EV Geek Podcast

If you logged onto Rivian’s configurator today, you’re in for a massive piece of sticker shock. Overnight—and without a single press release—Rivian quietly discontinued the absolute cheapest entry points into the R1T and R1S lineup. The Dual Standard trim is officially dead, raising the barrier to entry by a massive $7,000.

In this episode, we go beneath the surface to break down the real reasons behind the shift. We dive into the secret technical nightmare of LFP battery calibration that plagued the base models, and why this is a genius tactical chess move by CEO RJ Scaringe to save the upcoming, mass-market Rivian R2 from internal product cannibalization.

The battle for silver is heating up! While Tesla maintains its dominant grip on the #1 spot, fresh S&P Global Mobility registration data reveals an absolute dogfight for second place in the U.S. market. This week on The Friday Charge, we break down how Hyundai is breathing right down Chevrolet's neck—sitting less than 1,000 units away from claiming the title of America's second-most-popular EV brand.

We tackle the volume trends of the heavy-hitting Ioniq 5 versus the struggling Equinox EV transition, explore Hyundai’s tactical product line trimming (goodbye, standard Ioniq 6!), and look at the wildcards on the horizon—including a shocking 225% registration surge from Toyota. Grab your coffee and plug in; it's time for your quick weekend update!

The official EPA certification documents for the Tesla Cybercab (Test Group: TTSLV00.0L1A) have leaked, giving us the exact engineering specs, battery capacity, and power output that Tesla didn't reveal at the launch event.

And the data shows a radical shift in how Tesla designs vehicles.

In this episode of The Friday Charge, we pull back the curtain on the Certificate Summary Information (CSI) finalized by the EPA. We’re skipping the driving impressions (there’s no steering wheel anyway) to do a forensic deep-dive into the raw technical architecture.

From a massive powertrain surprise to a hidden efficiency penalty built directly into its inductive charging system, we are breaking down what these numbers mean for the future of autonomous fleets.

General Motors is making a surprising move in the EV battery race. While many automakers are embracing lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries to lower costs, GM is signaling it may shift its focus toward lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries instead.

In this episode, we break down what LMR battery technology is, why GM believes it could deliver LFP-like costs with better energy density, and what this strategy could mean for the future of electric vehicles. We also explore the potential advantages, risks, and how this decision could impact competition with Tesla, Ford, Rivian, and other EV manufacturers.

Could GM's bet on manganese-rich batteries reshape the EV industry, or is it passing on a proven technology too soon?

Tune in as we examine the technology, the business strategy, and what it means for EV buyers and investors.

#GeneralMotors #GM #ElectricVehicles #EVs #BatteryTechnology #LFP #LMR #Tesla #AutomotiveNews #EVIndustry #CleanEnergy #FutureOfTransportation #TheFridayChargePodcast

Everyone said the U.S. electric vehicle market was dead after a brutal Q1, but the latest April registration data reveals a massive U-shaped recovery. In this solo deep dive, we skip the superficial driving impressions and break down the raw market economics. Why did sales plunge up to 41% in January after federal tax incentives expired, and how did automaker-backed financing and manufacturing shifts spark a massive April rebound? We also look at global ripple effects, from the U.K. altering its aggressive EV mandates to Honda’s major structural pivot.

In this episode:

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Today on The Friday Charge, Joel and Sebastian update you on Hyundai EV sales numbers, big changes coming to Electrify America, news on the Dodge Charge and what will Waymo plans to do with their old batteries. 

Subaru just dropped their May 2026 sales report, and the numbers are absolutely staggering. While many doubted the "Subaru Electric Offensive," the brand just hit a massive 25% electrification milestone, led by the incredible demand for the Trailseeker and Uncharted models.

In today’s episode of The Friday Charge, we’re breaking down the data behind Subaru’s 10.4% year-over-year jump. We look at:

This week on The Friday Charge we chat about the Rivian R2 release date, the controversial Ferrari EV and something new from Lightship! Plus Sebastian and Joel rant about what's new in their EV world!

Mark your calendars: June 9th is the R2 Reckoning. Rivian has officially confirmed that order invites, first customer deliveries, and public demo drives all kick off on the same day. In this episode, we break down who gets their keys first, the "Launch Package" specs you need to know, and how to snag a test drive slot before they vanish. The "Model Y killer" has arrived—is it everything we hoped for?