InsideEVs Plugged-In Podcast

How does a car transform into a Ghostbusters Ecto-1 overnight? On this week’s episode of The Plugged-In Podcast, Tim and Mack sit down with Rivian’s Chief Software Officer, Wassym Bensaid , for an in-depth conversation about Rivian’s vertically integrated software strategy, custom compute architecture, and zonal controllers—and how those in-house systems power both deep OTA updates and viral seaso...

One full year after federal EV tax credits vanished, the electric vehicle landscape looks completely different. On this week’s episode of The Plugged-In Podcast, Tim and guest host Suvrat step back to look at the big-picture trends shaping the market: which EVs died off (and which deserved it), how Tesla managed to stay strong, why Toyota is surging, the explosive growth of charging infrastructure...

Is Jaguar’s radical rebrand genius? Or madness? On this week’s episode of The Plugged-In Podcast, we react to the reveal of Jaguar’s controversial Type 01 grand tourer. The design is impossible to ignore, but can this car and all-electric pivot save Jaguar?  Plus, is Kia about to dominate the affordable EV segment? Tim reports back from his first drive in the brand-new Kia EV3. With its impressive...

BMW’s next-generation electric sedan gets up to 468 miles of range on a single charge. But will it sell? On this week’s episode of The Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim break down the mind-blowing specs for the all-new BMW i3—a car that promises more range than every Tesla on the market today. They react to its pricing and discuss whether it’ll be a hit during a tough time for electrification.  Plu...

Bentley has officially entered the electric era. On this week's episode of The Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim team react to the debut of the Bentley Torcal—an 875-horsepower luxury SUV with 400 kW charging and over 300 miles of range. Plus, we break down a fascinating new study revealing that the real split in EV adoption isn't political party—it's age. A generational divide in EV sentiment is s...

Is the long-delayed Tesla Roadster finally happening? On this episode of The Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim react to Tesla’s surprise announcement setting an official October 1 unveil date—almost a decade after the concept first debuted. We break down what to expect and whether it’s for real this time.  Plus, we’re joined by Tiya Gordon, cofounder of the Brooklyn-based charging company It’s Elec...

The Jeep Recon is here. With removable doors, chunky tires, and a charming look, does the first real Jeep EV hold a candle to the Wrangler? In some ways, the EV comes out on top. On this week’s Plugged-In Podcast, the guys discuss Mack’s first impressions of the Recon after driving it both on- and off-road. They also break down the Tesla Cybercab’s long-awaited launch, what we learned last week, a...

How long do electric vehicle batteries really last in the real world? This week on The Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim break down a massive new study analyzing over 500,000 EV battery health tests—and the data reveals a clear picture of long-term degradation, plus how specific EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Tesla Model Y hold up after around 100,000 miles.  Plus, we dive i...

Many EV startups have failed. But Telo thinks it can succeed. On this episode of the Plugged-In Podcast, Mack sits down with Jason Marks and Forrest North, the co-founders of Telo Trucks. Their first product, the MT1, is set to arrive later this year, albeit in small numbers. The micro-truck promises the bed length of a Toyota Tacoma in an overall footprint that’s only as long as a two-door Mini C...

Ford just revealed the price and name of its brand-new affordable electric pickup truck coming next year. The Ford Fathom starts at under $30,000, but can Ford’s new Universal Production System beat out cheap EV competitors like the Slate Truck? Plus, Tim and Suvrat break down Slate’s first drives, Lucid’s major $1.4B operational reset (and delay of the Cosmos EV), and why BMW is putting Spider-Ma...

Are autonomous vehicles actually safer than human drivers? On this week’s episode of the Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim break down new research that reveals two things: Waymos crash less than human drivers, but autonomous vehicle crash data has big limitations.  Plus, early drive reviews are in for the Ferrari Luce EV, and they might shut up the haters. This thing seems to drive just like a Ferr...

Honda just pulled the plug on the Prologue—leaving the brand with zero electric vehicles in the U.S. Mack and Tim break down Honda’s big pivot.  Plus, Mack bought a Chevy Blazer EV! He breaks down why he chose it, what other options he considered, and why going back to a gas car was out of the question. Also in this episode: if you've been waiting for a cheap used EV, bad news—the legendary cheap...

The EV market isn't dead—but the landscape is changing faster than anyone expected.  In this week's episode of the Plugged-In Podcast, InsideEVs journalists Tim Levin and Mack Hogan break down the wild Q2 and H1 sales numbers. While some legacy automakers are suffering brutal 90%+ declines and pulling models, others are surging. We look at Toyota’s shocking rise up the leaderboard, Hyundai's conti...

Are fake engine sounds good for electric cars? Or just lame? On this week's show, we answer your EV questions. As always, drop a question in the comments and maybe we'll answer it on the show! We also discuss what's next for Tesla—just note, we recorded this before its latest sales release and the Model Y L announcement, which is why we don't talk about it! And we discuss the best EVs we've ever t...

The Slate EV truck FINALLY has an official price tag: $24,950 before destination fees, making it America’s cheapest EV and its most affordable pickup. But can this newcomer actually survive and compete in the brutal electric truck market?  In this episode of the Plugged-In Podcast, Tim and Suvrat break down all the massive news surrounding Slate this week. They discuss whether its range, 205 miles...

The robotaxi wars just got real. On this week's Plugged-In Podcast, hosts Mack and Tim break down everything you need to know about the race to own autonomous ride-hailing—and there's a LOT happening all at once. Tesla's Cybercab specs are finally public thanks to EPA filings: a 48 kWh battery, 219 hp front-wheel-drive motor, and an astonishing 165 Wh/mi efficiency rating that makes it the most ef...

Can the highly anticipated Rivian R2 turn Rivian into a profitable EV powerhouse? This week on the Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim sit down with a very special guest: Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained! Both Mack and Jason recently got behind the wheel of the Rivian R2, and they are breaking down exactly why they loved it—and what it means for the future of the company. But it’s not all good...

Is the internet overreacting to Ferrari’s first-ever electric car? In this episode of the Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim break down the massive wave of public backlash hitting the newly unveiled Ferrari Luce. Tim shares his firsthand thoughts after actually seeing Maranello's Jony Ive-designed EV up close, and explains why he thinks it’s actually cool. (Sorry!) Plus, we look at the positive side...

Do EV enthusiasts care about performance cars? Do traditional car enthusiasts care about EVs? This week on the Plugged-In Podcast, Mack Hogan and Andrei Nedelea break down the news about the Ferrari Luce, the company’s first EV. It’s got over a thousand horsepower, four independent motors, and a trick suspension that should make it plenty interesting to drive. But in the second segment, we break d...

Is the federal government about to change the cost of EV ownership? This week on the Plugged-In Podcast, Tim Levin and Mack Hogan break down the proposed $130 annual federal registration fee for electric vehicles and what it means for the future of highway funding. Mack also shares his experience behind the wheel of the Volvo EX60—a minimalist luxury SUV that might just be the most polished electr...

Is the Golden Age of EV charging finally here? This week on the Plugged-In Podcast, Tim sits down with Seth Cutler, CEO of Ionna, the massive charging joint venture backed by seven of the world’s biggest automakers. We dig into how Ionna plans to deploy 30,000 chargers by 2030 and whether this company can actually fix the reliability crisis. Plus, Mack takes the new Volvo EX60 for a spin to test i...

Are Chinese cars really leaving the rest of the world in the dust? InsideEVs Staff Writer Kevin Williams joins the program to discuss the best Chinese EVs from Xiaomi, BYD, Geely, Nio, and more. He just got back from the 2026 Beijing Auto Show and tells us what he saw. We discuss the Geely EX2, a cheap EV that’s become the country’s best-selling car. Kevin also drove the track-ready Xiaomi SU7 Ult...