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Jo Borrás

volvojo1

I’ve been involved in the electric vehicle transition in one way or another since 1997, and have covered the industry as a journalist since 2008. You can catch more of my work on Quick Charge and The Heavy Equipment Podcast with Mike Switzer.

NOTE: any opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal government, the State of Illinois, Electrek, or anyone else. Nothing here should be interpreted as a statement of official policy, legal guidance, or an endorsement unless expressly labeled as such.

Connect with Jo Borrás

Answering random Redditor’s questions with professional backup: home solar edition

Whole-home battery backup - actually worth it, or do most people regret the cost?

Earlier this week, a home solar shopper took to Reddit looking for a home solar panel + home backup battery system that could intelligently manage solar and grid power, auto switch in a power outage, and accept ICE generator input in a prolonged grid power failure. I reached out to some home energy experts to get them an answer.

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One Detroit-area Hyundai dealer wants $400 to charge your car

Hyundai Dealer Added $5 A Minute On Top Of $5 Per kWh On Public EV Charger To Scare Off Outsiders The dealer set its rates sky-high to scare off outsiders but left the charger listed as public, as one driver found out the hard way paying $418

Drivers opening an EV charging app for the first time today will be presented with thousands of so-called “public” chargers at local car dealers. Once they arrive, however, the store’s customers, store hours, security gates, and Wild West pricing can turn what should be a routine charging stop into a frustrating ordeal. For first-time EV drivers, that doesn’t just reflect poorly on the dealer – it reflects poorly on the EV, itself. And we need to fix it.

UPDATE 05SEP2026: another Hyundai store, another $418 bill.

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University at Buffalo adds electric buses to Stampede Fleet

Photographer: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki

The University at Buffalo is celebrating the deployment of eight new 40-foot electric transit buses, which are now quietly transporting students, staff, and campus visitors per day. The buses are the first in UB’s Stampede fleet to ditch diesel, kicking off a four-year effort to electrify the university’s campus transportation system.

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EPA estimates vs. real-world data: EV drivers share some surprising experiences

Who has the most efficient commute? I get 20% better than rated range.

Electric cars are often marketed as having “x” miles of EPA-estimated range, but that doesn’t mean that’s how many miles you’ll be able to get out of yours. That’s the reality facing a growing number of Redditors who are sharing their EV commuting experiences online — and their real-world results might surprise you!

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