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Since I moved to Vermont a year ago, I’ve both driven my Tesla Model 3 and taken an Amtrak train to visit family in Pennsylvania. Here’s why I prefer to take the train in the Northeast Corridor – the busiest railroad in North America.

Convenience. Taking the Amtrak Vermonter from VT to PA is a lot more convenient than driving a car – four out of five of the top cities with the worst traffic in the US are in the Northeast.

When I take the train, I dodge traffic jams on main arteries like Interstate 95, the George Washington Bridge, or the New Jersey Turnpike. If you hit no traffic, it’s an eight-plus hour drive as it is, including stops to charge the car, eat, and take a rest.

And one of the best things about taking the nearly nine-hour train ride is that I can travel on a weekday and work. The free wifi is decent, and if it temporarily falters, then I just hot spot. Plus, the views are wonderful.

However, driving my Model 3 works in a pinch. The Supercharger network on that route is pretty great. Kudos to the New Jersey Turnpike for having fantastic amenities and hosting Superchargers literally right off the route.

Energy efficiency. According to the 2021 US Department of Energy Data Book, Amtrak is 46% more energy efficient than traveling by car and 34% more energy efficient than domestic air travel. The train I take runs from Vermont to New Haven, Connecticut, on a diesel engine, then it switches to electric. The latter produces significantly fewer emissions than cars – even EVs.

Diesel is far from ideal, but diesel trains transport many passengers at once, which means that the emissions per passenger are lower than they would be if each person were driving a car because the majority of people are still driving gas cars. Diesel trains also produce way less emissions than planes.

And this impact matters a lot: In 2020, emissions from transportation accounted for about 27% of total US greenhouse gas emissions, making transportation the largest contributor of US emissions.

Comfort. Amtrak is comfortable, and that’s important to me, as I suffer from chronic pain, so I need to move and stretch a lot. The seats are roomy, I can get up as much as I want, and legroom is fantastic, especially when I snag a bulkhead seat, which isn’t that hard to do.

Luggage size isn’t an issue, and I don’t have to go through the hassle of going through security and putting my toiletries in small plastic bags. You just get on and sit down.

I like that I can go to the dining car to get a drink or a snack whenever I want and that I can sit down at a table and enjoy the passing scenery. I don’t have to wait for a flight attendant to move out of the way with the cart in order to go to the bathroom.

Cost. I can’t argue that my train trip costs less than driving my Model 3, but hear me out.

A round-trip economy ticket on Amtrak between my home in Vermont and my destination in Pennsylvania is $264. Parking at my home station is free, and it’s only three miles from my house.

I estimate a single full charge on my Model 3 with an average 0.25 kWh electricity cost at nearly $13. It’s around an 800-mile round trip drive, so I estimate total Supercharger trip costs to be around $53. Throw in the toll charges (I used TollGuru, and I have an E-Zpass) and round-trip, it costs around $156, excluding food and drinks.

But here’s why I still feel Amtrak is worth the extra cost: I’m a remote worker, so I can work on the train. The time I spend working is a more efficient use of my time than driving, as time is money. Plus, I don’t have to travel on my days off, so I can spend more time with family.

Safety. The 2021 odds of dying as a passenger on a car trip were 1 in 103, and the lifetime odds of dying as a passenger on a commercial airline flight in the US were 1 in 188,364, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

While I couldn’t find the odds of being in an Amtrak train crash, I did find that there were six passenger fatalities on Amtrak trains in total in the US in 2019 – so the odds of dying are extremely low.

My worst nightmare is getting into a fender bender on the George Washington Bridge. I’m a lot more chilled out on the train in general because it’s safe.

What do you think of Amtrak train travel in the Northeast or in other areas of the US where it’s available? Let me know in the comments below.

Photo: Amtrak

Read more: A dramatic new EPA rule will force up to 60% of new US car sales to be EVs in just 7 years


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Toyota’s best-selling car may finally go electric: Here’s our first look at the Corolla EV

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Toyota's best-selling car may finally go electric: Here's our first look at the Corolla EV

A fully electric Corolla? Toyota’s best-selling car of all time looks to be finally going electric after the automaker previewed the Corolla EV for the first time.

Is Toyota’s best-selling car getting an electric version?

Since it first launched over 50 years ago, the Corolla quickly became one of the most popular vehicles in nearly every pocket of the globe.

In the late 90s, it even surpassed the Volkswagen Beetle to become the best-selling car in the world, not just Toyota’s.

After holding the crown for over two decades, the Toyota Corolla finally lost its title to the Tesla Model Y in 2023. Although it’s still a top-seller globally, the Corolla appears to be in line for its biggest update yet.

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Toyota previewed what appears to be a fully electric Corolla for the first time during a live stream event in Japan on Monday. The commercial showed several “never-before-seen cars” that will be unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show later this month.

Toyota-Corolla-EV
Toyota previews the Corolla EV (Source: Toyota)

One of the concepts shown was a new, seemingly electric Corolla. Outside of the big COROLLA logo on the back, you can hardly tell it’s the sedan Toyota currently has on sale today.

The concept features a closed-off grille and an apparent charge port on the front, hinting it is, in fact, electric. It also draws from Toyota’s latest design theme showcased on new EVs like the updated bZ4X and 2026 CH-R Electric.

Toyota-best-selling-car-electric
Toyota previews the Corolla EV (Source: Toyota)

It also looks nearly identical to the bZ3, a BYD-powered electric sedan that Toyota has been selling in China since 2023.

Toyota didn’t reveal any other details about the concept, but said the vehicle will appear at the Japan Mobility Show, which starts on October 30, 2025. Press days open on October 29, so check back soon for more info.

Electrek’s Take

The Corolla may be going electric, but don’t expect Toyota to drop the internal combustion engine (ICE) version anytime soon.

Given that Toyota is still standing by its commitment to offer vehicles across all powertrain options, even if it does launch an electric Corolla, it will likely be sold alongside ICE, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid variants.

Either way, an electric sedan would fit in Toyota’s EV lineup, which will include mostly SUVs like the bZ4X (now just the 2026 bZ in the US), CH-R+, and Urban Cruiser.

Would an electric Toyota Corolla compete with the Tesla Model 3? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Jetson showcases eVTOL racing concept called the Jetson Air Games [Video]

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Jetson showcases eVTOL racing concept called the Jetson Air Games [Video]

Personal use eVTOL developer Jetson continues to showcase to the public how exciting an aerial eVTOL racing format can be. The company recently showcased a racing format concept it calls the Jetson Air Games, in which four single-rider Jetson ONE eVTOLs raced head-to-head around a series of pylons during the annual UP.Summit. We highly suggest checking out the video footage below.

Jetson is startup founded in 2017 specializing in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. By developing smaller eVTOLs, Jetson originally hailed itself as the first competitor to provide commercially available personal aerial vehicles to the public.

And it has.

Last month, Jetson completed its first global customer delivery, which included a Jetson ONE for Oculus founder and tech entrepreneur Palmer Luckey.

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Before any customer deliveries, however, Jetson had been teasing the idea of using its flagship eVTOL product for racing purposes. In December 2024, the company released footage showing Jetson co-founder and CTO Tomasz Patan demonstrating the precision and agility of the Jetson ONE by navigating around an 8-meter (26ft) tall pylon.

According to a concurrent release, the pylon was a new item that Jetson began producing to encourage and support plans for a new league of eVTOL races. As we pointed out at the time, Jetson’s eVTOL racing idea was nothing new. A team called Airspeeder in Australia has been doing it for years with its own unique eVTOLs it calls “Speeders.”

While Airspeeder has completed eVTOL races, it has yet to do so with actual pilots on board. That’s the goal, but it still hasn’t happened yet, which left the door open for Jetson to be the first with its tech.

  • Jetson eVTOL racing
  • Jetson eVTOL racing
  • Jetson eVTOL racing

Jetson previews eVTOL racing format at UP.Summit

Jetson shared details of its latest milestone following a successful “aerial showcase” at UP.Summit 2025 in Bentonville, Arkansas. Using four Jetson ONE eVTOLs, which at one point formed a “first-ever” four-vessel formation flight, the company introduced the future concept of the Jetson Air Games.

According to Jetson, its Air Games is a new competitive eVTOL format racing designed to “redefine personal air mobility through dynamic aerial sports.” After the four-eVTOL formation (seen above), the Jetson ONE pilots completed a speedy race around the pylons, followed by a solo aerial session by who else but Tomasz Patan, who was also involved in both the formation and the ensuing race. Patan spoke:

Flying for such a large and engaged audience was incredibly special. It was a moment of pride for our entire team and a clear signal that Jetson is ready to lead the next chapter in aviation—and in aerial sport.

Jetson said its eVTOL racing showcase drew plenty of positive feedback from the audience, as well as several investment inquiries. According to the company, its Jetson ONE order is approaching units, representing $75 million in future sales.

The Jetson ONE currently costs $128,000, but the company shared plans to increase that starting price to $148,000, beginning November 3, 2025. As promised, here’s video footage of Jetson’s racing showcase below:

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Bigger, badder Section 179 tax credit could POWER UP fleet electrification efforts

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Bigger, badder Section 179 tax credit could POWER UP fleet electrification efforts

After the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit (Section 45W) expired on September 30, the “experts” rushed out predictions of an EV sales slowdown in Q4. But, with over 6,800 pages in the Internal Revenue Code still in play, a turbocharged Section 179 tax credit could still power a strong Q4 for commercial EVs.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) of 2025 gutted America’s energy independence goals and ensuring its auto industry would fall even further behind the Chinese in the EV race, but the loss of Section 45W wasn’t the only change written into the IRS’ rulebook. Section 179, an immediate expense reduction that business owners can take on depreciable equipment assets, has been made significantly more powerful for 2025.

The section 179 expense deduction is limited to such items as cars, office equipment, business machinery, and computers. This speedy deduction can provide substantial tax relief for business owners who are purchasing startup equipment.

INVESTOPEDIA

The revised Section 179 tax credit (or, more accurately, expense reduction) allows for a 100% deduction for equipment purchases has doubled to $2.5 million, with a phase-out kicking in at $4 million of capital investments that drops to zero at $6.5 million. That credit and can be applied to new and used vehicles, as well as charging infrastructure, battery energy storage systems, specialized tools, and more (as long as they’re new to you).

Work the tax credit


By Mira Norian; via Investopedia.

“But wait,” as they say. “There’s more!” A revised Section 168(k) also allows for bonus depreciation on eligible equipment and property, accelerating depreciation for a reduced tax burden.

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Fleets can take both the bigger Section 179 and 168(k) bonus depreciation allowances, but Section 179 must be applied first, leaving only qualifying purchases over the $2.5 million limit to be taken in bonus depreciation.

It’s a bit convoluted (what good tax code isn’t?), but these tax incentives are great for businesses looking to buy enough electric equipment assets to exceed the Section 179 spending limit – and, given the new Uber/Tesla semi truck purchase plan, the continued growth of the electric terminal tractor market, and the willingness of several utilities to incentivize both electric commercial vehicles and the deployment of smart EV charging infrastructure, that number may be bigger than you think.

Electrek’s Take Disclaimer


Volvo Group collaborates on fossil-free ski resort
L25 Electric wheel loader; by Volvo CE.

Tax law is weird. Not only are there Federal tax laws and rules that need to be followed, but state and even local county and city rules, as well. As such, you want to make sure they don’t get you the way the got Capone.

Even worse, your favorite journalist (Hi!) is probably an idiot. Get a certified accountant and tax law expert to help walk you through the dirtier details of your specific scenario – but don’t let the complexity of human interaction slow you down, either. The really rich guys you know pay pennies on the tax dollar compared to you and me, because they’re not afraid to ask their accountants for help.

The TL;DR version, though, is this: there’s still plenty of incentives out there for fleet operators looking to electrify their operations.

SOURCES | IMAGES: Equipment World, Investopedia, Volvo.


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