Canoo filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after burning through hundreds of millions in losses.
Harbinger alleges the asset sale unfairly benefited Canoo’s CEO without proper valuation.
The sale may include trade secrets tied to an ongoing lawsuit between the two firms.
It’s not unusual for a flashy EV startup to crash and burn, but Canoo’s spectacular flameout has been anything but clean. After filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January and halting operations entirely, the company is now tangled in a messy dispute that involves hidden assets, questionable sales tactics, and accusations that its CEO may have gotten a little too good of a deal.
Last Friday, electric trucking startup Harbinger filed a formal objection to the sale of Canoo’s assets to its boss, claiming the sale process “unfairly favored Mr. Aquila.” According to the objection, Canoo failed to disclose certain assets acquired from another failed EV startup—Arrival—and the bankruptcy trustee approved Aquila’s purchase without securing an independent appraisal or even marketing the assets to outside buyers.
Allegations of Hidden Assets and Insider Deals
The situation gets murkier. Harbinger also alleges that Canoo listed some assets that it didn’t actually own for sale. While Harbinger did not specify what these assets were, it says that the access granted to the virtual data room for potential bidders when it considered buying the assets allowed them to make this determination, as first reported by TechCrunch.
The sale of Canoo to its CEO also includes a very important clause. Canoo sued Harbinger in 2022, claiming many of its former employees had stolen trade secrets that were used to create Harbinger. This lawsuit is still ongoing, and through the purchase, Aquila will personally benefit from any settlement that Harbinger may have to pay.
In the complaint, Harbinger notes that the former boss is buying unidentified ‘trade secrets’ from Canoo, “but Mr. Aquila alone supposedly knows what those trade secrets are.” It adds that “a process where only one bidder – an insider – has the ability to identify the assets offered for sale and their value is not a fair process.”
Even before the bankruptcy, Canoo’s financials read like a startup horror story. Since its founding in 2017, the company generated almost no revenue and racked up hundreds of millions in losses. In 2022 alone, Canoo reported a staggering $488 million loss, followed by $303 million in 2023. The first half of 2024 added another $118 million to the bonfire. For comparison, Canoo reported zero revenue in 2022 and just under $900,000 in 2023—a rounding error in the EV world.
A crossing arm came down on a school bus in Freetown, Massachusetts, as a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) train passed by, reported ABC 6.
The incident reportedly occurred March 25, when a school bus transporting Freetown Lakeville Regional School District students stopped at the painted roadway railway crossing line to check for oncoming trains, as required by law. As the driver began to move forward, the crossing bells and lights came on.
The school bus driver reportedly reversed as the crossing arms hit the front of the bus. The train passed by about 45 seconds later. No one was injured at the time of the incident.
According to the news report, MBTA officials discussed the incident at a board meeting on March 27, claiming it resulted from human error.
The district said via the article that the bus company, which was not named in this writing, is in contact with the MBTA regarding the incident.
CONCORD, N.C. – Expert panels presented by major school bus manufacturers at the Green Bus Summit centered on the theme of industry flexibility and resilience amid questions about the future of federal funding.
Blue Bird: The Right Bus for the Right Route: Managing Mixed Fleets
Tom Hopkins, business development manager for ROUSH CleanTech, speaks during a Green Bus Summit panel at STN EPXO East 2025.
Luke Patrick, director of maintenance and training for the South Carolina Department of Education, oversees a fleet of 5,620 electric, propane, gasoline and diesel school buses. Electric school buses, he said, are purchased using government funding, operate on shorter metro routes, and are placed on routes where depot facilities already have power on site. Propane has been good for the state because of reduced maintenance costs and gasoline buses are used sparsely in more remote areas.
No matter the fuel, he said good working relationships are needed with districts so implementation goes smoothly.
Stephen Whaley, eastern alternative fuels manager for Blue Bird, reviewed the current powertrain energy options of diesel, gasoline, propane and electric as well as their acquisition price tags and approximate range. Most school bus down time results from diesel aftertreatment requirements, he reminded.
Over 2,000 Blue Bird electric school buses are deployed in 42 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, shared Brad Beauchamp, the OEM’s EV product segment leader. “We’re continuing to evolve this product to give you better range,” he confirmed.
He added that a DC fast charge solution is better than Level 2 AC, but a yard planning option is best for long-term fleet electrification goals.
Tom Hopkins, business development manager for drivetrain manufacturer and longtime Blue Bird propane partner ROUSH CleanTech, reviewed the cost savings that buses running on safe, clean, domestically produced, affordable propane Autogas produce compared to diesel.
Whaley reviewed the easy-to-implement and scalable propane infrastructure. While alternative fuel tax credits are generally available, he said he’s not sure they will be renewed by Congress. Even without those incentives, those fueling and maintenance cost savings add up to a savings over diesel, he added.
Real-time Visual Notes created by Ink Factory.
CowFartBus: A Zero Carbon Alternative for Existing Diesel Buses
Robert Friedman, managing director for CowFartBus, speaks during a Green Bus Summit session at STN EXPO East 2025.
Robert Friedman, managing director for CowFartBus powered by Demi Diesel Displacer and Neufuel, explained the company’s mission of converting existing diesel school buses to run on one tank of renewable natural gas (RNG) and another of diesel. There’s no compromise in vehicle or fleet logistics and no need to buy new buses, he said.
He added that Renewable natural gas fueling pressure is lower than regular CNG, so the affordable filling station is simply 2-feet by 2-feet. The bus can still run solely on diesel, if needed. He explained that 26 buses can be converted to CowFartBus for the price of one new electric school bus, resulting in optimal sustainability.
Friedman confirmed the refitted buses’ durability in harsh altitude and weather conditions, as they are being used in multiple districts including Eagle County School District in Colorado, which has six of these buses and is adding eight more with plans to convert the whole fleet.
“We’ve been so happy with this system and see the promise in it,” said Joe Reen, the district’s executive director of operations.
He relayed that the budget is tight with a driver shortage necessitating that 20 buses each run about 100 miles a day in rapidly changing altitude and weather conditions. But the buses do not experience power loss. Even 30-year bus drivers like them, he shared.
Some community members desire greater environmental sustainability while others want cost savings, and CowFartBus hits both those points, he said. It was a good alternative for his district, Reen added, since electric doesn’t work for their region.
“There’s not a single silver bullet,” Friedman agreed.
Luke Patrick, director of maintenance and training for the South Carolina Department of Education, oversees transportation of 170,000 students a day on 5,620 buses with an average route length of 70 miles, consuming 11 million gallons of fuel per year. He said a big draw for the state was that the RNG complements diesel but doesn’t replace it. Charleston School District near the coast is currently running two CowFartBuses, and Patrick said he is looking to acquire 50 more.
Both districts reported high satisfaction levels from the drivers, which is good news for driver retention efforts.
Friedman recommended converting older buses if manufacturer warranty is a concern but confirmed that CowFartBus covers the warranty on buses they convert. “Our longest running bus has 800,000 miles on it,” CowFartBus Director Sam Johnson added.
An IC Bus session on maintenance tools at the Green Bus Summit during STN EXPO East 2025.
Regional Sales Manager Marc Trucby reviewed updated aspects of OnCommand Connection, a platform that comes standard on all IC buses since 2023 and collects vehicle health data through factory or aftermarket telematics devices.
He also shared information about a prospecting tool that helps districts find green bus funding and a partnership with Sourcewell for streamlining the RFP and bid process.
Gregory Baze, IC’s national account manager for parts, discussed the Repairlink solution that is designed to provide school bus repair shops with 24/7 online parts ordering. It gives technicians an easy way to connect with dealers and suppliers for fast, accurate parts sourcing and communications.
The new addition helps school bus technicians more efficiently search for and reorder the parts they need from a larger inventory selection, he explained. A VIN-based catalog, saved shopping carts, price comparisons and coupon discounts are additional benefits.
“You are essentially your own dealer looking up your parts,” he said.
Attendees asked about various aspects of placing orders and Baze provided details on how school bus mechanics and technicians can do so.
For security purposes, districts can only enter information for school buses they own and operate and save the data into the system so they can shop by bus for any specific parts it needs. Baze confirmed that contracted buses are also eligible for Repairlink and that customer service can work with districts to complete this.
“We do a lot beyond buses,” Baze concluded.
Real-time Visual Notes created by Ink Factory.
Thomas Built Buses: ICE – The Future Outlook for Traditional & Alternate Fuels in School Buses
Francisco Lagunas, the North America bus segment general manager for Cummins, and Daoud Chaaya, vice president of sales, aftermarket and marketing for Thomas Built Buses, speak during a Green Bus Summit session at STN EXPO East 2025.
Thomas Built Buses General Sales Manager Jim Crowcroft stated that diesel is still very much a part of the school bus landscape.
Luke Patrick, director of maintenance and training for the South Carolina Department of Education, shared that his fleet is over 80 percent diesel due to needed range. It also contains over 500 propane buses, which he said have about half the range but lower operating costs and fewer maintenance issues. While his electric school buses (ESBs) come with range concerns, he said that district collaboration is key to improvement.
Amidst upheavals in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and federal government funding, the panelists reiterated OEM commitment to both ICE and electric options to serve customer needs.
“It’s our job to learn what your goals are and support you though it, whether you’re looking at diesel or other alternative fuels,” said Kelly Rivera, general manager for school bus dealer Carolina Thomas.
Daoud Chaaya, vice president of sales, aftermarket and marketing for Thomas, said he sees diesel and octane as a bridge to greater sustainability until ESB Total Cost of Ownership and price parity are achieved. Cummins’ Francisco Lagunas, the North America bus segment general manager, noted that the company’s octane engine will be available by January 2026 and the B7.2 diesel engine by January 2027.
Chaaya said that despite uncertainty in government funding, several U.S. states indicate a firm commitment to school bus electrification, plus both the knowledge and support networks are only growing stronger.
“By the end of the year a lot more clarity will come around,” he predicted.
Rivera pointed out that diesel buses are now being manufactured with cleaner engines by default. Lagunas added that manufacturing cleaner diesel buses increases their price while ESB manufacturing is becoming cheaper as that product improves.
“We need to diversify,” he said of OEMs.
Luke Patrick, director of maintenance and training for the South Carolina Department of Education, and Francisco Lagunas, the North America bus segment general manager for Cummins, speak during a Green Bus Summit session at STN EXPO East 2025.
Patrick spoke to the importance of proactive training when rolling out school buses with a different fuel or energy source than technicians are used to.
Chaaya confirmed that dealers and school districts are all included in the collaborative decision on what an OEM manufactures. “We want to thrive, not just survive in this ecosystem,” he said.
The panelists agreed that clarity, communication and speedy dialogue with the EPA is helpful for unified, stable OEM decisions and concrete answers to districts. “In absence of decision making, rumors and anxiety run wild,” Chaaya commented.
The speakers also expressed optimism for the future as student transporters are a resilient group. “It’s a really exciting time to be in student transportation as there are lots of products out there to meet your challenges,” Rivera concluded.
The country has been cautious of Chinese companies for national security reasons.
BYD could bring its affordable electric vehicles to Canada, but there are no guarantees.
After being rejected by Canada, BYD has looked elsewhere for its investments.
As Canada braces for the impact of steep 25% tariffs on vehicles it exports to the United States, a missed opportunity is coming back into focus. Chinese automaker BYD reportedly expressed interest in investing in Canadian manufacturing but backed off after encountering significant pushback. With Trump’s new tariffs set to take effect on April 2, some are now wondering if Canada might need BYD more than it realized.
China’s ambassador to Canada, Wang Di, said moves made by the Canadian government have “seriously dampened” the confidence of Chinese companies to invest locally. For example, three Chinese mineral firms have been ordered to divest their assets, TikTok’s Canadian branch has been closed, and AI firm DeepSeek has been banned, all in the name of national security.
Why Canada Shut the Door on BYD
This hardline approach toward Chinese firms—including BYD—has been framed as a move to protect domestic industry, ensure national security, and align with US concerns. American officials, including former President Biden, had warned that Chinese automakers might try to use Canada as a backdoor into the US market. But with President Trump reimposing tariffs, the rationale for walling off Chinese investment may be shifting.
A recent report by The Logic suggests that if US-Canada trade alignment is no longer a priority, Canada might do well to reconsider its position. Letting BYD invest could bring clear benefits, especially with Canadian auto jobs now potentially at risk.
“BYD had carefully thought about coming to Canada to make investment. But they met huge difficulties, restrictions and obstruction, and they had to give up the idea of investing in Canada. And I heard that they have moved to other countries, and they have been very successful there,” Wang Di told The Globe and Mail.
“If BYD was successful in investing in Canada, then I think the result would be the Canadian consumers would have been able to enjoy the EVs with the latest technology, with very good quality and with a cheaper price. Isn’t that a good thing?,” he added.
Too Little, Too Late?
If Trump’s tariffs force car manufacturers to shift more of their production to the United States, countless jobs could be lost throughout Canada’s auto manufacturing sector. Now, it’s Canada that may need BYD more than the Chinese automaker needs it.
However, that ship might have already sailed. According to BYD spokesperson Frank Girardot, BYD does not have any plans for manufacturing in Canada and will simply continue to service the company’s buses that some transit operators in the country use.
Tesla vehicles in D.C. were vandalized with Elon Musk and anti-government graffiti.
Messages included sarcastic pro-Musk slogans caught clearly by Sentry Mode cams.
Washington police may pursue hate crime charges tied to political bias against Teslas.
It’s no secret that Tesla has become something of a cultural lightning rod, whether for its tech, its CEO, or the political baggage that now seems welded to its aluminum panels. And in the current climate, even scratching a Tesla could apparently land you in serious legal territory, at least in Washington, D.C., where the politics are as tangled as the city’s traffic circles.
Elon Musk and Tesla have grown so closely associated with the Trump-era political ecosystem that some officials in the nation’s capital are reportedly considering whether vandalism against the brand could be prosecuted as a hate crime. D.C. has long been a Democratic stronghold, but Mayor Muriel Bowser appears to be making moves in response to mounting pressure from the Trump administration, particularly after Trump’s recent threat to assert control over the District.
Last week, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police issued a press release announcing they are searching for two suspects who allegedly defaced Tesla vehicles in the district. According to the authorities, they “wrote political hate speech on to the victims’ Tesla vehicles then fled the scene.” The exterior cameras of the cars caught clear images of both suspects, although they were wearing sunglasses.
Vandalism, But Make It Political
Unlike some incidents elsewhere in the country, the Teslas weren’t torched, overturned, or otherwise wrecked. The damage was cosmetic, limited to what amounts to political graffiti. What’s perhaps the strangest thing about the whole situation is that much of the “hate speech” graffiti on the cars wasn’t even that dramatic.
According to Politico, which reviewed police reports, several sarcastic messages were left on the Teslas. These included statements like “Let’s do away with the administrative state! Buy a tesla!” while another said, “Go Doge I support Musk killing the dept of education.”
Another read, “I like what Musk is doing,” while one stated, “I Love Musk and hate the Fed Gov.t.” Possibly the most provocative was: “Ask me about my support of Nazis.” It’s a grab bag of chaotic energy, part satire, part performance art, part political Rorschach test.
Washington D.C. is one of just a few jurisdictions that describe “political affiliation,” with race, sex, and religion as categories of bias, meaning locals cannot discriminate against someone for being a Democrat or Republican. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t shun someone for their opinion.
“I would have a hard time seeing how anti-Elon Musk graffiti would constitute political affiliation discrimination,” Arizona State University law professor Michael Selmi said. “The real issue is there’s very little case law interpreting political affiliation in D.C. or in the few other jurisdictions that include it.”
Anyone who scrawls a swastika on a Tesla has obviously committed a hate crime https://t.co/EJFkYxDHrV
A new fire in Rome is the latest in a series of incidents targeting Tesla around the world.
High temperatures from the blaze damaged 17 EVs, and the surrounding structure.
No injuries were reported, and local authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
A suspicious fire that tore through a Tesla dealership in Rome early Monday morning has left behind a scorched mess of metal and plenty of questions. At least 17 fully electric vehicles were destroyed in the blaze, marking the latest in a string of troubling incidents involving Tesla facilities around the globe.
The incident arrives amid growing backlash against Elon Musk, raising suspicions that this wasn’t just some random electrical mishap. While the exact cause remains under investigation, authorities have not ruled out arson. Fortunately, no one was injured, as the dealership was closed at the time of the fire. Still, the loss is significant, not just in property, but in what it might signal.
According to local media, emergency services were alerted around 4 a.m. on Monday, March 31. Police have since questioned the dealership’s owners and are combing through CCTV footage, Reuters reports.
The fire broke out at the Tesla store located at 48 Via Serracapriola in Rome. Drone footage shared by the YouTube channel Local Team shows the parking lot littered with charred vehicle shells. At least 16 Teslas appear to have suffered irreparable damage.
These cars were reportedly prepped and ready for delivery to customers. Furthermore, the shed covering them was also damaged by the intense heat, though the Tesla dealership’s main building seems to have escaped the worst of it.
A Brand Under Fire—Literally
The timing is hard to ignore. Just two days before the fire, the so-called “Tesla Takedown” movement organized protests outside more than 200 Tesla dealerships across Europe and North America. Most gatherings remained peaceful, but a handful of them escalated into vandalism—and now, possibly worse.
China is proposing to build a huge solar power station in space.
The efficient solar panel setup would measure 0.6 miles across.
Energy is converted to microwave radiation and beamed to Earth.
Modern solar panels are vastly more efficient than those 20 or 30 years ago, but they’re still prevented from operating at peak performance 24/7 by bad weather and nighttime darkness. Just imagine if you could collect all that solar energy uninterrupted from space. Well, China thinks it can.
Chinese scientists plan to build a huge solar power station that will sit more than 20,000 miles (32,000 km) above the surface of the Earth, measuring around 0.6 miles (1 km) across when fully built. In addition to getting access to constant sunlight, space-based solar stations enjoy energy density that’s 10 times greater than what you might get from the roof-mounted solar panels on your house because the sunlight in space is that much more intense.
Wondering how all those lovely clean Watts are pumped back to Earth? It’s done by converting the electricity into microwave radiation, which is then beamed to a fixed antenna on terra firma, Popular Mechanics explains. And the man behind the technology says it’s no, er, flight of fancy.
“We are working on this project now,” Long Lehao, a rocket scientist and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), told SMCP. “It is as significant as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a geostationary orbit 36,000km (22,370 miles) above the Earth.”
China’s Three Gorges Dam (pictured above) is a hydroelectric power station that opened in 2012 and whose 100 billion kWh annual power generation capacity makes the Hoover Dam look like a dripping tap. Long claims the energy collected in one year from the space station would be “equivalent to the total amount of oil that can be extracted from the Earth.”
The Three Gorges was such a mammoth project that it took 18 years to complete, and there would be no quick turnaround on the solar space station project, either. The massively complex build process required to get all of the solar station’s parts into orbit – including developing a heavy-lift rocket for the job – means it’ll be years before it’s powering our lights and electric cars.
But if it works? It could light up cities, power EVs, and quietly reshape how we think about renewable energy—without ever casting a shadow.
Rivians and other EVs can be costly to repair after an accident, so one owner found a solution.
He replaced a damaged tail light himself and used paintless dent repair to fix body damage.
This solution could become a viable option for R1S and R1T owners facing similar situations.
How many times have we seen Rivian owners grumble about spending a small – or sometimes large -fortune on seemingly minor repairs after a fender bender or mishap? Dominic Wilkerson uses his Rivian R1T like the off-road-ready truck that it is. As such, he’s had a mishap or two on the trails.
In one recent incident, he accidentally damaged his rear tail light and tailgate. Rather than take it to Rivian for an expensive repair, he decided to tackle the job himself. The result? The total cost came in under $1,000, and the truck looks almost as good as new.
As Wilkerson points out, many Rivian owners (rightly) live in constant fear that any kind of damage, no matter how minor, will result in a total loss. And, honestly, those folks aren’t totally out of their minds. Rear-end damage to a Rivian can be both expensive and complicated to fix, as we’ve seen time and time again. But Wilkerson wasn’t about to roll over and accept that fate. He took matters into his own hands.
The Repair Process: Not As Hard As It Sounds
First, he needed a tail light, which he sourced from Rivian’s Seattle service center for $700. In the video below, he demonstrates exactly what it takes to replace the part. In short, it’s a simple procedure that most gearheads and shadetree mechanics can accomplish. The really tricky part of the entire process was fixing the dents he’d put in his tailgate.
As it turns out, though, he’s familiar with paintless dent repair. No, he didn’t tackle the job himself, but rather he sourced a high-quality PDR professional to do the work. For just $200, the technician managed to pull out the big dents in his tailgate and even straighten some imperfections in the middle of it.
While Wilkerson admits that it’s not technically perfect, it’s the kind of fix that most people wouldn’t notice from 10 feet away. His attitude about it now is that, while he might eventually get the rest fixed, part of him appreciates the “battle scars” that show his truck is actually used for what it was made for.
Why Not Use Insurance?
Now, some readers might be asking why Wilkerson didn’t just file an insurance claim. Well, he addressed that too. “By the time I go through the whole process, I’d be without my vehicle for weeks,” he explained. And that’s a very valid concern. Given the notoriously long repair wait times at Rivian service centers, it’s not surprising that many owners would rather avoid the hassle entirely.
On top of that, insurance companies are totaling more vehicles than ever before. A recent study says that there’s a 42 percent chance of damage leading to a total loss than there was just a few years ago. While Wilkerson’s incident might not have led to that outcome, doing it the way he did assured that it wasn’t even possible.
Nikola’s ex-CEO has been fully pardoned by US President Donald Trump.
Trevor Milton has also dropped a trailer for a new documentary about Nikola’s troubles.
He has long protested his innocence and criticized NY’s 90+% conviction rate.
Update: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he pardoned Trevor Milton. When asked why he did so, Trump told reporters at the White House, “I think he was exonerated. And then they brought him into New York, he had a rough, rough road, and … he was exonerated. It was a big celebration.”
“They say the thing that he did wrong was, he was one of the first people that supported a gentleman named Donald Trump for president,” Trump continued, according to CNBC. “He supported Trump. He liked Trump. I didn’t know him, but he liked him.”
“They persecuted him, they destroyed five years of his life. He… fought for five years of his life, and he did nothing wrong. And he’s a good person,” the President added.
Original story follows below.
In December 2023, Trevor Milton, the founder and former CEO of Nikola, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for engaging in securities and wire fraud. Fast forward to today, and he’s sent out a press release claiming he’s been pardoned by US President Donald Trump. Furthermore, Milton says he’s about to release a documentary that promises to dive deep into the controversies surrounding Nikola.
Trump had criticized hydrogen cars during his 2024 campaign, suggesting the vehicles were prone to exploding. Meanwhile, his advisor and head of the DOGE division, Elon Musk, was locked in an ongoing feud with Trevor Milton, trading barbed insults. A few years ago, Musk tweeted, “Fuel cells = fool sells,” calling the technology “staggeringly dumb” in reference to Nikola’s hydrogen-powered trucks.
Milton, who has been out on bail since his sentencing, has vigorously appealed the court’s decision to lock him up. Originally, he was slapped with a $1 million fine in addition to his prison sentence and three years of supervised release. On top of that, he was ordered to pay Nikola $167.7 million for making false and misleading statements.
The entrepreneur has long pleaded his innocence, and in a YouTube documentary to be released soon, he says he will now tell his side of the story.
“This pardon is not just about me—it’s about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that’s a lot of people,” Milton said. “It is no wonder why trust and confidence in the Justice Department has eroded to nothing. I wish judges would stop believing whatever the prosecutors feed them so Americans could trust the justice system again. Until that happens, our justice system will continue to erode until there is nothing left.”
“The 90+% conviction rate in New York is appalling and is a result of prosecutors getting whatever they want and putting innocent people in prison,” he added. “I saw firsthand the tactics they use to achieve those guaranteed convictions. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for his courage in standing up for what is right and for granting me this sacred pardon of innocence.”
The documentary, Conviction of Conspiracy: The Trevor Milton Saga, has been directed by British filmmaker Mark Soldinger. A preview for the film claims it will be “pulling back the curtain on the media firestorm, legal maneuvers, and unseen dynamics that shaped the outcome” of the case.
The film appears to have been produced by Milton himself, and a trailer was shared to his personal YouTube channel. Whether or not it will show an accurate representation of what happened remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to see behind the scenes of Nikola’s struggles.
Today I was issued a full and unconditional pardon by @realDonaldTrump himself. He called me personally to tell me.
This pardon is not just about me—it’s about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that’s a lot of people. It is no wonder… pic.twitter.com/qpT0jjI6Fy
New York lawmakers are attempting to stop Tesla from selling directly to buyers in the state.
Tesla’s permits to sell directly could be offered to other EV firms, including Rivian.
The move by Democrat lawmakers is a response to CEO Elon Musk’s DOGE activities.
Some Tesla owners disgusted at CEO Elon Musk’s DOGE work for the US government, are selling their EVs, and some non-Tesla drivers are vandalizing the automaker’s EVs and property to show their displeasure. Now New York lawmakers are planning their own attack on Musk by attempting to remove Tesla’s right to sell directly to customers in the state.
Democrat senators are pushing to rescind permits granted in 2014 that allow Tesla to sell directly to consumers. Like several other US states, New York normally forbids direct sales, requiring automakers to sell through dealers. Even other EV makers such as Lucid and Rivian, which sell directly in other states, are not allowed to in New York.
State Sen. Pat Fahy is leading the charge to rip up Tesla’s right to operate at five locations, but the five permits wouldn’t disappear altogether. Instead, they could be offered to rival brands, though some lawmakers and dealer groups believe the permits should be axed because they give too much power to a small number of people.
A similar bill designed to end Tesla’s direct-sales freedoms has been introduced in Washington state, and a bill proposing sales limits be raised for direct-to-consumer outlets has stalled, Politico reports. And none of this is rooted in hatred for Tesla itself, but for the man at the head of the company.
Since President Trump moved back into the White House, Musk has focused his energy on the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), whose federal cost-cutting drive has left thousands of people unemployed. He has also caused outrage by attempting to win DOGE employees access to sensitive tax information of millions of Americans.
And restricting Tesla’s sales isn’t the only way lawmakers could hit Musk in the pocket. Fahy – an EV advocate – and other senators have written to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, asking him to sell off Tesla shares owned by the New York State pension fund.
Toyota delays its Japanese battery plant due to slower-than-expected EV demand growth.
The Fukuoka battery plant delay might impact its expected operational start date in 2028.
The next generation of Toyota EVs could offer driving ranges up to 620 miles (1,000 km).
Toyota is hitting the brakes—slightly—on one of its major EV infrastructure projects in Japan. While the company still plans to move forward with a new battery plant, construction won’t begin as soon as originally expected. The pause comes as Toyota adjusts its EV strategy.
The plant is slated for Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture, and according to local Governor Seitaro Hattori, an agreement on the exact location was supposed to be finalized in April. That timeline has now slipped to sometime in the fall. The facility had been scheduled to start operations in 2028, but the delay could push that date back as well.
Toyota is still committed to building the facility, Nikkei Asia reports, but the company is now reevaluating what will actually be produced there. Initially, the plant was intended to manufacture batteries for Toyota’s next generation of electric vehicles, some of which are targeting a range of up to 620 miles (1,000 kilometers).
The shift reflects a broader recalibration of Toyota’s EV ambitions. While global electric car sales are still climbing, they’re not accelerating as fast as some carmakers once projected. That mismatch between forecasts and reality is now prompting the company to rethink its targets.
Back in 2022, Toyota announced it aimed to sell 1.5 million EVs annually by 2026. That number was cut to 1 million in 2023, and most recently trimmed again to just 800,000 units. The company hasn’t abandoned EVs by any stretch, it’s simply adjusting expectations in a market that’s proving to be more complex and less predictable than initially suggested.
Earlier this month, Toyota established a new Chinese subsidiary for Lexus that will develop and build EVs and batteries at a plant in China. The plant will be located in Shanghai and will manufacture several models exclusively for the Chinese market.
Canada is putting a magnifying glass on EV rebates headed to Tesla after a strange bump in sales.
Until it verifies every single sale associated with the rebates, it won’t send Tesla the money.
It’s also banned Elon Musk’s brand from future subsidy programs while US tariffs exist against it.
Earlier this month, Tesla sparked outrage among Canadian auto dealers after selling an astonishing 8,653 cars in just three days across four stores, which equates to roughly two cars per minute for three straight days, including the hours the stores were closed. The company then filed for C$43.1 million (US$30M) in rebates.
That all unfolded right before Canada ran out of cash in its EV rebate fund. The combination of factors led officials to wonder if Tesla gamed the system somehow. Now, the Canadian government is freezing payments to the EV maker led by US presidential adviser Elon Musk, while it sorts everything out.
Everyone suspected that, as funds in the EV rebate program dwindled, sales would rise a bit. That would be great for Tesla in Canada, especially since it was struggling to move cars early this year. But selling 8,653 cars in just three days? That’s not just a boost, it’s a bit of a red flag. Something felt off.
The Freeze and a Tariff Twist
On Tuesday, Canada’s Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland made the call to freeze C$43 million (equal to $30M at current exchange rates) worth of payments. “As soon as I became Transport Minister, I asked the department to stop all payments for Tesla vehicles in order to fully examine each claim individually and determine whether all are eligible and valid,” Freeland said in a statement to the Toronto Star. “No payments will be made until we are confident that the claims are valid.”
But Freeland didn’t stop there.
“I also directed my department to change the eligibility criteria for future iZEV programs to ensure that Tesla vehicles will not be eligible for incentives so long as the illegitimate and illegal US tariffs are imposed against Canada” she added.
Freeland has also directed changes to eligibility criteria for future rebate programs, potentially making Tesla vehicles ineligible for subsidies until issues regarding U.S. tariffs are resolved.
By linking the issue to US tariffs, the Canadian government is addressing a situation that is largely beyond Tesla’s control, as tariff decisions are made at the national level. While the embattled CEO may have a close relationship with the American President, he doesn’t have the power to end the tariffs on his own. Currently, Trump is planning additional tariffs for April 2. However, he’s already backtracked and flip-flopped on his plans multiple times. Perhaps he’ll reconsider his strategy if Musk begins to feel the pressure.
A Sting for Local Dealers
Back in Canada, Freeland also mentioned that the government would reimburse more than 200 independently owned auto dealers who were left out of about CA$10 million after fronting rebates to customers without being able to file for reimbursement.
Huw Williams, spokesman for the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), welcomed the news.
“CADA has been shocked at the revelations that Tesla was somehow allowed to … take $43 million in rebates while locally owned dealers have been left holding the bag on funds advanced to customers on behalf of the federal government,” he told the Toronto Star. “While the news that Tesla payments are being frozen pending investigation is positive news, this should have happened months ago,” he added.
It’s worth mentioning that Elon Musk, who holds a Canadian passport and has sparked controversy by posting (and later deleting) on X that “Canada is not a real country,” has significantly benefited from Canadian EV rebates. Since 2019, Tesla has claimed $713 million in rebates, making it the largest recipient of these incentives by far.
The electric hatch could use the same powertrain as the Abarth 600e.
The new GTi version of the e-208 could more punch upwards of 230 hp.
Peugeot hasn’t had a GTi model in its line-up since the 308 in 2021.
Peugeot has confirmed that it will launch a GTi version of the all-electric e-208 hatch. While limited details about it are known at this stage, it could very well make for an appealing proposition to buyers who’d like to purchase an EV, but also want something engaging to drive.
The new e-208 GTi will be the brand’s first performance-focused electric vehicle and is set to be launched “as soon as possible.” While recently speaking to the media, Peugeot boss Alain Favey said relaunching the GTi brand will help it “reconnect” with its past and history while also establishing a link between Peugeot’s road cars and its involvement in the World Endurance Championship.
“I’m in a position to confirm that we will reintroduce the GTi on the e-208 as soon as possible,” Favey told Autocar. “We’ve made the decision that Peugeot GTi will be reintroduced. We want to continue to nurture the reputation of the brand for driving sensations and the fact that our cars produce particular driving sensations, either as a driver or as someone that is being driven in the car.”
The GTi version of the e-208 will use the same platform as the standard model, but could borrow powertrain components from the Abarth 600e. That car is powered by a front-mounted electric motor with 237 hp and comes equipped with a Torsen limited-slip differential. Given that the e-208 is a bit smaller than the 600e, Peugeot’s hot hatch should be pretty nippy, perhaps capable of hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) in less than 6 seconds.
Favey added that, apart from the e-208, Peugeot will consider launching a new combustion-engined GTi if that’s what customers want.
“We will start with the 208 and [are] definitely listening to your inputs, or what our customers will say as well,” he said. “We don’t exclude that there might be other executions of the 208 GTi under the GTi badge, but for today there’s absolutely nothing planned in that sense.”
California has 48% more public and shared charging stations than gas nozzles.
A vast majority of them are Level 2 chargers, but the state is home to 16,971 fast chargers.
The state invests heavily in supporting EVs and roughly 25% of new purchases are ZEVs.
California is one of the largest markets for electric vehicles and that means there’s a lot of demand for charging infrastructure. However, they’re up to the challenge as the California Energy Commission recently announced 178,549 public and shared private chargers have been installed statewide.
That’s an impressive number, especially when you consider there are only an estimated 120,000 gas nozzles in the state. That means there are 48% more EV chargers than gas dispensers.
However, things aren’t that simple as a vast majority of chargers (162,178) are Level 2 units that can take hours to deliver a notable charge. This makes them ideal for home use and the California Energy Commission estimates there are more than 700,000 Level 2 chargers in single-family homes.
The remaining 16,971 or 9.5% are DC fast chargers. While their speed can vary, some fast chargers can deliver over 100 miles (161 km) of range in 15 minutes or less.
California credits their impressive charging infrastructure to “dedicating billions to support clean transportation goals” including approving a $1.4 billion investment plan to create the most extensive charging and hydrogen network in the country. There are also other efforts such as a $55 million project to install fast charging stations at businesses and other publicly accessible locations across the state.
California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild said, “The California EV driver experience is getting better by the day. The state will continue to heavily invest in EV infrastructure, with particular emphasis in hard-to-reach areas, making these vehicles an easy choice for new car buyers.”
That’s good news for residents of the Golden State, where approximately 25% of new car purchases are zero-emission vehicles. Of course, any change to federal incentives could put a damper on sales.
Four Mazda models will reportedly be discontinued by the end of 2025.
The death row includes the crossovers, sedans, wagons and even a hatch.
Unsurprisingly, only the SUV is expected to receive a successor in the future.
Mazda’s future lineup is shaping up to be exciting, with a new generation of the popular CX-5 and a hybrid rotary-powered sports car in the works. But don’t get too attached to some of its current models, as several are being sent off to the great scrapyard of automotive history, with production scheduled to end before 2025 wraps up.
The cars on the chopping block include the Mazda2 supermini, the closely related CX-3 subcompact SUV, the Mazda6 sedan, and the fully electric MX-30 crossover.
The MX-30: A Quick Disappearance
First up is the MX-30, Mazda’s first-ever production electric vehicle, as reported by Creative Trend. It’s not exactly going out with a bang. Set to end production in March 2025, the battery-electric MX-30 never quite found its footing in the market. With a steep price tag and a range that barely made it past the corner store, it struggled to attract attention. And despite being relatively new—just five years old—the car won’t even get a mid-cycle update, let alone a second generation.
However, the rotary range-extender version of the MX-30, the e-SkyActiv R-EV, will live on for the time being, so don’t worry, rotary fans, there’s still a sliver of hope for you. But Mazda’s first attempt at an electric vehicle might be best remembered as an experiment that went a little too far off the rails.
Next up is the aging Mazda2, which is reportedly nearing its end. The current generation of this small hatchback debuted in 2014 and received facelifts in 2019 and 2023. Its most recent update came in 2024, when it got a new infotainment system for the Japanese market. However, those updates don’t seem to be enough to keep it going, as Mazda is reportedly planning to phase it out before the end of 2025.
Sadly, there’s no word on a direct successor to Mazda’s most affordable model in Japan. The only clue is a trademark filing for the Mazda2e name, which might be used for a future entry-level electric vehicle.
It’s possible that Mazda will step away from the supermini segment for a few years, pushing buyers toward the upcoming small crossover (more on that later). However, European customers can still grab the Mazda2 Hybrid, which is essentially a rebadged version of the Toyota Yaris.
The CX-3: The SUV That Could Have Been
The Mazda CX-3, the subcompact SUV that’s been soldiering on mostly unchanged since 2014, will also meet its end in September 2025. Despite a facelift in 2018 and a handful of other tweaks over the years, the CX-3 has struggled to maintain relevance in an evolving market. It’s already been discontinued in North America and Europe, but it remains available in Japan and select Asian markets.
Luckily for Mazda fans, a successor of the CX-3 appears to be under development. The model has appeared in official teaser sketches earlier this year, revealing a compact footprint and fresh styling with a CX-5-inspired nose and a coupe-SUV stance. We also know that the new generation of the small SUV will be manufactured in Thailand, although it is not clear when it will debut and whether it will be available in Europe or Japan.
Mazda6: The Sedan That Was Just a Little Too Late
Lastly, we have the Mazda6 sedan, a long-time staple in Mazda’s lineup that is also ready to exit stage left. The current generation, introduced in 2012, has seen a couple of facelifts over the years but never managed to gain the traction it needed to keep up with shifting market trends. The Mazda6 said its goodbyes to North America in 2021, bid farewell to the UK in 2023, and was axed from Japan in 2024. Now, it’s also been dropped from the Australian market for failing to meet certain regulations.
But don’t mourn the Mazda6 just yet. While Mazda has shelved plans for a new internal combustion engine sedan, the fully electric 6e will serve as an indirect successor of the 6 in Europe and the UK. This Changan-based model is already available in China as the Mazda EZ-6, offering both range-extender and full EV powertrains.
After CarPlay and Android Auto were dropped from GM EVs, a dealer provided a solution.
The dealership that installed the CarPlay Kit has been ordered to stop doing so.
That’s because GM continues to pursue Ultifi software for its Ultium-platform EVs.
Remember the good old days when radio head units were a one-size-fits-all affair, and dealers or aftermarket suppliers could quickly and easily upgrade your car’s stereo with a screwdriver and a bit of elbow grease? The gradual replacement of single and double-DIN head units for proprietary layouts, screens, and software was heralded as progress. But when car manufacturers decide they no longer want to include a feature, it leaves frustrated owners without an option.
That’s what happened when General Motors decided to drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for its Ultium EV platform. Naturally, customers were a little miffed, but one dealer came to the rescue, offering to install an aftermarket solution that allows screen mirroring.
But now GM has stopped it, according to The Drive. The dealer claims GM instructed them to stop offering the kit. Additionally, the manufacturer of the kit pulled the product from its website, claiming it was no longer viable to keep selling it.
Mirroring Dreams
Back in 2023, General Motors made the controversial decision to drop Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support from its new-generation EVs. Instead, it would offer its own smartphone-compatible software solution: Ultifi.
At the time, GM defended the move, saying that it helped the company offer a more “deeply integrated experience that you can create with the vehicle” by building a system from the ground up. The future of autonomy, as well as other features such as battery preconditioning, were all listed as reasons why GM’s own tech was the way forward.
As is often the case, the aftermarket seemingly came to the rescue when White Automotive and Media Services (WAMS) developed a kit that allowed OEM-like integration of the two most popular screen mirroring apps.
The only catch was that the WAMS kit wasn’t something a hobbyist or casual user could install. Instead, it required a specialist touch. A single dealership, LaFontaine Chevrolet in Plymouth, Michigan, was tapped to offer the professional install.
The Unsurprising Block
As you can easily guess, GM wasn’t very pleased with the situation. The company launched an investigation into the kit, and a company spokesperson said: “Aftermarket services that introduce features not originally designed, thoroughly tested, and approved by GM may cause unintended issues for customers. These issues could affect critical safety features and may also void portions of the vehicle’s warranty.”
It all sounds like this was a specialist piece of kit that, at best, modified and, at worst, wholly bypassed GM’s proprietary software. And with the amount of data that cars can collect nowadays, there’s also a question mark over just how protected one’s personal info is after the installation of a third-party device. As we’ve reported many times, though, that’s also a big issue for automakers themselves and how they use owners’ data, so it’s kinda the kettle calling the pot black.
Are We At The Mercy Of Automakers?
With the WAMS system only offered by one dealership and the complexity of the kit precluding DIY installers, it can be assumed that with the only distribution channel shut down, WAMS couldn’t see a future in the product.
However, it’s another stark reminder that as cars become more tech-laden, we’re increasingly at the behest of the manufacturers who can decide to end support for key selling points at any time. Not to mention putting already installed features behind a paywall despite the hardware already being there. Sure, they might call them subscriptions, but milking their customers trying to cash in for a software update by any other name still smells fishy.
Up until now, the Model Y Juniper has only been available in the Launch Edition in the USA.
However, inventory of the pre-facelift Model Y is quickly dwindling, with very few still on sale.
Tesla is likely preparing to release the “normal” versions of the updated Model Y in the States.
Time is running out for anyone still holding out for the outgoing version of the Model Y—whether it’s for its looks or the eye-popping discounts that stretch to nearly $9,000. Tesla still has a few left, but as of now, there are fewer than 50 available across the US, signaling that the normal Model Y Juniper is likely just around the corner. Of course, that number’s been fluctuating since the weekend, bouncing between 40 and 190, so don’t get too comfortable yet.
Early adopters have already had a taste of the Model Y Juniper, but it’s been limited to the Launch Edition trim so far. And as you’d expect from something called “Launch Edition,” it’s not cheap. The base price of this version is $59,990. You’re paying a premium for all the extras—think special paint colors and the $7,500 Full Self-Driving option, which is bundled in at no extra charge. But hey, at least you get all the bells and whistles.
Elsewhere in the world, the “normal” versions of the updated Model Y are already on sale. In the US, though, Model Y buyers have just two options: they can pay more for the fully-loaded Juniper Launch Edition, or snap up one of the old versions still lingering in Tesla’s inventory, since orders for the pre-facelift model are no longer being accepted.
According to Tesla-Info, there are just 43 pre-facelift cars left in the country and, logically, Tesla should be getting ready to launch the “normal” Model Y Juniper. No doubt, interested buyers will be happy about the news.
The updated Model Y is significantly nipped and tucked compared to the outgoing one. The footprint is nearly identical, but the exterior styling is dramatically different. The new car takes on much the same lighting design as the Cybertruck and the curves are a touch sleeker. The cabin has also been updated with higher-quality materials, more screens, LEDs, new ventilated front seats and more.
That said, if you’re still holding out for a deal on the older version, time is running short. As of now, there are no Standard Range versions left, but there are still 10 Long Range AWD models and 33 Performance variants scattered across the country, with discounts ranging from $1,610 to $8,750.
As we’ve pointed out before, the old 470 hp Model Y Performance is incredibly fast and very practical. And, for as little as $32K—if you qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit, plus any additional state-level EV incentives—it’s essentially a steal for what you’re getting. So, if you’re on the fence, now might be the time to snag one before they’re gone, unless you absolutely have your heart set on the Juniper.
Audi’s CEO has revealed plans for a new entry-level EV to join the lineup.
The yet-unnamed model will be in the same segment with the Audi A3.
Production of the new Audi will take place in Ingolstadt, starting in 2026.
Audi might have decided to keep ICE alive for longer than initially expected, but that won’t affect the planned rollout of new EVs. One of them will be an entry-level model similar to the ICE-powered Audi A3, which is expected to debut next year.
The news were shared by Audi CEO Gernot Döllner during an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Döllner described the upcoming model as “an electric vehicle in the same class as the A3”. He also revealed that the EV will be produced in Ingolstadt, starting in 2026.
The current generation of the Audi A3 was introduced in 2020 based on the MQB architecture and received a mid-lifecycle update in 2024. This means that the (as yet unnamed) EV that could adopt the A2 E-tron or A3 E-tron moniker will be a standalone offering that’ll be sold alongside the A3 rather than replacing it.
The timing of the launch of the compact-sized Audi makes us believe it will ride on the existing MEB architecture, which is already used by the Audi Q4 e-tron and the entire VW ID family. The new EV-dedicated SSP platform is expected to arrive in 2028 or 2029, underpinning the VW Golf Mk9 and future electric iterations of the VW T-Roc, Skoda Octavia, and Cupra Leon.
Chances are that the new Audi will adopt a five-door hatchback bodystyle which is more popular in Europe than four-door sedans. Of course, no one can rule out the possibility of a small crossover, similar to the A3 AllStreet. In any case, the EV will likely inherit the latest styling language of the Ingolstadt brand, combined with high-tech features in the cabin and competitive range figures.
The entry-level EV could be Audi’s version of the upcoming VW ID.2 that’s also expected to arrive in production form in 2026. If this turns out to be the case, its pricing will be higher than the sub-€25k VW, in line with the more premium market positioning of the Audi brand within the VW Group.
Besides the upcoming A3-sized EV, Audi’s CEO has also revealed that the company will introduce a new model in China this April, which is being developed locally with the help of SAIC.
The German brand is currently going through a tough period due to weaker than expected EV adoption, tough competition, and political uncertainty. It recently announced plans of eliminating 7,500 jobs in Germany by 2029 in a “socially responsible” manner.
A school bus driver inspired to give back to children in need, donated shoes to local organizations serving kids, reported Yahoo News.
Bryant School District bus driver Jo Cahill went the extra mile by donating 75 pairs of shoes to a local organization that serves children in need.
Cahill told local news reporters that she has seen students getting on her bus that don’t even have shoes or socks on in 12-degree weather.
Last month Cahill went into a store with the mindset of running in and out. However, after passing the shoe aisle, she saw the shoes were on sale for $1.
According to the article, Cahill, who has been a driver for 10 years, purchased every pair with no plan on what to do with them. She said she prayed and remembered her superintendent, Dr. Karen Walters, is a member of the local Rotary Club, which was accepting clothing donations for the Kids Closet.
The community service project provides free clothes to children since 2008. It is supported through donations from local people of Saline County and is specifically geared towards those living in the area.
Pat Baker, who runs the Kids Closet, told reporters that Cahill’s donation was a blessing. Workers were left putting up shoes for many weeks.
Both Kids Closet’s and Cahill’s mission is making sure each student knows they have value.
School bus manufacturing leadership has seen a flurry of activity over the past six months. True to form, Thomas Built Buses looked within the Daimler Truck North America family for its next president and CEO to succeed Kevin Bangston, who now leads Daimler Truck Financial Services. T.J. Reed got his start at Daimler Truck in September 1998 and has spent 19 years total with the company, and nearly another six years spent at Meritor heading its global electrification as well as front drive train businesses. He was tapped in October to lead Thomas.
“It feels like five, six years already, and that’s been a good thing,” he told School Transportation News last month. “Early on, I had my first trade shows. I was blown away [by] how the entire industry was really on the same page, not only the camaraderie and the spirit of working together [but] on a common mission. But it was OE’s, suppliers, districts, contractors really just loving what they do and being passionate about school buses. That’s rubbed off. And you can’t help but feel that when you’re in High Point at Thomas.”
Thomas would not comment on potential tariff impact, but the American Trucking Associations’ outlook is a potential price increases of up to $35,000 for a heavy-duty truck, granted those are made in Mexico whereas Thomas is not.
Meanwhile, Reed said employees are “pumping out” high-quality school buses every single day and benefitting from increased investment to accomplish the job. In July, the manufacturer announced its new Saf-T-Liner HDX2 school bus and moving production to the C2 SafT-Liner plant in Archdale, North Carolina, for increased efficiency and quality.
He also discussed the HDX2 as well as efficiency improvements to the second-generation Jouley electric school bus, the continued role of diesel, and more.
The following transcript was edited for clarity and space.
STN: Talk about why Thomas chose the Accelera e-axle to power the latest Jouley.
TJ Reed: I think the biggest thing, Ryan, and when you look at it, I would say the technical concept or the promise of an e-axle is you’re not only increasing performance from an efficiency perspective, you’re lowering the weight, you’re improving packaging. It’s ideally suited for school bus, even a last mile item. If you think about it, you’re taking a lot of components that are inside the frame rails that add a lot of weight, and you’re basically collapsing it down inside the housing of a carrier. And you got your traditional axle, you’ve got your motor and your transmission all in a compact space, and
that frees up a lot of room for batteries to be placed in between the rails, and you can shorten the wheelbase. That had been some of the challenges with the early generations. You were pretty restricted on the variation of the product. And as we know, school buses are pretty custom. So, this just opens up a lot of flexibility. And the other great thing is this continued maturity of components. The product’s been out in the market for a while, been operating in a heavy-truck configuration. We know it’ll live in the life cycle and certainly Cummins/Accelera is a great partner. They have a lot of resources and know-how. All those things come together. It could be just a much better experience for the districts and the bus operators. Just another step in the progression. This is great to see it come to market now.
STN: We have seen some electric school bus market consolidation recently. What is Thomas’ perspective on ramping up production to meet demand? How is Thomas positioning itself to meet that demand?
Reed: It’s a long-term play. As we like to say, we’re leading with the long view. At the end of day, school bus is the ideal duty cycle when you got majority of ranges under 100 miles a day. You’ve got overnight charging in the depot. You’ve got a lot of stop and go for regenerative braking. It’s ideally set so that it is specific to school buses. But you know, part of Daimler, globally we serve markets all around the world and want to lead in this space. With that, we work with a lot of different partners, from battery partners, drive systems, accessories, financial services. It’s a significant investment for our dealers as well. [Daimler has] continued to invest, like in the Greenlane [charging station joint venture]. Those things take time to put in place, and you don’t make investments on short-term plays. This is a long-term play, and this is an area that we think is going to be not only the right thing to do for our environment, for our communities, but it’s going to be the right long-term play for our customers from an efficiency and certainly from a health and community perspective, especially on school buses.
That’s why it’s important we have what I would call our core business based upon internal combustion engines. That generates the cash flow that allows us to invest in a lot of this technology. We’ve got, I would say, that very phased approach, where we install, we learn, we adapt, we perfect, we continue to move forward. That’s not only just with us, that’s with our customers, as we learn how to put these new vehicles in applications that they hadn’t been in before. We’ve been doing internal combustion engines for over 100 years, and that was always changing and evolving. So, there’s nothing different here. But it’s nice, too, from a Daimler perspective, we have the global toolbox, that know-how. There are components and systems that we can use that work for us in a school bus application, some that don’t. So, we have that optionality to really work with a lot of different partners, including ourselves. That gives us a lot of capability.
STN: We’ll get back to diesel in a moment. Obviously, range is a challenge with electric school buses. But infrastructure has been named by many as the biggest challenge to adoption and scalability. Does that continue to be the number one obstacle? Are there others?
Reed: We have a kind of famous calculation that we always talk about in the marketplace. You’ve got to have infrastructure readiness. You’ve got to have a vehicle that’s ready. Then, you’ve got to have basically the economics from a TCO of operation. If any one of those factors is zero, the calculation is zero. And certainly, we’re still in the very early days of infrastructure. So, for us to get to the point where we’re going to start to scale and see higher volumes, we’ve got to have infrastructure certainly coming in at a much greater pace. That’s not just only for school buses, that’s commercial vehicles, that’s passenger cars, that’s everything, in general. I think that theme hasn’t changed. We’ve seen investment, we’ve seen partnerships, but those need to continue to scale up. Then the second part of the equation is, we ’ve got the vehicles. They’re ready. They’re performing in the market today, and they’re getting better and better every day. And as they do that, that’s going to increase volume. As volume increases, that’s going to start to bring the cost down to help with the TCO parity. All those three things need to line up, and infrastructure remains the biggest challenge, not just in the school bus industry but really across the board.
STN: What role has the EPA Clean School Bus Program played in terms of pricing electric school buses compared to supply chain congestion?
Reed: There’s certainly circular logic when it comes to supply and demand in how that impacts costs. I would say this, from a technology development what we’re looking to do in our longterm plans [is] for component systems that drive down costs, that are getting, I would say better performance, more range. The reality is, in the near-term, those are still very low volume systems, and you know that at the end day that battery-electric
vehicles will be significantly more expensive than internal combustion engines from a
scale perspective. There was the [viewpoint] that battery cell cost was going to start to come down, and then you really saw the supply chain crunch… I would say commodities that go into battery development spiked. So, prices went up. We were dealing with that. And now, too, it is absolutely true in these early days [that] funding is critically important to kind of drive the early development of those early adopters. And as that either steps down or is removed, then the cost obviously goes up, and that then kind of lowers volume. I wouldn’t say it’s going to stop our progress, but it will certainly have an impact and slow it. But again, we see it as a long-term view, that it’s not an if, it’s a when. Now that one, I can’t tell you, but it’s still a situation where we probably got to have the infrastructure coming back in. There’s got to be some level of subsidies for that. In the meantime, we’re all working in unison to bring better technology to market at a lower cost, so that takes time to do, collectively.
STN: We’ve also seen an industry trend toward bigger electric school buses. Do you have any plans that you’re willing to talk about as to an eventual electric HDX2?
Reed: I’ll foreshadow this. Some great news is coming. But what I would tell you is we absolutely see the need in the market. We absolutely see the need in our product portfolio, and we have some great solutions, so stay tuned.
STN: Daimler Trucks North American recently added investment into Detroit Diesel, and the California Air Resources Board ceased seeking additional federal waivers to fully implement its Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule for heavy-duty trucks. How do these developments impact the school bus market?
Reed: The Detroit Diesel investment, that’s more for our heavy-duty products, more on the truck side. Everything that we do on the school bus is medium range. That’s Cummins, our partner there. When you look at that, just in terms of diesel, we believe you need all types because the applications are so vast, that the use cases are so different that you need a lot of different technologies to drive to zero emissions. Diesel has a critical role to play. And you’re right, with a lot of investment not only by us in our proprietary engines but our partners from Cummins and our competitors as well, it is continuing to lower emissions. You’ve got GHG phase three that will be coming in 2027. There’s additional tailpipe reductions. All those are being engineered into our buses now. I mean significantly lower NOx and particulate matter, even over the last 10 years. These are much cleaner running engines today. There are requirements, yes, for the ACT rule, where in some states, in order to be able to sell internal combustion engines, you have to have a certain number of battery electric. But that’s been, I would say, one of the success stories of the Clean School Bus Program. It’s seeded enough diesel capability or opportunity in some of these states, we haven’t had an issue with that. Diesel is going to continue to play a role as well as other modes of propulsion. We’re invested in all.
STN: And in terms of gasoline or octane, Thomas is also coming out with an option provided by Cummins in 2026 or 2027.
Reed: We’re making investments across different modes of propulsion, different emissions technologies. You’ve got to have answers for all your customers, no matter what their duty cycle is. And octane, you know, gasoline will play a big role for that. We’re excited about that as well.
STN: Thank you
Editor’s Note: As reprinted in the March 2025 issue of School Transportation News.
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