Electric cars are great.

They’re extremely quiet, more refined than the vast majority of gas-powered cars, and they’re even easier to recharge, thanks to the countless DC fast chargers popping up everywhere. Gone are the days when a Nissan Leaf owner had to meticulously plan a 200-mile trip — usually with a third-party website — just to make sure he arrived at his destination with a little power left in the battery.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned after doing this work for more than a decade, it’s that electric cars aren’t for everyone — at least not yet. That’s why hybrids are having such a moment in 2025, and why 2026 will be even bigger.

Photo by: Toyota

The near-term solution to the affordability problem

On the whole, an electric car that can do it all is still more expensive than a comparable combustion car. And charging is still not ideal for many people. Apartment dwellers have no choice but to use DC fast chargers, which are, by and large, more expensive than charging at home outside peak hours. Sometimes, it’s more expensive than filling up with gas.

This leaves one solid option for many car shoppers who are skeptical about electric cars or already have all the numbers and fail when considering switching to an electric car: hybrids or plug-in hybrids.

Photography: Patrick George

It still burns gas and produces CO2 emissions, so it’s not as environmentally friendly or as smooth to drive as a full electric car. But they’re cleaner than traditional gas cars, can save owners money in the long run, and are the perfect gateway to electric vehicles. The main selling points are simple: improved fuel efficiency compared to non-hybrid cars and lower prices than similar electric cars.

Starting at under $30,000, the new Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan Leaf are decent cars, but it’s hard to recommend them to someone with a maximum budget of $25,000 for a new car that needs to be reliable and easy to use over time. But the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, which starts at $25,000, is hard to argue with.

Photo by: Honda

Many Americans already know this fact, and automakers are banking on people’s reluctance to switch to all-electric garages. In the first quarter of this year, about 22% of light-duty vehicles sold in the U.S. were hybrids or plug-in hybrids, up from about 18% in the first quarter of 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). People may not be flocking to electric cars, but they are choosing battery-powered options over all-gas-powered cars.

Hybrid vehicle sales: via EIA

Photo: US Energy Information Administration

Conventional hybrids are more common than plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in the United States, although they are not the same in other parts of the world. In the third quarter, sales of conventional hybrids — which have a gas engine, a small electric motor and a small, high-voltage battery — increased 20% in the United States compared with the same period last year, according to analytics firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Meanwhile, sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) — which have a larger battery and a more powerful electric motor — rose in the third quarter by just 3%. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as car companies rush to fill the potential gap left by electric vehicles.

Photo by: Volvo

The data was even more impressive in Europe. Hybrid cars are currently the most popular type of new car in this market, accounting for 35% of the market. Combined with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), they have outsold vehicles powered only by gas or diesel engines. And in China, despite its big lead in electric cars, hybrid car sales are on the rise as buyers outside cities face some of the same charging challenges as everyone else.

The great hybrid rush is coming soon

Some automakers have had ambitious goals to become all-electric brands by 2030, 2035 or later. Faced with the harsh reality of the market, many have pushed back by postponing or canceling new electric vehicles. They’re now looking at ways to entice buyers with more hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, many of which will be built locally in the US.

Photo by: Nissan

This is good news for now. Buying a hybrid can significantly lower a household’s gas bills compared to an older gas car, with most new hybrids paring their conventional counterparts after about three years, according to the EPA’s Nifty Hybrid Savings Calculator.

It’s not lost on me that hybrids are a bit more expensive than old gas stoves, and that plug-in hybrids can save owners some serious cash if they have a cheap, easy place to charge overnight and hate stopping to recharge on road trips. However, it has its place in the market now, as more auto and shipping industries begin to understand what consumers want and come up with ways to reduce costs further.

Photo: Mac Hogan/InsideEVs

Porsche, Kia, Hyundai, Volvo, Nissan, Honda and others have serious plans to invest a lot of money in new electric motors that are easier to push inside existing car platforms. Toyota has done this very well for more than a decade, and it’s not about to stop anytime soon, because it wants to sell as many hybrids, hybrids, and electric vehicles as possible. Meanwhile, Toyota had a banner year of sales in the United States on the strength of its hybrid lineup, and now several other automakers are trying to follow suit.

And that’s good, because these are all companies that need to make money to keep the lights on. If it also means car buyers can save some money on gasoline in the long run, then that’s absolutely ideal. I remember the first time I drove a Toyota Prius; It was a great experience driving on electricity at low city speeds, and I couldn’t help but try to keep fuel consumption as low as possible. This same experience may convince other gas fanatics to eventually ditch dinosaur fuel for something more silent.

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

So, expect 2026 to be full of hybrid and plug-in news, and I’m all for it. But I want to be clear about one thing. These two types of engines are fine now, but they are a temporary solution until the world discovers that there are better ways to get from point A to point B. That solution could be an electric car, public transportation, an e-bike, or something else — but I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Technology is advancing so quickly, it won’t be long before $25,000 or even cheaper electric cars arrive to lure more people behind the wheel of a gas-free car. Solid-state batteries that will enable longer ranges are also expected to become widely available by the end of the decade, and some companies have had success creating more efficient combustion engines.

Until that happens, the solution for many is to hide in plain sight.

We want your opinion!

-InsideEVs Team

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Support Cleantechnica work through an alternative subscription or a tape.

Ev Raffles seems to have become more and more popular. One of the indigenous leaders in this field, CCAN Climate Network (CCAN), works to operate one for 7 years, and has grown it to a greater and larger level. For this year, Raffle provides first place prize (Rivian, Porsche or Lucid), and second place award (VW identifier I feel like I am a child in a dessert store looking at this!

I wanted to talk to someone in CCAN about clouds, but also about what CCAN was doing, so I got Queenin Scott, CCAN’s federal policy manager, to invite Podcast today to talk about these things. You can see and/or listen below or on your favorite podcast network to learn more about these things. It was an enjoyable conversation, but it certainly got a few politically disturbing regarding clean technology and clean technology growth in the United States.

If you just want to jump directly to the EV lottery and get your tickets, you can do this here.

I will only add here that I worked with CCAN a little about 16 or 17 years ago when I was a non -profit organization manager based in Charlottesville, Virginia. It has been a wonderful young organization at the time, and it is great to see how much it grows and expanded since then. It is clear that it is a good team of people enthusiastic about the task of the important organization. We hope they can continue effectively for another 16 years.

The post Another few days to withdraw EV Big EV from CCAN – PodCast & YouTube Chat appeared first on Evolution Electric.

Washington (AP) – as Republicans in Congress He rushed forward with a huge tax and lower the bill, A renewable energy executive in North Carolina has written to his 190 employees with a warning: deep discounts to clean energy tax credits were harmful.

“It is certain that (changes) will include job loss in our team. “I tell you that you deserve transparency and truth – even if this fact is uncomfortable.”

The draft law is now at home Take ax For clean energy incentivesIncluding the killing of tax credit by 30 % for solar residential energy on the surface by the end of the year in which the Biden administration is located Law of reducing inflation It extended to the next decade. Trump described the tax credits of clean energy in part of the Climate Law from a “new green fraud”, which is properly converting the taxpayer support to help the “global climate agenda” and energy sources such as wind and solar energy.

Companies and analysts say that the draft law supported by the Republican Party is likely to reflect the growth of the sector and remove jobs.

“The solar energy industry will be completely amazing of this,” said Bob Kevie, CEO of E2, a business group calling for environmentally supportive policies.

President Donald Trump’s Big Beutiful Bill aims to wide energy sources on a large scale, including the gradual disposal of the tax credits enjoyed by solar energy and winds on the scale. But cutting the solar credit will happen sooner.

Companies have announced more than $ 20 billion in clean energy investments in North Carolina in recent years. Etheridge, whose company installs solar panels and helps to ensure the efficiency of buildings in the field of energy, was among many of the sector in this sector to pressure the American Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina Changes in the draft law.

Tellis was eventually one of the three Republic You will not seek to re -election After Trump said he is likely to support a basic competitor.

Now, etheridge says that tax credit loss is likely to mean demobilization 50 to 55 of his workers. He called for the elimination of residential tax credits “bait and switch”.

He said: “I made a decision that he is an employee to remove a loan from my grandmother to buy in my work and put my home on the line” due to the stability of tax credits. He said he will now defend ways to diversify his work.

“If you need money points from Washington to make your business viable, then it may not be at work in the first place,” said Adam Michel, Director of Tax Policy Studies at the Kato Institute, a liberation research tank.

Michel said that he doubts that many clean energy companies will get out of work, but “I think they will be right in size in the market and that the people who work with them will find better jobs and more stable functions in viable industries and do not require billions of dollars in federal support.”

Even before the discussion of the draft law, E2 experts said in May that $ 14 billion of clean energy investments throughout the country have been postponed or canceled this year.

The draft law, which was passed on Tuesday, removes a tax on some winds and solar energy that was proposed in a previous issuance and gives projects on the benefit of some time to start construction before getting rid of these tax credits.

Carl Stopka, a rally -based NC Solar president, who employs about 100 people, said that the Senate Bill reduced the impact on commercial projects “with the destruction of the residential part of tax credits.” Nearly 85 % of his work is residential work.

“They took it away from every ordinary ordinary American and gave it to the wealthiest business owners,” he said.

Stupka said if the draft law becomes a law, companies will rush to end the largest possible number of solar functions before the credit ends. He was expected to rest half his employees, with “hanging” job losses elsewhere.

“This will lead to a severe shock,” he said.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family to cover water and environmental policy. AP is the only responsible for all content. For all AP environmental coverage, visit https://appnyws.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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Last update in: June 19, 2025, 05:11 pm

Therefore, it was reported that the plan of how to kill Republicans kill tax credit of $ 7,500 for electric cars: 180 days after the budget bill was passed to the law, the EV tax credit will disappear. In addition, EVS tax credit will be eliminated immediately for cars produced outside the United States. Moreover, there is a very less useful tax credit, but it is very useful for used electric cars – which will end after 90 days of signing the bill in the law.

Obviously, starting in 2026, this will be a major blow to the United States market EV. Electric car sales will take a blow. But the strike will look more dramatic because we are all familiar with it now. Many people who were considering buying an electric car will rush to buy one before the tax incentives end. However, “the demand to withdraw forward” also means that less people buy an electric car within 6-12 months after the support ends.

Therefore, we will likely see an increase in EV sales in the rest of this year – may make the market and some brands look healthier than they are – and then we will see a terrible breakdown in the market will make the market look worse than it is.

In general, though, in the long run, this is not good for the United States market EV, and we will leave our feet and tremors away from markets such as China and Europe, and even some South American countries apparently. Regardless of the clear decrease from the removed incentives, it is also just a major blow to work in the United States to provide production tax credits and then withdraw it after a few years. The factories take a lot of long -term planning and capital investment. Driving this work and investing in the trash can make companies wonder whether they will risk in the states again. The United States has become a less predictive, less stable and less confident market for companies that have these upcoming changes, especially in solar and solar energy sectors.

Of course, the bill has not yet been passed, so things can still change. But this does not seem good, especially since the Republican -controlled parliament and the Republican House of Representatives suggested killing EV incentives. There are only slight differences in how to suggest doing this.

The post It can be a big boom in EV sales in the United States in the rest of 2025, then a great disruption appeared first on Evolution Electric.

Danny Moses, the Tesla skeptic portrayed in the movie “The Big Short,” revealed that he gave up shorting shares of the electric car maker for this big reason.

Musa appeared on CNBC to talk about the stock, and when asked about his short position in Tesla, he said he exited it.

Here’s why:

“When the story goes from the non-essential to the technical… that’s when I let the story go. It’s very difficult to shorten a name that’s not trading based on the fundamentals. It’s also difficult to elongate a name when everything is built on promises.

Tesla trades and holds a tremendous amount of value in terms of its technology, its prowess as an electric vehicle maker, and a lot of other things.

For example, the company’s stock exploded after news of Donald Trump winning the presidency, and it was all about the potential regulatory advantages Tesla could have.

The market is not perfect. There have been times when Tesla beat delivery estimates, and the stock fell.

Despite Musa’s decision to exit his short position, he still has doubts about the company. He said CEO Elon Musk promised consumers and investors things that “never came to fruition.”

He also doubts that Musk will be able to do what he says he will in his new position at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musa is not the first outspoken Tesla critic to exit his position after being hurt by the stock’s performance. Jim Chanos is one of the most famous investors who shorted Tesla and ultimately decided to exit the position:

Tesla bear who argued TSLA is worth $0 gives Elon Musk credit: ‘Job well done’

After Tesla’s massive rally in 2021, more than 50 percent of short sellers abandoned their short positions as well.

Do you need accessories for your Tesla? Check Teslarati Marketplace:

Please email me with questions and comments at joey@teslarati.com. I love chatting! You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com.

“Big Short” skeptic Tesla steps down for this big reason

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(The Center Square) – Legislation was passed this session and signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee aimed at increasing the number of electricians in Washington state. However, some small electrical contractors see the new law as hurting their business.

Senate Bill 5320 would require applicants for a flight-level electrician certification to have completed an approved apprenticeship program to take the required exam to be a flight-level electrician. As part of the apprenticeship, the applicant must have worked in the electrical construction trade for at least 8,000 hours, of which 4,000 hours must be in electrical installations in supervised industrial or commercial facilities.

The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Rebeca Saldaña, a Democrat from Seattle.

Chris Scherer, master electrician at North Wave Electric LLC in Bellingham, has been in the trade since 1994. He said the apprenticeship program requirements that are part of Senate Bill 5320 are some of the biggest changes he’s seen coming out of the Legislature on Launch.

Since the law went into effect July 1, a small electrical contractor can only hire a new apprentice to work trade jobs through an approved apprenticeship program.

An individual contractor can have their own program if they have sufficient funds and if their business size can accommodate the program. Shearer said the operation supports major contractors and the International Union of Electrical Workers who are able to train hundreds of people.

Scherer went on to explain that all of the small contractors in the state who are not part of the major unions are unable to start their own programs, meaning their only option is to sign up for the few existing, approved apprenticeship programs in the state.

One of the major non-union apprenticeship programs is available through the Washington Construction Industry Training Council, which has six locations across the state: Bellevue, Marysville, Pasco, Puyallup, Spokane, and Vancouver.

Small electrical contractors will need to sign on as a training agent, while the Construction Industry Training Council of Washington serves as sponsor. The council sends apprentices to training agents when they are needed, but contractors have no say in who is sent on the job.

“They only send whoever they feel is right — you don’t even know if (interns) are in your area,” Scherer told Center Square in a phone call.

Tim Rockwell is the owner of Rockwell Electric Inc., a small electrical contracting company also based in Bellingham. Rockwell said trying to start his own apprenticeship program was very difficult. To do so, he had to obtain a recommendation for approval of the apprenticeship program through the state Department of Labor and Industries, followed by another recommended approval from the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges.

The Washington State Apprenticeship Board can then provide provisional approval after one year. Before a council meeting, a proposed apprenticeship program may be objected to by another apprenticeship program operating within the same district.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union objected to Rockwell’s proposed apprenticeship program.

His schedule was to appear at a council hearing on June 20. The day before the hearing, the union backed down, sending a settlement agreement instead of holding a hearing, according to Rockwell.

“I spent $30,000 on attorney fees just preparing for this hearing,” Rockwell said.

There are approximately 2,992 electrical contractors in Washington that do commercial electrical work. According to Rockwell, 87% of these contractors are small businesses. He believes new apprenticeship standards for contractors make it nearly impossible for small businesses to find a balance between commercial and residential work, citing the new law’s requirement that 4,000 hours be devoted to commercial electrical installations under the supervision of a journey-level master electrician. Or electrician at flight level.

“How are you supposed to maintain 50% or more of the interns’ business?” Rockwell asked. “In five to 10 years, it will be very difficult for a coffee shop to find someone to install an outlet for them, because this is a business.”

Saldaña had not responded to The Center Square’s request for comment at the time of publication.

The post Electrical contractors in Western Australia are shocked by new law that they say favors big contractors and unions Washington appeared first on Evolution Electric.

The W.M. Keck Observatory offers a first-of-its-kind experience for budding electricians on the Big Island.

In collaboration with Hawaii Community College, Keck has launched a new apprenticeship program for kamaʻāina students who are pursuing their careers as licensed electricians. The three-year pilot program, developed by Keck Observatory’s Senior Electrical/Infrastructure Technician and graduate of HCC’s Electrical Installation and Maintenance Technology program, Jerez Tehiro of Hilo, provides highly specialized technical training and business work experience for students enrolled in the college’s electrical program.

Tehiro, a graduate of the Electrical Installation and Maintenance Technology program, came up with the idea after being inspired by the Kama’āina Communications Program, of which he is a member. The program is a leadership development initiative centered around Hawaiian values ​​and cultural perspectives that supports the staff of the kamaʻāina Maunakea Observatories.

He has developed a vision and framework for apprenticeships to create more workforce development opportunities for the Hawaii Island community. It is difficult to meet the hours required for commercial and industrial electrical training for Big Island students due to the limited number of companies performing work on the Island.

“Living in Hawaii, on the Big Island in particular, we don’t have a lot of opportunities to gain electrical experience in commercial industrial facilities,” Tehiro said in a press release. “When I was making my way in the trade, I was struggling to figure out how to accomplish the required licensing hours. Fortunately, I was able to earn commercial industrial hours at the Hawaii County Traffic Department. But not everyone has that opportunity, so I wanted to create a career path.” Designed to give students an opportunity they may not get otherwise.

Hilo High School graduate Evan Ida, of Hilo, is the first HCC electrical student selected for the new apprenticeship and began working at the observatory in July of last year. He will accompany Tehiro for approximately 600 hours to develop a solid understanding of commercial and industrial electrical automation systems before he graduates this year. These hours will count toward the 10,000 electrical hours required to become a licensed electrician in Hawaii.

“The experience of working at the Keck Observatory is amazing,” Ida said in the press release. “I spent the summer working with a residential electrical company in Hilo, which was great, and I learned a lot. What I was learning at Keck allows me to move to a higher level. It’s a whole different ball game.”

With safety being the top priority, Ida received fall prevention and arc flash safety training before beginning on-site work at the Keck Telescope facility in Maunakea. Once he completes the required hours, Ida will also be eligible for program tuition reimbursement to cover his second year in HCC’s Electrical Installation and Maintenance Technology program.

“This is an exciting apprenticeship,” HCC electrical instructor Patrick Pageau, who also works as an electrical contractor, said in the news release. “Over my 40+ year career, I have seen the industry change from using analog consoles to digital consoles to automating electromechanical systems. My electrician apprenticeship allows my students to learn the basic but important principles of using analog equipment at Hawaii Community College, and then advance their knowledge By working with the latest digital technologies at the Keck Observatory.

Pageau’s career has come full circle. In the early 1990s, he worked on building the Keck II telescope, installing the electrical control units. Three decades later, four of his former and current students work at the observatory: Ida, Tehiro, electrician/infrastructure technician Hamzah Al-Wair, and facilities maintenance and support technician Shawn Tapang.

“I’m really grateful for this opportunity. It’s been so much more than I expected,” Ida said in the press release. “One of the things I really enjoy about working on the mountain is that everyone there at Keck is willing to share their knowledge and experience and help each other. “

“It is great to be part of a program where I can connect with others and guide them toward the right paths to help them succeed,” Tehiro said in the press release.

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