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The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) just released its Emissions Gap Report 2022 – and let’s just say, the news isn’t good. So brace yourselves: You’re likely to see a slew of frightening, doom-mongering headlines about it today, unleashing a fresh wave of terror over those of us who care about the planet. But rather than panicking, here’s what to do instead.

What the UN’s Emissions Gap Report says

The 99-page report’s title is: “The Closing Window: Climate crisis calls for rapid transformation of societies.”

The UNEP really isn’t messing around with that title, is it?

It undoubtedly wants to light a fire under the bottoms of world leaders ahead of November’s 2022 UN Climate Change Conference, aka COP27, in Egypt. But my heart sank when I read that the UNEP views the year between COP26 and now as “a wasted year.”

Inger Andersen, the UNEP’s executive director, states in the report’s foreword that nations are procrastinating action to fight climate change, and this is what all countries must do:

To get on track to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, we would need to cut 45% off current greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. For 2°C, we would need to cut 30%.

A stepwise approach is no longer an option.

And then Andersen summarizes the part where hope lies – in action:

This report tells us how to go about such a transformation. It looks in-depth at the changes needed in electricity supply, industry, transport, buildings and food systems. It looks at how to reform financial systems so that these urgent transformations can be adequately financed.

She then says something that I found deeply jarring:

Is it a tall order to transform our systems in just eight years? Yes. Can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions by so much in that timeframe? Perhaps not. But we must try.

“Perhaps not.”

An alternative to panic

So after I read over the UNEP’s embargoed report documents, I could feel the climate change anxiety setting in, so I do what I usually do on such occasions: I went into the forest near my house in Vermont to regroup. I dug in the soil and the leaves with my bare hands, getting gloriously dirty. It’s incredibly cathartic to get earth on my face and under my fingernails. And as I was doing that, and taking deep, slow breaths, I thought about how to approach this rather overwhelming UN report.

This report, which asserts that “the international community is still falling far short of the Paris goals, with no credible pathway to 1.5°C in place. Only an urgent system-wide transformation can avoid an accelerating climate disaster.”

And it also says really scary things like this:

Policies currently in place, without further strengthening, suggest a 2.8°C hike.

I won’t lie. I initially wanted to hide in the woods and not write this. I felt intimidated. But giving up is a form of passive panic. And the UN report most definitely does not say, “Do nothing.” Rather, I thought about what I choose to do instead of panic every day. I learn and write about clean energy and electric vehicles and batteries. I easily find inspirational things to write about (such as solar over canals, pictured above) because I regularly discover innovative scientific breakthroughs, or big milestones that inspire delight.

I drive an electric car. I am working to electrify my house with solar and storage. And as I do these things, I then share what I learn in my stories in order to make it easier for others to navigate the path to electrification.

I am also a dual US/UK citizen, and I vote in both places. I vote only for people who want to fight for our planet. Thank you, Joe Biden, for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, both of which are catalysts for climate action in the US now. (Doesn’t that count in the “wasted year,” UNEP?) And Boris Johnson, you are a hot mess, but I appreciated you championing clean energy. Rishi Sunak, you must now do the right thing.

Look for the helpers

However – I’m not a scientist. So while digging furiously in the dirt and the leaves, I decided to “look for the helpers,” so to speak. (What can I say? I find Fred Rogers comforting.)

The expert I really wanted to talk to was Michael Mann. He is the presidential distinguished professor and director, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media, at the University of Pennsylvania. He’s a climatologist and geophysicist, and he also thinks panic is a waste of time.

Here is Professor Mann’s take on UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report 2022:

Hi Michelle,

I would quibble with some of the claims made. They just don’t stand up to the actual peer-reviewed literature.

The claim that “Climate pledges leave the world on track for a temperature rise of 2.4-2.6°C by the end of this century” is misleading if not outright false.

The most comprehensive peer-reviewed work on this, published by a leading team of modeling experts in April in the leading journal Nature, shows that  COP26 commitments can keep warming below 2C if they are kept in full and on time.

Where the report is correct is that more work clearly needs to be done if warming is to be kept below 1.5C.

Just months ago, however, nobody foresaw the major policy advances in both Australia and the US with the election of a pro-action Labor government in the former case, and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act by a 50/50 Senate in the latter case. It is estimated that the legislation will lower US emissions by 40% this decade, which puts us very close to our emissions reduction target. And with US leadership, we can expect other major emitters to now come to the table at COP27.

But I would once again emphasize that more has to be done, and those who care about the defining challenge of our time — the climate crisis — need to turn out in droves in the upcoming midterm elections. The president is constrained in what he can do, particularly given the punitive agenda of the current conservative majority on the US Supreme Court. That means it is necessary for Congress to take a leadership role.

The Inflation Reduction Act represents real progress, but only with a larger climate-friendly majority in the Senate will it be possible to pass even more aggressive climate legislation in the US.

Don’t hesitate to let me know if any of this can use further elaboration.

Thanks,

Mike 

The UN and Michael Mann align on the fact that more needs to be done.

But not panicking doesn’t mean resting on your laurels. It means actually doing your part. No more “blah blah blah.” And that’s not just a directive for world leaders. That’s a responsibility everyone has to take.

Insulate your house. Get an electric bike. Turn your heating down. Tap into the Inflation Reduction Act rebate for money for a heat pump. Go solar, as it’ll also save you money on your electric bill. Write your representative. Vote for the candidate who will fight climate change. Compost. Never stop learning. Drive an EV sooner rather than later.

Every small change makes a difference.


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From $129 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in August

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From 9 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in August

Time’s ticking for snagging a great EV lease deal. With the 25% tariff on imported EVs already in place and the federal tax credit disappearing on September 30, automakers are rolling out serious deals. If you’re thinking about going electric, now’s the moment. Here are some of the best August EV lease deals our friends at CarsDirect found.

Honda-Prologue-sales-July
2025 Honda Prologue at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Honda)

2025 Honda Prologue lease from $159/month

Honda’s throwing down a wild lease deal on the 2025 Prologue if you’re in the right state. For a limited time, you can drive off in the all-electric SUV for the equivalent of just $200/month, but there’s a twist. Instead of monthly payments, Honda’s offering a rare One Pay Lease: you drop $4,800 upfront for a 24-month lease. That’s it. No monthly bills, and you save nearly 2% compared to standard rates.

If paying all at once isn’t in the cards, there’s still an option to pay $159/month for 24 months with $1,099 due at signing. Either way, the Prologue ranks among the cheapest new electric SUVs to lease right now.

There are some strings, though. These ultra-low prices are only available in California and other CARB states, and they include a $3,500 loyalty or conquest bonus, so you’ll need to be coming from a Honda lease or ready to ditch another brand.

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These deals rely on the EV lease loophole to pass through the $7,500 tax credit. Once that disappears on September 30, expect prices to jump. At that point, buying might make more sense than leasing.

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Honda Prologue in stock. –trusted affiliate link

2025 Volkswagen ID.4 lease from $129/month

Volkswagen just slashed the ID.4 lease – and it’s a big one. Right now, you can lease the 2025 ID.4 Pro RWD for just $129/month for 24 months with 10,000 miles a year. That works out to an effective cost of only $233/month, making it $264 less than it was before.

This isn’t just a good deal – it’s practically interest-free. The previous lease rate hovered around 1%, but now it’s basically 0%. On top of that, VW is stacking up to $9,250 in lease cash depending on which trim you pick. Even the base Pro RWD gets $7,500 in incentives. This deal only runs through August 31.

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Volkswagen ID.4 in stock. –trusted affiliate link

Hyundai-EV-IONIQ-5

2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 lease from $149/month

Hyundai just dropped one of the best EV lease deals of the summer. The refreshed 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE Standard Range is going for $149/month for 36 months (10,000 miles a year) with $3,999 due at signing. That brings the effective monthly cost to just $260 – a nearly $100 drop from July’s offer. This deal is available through September 2.

If you’ve got little wiggle room in your budget, the SE Long Range might be worth the upgrade at $189/month with the same upfront cost – only $40 more a month for a lot more range.

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Hyundai IONIQ 5 in stock. –trusted affiliate link

Hyundai-free-charger-EVs-IONIQ-6
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Source: Hyundai)

2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 lease from $169/month

The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 SE Standard Range is going for $169/month for 24 months (12,000 miles a year) with $3,999 due at signing. That pencils out to an effective cost of $336/month, and with the current lease cash, it’s a solid bargain.

Hyundai is offering up to $11,750 in lease cash on the IONIQ 6, plus an extra $1,000 Inventory Coupon if you lease a car that’s been sitting on the lot for 180+ days. That’s even more than July’s offer.

These offers are good through September 2, so if sleek, efficient, and affordable is your vibe, the IONIQ 6 is a solid choice.

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Hyundai IONIQ 6 in stock. –trusted affiliate link

2025-Subaru-Solterra
2025 Subaru Solterra (Source: Subaru)

2025 Subaru Solterra lease from $279/month

The 2025 Subaru Solterra just became one of the most affordable EVs to lease. It’s going for $279/month for 36 months with just $279 due at signing. That brings the effective monthly cost to just $287, an incredible deal for an all-electric SUV with an MSRP pushing $40,000.

To put it in perspective: the 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid has an effective monthly cost of $486. So yeah, the Solterra wins this round. This offer’s available through September 2.

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Subaru Solterra in stock. –trusted affiliate link


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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The Chevy Equinox EV crushed it in July, the best sales month ever for a non-Tesla EV

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The Chevy Equinox EV crushed it in July, the best sales month ever for a non-Tesla EV

It wasn’t just the best sales month so far for the Chevy Equinox EV. It was the best for a non-Tesla EV in the US. The electric SUV is selling like hotcakes, driving GM’s EV sales up more than 115% in July.

Chevy Equinox EV marks a first for a non-Tesla

GM sold over 19,000 electric vehicles in the US last month, more than doubling year-over-year and its best July sales month yet. The surge was led by “America’s most affordable 315+ range EV,” the Chevy Equinox EV.

After launching the lower-priced LT model in late 2024, starting under $35,000, Chevy Equinox EV sales have surged.

In the first quarter, the electric Equinox drove Chevy to become the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. It’s now expected to be among the top three selling EVs in the US this year, behind the Tesla Model Y and 3.

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As sales continued surging last month, the electric Equinox hit another significant milestone. With 8,500 models sold, the Chevy Equinox EV notched its best sales month so far, but it was also the best for any non-Tesla EV in the US.

Chevy-Equinox-EV-Tesla
2025 Chevy Equinox EV LT (Source: GM)

GM sold over 8,500 Chevy Equinox EVs in July, nearly half of the roughly 19,000 electric vehicle sales for the month.

Just to compare, last month Honda sold 6,318 Prologues, Hyundai sold 5,818 IONIQ 5s, and Ford sold 5,308 Mustang Mach-Es.

The electric SUV is flying off the lot, boasting more than enough driving range, fast charging capabilities, and an affordable price.

Chevy-Equinox-EV-Tesla
Chevy Equinox EV interior (Source: GM)

“The first thing for Equinox is the look and design. And once they get behind the wheel, they fall in love,” according to Isidro Bomnin, who owns two of Chevy’s highest-selling EV dealerships in South Florida. Bomnin said the electric SUV is “seeing a lot of conquest buyers from other brands,” including younger buyers.

Earlier this summer, a dealer from California reached out to Electrek, saying it could have sold even more Equinox EVs, but some buyers were waiting over 30 days for their vehicles.

Electric Vehicle July 2025 Sales Year-to-Date 2025 Sales
(January to July 2025)
Chevy Equinox EV 8,500 36,000 (est)
Honda Prologue 6,318 22,635
Ford Mustang Mach-E 5,308 27,093
Hyundai IONIQ 5 5,818 24,910
Chevy Equinox EV vs Honda Prologue, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Hyundai IONIQ 5 US sales through July 2025

GM has now sold around 36,000 Chevy Equinox EV models through July. In comparison, Ford has sold 27,093 Mustang Mach-Es, Hyundai has sold 24,910 IONIQ 5s, and Honda has sold 22,635 Prologues so far this year.

The company admits that the $7,500 federal EV tax credit is helping boost industry-wide demand. However, that’s set to expire at the end of September. Until then, GM is offering generous discounts to push inventory.

We will learn more when GM reports third-quarter US sales on October 1. Check back for a full breakdown of the report.

With leases starting as low as $289 per month, the 2025 Chevy Equinox EV remains one of the best deals on the market. Hyundai, Honda, and Ford are also offering significant savings ahead of the incentive cutoff. Ready to try one out for yourself? you can use our links below to view models in your area.

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Tesla consistently led in brand loyalty. Then Elon Musk ‘got political’

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Tesla consistently led in brand loyalty. Then Elon Musk 'got political'

Tesla’s brand loyalty levels dropped from the best in the industry to fairly middling results, according to new data from S&P Global Mobility, and it’s all because of the company’s CEO, Elon Musk.

S&P Global Mobility tracks sales data across the automotive industry, and its new customer loyalty numbers are out, shared with Reuters this morning.

The numbers show a troubling trend for Tesla, and a historic drop in customer loyalty for the brand that long held the #1 title in that space.

S&P’s data shows that Tesla’s customer loyalty took a “nosedive” in July 2024, timed alongside Musk’s public commitment of hundreds of millions of dollars to the anti-environment political campaign of a convicted felon who had promised to do his best to destroy the EV industry (and who is Constitutionally barred from holding office in the US). And it continued to decline as his relationship deepened with the same candidate.

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According to the Reuters story, S&P’s numbers show that Tesla customer loyalty peaked at 73% in June 2024, but took a “nosedive” in the next month, and ended up bottoming out in March at 49.9%. That means about a third of Tesla owners who would have bought another Tesla decided to buy another brand as well.

S&P’s data is not based on surveys, but rather household-level data of which cars each household is buying.

Tesla’s loyalty since recovered to 57.4% in May, the most recent month included in the S&P data, still far less than its previous peak.

As can be seen in the graph above, Tesla was in a league of its own consistently. There were only single months where any other brand might have matched Tesla’s brand loyalty numbers over the course of the last several years – and this held true consistently in the period before S&P’s chart as well, as we at Electrek have covered many times in the past.

The drop from 73% to 49.9% even put Tesla briefly below the industry average, something which the company has never seen before. Even after recovery, Tesla is no longer in its first-place-by-a-long-shot position, and now behind Chevy and Ford and about the same level as Toyota.

Tom Libby, an analyst with S&P, was quoted by Reuters as saying he’s “never seen this rapid of a decline in such a short period of time.”

Another metric, customer defections, also showed trouble for Tesla. Customer defections show how many more households are switching from another brand to buy your brand, compared to the number of households switching from your brand to another.

Tesla’s customer defection numbers were “in a different stratosphere” to the rest of the industry for a long period of time. From 2020-2024, Tesla on average acquired five times more customers than it lost to other brands. The next-highest performers were Genesis at 2.8 and Kia/Hyundai at 1.5/1.4.

It makes sense that Tesla would gain more customers than it loses, given that it was and is a relatively new and growing brand. If people are switching to an EV, there’s a good chance they’ll switch to a Tesla since that’s the most well-known EV brand and is widely available. But Tesla’s numbers were really high.

But since July 2024, the defections have dropped significantly. Now, Tesla is below 2, a more than 60% drop in its defection rate, and putting it back in touch with the rest of the industry.

Further, it has been eclipsed by other brands – and not just startup EV brands who have the advantage of being new and thus naturally having a high conquest rate. Rivian, Polestar, Porsche and Cadillac all now exceed Tesla’s defection rate.

These poor results track alongside Tesla’s recent sales results, which have been dropping in just about every territory, even doing damage to the entire EV market as a result.

Today’s results, and Tesla’s recent poor earnings, spell trouble for Tesla, showing how Musk’s influence are damaging the high-flying company, which has always been treated as an exception in the industry (and in the stock market) due to its exceptional results across several customer and growth metrics.

Now, Tesla’s results are no longer exceptional – or rather, they’re exceptional in the opposite direction, with Tesla being one of few EV brands with falling sales in a rising global EV market.

But despite the trouble all of this spells for Tesla, it seems like it’s not spelling trouble for Musk himself. Even though he’s the reason that Tesla is crashing in the first place, the Tesla board just rewarded him with $26 billion today – a payday with more money for a single bad employee than Tesla has made in any year over its entire history, even as Tesla’s profits have been drastically declining this year as a result of Musk’s actions.

Electrek’s Take

We’ve previously covered how embarrassed owners have been modifying their cars with bumper stickers or badges to separate themselves from the image that Musk has built for the company. But now we have data showing just how many of them have stopped buying Teslas.

And it’s not just affecting prospective customers, but the customers who know how good the company’s cars are, and who had previously returned to buying Teslas in industry-leading numbers, and yet can’t stomach coming back because Musk is just so comically bad.

It would be interesting to see more from the graph above. We’re betting the numbers before Jan 2022 might have been even higher, as Musk’s public advocacy had already taken a turn towards the bizarre as he fell deeper into his twitter addiction.

But it’s clear what the biggest catalyst is – Musk’s ill-considered idea to give hundreds of millions of dollars to one of the dumbest people on the planet – someone who Musk himself had previously correctly said was “not good for America or the world.”

To be clear, Musk has always been relatively outspoken. But there were times where he was able to limit his advocacy to some more reasonable positions, stay somewhat more on message about the importance of fighting climate change (not anymore…), and stay out of the more obviously partisan political nonsense.

General wisdom does state that CEOs shouldn’t be too divisive, because dividing your customer base will only lead to a smaller addressable market. Surprise, it turns out that general wisdom is right.

Musk’s political advocacy has included support for German neo-Nazisagreeing with a defense of Hitler’s actions in the Holocaust, and many other white supremacist statements, along with his well-publicized public nazi salutes.

Then, Musk joined an advisory position where he spent his days finding ways to increase (not decrease) the country’s budget deficit, violate laws, and kill literally millions of people.

It should be a surprise to nobody (who isn’t deep in a twitter echo chamber that he himself devised) that all of this drove protests against the company and caused incredible damage to the Tesla brand which Musk has attached his public persona to.

And I would contend that supporting white supremacists is stupid in itself, but doing so publicly when you lead a company that relies on a good public perception, all while supporting someone whose stated goal is to destroy your industry, is particularly stupid. But his stupidity hasn’t just been limited to politics, but also to purely business decisions. And we can see how stupid it all is with the effect it has all had on Tesla’s sales results.

It would be interesting to see what happened in the intervening months, given the public breakup between Musk and Mr. Trump – though Musk has since apologized for his outburst (even though what he said was true), and Musk has continued to spread racist nonsense in the meantime. Protests are still ongoing and sales are still dropping, so the public seems to have a memory of Musk’s ridiculousness, even if he’s gotten slightly more quiet in recent weeks.

It would also be interesting to see how much different the results would be if there were more great EVs available in the US at good prices. EVs from other brands are getting better, but Tesla still has both great cars and a well-considered ecosystem around them, and $299/mo for a Model 3 is hard to beat. If there were more mass-market EV-focused challengers (like the upcoming Rivian R2/R3, a non-tariff-affected Volvo EX30, any of the myriad Chinese options available overseas, etc.), we think Tesla’s loyalty results might be even less resilient than they are.


The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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