TEN 552 | DoE Bans ‘Climate Change,’ Automakers Go DIY on EV Credits, Renewables Win!

Today’s show is sponsored by the Electric Vehicle Association! Join up to support the electrification of transport today! 

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Welcome back to another episode of TEN — Transport Evolved News! Thanks for joining me. As I say in the Sunday videos over on Take Two, I hope you’re well, safe, and with someone you care about who also cares for you. A quick note: today’s main stories are fairly U.S.-centric. Unfortunately, that’s just how the news cycle works sometimes. Sorry to those of you elsewhere!

It’s now October, which means a raft of sales data has come in from the third quarter, mostly for the U.S. Because we film this show on a Thursday, it’s likely more figures have been released since then, so we can’t include everything.

The end of the U.S. Federal Tax Credits for EVs caused a noticeable bump in sales. Ford saw a total of thirty-thousand, six hundred and twelve EVs sold in the U.S., while GM delivered more than double that at sixty-six thousand, five hundred, placing it in second place. Hyundai moved twenty-eight thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three EVs, and Kia managed twelve thousand, seven hundred and twelve. Honda finished the quarter with twenty-thousand, two hundred and thirty-six Prologues sold. Meanwhile, Tesla announced global Q3 sales of four hundred and ninety-seven thousand vehicles. And, as an hoary mention, in Norway, EVs accounted for ninety-eight point three percent of all cars sold, setting a new record! Well done!

Despite Ford enjoying a significant rise in sales of its F150 Lightning full-size pickup and Mustang Mach-E, CEO Jim Farley sounded a note of caution this week about changing market dynamics. 

Marking the end of the U.S. Federal tax credit for EVs, Farley spoke at the Ford Pro Accelerate Summit in Detroit, saying he still believes EVs will remain a vibrant industry, but the focus must shift to smaller, more affordable models. He admitted that Ford’s customers have surprised him, noting they are not interested in a seventy-five thousand dollar EV. On the Verge’s Decoder Podcast, Farley also discussed Ford’s upcoming compact pickup, noting that while styled as a pickup, it’s rear-wheel drive, very fast, and fun to drive. Given Ford trademarked the “Ranchero” for EV use earlier this year, it all but confirms what we can expect in terms of styling, name, and designed use. 

The U.S. Federal Tax Credit might be officially dead, but automakers are finding creative ways to keep it alive in spirit. 

This week, both Ford and GM announced new lease programs that effectively get around the end of the tax credit. Each company’s finance arm put down a deposit on all EVs in dealer inventory before the credit expired, making them eligible under a carve-out in the law, as long as the vehicles are leased, not financed. Meanwhile, BMW announced its own discount program for in-stock models, worth seven thousand, five hundred dollars in cash-on-hood deals. Hyundai went further, offering seven thousand, five hundred dollars in incentives and cutting the twenty twenty-six IONIQ 5’s entry price to thirty-five thousand dollars. It’s good to see these deals, but some are asking why these cars weren’t this affordable all along.

New data from the California Energy Commission shows the state has more than two hundred and one thousand public and shared EV charging points, sixty-eight percent more than there are gas-station pumps. 

Governor Newsom notes that ninety-four percent of Californians now live within ten minutes of an EV charging station, and the state plans to continue expanding its network. However, a California-specific replacement tax credit meant to pick up where the federal program left off will not be offered, with Newsom blaming GM and budget constraints. While some commentators note that the governor can sometimes lean too hard into political opportunism, he also points to GM’s opposition to California’s clean-air rules as having “destroyed all progress” since the Air Resources Board was founded in nineteen sixty-seven.

If you’re a Kia or Nissan owner in North America, plug and charge may soon make EV charging seamless –  no more RFID cards or smartphone apps. 

Electrify America and Nissan confirmed this week that the upcoming twenty twenty-six Nissan LEAF will support plug and charge at EA stations in the U.S., and hopefully Canada as well. Current Ariya owners, while not yet supported, can expect the feature soon. Meanwhile, Kia has enabled plug and charge for all twenty twenty-six EV9 and twenty twenty-five EV6 models. To use it, owners must subscribe to Kia’s Connect telematics service and sign up for the Kia Charge Pass Program. I’d expect other Kia models to eventually get the feature via an OTA update, but Kia hasn’t specifically confirmed this in its press release. Watch this space. 

Mercedes-Benz Trucks announced its latest all-electric model this week in Europe — the eActros 400. 

While the truck, based on the same tech as the eActros 600, is likely to prove popular, the CEO of Daimler Truck seems more focused on hydrogen. Posting on LinkedIn, she claimed that installing two thousand hydrogen fueling stations across Europe is “relatively easy” and cheaper than building an electric charging network. She also said grid connections aren’t necessary for hydrogen stations. Both claims fly in the face of current data, which shows high-pressure hydrogen stations use substantial power and are far from cheap to deploy. She went on to suggest Europe will depend on energy imports, despite the continent now generating most of its electricity locally from renewables.

Volkswagen has not enjoyed a great year for EV sales, losing out to rival brands across Europe – and much better priced, better equipped models from China. 

We’ve already covered some slowdowns in Volkswagen EV production on the channel, and this week we learned that its Zwickau production facility is the latest victim of a production readjustment to take these EV sales into account. Multiple news outlets in Germany this week reported that the facility will temporarily stop production for the entirety of next week. The facility currently makes the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.4, ID.5 and Audi Q4 e-tron family on two different production lines. With industrial action likely if things get much worse, there are rumors that a second VW EV production line – the Emden production facility – could also close next week for several days. Watch this space. 

As the U.S. White House continues its war on anything green, the Department of Energy has published a memo banning certain words internally and publicly. 

Acting Director Rachel Overby – who has a history in the oil and gas industry – listed the now verboten terms, including “green,” “decarbonization,” “emissions,” “energy transition,” “climate change,” “sustainability,” “clean or dirty energy,” “carbon emissions,” “CO² footprint,” and anything relating to tax breaks, credits, or subsidies in the memo. Given the DoE’s recent claims dismissing solar and wind power, as “useless,” it’s clear things may get worse before they get better. Yes, we’re living in the Mirror Universe. Prepare for your mustache.

I hate to admit it, but our TE office poll on which car will be cancelled next in a pro-fossil-fuel U.S. just got an answer: Stellantis.

The brand, which already axed the RAM 1500 BEV, slowed EV plans elsewhere, and cancelled a plug-in hybrid Jeep Gladiator, quietly confirmed this week that the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee — meant to outpace an SRT Hellcat — is dead. Surprise? Not at all. Stellantis-owned RAM is busy marketing itself as the Most American company, showcasing everything the world finds toxic about the country: over-the-top patriotism, exceptionalism, and ra-ra-we’re-the-best bravado. The brand is clearly snuggling up to the FIC — Fascist in Charge. And it’s a bad look.

And after what feels like a rough set of stories, let’s wrap up this segment with some great renewable energy news!

In Europe, new data from EuroStat shows that renewable electricity accounted for fifty-four percent of the EU’s net electricity in the second quarter. In June, solar became the EU’s largest single electricity source for the first time, supplying twenty-two percent of all consumed power. Across the Atlantic, the U.S. added five point six gigawatts of new grid-connected power capacity and seventeen point eight gigawatt-hours of energy storage. And at the same time, just published FERC data shows that ninety percent of newly-added U.S. power generating capacity in July came from solar and wind. So much for it being “useless,” eh?

And if you’re in the U.S. and would like like to help the solar mix continue to soar while saving money on your bills, you should probably talk to today’s video sponsor, Energy Sage!

Energy Sage connects you with local, verified solar installers across the United States — and now heat pump specialists in select markets — who really know their stuff and can help guide you through installing solar panels or getting a heat pump. Not a homeowner? No worries. Energy Sage can still help you green your electricity by joining a community solar program!

We used Energy Sage ourselves when looking for installers willing to put solar panels on our roof, and their verified pros were knowledgeable and even introduced us to a great credit union to finance the project with low monthly payments.

As we’ve been saying for months now, incentives for solar — including savings of as much as thirty percent through the federal tax credit — will disappear in less than three months. Solar projects take time, so if you want to lock in these savings, it’s important to act now because… you don’t have time to dawdle.

Follow the links below to sign up for Energy Sage’s free, no-obligation service and get started today! And if you choose an Energy Sage installer, we’ll receive a small referral fee — so you’ll be helping us too! Help the grid get greener, save money, gain energy independence, and support our show — it’s a win-win-win-win!

We’re off to Recall Reminders now — and as a reminder, full details are on our website if these affect you!

NewFlyer, and sister company MCI have both issued recalls for various models of electric buses and coaches. According to the recall notice, affected models may suffer a short circuit within their battery packs. 

The Genesis GV60 has been recalled in the U.S. to address a potential detaching windshield molding detachment, which could cause a road-hazard. Owners will be notified if their cars are affected. 

Finally, Chevrolet is recalling just over twenty-three thousand Equinox EV models to address a pedestrian alert system that’s too quiet. This isn’t the first time GM has had an issue with its noise makers. 

And that’s it for your recall reminders, now it’s time for News Shorts. You’ll find links to the covered stories on our website at www dot transport evolved dot com.

Assets of bankrupt startup Fuell, maker of high-end electric bikes and motorcycles, have been sold for an estimated seventeen thousand dollars, covering only two percent of its seven-million-dollars in debt.

Zoox has announced it is expanding its Robotaxi test fleet to Washington DC. A few weeks after it began rides in and around Las Vegas, its move to Washington DC is a good way to woo lawmakers. 

Lotus has quietly refreshed its electric vehicle lineup for the twenty twenty-six model year. Most of its tweaks include new trim levels, but it has also tweaked its naming convention to indicate motor output. 

Aptera has announced a new Senior VP of Engineering to help it bring its solar electric car to market. The new hire, Leon Kaunitz, is a former Tesla Ford, and Nio employee, with lots of EV experience. 

PNY, the company behind the world’s first electric cargo motorcycle, has completed its first successful fleet trials of the Ponie P2. It promises to revolutionize inner-city parcel delivery services. 

Xiaomi has officially opened its European EV research and development centre. Announced just a few months back, the company aims to use it as a way to help accelerate Xiaomi’s entry into the European market. 

Australian mining company Fortescue has signed new agreements with XCMG and Liebherr that will see it acquire between three and four hundred all-electric two hundred and forty-tonne mining trucks. 

The U.S. And EU have come to an agreement over import tariffs on European cars into the U.S. the new tariff – fifteen percent – is better than the temporary twenty-seven and a half percent tariff, but more than it was previously. 

XPeng has expanded its market availability in Europe, bringing new sales online in Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. It is using both franchised and company-owned dealerships.

Ryan Air – no not the Irish one, one based in Alaska – has signed a deal with Beta Technologies to buy a ALIA Conventional Take-Off and Landing Electric plan for its services across Alaska. 

The government of Croatia has agreed to help fund twenty one million euros out of a twenty-seven point four million euro project to add electric bus chargers in its capital city of Zagreb. 

BYD celebrated this week as it signed a deal with its one hundredth franchised dealership in the UK. In less than two and a half years, it’s gone from zero dealerships to having one in most major cities. 

Subaru has officially priced its twenty twenty-six Solterra EV from thirty-eight thousand, four hundred and ninety-five U.S. dollars in the U.S. – the same price as its predecessor, despite improved charging, upgrade platform, and more range. 

UK firm Octopus has announced that its Octopus Electroverse service now includes Chargertip’s EV routing software, making it easier for customers to embed full route-planning into their services.

The Government of India has announced new operational guidelines for its PM E-Drive program, a program it’s invested in to deploy over seventy-two thousand EV charging stations and swap stations nationwide. 

The French government-backed social leasing program for EVs – that gives low income families a chance to drive electric – is opening for its second round of applicants. Qualifying families can apply now. 

Working alongside Alipitronic, CircleK in Sweden has officially opened its first MCS-compatible charging station. The MCS chargers can accommodate MCS and CCS vehicles. 

Yespark Group, working with Spirii, have teamed up to expand EV charging access across France, Belgium and Italy at yes park Group’s parking facilities. 

The Chinese government has announced a new export license program for EVs leaving China for overseas markets. After January 1st next year, only approved-export models will leave the country.

Charging specialist XChargeEU has opened a new five thousand square-foot technical centre in Madrid Spain. It will help the company accelerate customer support across Southern Europe and Latin America.

Siemens Mobility has just broken ground on a new facility in Bavaria Germany where it will create battery systems for rail projects. It will employ two hundred staff and represents a thirty-five million euro investment. 

The UK county of Essex has welcomed its first all-electric buses to its fleet. Despite its proximity to London, the new route, operated by First Bus, will be Essex’s first all-electric service. 

India’s first EV Truck fleet with swappable battery packs has gone into service at India’s largest container port, located in the Navi Mumbai region of the nation. 

Geely-owned AeroFugia has begun low-volume prototype production of its AE200 eVTOL urban mobility vehicle, capable of carrying six passengers. 

Despite reporting on Bentley allegedly dropping future EV plans last week – Bentley surprised us this week by expanding its Crewe UK headquarters, including a new engineering technical centre that will research new fuel types – including EVs. 

The government of South Korea is considering moving forward plans to ban the sale of internal combustion engine cars. It’s now looking to set a target start date of twenty thirty-five for the ban. 

MAN Truck and Bus, working with DuvenBeck and Hillert, have officially launched a new test program involving an electric trucking route on the A2 in Germany – backed by MCS charging stations. 

Leyland Trucks in the UK has successfully completed its Zero Emission Truck Testing Automation (or ZETTA) project – it aims to help accelerate the UK’s heavy goods fleet transition to electric 

A new electric school bus fleet has officially gone into service in Massachusetts. The thirty-five new electric school buses were made possible by a private public partnership in the region. 

NextStar Energy has received its final occupancy permit from the Ontario government, allowing it to begin preparations for its forty-nine point five gigawatt-hour battery production line.

Daimler Buses in Europe has announced that it will become a charge point operator to facilitate the use of its electric buses across the region Its first charging stations will be deployed in Cologne. 

After selling only eighteen EVs in Japan in August, Toyota and Lexus are doubling down on installing EV fast chargers at dealerships, following unfulfilled prior pledges on dealer fast-charging infrastructure. 

The U.S. Department of Energy — or rather the U.S. Federal Government – has taken an five percent ownership of the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine in Nevada, allegedly to ‘protect taxpayers’. 

South African utility company Eskom has officially added its first electric vehicles to its corporate fleet. Twenty vehicles, ranging from light delivery vehicles to trucks, will soon be joined by a further one hundred.

One week after Volvo confirmed its EX90 was switching to an eight hundred volt pack for the new model year, Polestar has made the same switch for that car’s sibling, the Polestar 3. 

Transit specialist KIEPE has unveiled a new product range that bridges trolleybuses and battery-electric buses—enabling trolleybuses to operate as BEVs and battery buses to recharge from overhead trolley lines.

And finally for the news shorts, one week ahead of its planned debut, the all-new Chevrolet Bolt EV with no camouflage was spotted charging at a Tesla Supercharger. We’ll find out more next week as we’re going to be attending a special event for said car. Watch this space! 

And those are your news shorts! There will be more next week!

Before we get to our final stories, I want to take a moment to talk directly to you.

For fifteen years, Transport Evolved has brought you independent news about cleaner, greener, safer, smarter, and more equitable transportation. Ten of those years have been here in the U.S., and through it all, we’ve stayed true to our mission: covering stories that matter, even when bigger outlets pass them by.

But we can’t do it without you. We’re not backed by corporations or big production budgets. We’re a tiny team—three full-time and one part-time member—working hard to bring you content every week. And like so many other creators, we’re feeling the squeeze. In a landscape where YouTube is quietly silencing independent creators and not recommending diverse voices, highlighting clickbait and AI cruft above real content, ad revenue is falling even when view counts aren’t. Against the backdrop of YouTube kowtowing to blackmail and paying the President twenty-four point five million dollars rather than go to court for silencing his violent rhetoric after January sixth, we’re not sure how long we’ll be welcome—or safe—on the platform.

That’s why, during September and October, we’re holding a special pledge drive. By joining us on Patreon for as little as one dollar fifty a month, you’ll not only keep Transport Evolved going, but become part of the community that sustains independent journalism.

Keep an eye out in the next few weeks as we share feedback from some of the amazing people who make this channel possible—like the lovely DiDGr8, who says they love how TE represents their interests perfectly, from transportation and queer representation through to even some 3D printing from time to time!

If you’re joining the several thousand amazing folx already supporting us, now is the perfect time. Your support keeps Transport Evolved alive and independent—thank you for being part of this journey. And if you’re already a Patreon supporter who’d like to be featured, don’t forget we’re only halfway through our Autumn drive, so there’s still time.

And now… it’s time for those last two stories.

As I’ve covered on the channel plenty of times, we’re big fans of vehicle-to-grid, vehicle-to-load, and vehicle-to-home systems. I actually have a V2G system at my house, which one of you noted last week is just, quote, “vehicle-to-home.”

While my system is currently operating in vehicle-to-home mode, it’s fully capable of V2G — a fact highlighted this week by the conclusion of the first official U.S. pilot program for a residential vehicle-to-grid distributed power plant. The test used a fleet of privately-owned F150 Lightning pickup trucks in Maryland, Maryland utility BGE, and Ford’s Home Integration System. The pilot has been a roaring success so far! Full disclaimer: I’ve raised my hand to be considered for a similar program here in the Pacific Northwest. If I get the chance, you can be sure I’ll be sharing my experiences here on the channel!

And finally, 

As we increasingly seem to have to cover on this channel, the U.S. Federal Government, under President Trump, really is trying to speed-run the whole dictatorship thing.

It takes the form of the President doing whatever he deems fit, including rescinding funds already appropriated by law to all manner of projects, while promising funding for things he considers important. This week, the U.S. DoE followed that path perfectly, cancelling more than seven billion dollars in funding across the country for clean energy and grid resilience programs. White House Office of Management and Budget Director and author of Project Twenty Twenty-Five lauded the cuts as ending “Green New Scam Funding” across sixteen states that voted primarily for Vice President Kamala Harris in the last election, suggesting the budget cuts were purely retributive. Yet in the same week that the DoE decried spending on projects that could actually help secure U.S. energy independence and future grid stability, the agency announced six hundred and twenty-five million dollars in projects to help save the fossil fuel industry and support “beautiful clean coal” across the country—including opening up thirteen point one million new acres of federal land for coal mining.

This policy makes about as much sense as sending armed military into Portland with orders to use all necessary force to quell supposed riots that aren’t actually happening. We need to stop pretending: dictatorship isn’t coming—it’s already here, and is being perpetuated by someone who thinks bigotry, racism, and sexual abuse are acceptable. The question we should be asking ourselves is: how quickly can we pull the jackboots from our necks?

And on that sombre note – we are done with today’s show. 

But first, a huge thank you to the Electric Vehicle Association for sponsoring today’s show. The EVA has been advocating for electric vehicles since nineteen sixty-seven and remains firmly committed to a cleaner, greener future for all. Join the EVA today to find out how to become an EV educator, meet like-minded fans, and get help to make your own transition to electric,  help that includes a low-interest loan program to help finance your next step! Find out more at myeva dot org.

And thanks to EnergySage! Follow the link below to plan your own energy-independent future before those tax credits vanish.

And thanks to you – if you can, please consider supporting us from just one dollar and fifty cents a month on Patreon. If just four hundred of our one hundred and fifty-two thousand subscribers who have yet signed up to patreon did so and committed to giving the equivalent of a fancy coffee a month, would put us in a much better financial position. And if you join Patreon this autumn, you’ll get a special exclusive piece of digital art by the lovely Erin, featuring the entire team!

We publish every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday here — and every Sunday we drop two videos on Transport Evolved Take Two, our informal behind-the-scenes channel. And just as a heads-up, next week’s TEN will be an on-the-road edition, so expect a shorter, less information-dense episode with no B-Roll.

And in closing, some important words:

You are valid. You are loved. You belong.

I know this week has been tough, and I know it’s been tough for many of you. Eroding rights, authoritarian creep, and leaders failing to lead have all led to real consequences — from the illegal raids on apartments in Chicago, to attempts to strip people of citizenship, to the capturing of humanitarian aid ships en route to Gaza, to labeling anti-fascist or progressive acts as “terrorism,” and to calls for the incarceration or institutionalization of trans people. It’s a lot. It’s scary.

Right now, division and hate aren’t just tolerated — they’re encouraged by those in power, driven by cruelty. In times like these, kindness and empathy aren’t just virtues — they’re acts of radical resistance. Empathy is not weakness — it’s a skill we must nurture and practice to hold onto our shared humanity.

Remember, it’s okay to take time for yourself. Unplug, get outside, dive into a good book or album, or spend time with loved ones. Care for yourself so you can come back ready to fight for decency, community, and justice. Don’t let the … you know what … win. Embrace your awesomeness, and let your light shine.

We’ve reopened YouTube comments, but given past threats and doxing attempts, we can’t guarantee they’ll stay open. For now, the safest spaces for discussion are Mastodon, BlueSky, our website, or Discord. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom to threaten others.

Wherever you are, whoever you are, whoever you love — you are not alone. Be an ally. Be kind. Be the change you want to see. Don’t let hate or ignorance win.

As always, keep evolving!