seller picked it up in February of this year. That certainly makes a markup less likely but still plausible.

Silver Linings and Resale Lessons

While it’s a tough pill for the seller, buyers might see the result as leverage. One commenter rightfully pointed out that the final bid could be used as a bargaining chip at a local dealership, especially for anyone considering a new ID.Buzz.

Photos BaT

For Canadians navigating an increasingly pricey auto market, more choices could be part of the solution. The federal government has a range of priorities, but one of them is maintaining a strong, competitive car market. Tariffs imposed by Donald Trump haven’t made that easier, but some dealers have an idea.

They want government officials to open up regulations to allow European market cars into the country. Now, a major electric vehicle advocacy group is on board and joining the push.

Read: 80% Of Car Tariffs Could Be Passed Directly To You

A solid car market has to do with more than just keeping prices down; it requires having options for buyers, too. At the moment, Canada’s safety regulations fall closely in line with those south of the border.

Changing them, or at least expanding them to include cars sold in Europe, would sidestep American tariffs and make several popular models across the pond available in Canada. Of course, Transport Canada, the country’s regulatory body, has its hesitations.

“Right now, there is a blockage, saying that for safety reasons, they cannot let these cars in,” says Daniel Breton, head of Electric Mobility Canada. “Right now, Transport Canada is saying, well, we have to change the bumpers and we have to change the headlights and this and that for safety reasons, which, as far as I’m concerned, is total B.S.,” he continued.

His argument is a simple one¨“If the car is good enough to be driving on European roads, where you can drive much faster than here, don’t come and tell me that they’re not safe enough to be driven in Canada.” That’s hard to debate, and some Canadian dealers agree, but some in the government are trying to argue against it anyway.

Safety Standards, Road Realities

“The certification requirements of other jurisdictions may not be sufficient to meet the safety needs of Canadian road users due to Canada’s distinct driving environment,” said spokesman Hicham Ayoun in an email to CTVNews. “Some European crash testing requirements are not as stringent as the Canadian regime due to differences in their driving environment.” To their point, Canadian roads are very similar to those in the USA.

That means lots of big, wide-open stretches of road. But there’s no reason to believe that’s the only place small cars imported from Europe or China will end up driving. Opening up regulations is one way that Breton sees the nation continuing to support its own goals to get more people into affordable electric cars.

Public Support Builds

A poll of 2,585 Canadians showed that 70 percent were in favor of allowing European-approved EVs into Canada. Now, it’ll be up to the government to decide whether the support it’s seeing is enough to move forward. 

Interest in electric luxury vehicles remains strong, but for some automakers, getting new models to market is proving slower than planned. More than 60,000 people have reportedly lined up for Range Rover’s first all-electric SUV. Jaguar, meanwhile, is staking its entire brand on an all-new, all-electric future.

More: Range Rover Just Changed Its Logo But Not In The Way You Think

Now, customers for both brands will have to wait a little longer to actually get their hands on either offering. A new report claims that Jaguar and Land Rover are pushing back production amid other issues.

As we reported earlier today, the Jaguar Land Rover group is cutting up to 500 management jobs in the UK. Tariffs are hitting the company hard. And it’s no secret that sales are struggling as a result of all the changes going on inside and outside of the brands. That said, it appears as though things just got worse for prospective clients.

Launch Delays for Key Electric Models

A new report says that Jaguar Land Rover is pushing back the launch of the Range Rover EV and two Jaguar EVs. Previously, Land Rover had targeted a late-2024 release for its electric SUV, while Jaguar’s models were scheduled to enter production by mid-2026. Those dates are now being pushed back as the company is waiting to allow for “more testing and for demand to pick up,” says the Guardian.

A Flexible Strategy, but No Firm Timelines

A company spokesperson told the news outlet that, “By 2030 JLR will sell electric versions of all its luxury brands. Our plans and vehicle architectures are flexible so we can adapt to different market and client demands. We are committed to the highest standards of design, capability and quality, and we will launch our new models at the right time for our clients, our business and individual markets.”

Waiting for the Right Moment?

What’s odd about that is that both brands need a shot in the arm sooner rather than later. As industry trends continue to develop, it doesn’t appear as though electric vehicles are suddenly going to shoot up in popularity anytime soon.

No doubt, the influence of the U.S. market and the political administration there will also have a hand in that. If Jaguar and Land Rover are waiting for the perfect time, it might not come for quite a while.

It’s not quite official, but it’s close. We’ve known for a while that Tesla was working on a six-seater version of the Model Y, and now, thanks to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), we’re getting our first official look.

Read: Tesla Suddenly Wants You To Buy Now After Years Of Opposing EV Credits

Documents filed with the MIIT reveal a long-wheelbase version of the Model Y, dubbed the Model Y L, configured with three rows of seating. But it’s not just about added space. Based on the filings and industry reports, this version brings more power along with the stretched cabin, signaling a meaningful update to the existing lineup. It’s expected to launch in China this fall, with a North American debut potentially following soon after.

A Six-Seat Layout With Extra Room

First and foremost, let’s break down the details. This new Model Y L features six seats, not seven, so expect it to roll out with captain’s chairs in the second row. It’s 4,976mm long or 186mm (7.3 inches) longer than the normal Model Y. It’s also 44mm (1.7 inches) taller. The extra length isn’t just an extended body like we’ve seen in vehicles such as the Ford Expedition Max.

Instead, Tesla extended the wheelbase to 3,040mm, or 150mm (5.9 inches) longer than the five-seat Model Y. In addition to the added length, the new Y L gets unique wheels, an updated spoiler, new seats, and appears as though it’ll be available with a new gold paint color.

The official documents also reveal that it’ll make more power too. The five-seat Model Y makes 443 horsepower (331 kW), but the Model Y L will arrive with 455 ponies (340 kW). That should help with the additional weight on board. Notably, Tesla has hinted in the past that a seven-passenger version of the Model Y is coming.

Based on the MIIT filing, this isn’t that version. Still, it wouldn’t take much, adding a bench seat or tweaking the current layout could easily accommodate seven passengers. What remains unclear is whether the new seven-seater will follow the previous generation’s approach, using the standard wheelbase with two tightly squeezed seats in the rear, or if Tesla plans to do something different this time around.

The email Tesla sent to U.S. owners in June wasn’t the only hint at a North American launch for the Model Y L. Leaks from internal code point to it being a global model. With the debut of the Model Y L, that update now appears to be just around the corner.

Tesla fans get really excited when new features, trials, or beta programs arrive. That’s probably why very few people realized that a post on Reddit was just a prank by an overeager owner. They reported a birthday reward email supposedly from Tesla offering a 30-day horsepower boost. It turns out that before realizing it was a hoax, many took the chance to bash the US EV maker and other brands for paywall-blocked features.

More: Rivian Will Make You Pay For Extra Power And Range Your EV Already Has

Posted on Reddit’s Tesla Model 3 forum, the main feature was an image. It appeared to be an email directly from Tesla. “Happy Birthday! We are delighted to offer you an exclusive birthday gift: +50 Extra Horsepower,” it said. “Your Tesla has been upgraded with an additional 50 horsepower, effective for the next 30 days.”

A Convincing Fake

At first glance, it looks legitimate. The script looks realistic, the grammar is fine, and it appears to come from no-reply@Tesla.com. That was more than enough to fool several people. The top comments are full of people assuming it’s real. Some ask about future programs based on the idea, others joke about changing their birthday in the Tesla app, and others comment on their excitement about it.

At the same time, it left some fans feeling disillusioned and annoyed. Several made comments to that effect. “…is it just me that thinks that’s absolutely ridiculous? If I have the hardware, why would I pay to use the hardware? That’s like buying a computer with 16gb of ram, only having 12, and then getting an email “unlocking” the other 4gb for 30 days.

“Just… stupid. Either sell me the car without the extra horsepower (so, without the hardware that makes it possible)… or let me use all the horsepower it can produce. This is just… awful,” said one. After another commented on how cool it was that you could download extra horsepower, another responded, “You mean mildly infuriated it’s locked behind a paywall.”

A Familiar Practice

Of course, in this case, the birthday gift wasn’t real, but it’s not as if Tesla doesn’t offer similar products. As of this writing, buyers can unlock features that the hardware they own is already capable of, like additional range or speed.

Notably, Tesla is far from the only brand to offer this sort of thing. Several brands offer similar ‘subscription services’, from extra power to adaptive suspension. Unless buyers unite to condemn this type of practice, it’ll probably never end.

Credit: glebulon / Reddit