In this episode of The Clean Energy Edge Podcast, Russ Bates breaks down one of the most persistent myths in the U.S. energy conversation: that struggles at Tesla mean electric vehicles are failing.

They don’t.

While U.S. headlines focus on slowing EV sales, the end of federal tax credits, and Tesla’s declining margins, the global EV market tells a very different story. Across China, Europe, and emerging markets, electric vehicles are scaling, improving, and becoming mainstream transportation — driven by industrial strategy, affordability, and long-term investment.

Russ explains why Tesla’s current challenges are self-inflicted, not a failure of EV technology. From shrinking profits and repeated price cuts to the decision to end Model S and Model X production and pivot factory capacity toward robots and AI, Tesla is signaling a shift away from being an EV-first automaker. Combined with Elon Musk’s growing reputational impact, Tesla’s brand struggles are increasingly being misused as proof that EVs don’t work — a conclusion the data does not support.

The episode also explores:

Why U.S. EV demand is uneven, not collapsing

How Canada opening its market to Chinese EVs signals the next global battleground: affordability

Why U.S. automakers cheering regulatory rollbacks risk falling behind global competitors

How leadership stuck in a 1960s mindset is misreading a modern transportation transition

The takeaway is clear: the future of transportation is still electric. The real question is whether the United States chooses to lead — or import that future later.