The Morning Midas is one of three major incidents in recent years involving fires started aboard Pure Car Carrier (PCC) cargo ships likely caused by electric vehicle batteries.

A salvage team is expected to arrive early this week to deal with the vessel carrying about 3,000 vehicles, including about 750 electrified vehicles likely made by Chinese automakers. The Coast Guard said that 70 of these are reported to be fully electric vehicles and 681 are partial hybrid electric vehicles. The manufacturers and models have not yet been identified.

The fire broke out on June 3 on the Pacific Ocean near Alaska, the US Coast Guard said on Wednesday. It was en route to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, a hub for Mexico vehicle shipments. Imports from China dominate the electric vehicle market in Latin America. More than 60 percent of electric vehicles sold in Mexico in 2023 and 2024 were from China, according to the International Energy Agency.

The Fremantle Highway, a Japanese-owned car carrier, caught fire on July 25, 2023, off the coast of the Netherlands. One crew member died, and seven others were injured as they jumped overboard to escape the fire. The fire, which originated on the upper decks, involved a large number of vehicles, including electric vehicles. The vessel was eventually towed to Eemshaven, Netherlands, where 1,000 vehicles were salvaged from lower decks. The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, but early reports suggested a potential role for electric vehicles, according to gCaptain. 

In February 2022, the MOL (a Japanese transportation company) vessel Felicity Ace carrying 4,000 Volkswagen Group vehicles burned out of control and eventually sank in the Atlantic after having left port in Germany. MOL later filed a lawsuit against Porsche (part of the VW Group) blaming the fire on an electric vehicle battery in the car, according to a report in the Nikkei Asia. All 22 crew members were evacuated safely after the fire, and no injuries or pollution were reported. The ship and its cargo, including thousands of luxury cars, were lost when it sank. While investigations are still being carried out, the likely cause of these incidents has been going on for years. The Chevrolet Bolt recall, fires involving Porsche Taycans, Tesla vehicles, particularly Model S and Model X, have experienced documented instances of battery fires. Nissan had to recall nearly 24,000 Leaf EVs due to a fire risk, specifically when using DC fast chargers. The issue stems from excessive lithium deposits within the battery cells, increasing electrical resistance and potentially causing overheating and, in some cases, fires. 

January 2025 saw a series of alarming incidents involving EV and lithium battery fires across the U.S., according to the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services. The most notable incident occurred at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California, where a fire broke out on January 16, 2025, leading to the evacuation of 1,200 residents and the closure of Highway 1 for three days. The fire, which burned for two days, released toxic metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese into the surrounding environment.

EV-related fires on ships are challenging to extinguish because of the heat generated and risk of re-ignition, which could persist for days. The Felicity Ace fire was likely started by an EVs lithium-ion battery pack in one or more EV. While the exact cause is still under investigation, reports from various sources point to the possibility of a faulty battery or thermal runaway within an EV battery causing the fire. Most EVs have lithium-ion batteries that can overheat and cause fires that spread rapidly and produce toxic gases, making them difficult and dangerous to extinguish.

Alternative EV batteries are picking up pace. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is taking off at BYD, Tesla’s major global competitor for EV sales. In 2020, the Chinese automaker launched its Blade Battery. BYD highlighted a video of the Blade Battery successfully passing a nail penetration test, which is seen as the most rigorous way to test the thermal runaway of batteries due to its sheer difficulty. They’re far less likely to catch fire than the previous BYD batteries.

Another advantage for lithium iron phosphate batteries are known for their long lifespan and are often rated to last for 5,000 to 10,000 cycles before losing significant capacity. This translates to approximately 10 to 15 years of use, depending on factors like depth of discharge and charging habits. 

The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y come with LFP batteries, as do a few EVs put out by Ford, Kia, and from a handful of other global brands. All the BYD models get Blade batteries.

Another battery technology gaining support from automakers is solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one. This solid electrolyte acts as both the medium for ion transport and the separator between the cathode and anode. These advanced batteries are being hailed for their potential to deliver significantly higher energy density, faster charging times, improved safety, and a longer operational lifespan compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.

However, solid-state batteries remain largely in the research and pilot stage, with several technical and economic barriers preventing widespread commercialization.
Toyota plans release solid-state EVs as early as 2027. The company claims its prototypes can deliver over 621 miles of range and recharge in just 10 minutes—an ambitious leap forward that’s still undergoing real-world testing. Toyota has extended its launch date of these solid-state battery EVs in the past.

U.S.-based QuantumScape is developing lithium-metal solid-state batteries with a ceramic electrolyte. Laboratory results have been promising. Solid Power, supported by automotive giants BMW and Ford, launched pilot production of 100 amp-hour cells designed for vehicle integration and testing. Other major battery makers like CATL, LG Energy Solution, and Samsung SDI, are exploring hybrid designs that combine solid and liquid electrolytes, aiming to create a smoother transition path from current lithium-ion technology to fully solid-state systems.

But for now, lithium-ion battery EVs makes for the lion’s share of global sales. It can be discouraging for those thinking about owning and driving an EV, with safety a top priority issue.

June 12 Tesla launch: Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s social media battle with President Donald Trump hurt Tesla stock prices late last week, but it may not be impacting the upcoming media launch day. Tesla will be announcing its robotaxi service in Austin on June 12, with a phased rollout starting with a small number of vehicles and gradually increasing to a larger fleet, according to Bloomberg. The service will initially be supervised, with human drivers in the vehicles, and will be expanded to include more fully autonomous vehicles over time, according to CNBC. Market analysts aren’t concerned that the Trump administration may take retaliatory measures against Musk and Tesla that could really offset its autonomous vehicle and ride-sharing, robotaxi plans.

EDTA on House budget: Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) President Genevieve Cullen is hoping that the U.S. Senate version of the reconciliation bill for the budget can fix the House version. It might be a gift for China and a burden to the U.S. in its present House form, the association says. Cullen spoke to the issues in a statement:
“The reconciliation bill passed by the House calls for a big step backward for U.S. leadership in energy innovation.  
“Federal investment in electric transportation technologies and next-generation infrastructure and grids has helped to propel our global competitiveness in the race for advanced transportation.  The abrupt change of course is a golden opportunity for our competitors, especially China, and threatens billions of dollars of private investment in U.S. manufacturing. 
“Tax incentives for new and used clean cars, trucks, alternative fuel infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, along with clean technology deployment programs, are an effective and comprehensive effort to dominate this century’s energy field.  The return on federal investment is economic growth, an expanding workforce, consumer choice and cleaner communities.
“Whiplashing policy swings are a setback for our energy future and for American businesses, consumers and communities. We urge the Senate to get the U.S. back into the race.”

House bill may also hurt ports: The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has expressed concerns over other budget provisions in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The association is worried that the proposed funding cuts could hurt domestic manufacturing and port modernization projects. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito, AAPA President & CEO Cary Davis expressed concerns over Sections 42102 and 42104 of the bill. These parts of the bill would rescind funds from the Clean Ports Program and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant program. The Clean Ports Program had initially been given $3 billion in funding by Congress; one of the goals is to assist ports in acquiring new cargo-handling equipment and infrastructure upgrades.

Flying electric car: San Mateo, Calif-based Alef Aeronautics has been developing flying cars for about a decade, and the company is getting ready to launch the first-ever electric flying car. Alef also claims that flying car uses less energy than a Tesla or any other electric vehicle. According to the company’s latest update, the flying car has now secured over 3,400 pre-orders, valued at around $1 billion in total, which came from its October 2022 prototype unveiling. The “Model A,” will be travel up to 220 miles with a 110-mile flight range, the company said.

International Energy Agency (IEA) recently published a report, Energy and AI, which dug into a data-driven global analysis on the growing connections between energy and artificial intelligence (AI). That included tapping into experts in the tech sector, energy industry, and international alliances. The study projects that electricity demand from data centers worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 to around 945 terawatt-hours (TWh). AI will be the most significant driver of this increase, with electricity demand from AI-optimized data centers projected to more than quadruple by 2030.

Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet have developed strategies about the fast-growing demand for the cloud infrastructure. These and other companies are also taking nuclear power very seriously as a source to produce enough electricity to meet this demand. Some of these major corporations are also investing in nuclear power plants — restoring mainly existing facilities in the U.S. to meet safety and environmental demands; and to realistically plan for what do with nuclear waste.

Nuclear energy now provides about 9% of the world’s electricity from about 440 power reactors, according to World Nuclear Association. It makes up about a quarter of the world’s low-carbon electricity, and it’s the second largest source for low-carbon power. Nuclear provides nearly 20% of the U.S.’s electricity, according to the Dept. of Energy. It’s also the nation’s largest source of clean energy, making up about half the renewable energy used to run electricity power plants.

When millions of people across the Iberian peninsula were left without power last month, it fueled debate over the need to bring in more nuclear power to Europe as reported in The Guardian. That power outage, primarily in parts of Spain and Portugal within the peninsula, was the largest blackout in decades. The U.S. has seen its share of major blackouts and short-term power outages in the past few years, with most of it blamed on the demands made by climate change and chaotic weather fluctuations and extremes, and rising demand for power consumption from air conditioning units, electronic devices, and eventually around new demand from cloud, AI, and quantum computing projects taking off at large scale.

There could be 92 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2040, based on a PwC analysis. That would be 20 times more than the estimated 4.5 million EVs in 2023. That will take a lot more charging power. Even with that increasing demand, it could be significant but manageable with the right planning and control measures, according to PwC. But that wouldn’t take into account the fast-growing data cloud storage demand in the U.S. and other countries.

Clean Air Task Force says that the U.S. federal government earns an “incomplete” rating on nuclear energy. President Trump recently issued four executive orders focused on unlocking advanced nuclear energy domestically and abroad. The U.S. will struggle to deploy and build new projects at the scale necessary to tackle energy security and leadership in nuclear technology, CATF says. That comes down to three main reasons: “Orderbook” reactor deployment may be necessary for future projects, but the financial risk and finding revenue certainty isn’t being addressed; the U.S. House recently voted to diminish crucial tax credits that reduce the costs of new plants by up to 40%; and the House recently voted to restrict the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, which is essential to finance the first wave of new plants. 

CATF agrees with the administration — and the previous Biden administration — that advanced nuclear energy should be supported. The organization will also continue to advocate for a bolder, more cohesive strategy to make sure government is delivers, safe, clean, and reliable nuclear energy at an affordable cost.

Nuclear power has a large segment of opponents in the U.S., who will cite debacles such as Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima; and several projects in the U.S. that have stalled out or run out of funding to go online. It will be part of getting these power plant projects approved and funded. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have supported nuclear energy with their own set of requirements, but it is likely to gain enough support to go forward.

Washington blocking CA rules: President Donald Trump is ready to sign an executive order that would roll back California’s clean clean car and truck rules and waivers. It signifies the Trump administration’s commitment to rolling back the state’s zero emission vehicle mandates. The Senate recently backed the House by rejecting three California regulations that had been supported by the Biden administration. Currently, 16 other states and the District of Columbia have adopted California’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, which include ZEV standards. A coalition of 11 states recently launched an Affordable Clean Cars Coalition to expand access to ZEVs — primarily electric vehicles — by protecting their state residents from they call attacks by the federal government and to continue supporting advancements in clean cars and trucks.

AVs in Washington: The U.S. Senate is looking into the question of whether federal safety standards can be established for autonomous vehicles. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) recently introduced the Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act of 2025, which is designed to expedite the integration of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Lummis’ goal is to set a national framework to support development and deployment of the technology. Separately, the Dept. of Transportation has unveiled a new Automated Vehicle Framework. Its objective is to harmonize state regulations and eliminate unnecessary barriers to innovation.

What’s Happening in Funding?
Cited above, you’ll see a reference to a Clean Air Task Force (CATF) analysis of Washington nuclear policies. CATF is a nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid global development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. This is accomplished through research and analysis, public advocacy leadership, and partnership with the private sector.  CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Check out its Clean Transportation Funding Tracker that follows available incentives and other funding opportunities to decarbonize on-road, maritime, and aviation transportation sectors.

Federal mandates and incentives on clean cars and trucks continue to face opposition in Washington. The Senate backed the House by rejecting three California regulations that had been supported by the Biden administration. That includes banning the sale of gasoline-powered cars in 2035; phasing out the sale of medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles with zero-emission trucks that would have to make up 40% to 75% of sales by 2035; and the third would have allowed for revamping a testing program to ensure heavy-duty vehicles comply with emissions standards and set stricter standards to limit pollution from nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which pose public health risks, according to Associated Press. The California truck rules are named California’s Advanced Clean Trucks and Heavy-Duty Omnibus regulations.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign resolutions supporting these actions that will nullify the California Air Resources Board rules and waivers, and which will be prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing similar measures in the future. Once these resolutions pass through the executive branch, they’re expected to face several lawsuits that will probably take several months to resolve.

A coalition of 11 states has launched an Affordable Clean Cars Coalition to expand access to zero emission vehicles — primarily electric vehicles — by protecting their state residents from they call attacks by the federal government and to continue supporting advancements in clean cars and trucks, according to Electrek.

The new coalition of governors supporting these efforts include: Gavin Newsom, California; Jared Polis, Colorado; ;Matt Meyer, Delaware; Maura Healey, Massachusetts; Wes Moore, Maryland; Phil Murphy, New Jersey; Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico; Kathy Hochul, New York; Tina Kotek, Oregon; Dan McKee, Rhode Island; and Bob Ferguson, Washington.

The coalition says that it represents over 100 million Americans and around 30% of the US car market.

Republican House members have passed a version of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that could, if passed into law, cut subsidies for battery manufacturing and remove incentives for purchasing electric vehicles. It would phase out the Clean Vehicle Credit that was expanded under the Biden administration through the Inflation Reduction Act. Currently, buyers of qualifying electric vehicles can get $7,500 off the price with restrictions based on vehicle price and household income, according to Car and Driver. The new bill would officially end the clean-vehicle credit program on December 31, 2026. Some automakers will see it end by Dec. 31, 2025, as the bill stipulates that any automaker that’s sold more than 200,000 of the qualifying vehicles won’t have access to the tax incentives after that date.

Another part of this bill is that hybrid vehicles would become subject to a new $100 registration fee, while electric vehicles would add a $250 annual fee. Combined with the removal of clean-vehicle credits, the new registration fees would help to significantly raise the cost of electrified vehicle ownership.

Dieselgate sentencing: Nearly a decade after Volkswagen’s “dieselgate” scandal broke, a German court just issued verdicts in a criminal trial targeting senior staff at VW’s main brand. Four former Volkswagen AG managers were convicted by a German court for their roles in the diesel-emission scandal, involving the manipulation of emissions data from millions of cars.

Charging signage: In a Southern California parking garage last week, a sign from Chargepoint read, “EV Charging: To avoid breaking the port connector when removing it, all vehicle doors must be unlocked.” That sign was not far away from a white Rivian pickup customized with a utility truck storage bin installed on the bed; though the sign was for all EVs using their charging ports.

BYD grows in Europe: Chinese EV manufacturer BYD has registered more battery electric vehicles than Tesla in the European car market for the first time ever, in April. Tesla has dominated the region’s electric car market for the better part of a decade, while BYD has only started selling cars in Europe in late 2022. It was a close call — with BYD at 7,231 registrations in April and Tesla at 7,165. BYD came in 10th and Tesla at 11th in the overall sales in Europe for that month, according to Jato Dynamics’ sales data.

New grant program: Climate United NEXT, a pre-development grant program, was launched earlier this year to help nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes, and Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) accelerate early-stage clean energy projects through planning to project financing. Through grant funding for planning, technical assistance, and community engagement, communities will identify solutions that meet their unique needs and lay the groundwork for projects including solar, green buildings, and electric transportation. The program’s goals are to help communities successfully deploy projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pollution, and lower energy costs. 

It’s a national public-private investment fund removing financial barriers to clean energy projects so every American benefits from good-paying jobs, lower energy bills, domestic manufacturing, and cleaner air. The Climate United coalition is formed by three expert organizations — Calvert Impact, Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), and Self-Help. The first deadline to apply was in January. Climate United will be starting this Fall with projects focused on benefiting Native communities. In 2025, the organization will have additional rounds focused on other underserved market segments; and intends to provide up to $30 million in grant funding over the next five years to equip small- and mid-sized organizations to unlock public and private capital for climate projects.  

On Thursday, the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, said that it would have to start raising prices later this month due to the high cost of tariffs.

“Walmart should not blame tariffs for raising prices and should instead absorb additional costs,” President Donald Trump said in a social media post on May 17. “Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, “EAT THE TARIFFS,” and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!,” Trump said in his post on Truth Social.

On May 12th, the U.S. and China agreed to reduce tariffs introduced after “Liberation Day” to 10% for 90 days. This means that U.S. tariffs on most Chinese shipments were reduced to 30%. Walmart is taking all of this into account, along with tariffs placed by the U.S. on the rest of the world, as it strategizes over prices increases.

Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, initially considered displaying the impact of tariffs on product prices, but later decided against it. Reports indicated that Amazon would show the tariff cost separately from the total price of products, particularly for inexpensive China-made items. Amazon backed off this plan after hearing loud protests from the Trump administration.

While President Trump would like to see tariffs motivate major companies to move back the U.S. and bring more jobs here, including manufacturing companies and their supply chains, Walmart and Amazon represent a more commonly accepted worldview in today’s global economy, market analysts say.

The U.S. has been seeing foreign companies set up auto manufacturing plants in the U.S. for years which are sometimes called “transplants,” while U.S. automakers tend to maintain their production plants domestically with most of the growth happening in other countries. They don’t have plans to bring back the level of vehicle manufacturing seen in the U.S. through the 1980s.

Companies like Walmart, Amazon, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Apple, are considered leaders in the global supply chain. The decisions they’ll be making in sustainability, transportation, freight movement, energy, and materials, will have a major impact on hitting net zero targets.

A little over a decade ago, when Doug McMillon became CEO of Walmart, he knew that his company had to be transformed. Amazon was upending retail. Walmart’s same-store sales were in decline; and profits were in trouble. That’s completely turned around with the company bringing in $680 billion in revenue last year through its 2.1 million workers and online sales, making it the largest company in the world for both revenue and workforce measures. In the U.S. it takes in a tenth of all retail spending, excluding cars, and a quarter of the spending on groceries.

McMillon began his career at Walmart as a teen in the 1980s loading trucks in an Arkansas warehouse. He eventually became the CEO of Sam’s Club and Walmart International before becoming CEO of the company in 2014. Back when he started in the ‘80s, Walmart warehouses were small, noisy, and chaotic places to work. Today, the company’s newest Walmart warehouses are described as, “vast hangars filled with conveyor belts, computer screens and robotic arms that silently pick and pack products. Artificial-intelligence (AI) tools ensure pallets are loaded onto trucks in such a way that they can be unloaded in stores with ease,” according to The Economist.

Here are a few other indicators the company is doing very well:

Walmart’s American e-commerce unit made over $100 billion in sales in 2024, according to research firm eMarketer. It’s a distant second to Amazon, with its $480 billion in e-commerce sales in the U.S. last year. Walmart is seeing growth. Its online sales are growing at around 20% a year, twice as fast as Amazon’s. The company is also doing very will in grocery deliveries, where it’s now taking the market lead.

E-commerce is a strong segment for Walmart with its Walmart+ membership that’s similar to Amazon’s Prime membership offering. Combined with Sam’s Club, its Costco-like members-only stores, Walmart made $3.8 billion from membership programs in 2024, double the figure five years earlier. Walmart is also producing revenue in advertising targeted at shoppers in-store and online.

Since 2019, Walmart has doubled its capital expenditure, reaching $24 billion last year. Some of that investment is going into advanced system technologies, including Sparky, an AI assistant that helps customers find products, and Wally, which helps its merchandising teams choose items to sell.

Getting through to companies like Walmart
Walmart represents a real challenge for truck makers investing in electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and for partner companies bringing in the charging infrastructure.

Earlier this year, Walmart issued its ESG report. While the company had set 2040 as its target for zero operational emissions, it may have to be moved out. Among the factors getting in the way is that, “timely emergence of cost-effective technologies for low-carbon heavy tractor transportation (which does not appear likely until the 2030s).”

Class 8 electric trucks are still too expensive for Walmart, the company said in the report. In 2020, the company announced a plan to achieve zero-carbon operations by 2040. Part of that plan was electrifying all of its vehicles, including long-haul trucks, by 2040. Walmart executive have been honest about having this challenge in place in recent years. Like several other major companies, they will be taking a “wait-and-see” approach to making these investments.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, in partnership with Utility Dive, just published a study based on surveying 135 leaders from utilities, oil & gas companies, heavy industry, renewable energy firms, and power generation and distribution businesses located in North America, Asia, and the UK. These executives reported that they are confident the world will reach net zero by 2050, even in today’s shifting political and regulatory climate.

Why are these executives optimistic about reaching this major goal? The growth of renewables, increased use of carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS), and AI were most often cited as reasons for optimism. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries also said that, internally, advances in autonomous vehicles, electrification (in vehicles and through renewable energy), and heat management, are seeing real progress.

IEA Global EV Outlook: Following another year of robust growth, global sales of electric vehicles are on track to surpass 20 million in 2025, accounting for over a quarter of cars sold worldwide, according to the new edition International Energy Agency’s annual Global EV Outlook. In the United States, growth in electric car sales slowed down significantly in 2024, increasing by just 10% compared to 40% in 2023. In spite of this, electric car sales did boost the overall car market, as sales of conventional cars stagnated.

As for incentives, In 2023, provisions were introduced on leased electric cars to reclassify them as commercial vehicles, thereby making them eligible for the tax credit without having to meet requirements on local manufacturing. As a result, by 2024, nearly half of all EVs sold were leased, more than double the share seen 3 years earlier. In addition to the federal tax credit, in 2024, 27 states offered additional incentives, rebates and exemptions promoting electric car adoption, according to Global EV Outlook.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) has put its loan programs and grant funding on hold for now, which is also true of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT).

For advanced, clean vehicle technology, the last one that’s been posted this year from the DOE through the Fiscal Year 2025 Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Program Wide funding is focused on battery technology, including thermal technologies for zero-emission vehicles. This funding opportunity is going to award up to $88 million for projects that will seek innovative transportation solutions for on- and off-road vehicles. Submission deadline for concept papers was April 1, 2025; and submission deadline for full applications will be June 18, 2025.

The EPA stopped accepting applications to the 2024 Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebate Program on January 14th, 2025. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 authorized the EPA to offer rebates to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act national grants, designed to offer funding assistance to accelerate the upgrade, retrofit, and turnover of the legacy diesel fleet, are closed for now, too, but the EPA.

It’s not clear how much will be available in funds through the DOT. The 5-year National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Funding by State that was funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and scheduled from fiscal year 2022 through FY 2026, at first appears to still be in place. The agency has a chart broken out by state with actual and estimated funding by state, with $885 million estimated to go out this year and $4.155 billon in 2026.

However, the Federal Highway Administration said in February it would suspend the approval of grants under the NEVI program. The funding, included in the bipartisan infrastructure law passed under former President Joe Biden, was meant to allocate $5 billion over five years to install chargers in every state. That suspension came from a January 29 signed Executive Order calling for the elimination of the federal government’s nonexistent “electric vehicle mandate.” 

The suspension of funding new charging stations will likely mean the U.S. will have at least 200,000 high-speed chargers in place by 2030, said Mark Morelli, CEO of Vontier Corp., which manufactures EV chargers and fuel dispensers. That’s half of earlier expectations of about 400,000, according to Transport Topics.

On May 6, 2025, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy issued a statement about approving 180 grants to “get America building again.” The funding is primarily focused on improvements made to bridges, airports, railroad structures, and highways. Under the Low or No Emission (Bus) Grants, all of them have already been granted through 2024, without any new grants coming up in this category.

In April the Trump administration froze $250 million in grants to a nonprofit helping companies replace diesel trucks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It’s part of a broad federal effort to cut back $20 billion in green energy funding. The program by Climate United, announced last October, would offer affordable leases for new electric heavy-duty trucks operated by small fleets and individual truckers serving the ports.

Climate United is a national public-private investment fund removing financial barriers to clean energy projects so every American benefits from good-paying jobs, lower energy bills, domestic manufacturing, and cleaner air. The grant, which would have funded about 500 electric trucks, remains frozen by Citibank, which holds the funds, as a legal dispute plays out between the EPA, the bank and Climate United, a nonprofit based in Maryland, according to a published report.

U.S. Dept. of Energy Secretary Chris Wright in early May said that his agency doesn’t plan to move forward with billions of dollars worth of Biden-era loans as the Trump administration reviews the department’s $400 billion-strong green bank. Wright criticized Biden for issuing billions of dollars in loans and grants between the time that Trump was elected in November through the inauguration day.

As discussed two weeks ago at ACT Expo 2025, it looks like fleets, transportation planners, and clean vehicle and infrastructure partners have to look outside federal government funding programs for now. Green Auto Market will continue reporting on it, including resources for funding through state, local government, nonprofit organization, and for-profit company available loans and grants in clean transportation and energy.

There’s a lot to look into, with a May 7 lawsuit filed by states against the DOT being one of them. New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 16 other attorneys general filed suit against the DOT and Secretary Duffy for illegally cutting off critical funding to support states’ plans to build a nationwide electric vehicle charging network. Joining Attorney General James in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

They’re challenging the previously mentioned January 29 Executive Order signed by President Trump calling for the elimination of the federal government’s nonexistent “electric vehicle mandate.” 

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) may be a good source to tap into for that state’s incentive programs. In April, NYSERDA increasing incentives in its Charge Ready NY 2.0 program from $2,000 to $3,000 per port to reduce equipment installation costs for Level 2 chargers at multifamily buildings and workplaces. Incentives for chargers located in disadvantaged communities have been increased to $4,000 per port. according to Utility Dive.

Other states are making current offers, and it’s likely more funding will become available. Please contact Editor Jon LeSage at jlesage378@gmail.com if you know of any funding resources through state, local government, nonprofit organization, and for-profit company available loans and grants in clean transportation and energy. Plus, any new developments with federal funding would be good to know about, too.

China tariffs relaxed but not for EV imports: Under a temporary truce on tariffs reached over the weekend, the U.S. will cut extra tariffs it imposed on Chinese imports last month from 145% to 30% for the next three months, the two sides said, while Chinese duties on U.S. imports will fall to 10% from 125%. Reuters also reported that China had already been saddled with 25% U.S. tariffs that Trump had imposed on many industrial goods during his first term, with lower rates on some consumer goods. Today’s announcement leaves these duties unchanged, along with tariffs of 100% on electric vehicles and 50% on solar products imposed by former Democratic President Joe Biden. We’ll have to wait and see how these tariffs might drive up prices for shoppers overall, said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. The U.S. has not been importing much in the way of made-in-China electric vehicles. In 2023, the U.S. imported approximately $388.8 million worth of EVs from China, which was only about 2% of total U.S. EV imports, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission.

ZETA statement on House’s battery and mineral supply chain provision: The Zero Emission Transportation Association’s Executive Director, Albert Gore, issued the following statement in response to bill text of the House Ways & Means Committee provisions of the budget reconciliation package:

“The U.S. battery and mineral supply chain — and the fast-growing EV manufacturing industry it feeds into — has created more than 240,000 jobs in every corner of the United States. Businesses throughout the auto industry, from critical mineral and material developers to battery manufacturers and automakers, are making investments supported by the certainty offered by our federal government. In turn, these investments are creating new economic opportunities in local communities, from Reno, Nevada, to Casa Grande, Arizona, to Savannah, Georgia.

“We are concerned that, as written, this budget reconciliation text would significantly reduce federal investments in American job growth that are currently working very well in strengthening the domestic battery and mineral supply chain. At a moment when our industry needs certainty more than ever, this legislation could slam the brakes on America’s progress towards global competitiveness in manufacturing, while ceding leadership to other countries. We look forward to working with Members of Congress in both chambers to ensure that this critical supply chain continues to be built in the United States.”

House committees have begun holding markups for the various pieces of the reconciliation package on the federal budget reconciliation package. The House Ways and Means Committee is tasked with developing legislation that will increase the federal budget deficits by no more than $4.5 trillion over a 10-year period (2025-2034), while other committees are responsible for reducing spending by at least $1.5 trillion. 

CARB reverses ACF regulation: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has agreed to formally repeal aspects of its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, which follows an earlier reversal of California policies that clarifies the state will not enforce the 100% zero emission vehicle mandate for model year 2036. Following legal challenges from a coalition of 17 states led by Nebraska and trucking industry groups, CARB has agreed to fully repeal those portions of the rule and has further clarified it will not enforce the 100% zero-emission sales mandate for model year 2036, until and unless CARB obtains a waiver from U.S. EPA, according to ACT News.

It’s a fascinating and stressful time for professionals in clean transportation, fleet management, OEMs, and partners providing fueling and charging infrastructures. The ACT Expo conference was in a very good position to put some perspective on all of it during a time of supply chain disruption and confusion over what’s going to happen in Washington, D.C., in vehicle emission policies; and what tariffs might mean for production and new vehicle prices.

It was also a rich opportunity for fleet professionals to check out the latest in technology, fleet-focused education and training, and networking opportunities. The National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) held its 2025 Institute & Expo in Long Beach, Calif., while ACT Expo 2025 took place not far away at the Anaheim Convention Center. Fleet operators were able to attend both events at no extra cost. These are the two largest fleet events in the country, and offered attendees a seamless experience.

Stakeholders in clean transportation have a lot of questions about what will happen this year as Congress reconsiders its relationship with California. That took shape when the U.S. House of Representatives voted to end three federal waivers that let California set strict vehicle pollution standards.

On Wednesday, the House voted against two waivers involving heavy trucking, and on Thursday, it voted to reverse a state rule that would require all new vehicles in the state to be zero-emission by 2035. The U.S. Senate is now discussing what to do, after two nonpartisan government entities advised Congress that it can’t actually reverse those waivers through the mechanism it’s using, according to NPR. The Senate has to decide whether it will follow that guidance, or to go along with the House.

Grants and project funding: ACT Expo attendees also had questions over what will happen with budget cuts coming from the White House, and whether grants from the U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency, will be available. Representatives at the Clean Cities display table were not able to comment on this situation.

Panel speakers, and those displaying their vehicles and technology on the exhibit floor, do advise fleets and partner stakeholder to look into other funding sources — through states like California, Washington, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and North Carolina — and through other entities such as utility companies, regional governing agencies, and nonprofit organizations with programs supporting clean transportation and energy.

Product launches at conference: Slate Auto debuted its battery-electric vehicle, which can be a truck, a sports utility vehicle (SUV), or even a cargo van, during ACT Expo in the exhibit hall. Slate says that it can configure the vehicle “for whatever your fleet needs” at a very low price. The company says that it’s worked on removing unnecessary parts to reduce costs and increase reliability, and to offer a 1,400-pound payload capability. It’s been backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and it can be priced at less than $20,000 when applying federal tax incentives.

Some of the highlights demonstrated at the outdoor displays, ride and drive, and in the exhibit hall included: a Harbinger plug-in hybrid electric van, which it calls a first-of-its-kind medium-duty vehicle designed for delivery vans, box trucks, and emergency and disaster response vehicles, among others; Rizon, an all-electric brand from Daimler Truck, showed off its cab carrier; an Isuzu electric truck for Penske; a Waste Management truck trailer for its CNG/RNG trucks; a Tesla Semi with the WattEv logo; and the Chevrolet BrightDrop 400 electric van.

Dan Priestley, senior manager, semi truck engineering at Tesla, said that his company plans full-scale production of its Semi next year. Tesla is constructing a 1.7 million sq.-ft. factory in Reno, Nev. which will be able to produce 50,000 units per year in 2026. The company also introduced a 1.2 MW charging solution that is shared with its passenger car business. Priestley also said that Tesla is investing in a 46-site public charging network in the U.S. Work is in progress and represents more than 300-MW-capable charging posts.

Mack came to the expo with a brand-new Mack Pioneer Class 8 semi. The truckmaker also said that a 300 mile electric Mack truck will coming out next year.

Peterbilt showcased a broad range of zero emission solutions, including the Next-Generation Model 579EV and the All-New Model 567EV, which it says is the industry’s first electric heavy duty conventional vocational truck. Peterbilt’s next-generation model 579EV designed for drayage and regional haul applications was also shown, featuring updated styling, the new PACCAR ePowertrain and the latest in safety and connectivity technology. 

Kenworth introduced two new battery-electric trucks. The T880E, a Class 8 vocational electric truck is coming to the North American truck market. The Next Generation T680E is designed for short and regional haul, LTL and drayage operations.

Hyundai Motor Company introduced the new XCIENT Fuel Cell Class-8 heavy-duty truck. Hyundai highlights successful XCIENT Fuel Cell truck fleet operations through NorCAL ZERO in California and HTWO Logistics at HMGMA, underscoring its leading role in the global hydrogen energy transition

Greenlane opened its inaugural commercial EV charging site in Colton, Calif., on Tuesday with Nevoya as its first fleet customer. The team showcased an end-to-end charging reservation demo—from booking a session in their fleet portal to starting the charge onsite—all streamed live from the brand-new charging center. On Thursday, Greenlane CEO Patrick Macdonald-King took the stage alongside industry leaders from Volvo, Einride, Daimler Truck North America, and CharIN for the “Charging at Scale: How public and private infrastructure will power future EV fleets” panel discussion. 

Zeem Solutions, which operates what it calls perhaps the best optimized, shared EV charging site, had updates on its EV truck charging site at Port of Long Beach. Last September, the Inglewood-based company began work at the port site. The 2.7-acre location – near the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge – will have 84 fast-charging stations with a 15-megawatt capacity, with plans to scale up that power capacity as demand grows.

Miami-based Nopetro Energy, which converts methane from landfills and wastewater into CNG/RNG, reducing emissions and fueling cleaner transportation through public-private partnerships, was present talk about the latest developments in RNG.

Ford and General Motors were in the exhibit hall showing their relatively new programs aimed at fleets transitioning over to electric vehicles. Ford Pro team members and members of Ford’s Commercial Vehicle engineering teams work with fleet clients to maximize their productivity. They might talk about he latest updates related to chassis, design and body installation for electric trucks (Ford F-150 Lightning) and vans (Ford E-Transit) and in ICE versions.

GM Envolve works with fleet leaders on staying ahead of change. That includes through GM’s electric, fuel cell, and software platforms, along with consultative support and complete fleet services. GM works with clients who might be interested in integrating in with HYDROTEC, OnStar, and its BrightDrop Zevo 400 and 600 electric vans — which were on display at its booth. Another resource discussed is GM Energy, which offers bi-directional charging with a generator available in its trucks.

Speakers had a lot to say: Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO and co-founder of WattEV, spoke on a panel about electric vehicles being deployed at ports such as the major hub at the Long Beach and Los Angeles Ports, where WattEV is setting up heavy-duty truck fast chargers. WattEV has also been adding electric trucks to its fleet as part of contracts with freight transport companies serving the ports. Executives from Amazon Freight, IMC Logistics, and Unilever, also discussed how their companies are working with transport partners to hit sustainability targets tied to cost effectiveness, and transparent reporting.

They all agreed that finding “diesel parity” is a goal to be met to bring in full support from supply chain partners, with electric trucks, fuel cell trucks, and renewable natural gas (RNG) being considered. Grants, mainly from the state of California, are being utilized, with the hope that OEM prices will come down over time for clean vehicles. A recent spike in hydrogen prices has put more pressure on making fuel cell vehicles work, said Jim Gillis, President, Pacific Region at IMC Logistics.

Volvo Group Chief Technology Officer Lars Stenqvist was one of the keynote speakers. He said his company is confident it can hit its net-zero target by 2040 through a “dual-technology strategy” centered on battery-electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered trucks, but without abandoning the combustion engine. 

Mathias Carlbaum, President and CEO of International, kicked off a speaker many by discussing the role of digital integration in transforming fleet operations and improving safety and efficiency. He said that the recent launch of International’s Class 8 electric RH eTruck provides solid evidence of the company’s forward momentum.

PG&E CEO Patti Poppe was the closing keynote speaker. While urgent matters like climate change and the growing threat of wildfires are present, Poppe made strong arguments on why decarbonizing the state’s energy and transportation systems is both possible and economically viable.

State of Sustainable Fleets: A presentation was made by event planner TRC Companies about its State of Sustainable Fleets report, now in its sixth year. The 2025 Market Brief comes from a robust fleet survey capturing input on clean vehicles and infrastructure from nearly 200 fleet operators and decision-makers. It taps into a rich data source covering a broad range of real-world fleets in every stage of technology adoption.

One bright light shined on the audience is that despite the upheaval in Washington, D.C., over federal funding uncertainty, more than $13.5 billion in funding remains
available through state and local programs to support zero-emission (ZE) and near-zero-emission (NZE) projects. With the Trump administration and the House of Representatives withdrawing the industry’s strongest mandates by the State of California in response to federal actions, it’s made it necessary for fleets and clean transportation stakeholders to take a broad approach to finding resources.

Early Executive Orders (EOs) from President Trump Trump clarified the White House’s intent to roll back many Biden-era and earlier policies, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers that allow California and opt-in states to enforce stringent emissions regulations for light-duty and commercial vehicles. Legal actions are sure to follow but it has drawn out a wave of uncertainty on emissions regulations at the federal level — and how California and states that have adopted its zero emission vehicle policy will be impacted.

The presentation gave status updates on three federally funded projects:
Program: DOE Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs)
Allocation: $7,000,000,000
Status: Not fully allocated; phase one allocation complete
Risk: Current phase at lower risk; future phases at risk.

Program: DOT Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI)
Allocation: $2,500,000,000
Status: Not fully allocated; next round scheduled for Spring 2025
Risk: Contracted awardees at lower risk; future funding round at higher risk

Program: DOT Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities
Allocation: $400,000,000
Status: Not fully allocated; next round scheduled for Spring2025
Risk: Contracted awardees at lower risk; future funding rounds at higher risk

As for alternative fuels and powertrains, 39% of fleets participating in the annual survey say they use renewable diesel.

Most of the natural gas used for transportation in the U.S. in 2023 came from renewable natural gas, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Battery electric vehicles continue to show continued market development. Public and private investments have accelerated the growth of dedicated shared fleet charging hubs. TRC said that expects the number of open and active medium-duty (MD) and HD charging ports within these hubs to nearly triple in the U.S. in 2025.

Support continues for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, with initiatives link the Hydrogen Hubs investment program — which could be on hold now for additional funding to be challenged into the project. In 2024, 75 new fuel cell transit buses entered service, up from 29 in 2023, and recent funding awards suggest that growth in this sector will continue.

There’s certainly a lot going on out there in the clean transportation arena, with more companies announcing they’ll be revealing more next week at ACT Expo 2025. We’re looking forward to attending the event, which will be held April 28 to May 1 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Here are a few questions that I hope to have answered that week…….

What’s the latest on charging heavy-duty electric trucks?
That’s been a big question at ACT Expo conferences and industry meetings serving the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and other significant transportation hubs. Zeem Solutions is known for operating optimized, shared EV charging sites, and will be providing updates on its electric truck charging site at Port of Long Beach. There will be other partners in this EV charging infrastructure present at this year’s event.

What major announcements and displays will be taking place from OEMs and technology partners during the conference and expo? ACT Expo announced earlier this month that a series of tech debuts and announcements will be taking place this year.

What may come of the DOT highway rule change?
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced that his department has rescinded the Biden administration’s rule that set standard for greenhouse gas emissions on highways. What’s expected to come of that rule change? Will it be described in the soon-to-be released 2025 State of Sustainable Fleets? What will happen to the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) and its enforcement, especially given the exceptions granted to California and enforcement changes coming from the Trump administration? The report looks into shifts in federal clean transportation funding, the status of California’s clean air waivers, and emerging state and local initiatives that will impact fleet strategies in the years ahead.

What’s happening with hydrogen fuel cell and electric truck production?
As reported in ACT News this month, major OEMs announced productions delays with hurdles to address before they come to market. That includes the Kenworth hydrogen fuel cell electric T680 tractors, GM BrightDrop electric delivery vans, Stellantis and its Ram electric pickup truck, and Ford with a new electric pickup truck and a large electric SUV. What’s next for these launches?

What’s up with GM Envolve and Ford Pro in serving fleets that are deploying electric trucks and alternative fuel vehicles? As previously mentioned, the GM BrightDrop vans are part of this strategy, but GM and Ford have been taking a more focused approach to urban transport and clean vehicle technology for fleets of all types and sizes through these OEM programs.

What impact might artificial intelligence (AI) have on clean transportation?
Panel speakers will be talking about this advanced technology innovation at ACT Expo, and how AI can be used for reducing emissions, cutting operational costs, and optimizing logistics.

And in other news………
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has green lighted new vehicles coming from the same production lines as its Model 3 and Model Y that will launch in the first half of this year. There’s not many details out yet, but it’s described as “stripped-down Model Ys” with fewer features and cheaper materials. It will come from existing manufacturing lines. This decision will probably take the place of coming out with a new $25,000 vehicle that had been talked about last year but which has been sidelined. Musk still wants to go with robotized and autonomous Tesla models, but that’s still an uncertain future for the company. More will be revealed this afternoon at the earnings call.

Electra brand starting in China: Buick doesn’t have a strong brand presence in the U.S. anymore, but it is doing quite a lot in China. Through the SAIC-GM partnership in China, the company is introducing a sub-brand of Buick, Electra, that will start off with three cars, including the Encase luxury minivan that will come in both a battery electric and plug-hybrid electric vehicle version. Over the next 12 months, it will be followed in the new brand by an SUV and a sedan. The Buick brand has some more than 10 million vehicles in China since SAIC-GM introduced the luxury brand to that marketing nearly 30 years ago.

Tesla reported its first quarter sales, its first quarterly report since the company has been taking much pressure from CEO Elon Musk’s new role on the Trump administration. For Q1 2025, the electric vehicle maker reported 336,681 global vehicle deliveries, a 13% decrease compared to the previous year. It was below analyst expectations and marks the company’s lowest quarterly delivery figure since the first quarter of 2022. Along with negative impact from Musk’s rule hading up the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), multiple sources also attributed the drop to an overall decline in consumer demand.

Tesla has also taken action on reducing pricing on its Cybertruck during a climate of disappointing sales. The company just launched the Cybertruck Long Range with a starting price of $72,235 (before federal tax incentives and including destination fees). It drops well below the original All-Wheel-Drive trim level, which starts at $82,235. Sales were up for the Cybertruck in Q1 over last year, but Ford did even better. The Cybertruck hit 6,406 sold in Q1 compared to the 7,187 Ford F-150 Lightnings.

Kelly Blue Book Electric Vehicle Sales Report said that Tesla’s decline happened even as overall electric vehicle sales rose a healthy 10.6% to 294,250 cars and trucks in the U.S.. General Motors took second place in last quarter’s EV sales, and new models from Honda and Acura, and to a lesser extent Dodge and Jeep, helped maintain the segment.

How Tariffs Might Impact EVs: For the 90-day suspension on most of the reciprocal tariffs announced on Wednesday by President Donald Trump, it doesn’t include a suspension of 25% tariffs on imported autos and auto parts into the U.S., according to Detroit Free Press. Tariffs on imported aluminum and steel are also expected to have an impact on automakers and car buyers in the U.S. Electric vehicles could definitely feel the brunt of it, according to Green Car Reports. As for EVs made in Mexico, that list includes Ford Mustang Mach-E, Cadillac Optiq, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Honda Prologue, and Jeep Wagoneer S. In Canada, the Dodge Charger Daytona EV makes that list, too. Both countries are seeing a number of hybrid models built there, which will also feel the impact of the tariffs.

RNG at ACT Expo: For those attending ACT Expo in Anaheim, you can show up a day early on Sunday, April 27 to get the inside scoop on the RNG advantage for fleets. That’s coming from the Transport Projects’s RNG Sunday Summit @ACT Expo. Attendees can also see the in-depth Fuel Portfolio for Fleets Workshop detailing the emergence of RNG and the benefits it delivers to fleets on Monday, April 28. Find out why RNG is becoming the alternative fuel of choice for fleet applications and connect with the industry leaders and experts that can show you how over at the Anaheim Convention Center for ACT Expo April 28-May 1, 2025.

Service offering to Green Auto Market readers: Editor and Publisher Jon LeSage is now offering services to the clean transportation community. These offerings include grant and RFP writing, communication materials, marketing and media materials, distribution of promotional and marketing materials to GAM readers, research services, audience surveys and in-depth interviews, and a GAM Market Report: EV Market Demand and Ownership in a Changing Environment. You can reach me at jlesage378@gmail.com, and I can send you more information on these services, a price sheet, and details on paying through my PayPal account. Thanks for your interest and support!

Learning more about Recurrent Auto: Recurrent Reports are available from Recurrent Auto to empower shoppers to check the expected range, and remaining warranty and tax credit eligibility for EV inventory on dealer websites. It’s provides an opportunity for dealers to reach out to car shoppers savvy to EVs and who want to purchase their first one or a newer model. Utilizing Recurrent’s Buying Center lets you make offers on a community of 30,000+ top-quality electric cars that are connected to the Recurrent platform. On that platform, EV owners can share basic info on their EV, share their name and number so Recurrent can reach out to dealers on their behalf, and they can upload photos to improve their chances of getting better offers. It’s being used daily by CarMax, Adesa, Edmunds, Cars Commerce, DGDG, and Easterns Automotive Group, according to Recurrent Auto.

China continues to have the lion’s share of electric vehicle sales in the global market, and this year is seeing a few new technology options coming to market. Range-extender electric vehicles have been gaining a demand increase and are part of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) seeing an 81% growth rate last year in that country.

Some of the range-extenders were introduced to the U.S. market years ago, such as the BMW i3 with the range-extender option, the Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Prime, and Jeep Wrangler 4xe. China’s version of range-extender electric vehicles have yet to come to Western markets in mass volumes.

Bloomberg reported that extended-range electric vehicles have become the fastest-growing propulsion system for vehicles in China. Chinese automaker Li Auto is a leader in that field, with most of its vehicles having the technology. The Li6 was launched in China in April 2024, and became very popular.

London-based forecast and analysis firm Rho Motion reported that China had nearly two thirds of new global plug-in vehicle sales last year. At about 11 million units sold, it was a 40% increase over 2023. The BYD Song (available both in battery electric vehicle — BEV — and PHEV versions) led the market at about 660,000 units sold in China last year.

The Chinese market benefited from its car trade-in program, which was extended into 2025. Those trading in for an battery electric, or plug-in hybrid, receive 20,000 yuan ($2,755), while those trading in for a gasoline car get 15,000 yuan ($2,067). 

One aspect of China’s market that’s not entirely clear is how many hybrid vehicles, without plug-ins, are being sold there. Those figures don’t appear to be available. Toyota has been selling its Corolla Hybrid and Levin Hybrid in China, which may be around 100,000 units sold in total in that market per year.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are included in the China’s ‘new energy vehicle’ category along with battery electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported that by the end of 2023 a total of 18,096 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles had been sold in country, 36.19% of the targeted 50,000 vehicles by 2025.

Other technology innovations coming to market have included anticipation for BYD’s first 1,000-kW ultrafast charging stations rolling out in early April. Its smart driving technology features, branded as ‘God’s Eye’ or ‘DiPilot’, have been rolling out through automated parking, adaptive cruise control, and advanced braking assistance.

On the BYD Vs. Tesla front, the Chinese maker continues to lead the way. BYD sold 4.3 million vehicles in 2024, including 1.76 million battery electric vehicles and 2.54 million hybrid electric vehicles. Tesla sold 1.79 million battery electric vehicles last year.

BYD dominates the Chinese market, with its sales surging 164% in February 2025, while Tesla’s deliveries in China slumped. 

Chinese EV maker Nio started up in 2014, went public in 2018, and has been getting a lot of attention from investors and auto market analysts over the years. Times have been rough lately with its risk level flagged in a fourth quarter earnings report that came out March 21. It’s seen weak car deliveries in recent months, as deliveries of the first model from its sub-brand Onvo, the L60 SUV (sport utility vehicle), have been lower than expected, according to CnEVPost.

Sales have been solid, though. Nio delivered 15,039 vehicles in March, up 26.7% over February and 14% higher than a year earlier. The Nio brand and its Onvo sub-brand saw rebounds in March over February.

Leaving Tesla for competitors: Lucid Motors’ interim CEO Marc Winteroff told Fox Business that the company has seen a “dramatic uptick over the past two months” in orders from former Tesla drivers. Over that time, 50% of orders were from former Tesla owners. Lucid has been ramping up deliveries of its first electric SUV, the Gravity. Winteroff said that deliveries will resume by the end of April. Tesla owners have been looking switch over to other EV makers since CEO Elon Musk started campaigning for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, and especially since he was appointed head of the new Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and started making deep staff cuts at federal agencies.

Hyundai IONIQ line continues to thrive: The Hyundai IONIQ 6 has been awarded the 2025 Best Value electric vehicle by Cars.com. The South Korean automaker says that a few of its features helped earn the award. One of them is its IONNA joint venture with eight OEMs to develop a new, high-powered charging network with at least 30,000 chargers. Beginning in Q1 2025, Hyundai is providing complimentary NACS adapters North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports for electric vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Hyundai EVs with the free NACS ports will gain access to more than 20,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This will double the size of the DC fast charging network available to Hyundai EV customers. Evolve+, Hyundai’s electric vehicle subscription service, provides flexibility and affordability to consumers that want to drive Hyundai’s newest electric vehicles without committing to a purchase or lease. The IONIQ 6 electric sedan and the IONIQ 5 electric crossover SUV models have been winning lots of awards; with the 6 taking World Car of the Year in 2023, and the 5 taking that award in 2022.

Will the EV tax credits started under the Biden administrations continue into the Trump years? Those EV tax credits, now known as the Clean Vehicle Credit, were significantly expanded and updated under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, impacting vehicles purchased from 2023 to 2032. It looks like the Trump administration and Republican leaders in the House and Senate are looking at ways to cut the EV tax credits.

However, it might be similar to the EV tax credits from the Obama administration carried over to the first Trump administration. The Trump administration attempted to eliminate the tax credit for electric vehicles all the way through to their 2020 budget, though the provision never passed. The Clean Vehicle Credit could last even longer, unless Republican legislators can work with the president on ending it.

This time, it’s looking more likely to be altered with the Republican Party having the White House, Congress and Senate majorities. For now, car buyers will continue to tap into them as much as possible.

Consumer fear of missing out on EV rebates carried over to used EV sales, which reached record levels in Q4. Year end numbers showed an increase of 62.6% percent over 2023 numbers, and the used EV market share hit a record setting 1.9%.

In total, 6,529,191 PHEVs and BEVs have been sold since 2010 in the U.S. through February 2025, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy. There’s enough of a long-term EV fleet out there that market analysts can evaluate more used vehicle price trends and market dynamics than they were able to do a decade ago.

October used EV sales increased 64% year over year, November sales increased 10% from October and 61% over 2023, and December sales grew 13% from November and 72% from 2023. Feedback from dealer partners concurs that this has been the case, according to Liz Najman, researcher at Recurrent.

The average listing price for used EVs was $38,057 in February 2025, reflecting a 1.8% increase month-over-month and a 1.6% increase year over year says Cox Automotive. Twelve brands had listing prices below those of their internal combustion engine (ICE+) models. Affordable options remain available, with 39% of units sold priced under $25,000.

Tesla still has a strong presence in the used EV market, according to Cox Automotive. In February, used electric vehicle sales declined by 4.7%, reaching 24,875 units in the U.S. Despite this decline, there was a year-over-year growth of 34.2%. 

Tesla maintained its dominant position in the used EV market with a substantial 39.9% sales share, despite a 9.2% decline in month-over-month sales volume, according to Cox Automotive.

The 2023 Nissan Ariya won Recurrent’s Best Used Electric Car of 2025. It promises to be a reliable and steadfast car, with an accurate dashboard, very little range degradation, and most of its battery warranty left. It does particularly well in terms of winter weather performance, where it holds on to 83% of its max range at freezing temps, Recurrent said.    

With a surge in EV leasing, consumers can expect a flood of used electric vehicles coming off lease, potentially offering good deals for buyers in the near future, especially in 2026, says Inside EVs.

Tesla and Rivian charging do well in study: Charging networks operated by Tesla and Rivian tended to have fewer problems than non-automaker efforts. That finding comes from a recent Consumer Reports survey of electric vehicle owners. — as covered in Green Car Reports. Respondents reported problems at Tesla charging stations 4% of the time, and 5% of the time at Rivian-operated chargers.

The challenges are much higher for other charging networks. Survey respondents said they experienced problems 48% of the time at Shell Recharge stations, 43% of the time at EVgo stations, and 41% of the time at Blink stations.

Consumer Reports data includes information from about 5,700 total charging sessions, from 1,230 EV and plug-in hybrid owners.

Trump tariffs and EV purchases: An S&P Global Mobility study from December provides some insight into what’s happening lately on the international automotive front as the Trump administration starts implements executive orders such as tariffs. If a 25% tariff in imports from Canada and Mexico were put in place, these key trading partners in the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) negotiated during the first Trump administration, will have a major impact on the market. Approximately one out of every four vehicles sold in the US comes directly from Canada or Mexico. These tariffs would also disrupt North American auto supply chains, as parts and components from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico flow freely between the three countries for their manufacturing plants.

Regarding electric vehicle purchases, one area that was discussed in the Trump presidential campaign, and with his new agency chiefs, is getting away from the electric vehicle tax credits, and the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles. One particular area of concern is the “lease loophole” in the Inflation Reduction Act, according to the S&P Global Mobility study.

That loophole allows car shoppers to consider leasing electric vehicles at more affordable rates, even if they don’t qualify for purchase tax credits.

“If this loophole is targeted for elimination, or if overall incentives are reduced, it could make BEVs even less accessible, especially as manufacturers may not have the same incentive to drive down prices or ramp up production,” the study said.