On today’s exciting episode of Quick Charge, we explore the Tesla Q4 earnings call’s high-level weirdness, including the impact Bitcoin had on the bottom line, what it means for stock prices, and whether or not you’ll die without Tesla’s solar roof.

You’ll also hear Jo ask, “What even is a P/E Ratio, and why does it matter?” before asking if we’ll all be killed without a solar roof, and learning about what happens when our phones run out of power. All this and more – enjoy!

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Kia confirmed it will launch the EV4 this year as it fills out “a full lineup of popular EVs.” According to Kia, the EV4 is “an entirely new type of EV sedan with a distinct style and sports car-like proportions. However, it’s expected to be much cheaper than your average sports car. With its official debut around the corner, we are getting a closer look at what we can expect from the Kia EV4, including the inside. Check it out below.

The EV4 was revealed as a concept in October 2023 alongside the EV3 and EV5 as part of Kia’s new mass-market electric vehicle lineup.

After launching the EV3 in Korea, it’s now arriving in Europe and other overseas markets. The EV5 was initially launched in China, but Kia will bring the lower-priced electric SUV to Europe, Korea, Australia, and other regions in 2025.

Kia announced earlier this week that “the sedan-type electric vehicle EV4 will be launched sequentially around the world” after reporting Q4 and full-year 2024 earnings.

The EV4 will join the EV3, EV5, EV6, and EV9 to complete Kia’s “EVs for all,” with prices ranging from around $30,000 to upwards of $80,000. At the time, Kia said it plans to “significantly” and “rapidly” expand its electric car lineup, and it’s already making good on its promise.

Check out the Kia EV4, inside and out

Although we’ve already seen it a few times in public, including in the US late last year, a new video from HealerTV gives us a better idea of what to expect from the Kia EV4, including its interior.

One of the first things you will notice is the unique exterior profile. It appears to maintain much of the concept’s design with bold character lines and a streamlined silhouette.

Although not shown, the EV4 will feature Kia’s new ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system with dual 12.3″ driver display and infotainment screens.

The video shows what appears to be a spacious interior despite its expected smaller size. You can see how a car seat fits in the back seat with plenty of space.

Although prices and other specs will be revealed closer to launch, the EV4 is expected to start at around $30,000 to $40,000, depending on the market. Like the EV3, it’s also based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, which should deliver around 375 miles (WLTP) range, if not more, with the larger 81.4 kWh battery.

A hatchback EV4 model was also spotted out in public last year. The variant will likely be aimed at the European market.

Would you buy Kia’s electric sedan for around $35,000? Let us know in the comments below.

Not-for-profit power cooperative Great River Energy, which serves 1.7 million people across Minnesota and Wisconsin, has partnered with Prisma Photonics to roll out real-time monitoring technology across 90 miles of transmission lines in northern Minnesota. Prisma Photonics will provide its PrismaPower system to track threats like wildfires, ice, wind, and physical damage to the Minnesota grid.

The multi-year project will install PrismaCircuit and PrismaClimate across five key transmission lines connected to four substations using existing fiber optic lines. The goal is to strengthen the grid ahead of Minnesota’s next winter season. These lines, spread across central and northern Minnesota, will now be under constant surveillance without the need for traditional sensors.

“We’re leveraging innovative new technologies that maximize our existing infrastructure investments,” said Priti Patel, vice president and chief transmission officer at Great River Energy. “This solution allows us to utilize our current fiber optic network in a new way to increase resilience in areas of northern and central Minnesota.”

Instead of installing physical sensors on power lines, Prisma Photonics’ technology taps into fiber optic cables already in place, transforming them into an advanced sensing system. Here’s how the company’s works:

Prisma Photonics Fiber Sensing works by connecting an optical interrogator unit into a standard single-mode optical fiber. It is one fiber, part of a cable laid alongside the monitored asset, probably for communications purposes. The Interrogator transmits optical pulses that propagate down the fiber. A minute fraction of the light is reflected from each point along the fiber. The Interrogator measures the reflected light to determine the strain, temperature, pressure, and other quantities over hundreds of kilometers of fiber with sub-meter resolution. The fiber is turned into a continuous acoustic sensor – as if there were tens of thousands of microphones spanning hundreds of kilometers.  

Prisma Photonics says this means faster deployment, no service interruptions, and no need for specialized crews in all weather conditions.

Dr. Eran Inbar, CEO of Prisma Photonics, said, “Our partnership with Great River Energy demonstrates how utilities can extract additional value from their existing infrastructure to enhance grid resilience while avoiding traditional sensor-based solutions’ complexity and maintenance requirements.”

Read more: Minnesota’s largest coal plant goes solar: Sherco Solar comes online

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