InsideEVs Plugged-In Podcast

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...

Used electric cars are booming right now. Mack and Tim bring on Scott Case, cofounder and CEO of Recurrent, to discuss. Recurrent tracks battery health in used EVs, and Scott is one of the foremost experts on range retention and the secondhand EV market as a whole. The guys ask Scott what buyers should know about EV battery degradation, whether EV depreciation might become less of an issue, and wh...

This week’s episode is a special one, as Mack and Tim take some time to go through listener questions and comments.  What would happen to startups like Lucid and Rivian if Chinese EVs were allowed into the U.S.? Is the Tesla Cybertruck doomed? What’s going to win out, the Rivian R2 or the BMW iX3? Was the EV tax credit just a handout to the rich? Why doesn’t Tim have an EV (yet)? The guys dig into...

This week, Mack and Tim dive into the latest from America’s EV startups. Lucid Motors hired a new CEO and got $750 million in fresh funding. Slate Auto locked in a $650 million Series C round, and the guys discuss their latest thoughts on whether the affordable electric truck can be a success. Plus, Rivian inked an interesting deal with battery recycling company Redwood Materials, and its EDV comm...

Sales numbers are starting to roll in for the first quarter of 2026, and Mack and Tim dig deep into what’s happened since the EV tax credit ended last year. They break down the latest sales from Tesla, GM, Ford, Stellantis, and more.  Later in the show, the guys discuss Geely’s new fast-charging tech, whether Americans really want back-to-basics cars, and Walmart’s EV charging glow-up.  New EV Sal...

Mack and Tim are joined by InsideEVs Staff Writer Suvrat Kothari, who was on the ground at the New York auto show this week and got to see some of the biggest debuts. They discuss the new three-row Subaru Getaway EV SUV, the Kia EV3, and Nissan’s unusual series-hybrid system called P-power, coming to the 2027 Nissan Rogue.  Plus, they chat about the Hyundai Boulder concept, the Kia PV5 van, and To...

Mack and Tim unpack the latest from Faraday Future, once hailed as the next “Tesla killer.” FF is still doing cars, but it’s also selling Chinese robots now? Plus, RIP to the Sony-Honda Afeela 1. The guys explain why this was probably a good move—and debate the merits of an Apple car.  Mack and Tim also tackle the age-old question: How much EV range do you really need? 300 miles is becoming the ne...

The EV cancellations and delays aren’t stopping in 2026. On today’s show, Mack and Tim break down why so many electric cars are getting pulled from the market, which probably deserved it, and what happens next. Then they run through some of the week’s biggest EV news, about high gas prices, the BMW i3, VinFast’s U.S. push, and the Lucid Cosmos.  Mack’s Honda story: I've Watched Honda Fail At EVs F...

After years of hype, the 2026 Rivian R2 has arrived. We discuss its final pricing and specs. Is the $45,000 R2 a good buy? How does the R2 Performance stack up to a Tesla Model Y?  Plus, Mack drove the 2027 Chevy Bolt and tells us why he liked the rebooted $28,995 EV. Chevy fixed a lot of the issues with the old model, but there’s one big catch: The new Bolt won’t be around for long.  In Plus/Minu...

Mack just drove the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker, which is basically an electric Outback, and he tells Tim what he thought. Does it solve the shortcomings of Subaru’s earlier EVs? Then the guys discuss Donut Lab’s latest battery tests, and what questions they still have about its solid-state claims.  Finally, Mack and Tim speak with Jiten Behl, partner at the venture capital firm Eclipse and Rivian’s f...

This week, Tim and new cohost Mack Hogan break down the news that Lamborghini is canceling its first EV project, the Lanzador. The Lanzador looks cool, but do supercar buyers really want EVs? Then they recap Uber’s big news this week: an Autonomous Services division that helps self-driving car companies scale up.  Tim speaks with Honda Home Energy Solutions Lead Andrea Saucedo about the future of...

This week, Patrick and Tim sit down with Alan Clarke, the head of Ford’s skunkworks EV program that’s developing its next-generation EV platform. They discuss the brand’s upcoming $30,000 EV pickup, why it chose to start with a truck, what Alan learned from Tesla that he’s bringing to Ford, and why the pickup will get LFP battery cells.  Stay tuned for Plus/Minus, in which Tim talks about Toyota a...

Patrick was among the first people outside of Rivian to drive the R2. He tells us what he thought about Rivian’s upcoming SUV in the flesh, from its 650+ horsepower to its new user interface. The guys also discuss the 2027 Toyota Highlander, which was revealed this week and will only be available as an EV. Tim saw it in person and explains why it’s a big deal for the electric space.  In Plus/Minus...

China has banned hidden, pop-out door handles like you find on Teslas, and Patrick is thrilled. He and Tim explain why regulators are cracking down globally on electronic door handles. Then the guys explore reporting of a potential partnership between Ford and China’s Geely Group. Finally, Tim spent the day at QuantumScape’s headquarters and saw the future of solid-state battery production.  In Pl...

This week, Patrick and Tim give a proper send-off to the Tesla Model S and Model X, which the company is canceling to make room for more Optimus robot production. Then they recap an astonishing year of growth for America’s EV charging network. Finally, Tim interviewed the CEOs of Slate Auto and Scout Motors this week, and he shares some takeaways.  In Plus/Minus, the guys discuss Tesla’s growing e...

Canada just struck a deal to reduce its hefty tariffs on China’s cars. Patrick and Tim unpack the consequences—and the backlash to the decision. The guys react to the new Volvo EX60, which looks super impressive with 400 miles of range and 370 kW charging.  Plus, Lemonade is now offering discounted car insurance to Tesla drivers who use Full Self-Driving—and it’s a clear sign that autonomy will ev...