Opinion

A Reddit post making the rounds this week claims the US has experienced at least one major power outage every month of 2026 – but is it true? I dug into several outages, the extreme weather behind them, and what we can do to help keep the lights on.

In this long overdue episode of Quick Charge, the commercial trucking and logistics space is racing to electrify in the face of an ongoing oil crunch while homeowners race to claim the 30% solar tax credit by July 4th!

Packing just over 1,380 hp and up to 255 miles of all-electric range, the new, tri-motor, extended-range hybrid Zeekr X8 is redefining what buyers could and should expect from their next SUV – and parent company Geely’s global ambitions could mean the platform will make its way to North America. As a Volvo.

Every automotive era has its classics, designs that transcend spec sheets and sales figure and, somehow, become more culturally relevant with age. Now, nearly thirty years into the modern era, it feels like it’s time to ask the question: Which early EV will become the first classic car of the electric era?

Daimler Truck AG CEO Karin Rådström hopped on LinkedIn today and dropped some absolutely wild pro-hydrogen talking points, using words like “emotional” and “inspiring” while making some pretty heady claims about the viability and economics of hydrogen. The rant is doubly embarrassing for another reason: the company’s hydrogen trucks are more than 100 million miles behind Volvo’s electric semis.

UPDATE 14MAR26: tiny Workhorse pulls 20 MILLION miles ahead of mighty Daimler.

I reached out to a Texas Chevy dealer about a 2023 Bolt EUV LT Redline they list in their inventory, and despite talking to two different reps and probably an AI, I couldn’t get the answer to one simple question: why is their price more than $13,000 above sticker?

NOTE: since most of the US is currently getting hit with a huge winter storm, I’m republishing this list of home batteries as a reminder to be prepared for the next one – particularly for folks who are looking at hours or days without power.

For years, Tesla Powerwall has been the go-to recommendation for homeowners looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first home solar and battery backup solutions. But with a recent recall on more than 10,000 home batteries over fire safety concerns following a year (or more) of CEO Elon Musk’s political antics, more and more people are beginning to look for alternatives to the trailblazing Tesla tech. The good news: there are plenty of other great home solar battery solutions are there!

A lot of mainstream auto media coverage right now is pushing the idea that some EVs are “dying.” What we’re really seeing is a wave of end-of-cycle, first-generation vehicles making way for their next-gen replacements. Historically, that’s when buyers get the best deals – so if that’s what you’re after, these are the EVs you should be looking at right now.

UPDATE 11JAN2026: added a PHEV people-mover and a plug-in SUV.

Take it from someone with nearly fifteen years in the business who has written up literally thousands of new car deals. If you drive lots of miles, if you like to keep your car for years and years, and if you hate making payments: leasing is almost always your best option.

If the market failures of the Dodge Charger Daytona and VW ID.Buzz have proved anything at all, it’s that the Baby Boomer era is over, and their kids — GenX and Millenials alike — aren’t willing to pay a premium for a vehicle that looks like something their dad once thought was cool. As GenX becomes the largest and richest new car-buying demographic, manufacturers need to find out what they are nostalgic about.

To that end, I propose the following nostalgia play: the “Goonies Never Say Die” edition 2027 Dodge Caravan BEV.

Ask anyone who owned or owns one, and they’ll tell you that Honda Element was ahead of its time, delivering a flexible interior, car-like ride, and SUV-levels of visibility – and, if Honda really wanted to, they could roll out an all-new, all-electric Element riding on an Ultium-style electric skateboard tomorrow.

In a story I could have titled “Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” US President Donald Trump made headlines this week by expressing his love of small, affordable vehicles – and encouraging automakers to start building more compacts domestically. That’s great stuff, but there are dozens of some great compact cars out there already.

Here’s my list of compact EVs that need to find their way to America ASAP.

Multiple outlets are reporting on Donald Trump’s apparent effort to change US regulations to bring tiny Japanese kei cars to the US, but there’s little reason to think that effort will be serious.

Unless they have vivid memories of guys like Nigel Mansell, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel driving the wheels off a screaming, Renault-powered Formula 1 car, it’s tough to get an American to care about a new Renault — but Nissan’s renewed willingness to work with its old partners means we may yet get the new Trafic E-Tech here. (!)

Under the hood of the new “Ten-Oh” Japanese tugboat is the key is a novel marine engine system churning out more than 4,400 hp (!) from its dual, dual-fuel hydrogen-burning V12 engines. Is this – finally! – a great use case for hydrogen?

America’s heartland is full of rural communities that are miles away from its major cities, both geographically and culturally – but that doesn’t mean these more sparsely populated regions can’t reap the benefits of electrification. In fact, EVs offer rural drivers even more benefits than they do to city-dwellers!

The current EV era is ripe with revered classic car designs and iconic nameplates that are being reborn as battery-powered rides – and the success of cars the Renault 5 proves it can be a winning formula. Today, I’m suggesting another 1980s classic that deserves a modern electric update: the Buick Grand National.

Utilities, state governments, and private developers are racing to roll out faster, more powerful EV chargers. At the same time, automakers and tech giants across the globe are pouring billions into R&D to develop batteries that can take ever-higher levels of power. But what if there’s a better, easier, cheaper, and more effective way to cut emissions?

What if, instead of faster chargers, we pushed for SLOWER gas pumps?

Yesterday, we attended a special owners event for the Chevy Bolt, unveiling all the changes for the new iteration of one of our favorite EVs out there.

And almost everything we heard there was good news. Almost.

This fall marks the 25th anniversary of the US launch of the first-gen Toyota Prius — a car that, arguably, has done more to more to shift the market away from fossil fuels than any other single vehicle (more on that in a minute). That means that, in many states, you can now get “antique” or “historic” plates for a modern hybrid.

If that sounds appealing to you, here’s what it might cost to keep that OG Prius on the road for many more years to come.

It’s a simple fact that SUVs and crossovers have out-Darwined the station wagon. And, sure – the taller driving position offers road presence, but when it comes to real-world utility, a proper long-roof wagon can hang with the best of them while offering Teutonic driving dynamics no SUV can match. All it would take to spark a wagon revival in the US is one sleek, solidly built, and affordable entry from a mainstream brand. And VW already has the perfect candidate waiting in the wings. Meet the Škoda Vision O (Passat badges not included).