Tesla is reportedly introducing Apple CarPlay to its cars — but why? Has Tesla lost its sparkle and now the auto disruptor needs something mainstream to shock the market? We dive in on this week’s podcast. Plus, Mazda gets back into EVs, Nissan facelifts a Mitsubishi, Audi “scouts” a new manufacturing plant, and more!

SHOW NOTES
Mazda EV crossover prototype seen testing in California: https://electrek.co/2025/11/13/mazda-finally-testing-a-real-ev/

Tesla reportedly working on (finally) adding CarPlay to its cars, but not Android Auto: https://9to5google.com/2025/11/13/tesla-android-auto-carplay-report/

2026 Nissan Rogue PHEV is a re-badged Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-2026-nissan-rogue-plug-in-hybrid-is-a-mitsubishi-outlander-with-less-grille-colored-in

Next-generation Audi SUV reportedly to be built at Scout plant in South Carolina: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a69457849/audi-luxury-off-roader-scout-platform/

Australian outlet CarExpert claims a second-generation Lightning is under development: https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/electric-ford-f-150-lightning-may-live-on-for-a-sequel

China proposing a mandatory default 5-second minimum 0-60 time: https://carnewschina.com/2025/11/13/china-proposes-5-second-0-100-km-h-acceleration-limit-on-vehicles-to-enhance-road-safety/

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Tesla
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

Is Elon Musk asking for too much money? Is RJ Scaringe asking for too little? Is Ford scrapping the F-150 Lightning? Is Toyota going to win the EV battery war? There’s a lot to talk about this week, so that’s exactly what we do on the latest episode of The Watt Car EV Podcast!

SHOW NOTES
Musk’s colossal pay package approved by shareholders by a 75% margin: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/06/tesla-shareholders-musk-pay.html

Rivian gives RJ Scaringe a $4.7 billion long-term pay package: https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/07/rivian-gives-rj-scaringe-a-new-pay-package-worth-up-to-5b/

Ford reportedly considering ending production of the F-150 Lightning: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/11/ford-says-no-exact-date-to-restart-f-150-lightning-production/

Toyota targeting 40-year lifespan for its upcoming solid-state batteries: https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/toyota-targeting-40-year-lifespan-for-its-solid-state-batteries

Toyota unveils Hilux EV: https://insideevs.com/news/778442/new-toyota-hilux-ev-2025-official-specs/

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Ford
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

Toyota wows audiences at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show (aka Tokyo Auto Show) with its Corolla concept. What does the future hold in store for this looker? We consider the options. We also consider the Kia EV4 delay, the Mazda 6e, Toyota’s latest fuel cell, and our new shorts. Check out this week’s podcast!

SHOW NOTES
Toyota Corolla concept: https://insideevs.com/news/777252/toyota-corolla-concept-japan-mobility/

Kia EV4 delayed “indefinitely” for the US market: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a69207203/kia-ev4-delayed-indefinitely-united-states/

The Autopian’s Adrian Clarke drives the (not sold in the U.S.) Mazda 6e EV sedan: https://www.theautopian.com/i-drove-the-new-rwd-mazda-and-its-not-the-enthusiasts-dream-sedan-yet/

Toyota’s CTO says he wants the company to make ICE “Until the very end”: https://www.thedrive.com/news/toyota-wants-to-be-the-last-company-making-engines-and-its-not-shy-about-that

Tacoma’s fuel cell SEMA car https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a69229564/toyota-tacoma-h2-overlander-concept-sema/

The new Leaf outperforms in Edmunds range test: https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2026-nissan-leaf-ev-range-tested.html

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Toyota
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

With the U.S. government and several automotive manufacturers stepping back from EVs, is this the beginning of the end for electrification? Then, if EVs are still the future, are the car makers that are swapping to more ICE, PHEV, and hybrid technology setting themselves up for short-term success but long-term failure? Is there also a national security angle to all of this? We do a deep dive on this week’s podcast.

SHOW NOTES
None this week!

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Ford
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

There’s an emissions scandal brewing, this time around PHEV and EREV technology. Could this be the next Dieselgate? We talk about that, plus Scout booting its BEV, GM dropping BrightDrop, Porsche introducing a tweener EV, and more, all on this week’s podcast.

SHOW NOTES
European study says PHEVs/EREVs are no better for the environment than ICE: https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/smoke-screen-the-growing-phev-emissions-scandal

Scout BEV reportedly put on the back burner on strong pre-orders of EREV version, cash crunch at VW Group: https://www.theautopian.com/scout-to-reportedly-build-hybrid-trucks-first/

GM drops BrightDrop: https://insideevs.com/news/776511/gm-brightdrop-production-ending-2025/

Porsche debuts tweener Macan EV GTS: https://insideevs.com/news/776417/2026-porsche-macan-gts-official-specs-price/

Germany looking to revive EV subsidy: https://www.electrive.com/2025/10/13/germany-new-ev-subsidy-returns-as-purchase-incentive-also-for-used-cars/

Engineering Explains breaks down why Corvette ZR1 is faster around the Nüburgring than the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, with nearly 1/3 the power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TynF7R7q6c8

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Toyota
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

What a Vision! The Mercedes-Benz Vision Icon concept is unveiled, and it’s a bold move — but is it also the right move? We talk about that…but not until the end of the podcast. First, there’s news about the second coming of the Chevy Bolt, Ferrari’s Elettrica specs, Polestar’s floundering Chinese-market sales, and more!

SHOW NOTES
Chevy Bolt gets low-key unveil: https://insideevs.com/news/775172/2027-chevrolet-bolt-range-price-revealed/

Ferrari unveils specs of its first electric vehicle, the Elettrica: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/10/everything-we-know-about-ferraris-first-electric-vehicle/

The Ferrari Elettrica will have amplified “natural” sound: https://www.thedrive.com/news/heres-how-ferrari-plans-to-give-evs-a-cool-natural-sound

Polestar reportedly exiting the China market: https://www.electrive.com/2025/10/13/polestar-global-sales-up-13-in-q3-as-it-exits-china-retail-network/

GM cancels its fuel cell development program: https://fuelcellsworks.com/2025/10/13/energy-development/gm-ends-next-generation-hydrogen-fuel-cell-development-program

Mercedes unveils swoopy, bold Vision Iconic concept: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a69021391/mercedes-vision-iconic-concept-revealed/

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Mercedes-Benz
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

Tesla’s base model is finally here…and it’s a Model Y overflowing with a lack of features. The price is also dangerously close to the next trim level, which begs the question: Is the “Standard” Model Y worth the money? Also on this week’s podcast, V2L comes to the Model Y Performance, Hyundai drops the price of the Ioniq 5, Zeeker cranks the voltage, and more!

SHOW NOTES
Tesla Model Y “Standard” officially debuts: https://insideevs.com/news/774980/2026-tesla-model-y-standard-affordable-ev/

Tesla Model Y Performance now offers 120V V2L output (basically, like Hyundai’s had for several years): https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-y-performance-killer-feature-beyond-speed/

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 gets massive price cut in response to end of $7,500 EV tax credit: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a68157139/2026-hyundai-ioniq-5-pricing/

Zeekr 001 gets upgraded to 900V architecture: https://electrek.co/2025/10/06/zeekr-001-design-refresh-900v-architecture-7-minute-charging/

NEVI funds un-frozen, DOT looks to expedite buildout: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/05/states-scramble-for-charger-cash-despite-trumps-chill-on-evs-00585857

EV Motorcycle maker Zero moving headquarters from Scotts Valley (Santa Cruz area) to Netherlands: https://www.motorcycle.com/bikes/zero-is-moving-to-europe-44650621

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Tesla
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

Are EVs too fast? What a ridiculous question! Other than…maybe? The question is not actually so much about outright acceleration, but more about what the industry is prioritizing over other meaningful developments for electric vehicles. On this week’s podcast, we consider the options.

SHOW NOTES
Jason Barlow, writing for Wired, says EVs have gotten too powerful:  https://www.wired.com/story/evs-have-gotten-too-powerful/

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Tesla
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

Ram’s battery electric pickup is dead while the range extended version lives on…with ALL the names. The Ram Ramcharger REV will be Ram’s only “electrified” pickup and will see a gasoline engine power a battery, which in turn powers electric motors — and it’s our contention that this is the right move. Are we correct? Also, Yangwang resets its own record, Jeep axes the Glatiator 4xe, BMW rides the hydrogen train, and more.

SHOW NOTES
Yangwang U9 Xtreme hits 308 mph, setting production car record: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/yangwang-u9-xtreme-hits-308mph-becomes-worlds-fastest-ever-production-car

Ram cancels battery-electric pickup, will rename Ramcharger REV: https://www.electrive.com/2025/09/15/ram-drops-bev-plans-bets-on-range-extended-1500-rev/

Jeep Gladiator 4xe axed: https://tfltruck.com/2025/09/jeep-gladiator-4xe-phev-canceled-news/

Hyundai teases EREV models coming in 2027: https://insideevs.com/news/772645/hyundai-erev-2027-release/

Hyundai to build body-on-frame midsize pickup for the U.S. market: https://www.thedrive.com/news/body-on-frame-hyundai-truck-coming-to-us-by-2030-suv-likely-next

New BMW iX5 will be offered with 5 powertrain options, including fuel cell: https://electrek.co/2025/09/22/bmw-teams-tup-with-toyota-for-ix5-hydrogen-suv-but-why/

Panasonic reportedly developing anode-free battery: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/panasonic-aims-develop-groundbreaking-ev-battery-about-two-years-2025-09-18/

Nissan dropping Ariya from U.S. market, presumably to focus on the new Leaf: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a67948305/nissan-ariya-canceled/

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Stellantis
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

This week, we sit down with Konect’s president Merrick Glass to discuss findings in Konect’s most recent EV charging survey. As a division of fuel pump giant Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Konect understands the international fueling industry (be it liquid or electrons) on a level few companies can.

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SHOW NOTES
Konect survey: https://www.gilbarco.com/eu/blog/its-about-time-ev-drivers-want-convenient-charging-and-theyre-willing-pay-it

For more information about Konect: https://www.gilbarco.com/us/products/konect

This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Gilbarco Veeder-Root
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
Website: https://www.thewattcar.com
Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar