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Episode #1217: Ionna ramps up charging despite slumping EV demand, VW rethinks its electric strategy with range extenders, and a Waymo ride turns into a delivery room as a newborn arrives before first responders.

Show Notes with links:

• Ionna—the eight-automaker EV charging company—keeps speeding up its nationwide charging ambitions even as EV demand cools. With reliability still a major pain point for buyers, the group is betting big that better infrastructure will unlock future EV sales and stabilize the retail market.
  • The JV plans 30,000 charging bays by 2030, aiming to rival Tesla’s Supercharger network in quality and convenience.
  • 49 stations are already open, with 1,200 bays open or under construction and 4,000 sites under contract.
  • Tesla still dominates fast charging and is projected to grow to 69,000 plugs by 2030, but analysts expect Ionna to secure the No. 2 spot.
  • Automakers view the investment as essential, especially as federal incentives shrink and consumer hesitancy grows around public charging reliability.
  • “If we’re successful, we think this will unlock the market in terms of folks wanting to buy an EV, because now they have a network that goes with it,” said CEO Seth Cutler.
• After early promises with the ID.4, demand for VW EVs has softened, models are being pulled, and prices are heading in the wrong direction. Now VW is eyeing gas-assisted EVs as a potential lifeline.
  • The ID.7 has been scrapped for North America, and the ID. Buzz has underperformed, pushing some models from big markups to nearly $20,000 discounts.
  • VW says consumer demand will dictate where and when range-extended models appear, noting the concept is already reserved for future platforms.
  • As Ford CEO Jim Farley put it, range extenders deliver EV driving “without range anxiety… and comparable to an ICE vehicle in terms of cost.”
• A routine autonomous ride turned into a delivery room when a pregnant passenger in San Francisco gave birth in the back of a Waymo. The car still made it to the hospital — just a little more “occupied” than when it started.
  • Waymo detected “unusual activity” and called to check in, then alerted 911 once it realized a birth was underway.
  • The vehicle reached UCSF Hospital before first responders could catch up, marking at least the second baby ever born in a Waymo.
  • “We’re proud to be a trusted ride for moments big and small… serving riders from just seconds old to many years young,” Waymo said.

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0:00 Intro with Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier

0:50 Recapping the week at More Than Cars

3:10 Upcoming Episodes of Auto Collabs

3:38 Ionna Aiming For

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