Electrek spoke with Kam Mahdi, CEO of renewable engineering firm Clean Energy Technologies in Costa Mesa, California, about how extreme heat can impact the power grid and renewables, as well as what’s being done to keep them online.
Electrek: The southern US and other parts of the world are currently suffering an extreme heat wave, and it’s expected to continue. How can that kind of heat impact the power grid?
Kam Mahdi: The spike in temperatures inevitably drives up electricity demand, particularly due to the increased use of air conditioning. This additional demand often strains the power grid, sometimes to the point of triggering blackouts or requiring rolling blackouts to stave off a complete grid failure.
Extreme heat can also impair the efficiency of power generation and transmission. Both renewable and conventional power plants may operate less efficiently under high temperatures. Likewise, electricity transmission lines can lose efficiency due to higher resistive losses at elevated temperatures.
Adding to the complexity, these hot and dry conditions also elevate the risk of wildfires, which can wreak havoc on transmission infrastructure. This, in turn, can lead to power outages and exacerbate the challenge of power management across the grid.
Electrek:How can the high temperatures affect solar, wind, and battery storage?
Kam Mahdi: Solar and wind have unique challenges in high temperatures. While sunshine is, of course, needed to generate electricity from solar panels, extreme heat can reduce solar panels’ output efficiency by a margin of 10-25%. That’s because as the solar panel’s temperature rises, the output voltage correspondingly declines, consequently impairing the production of electricity.
Wind energy can also be impacted. Generally, high temperatures can coincide with high-pressure weather systems that lead to calm conditions, reducing wind power generation.
Battery storage systems, particularly lithium-ion batteries, can suffer in high temperatures as well. Excessive heat can accelerate chemical reactions within the battery, leading to faster degradation and reduced lifespan. Additionally, heat can increase the risk of thermal runaway, a condition that can lead to battery failure.
Electrek:Are there innovations that can be utilized to counteract the negative effects of extreme heat on renewables and battery storage?
Kam Mahdi: Engineers worldwide are currently exploring innovative concepts like thermophotovoltaics, which directly convert heat into electricity. They’re also refining solar panel designs, utilizing advanced materials and coatings for enhanced heat resistance.
In the wind energy sector, we are leveraging predictive weather models to manage power generation more effectively during high heat and low wind periods, coupled with the continual improvement of turbine design.
The battery storage industry is now focusing on robust thermal management systems incorporating advanced cooling methods, heat-resistant materials, and improved battery design in order to ensure optimum performance and extended longevity in challenging thermal conditions.
Our company, Clean Energy Technology, is contributing to this collective effort. Our heat recovery solutions enable us to capture and repurpose waste heat – a byproduct of industrial processes and power generation. This process increases efficiency and proves instrumental in managing energy demand, particularly during intense heat periods when power consumption peaks.
It’s important to incorporate a healthy mix of renewables alongside energy storage systems, which can help create a more resilient grid that’s capable of withstanding the strains brought about by extreme heat.
These strategies, combined with energy conservation efforts, are vital in ensuring a reliable energy supply, even in severe heat waves.
Kam Mahdi is a cofounder of Clean Energy Technologies (CETY) who has served as chief executive officer since the company’s inception in September 2015. He spearheaded the acquisition of General Electric Heat Recovery Solutions, positioning CETY as a key competitor in the renewable and energy efficiency sectors. Mahdi holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from California State University, Northridge.
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The latest automotive numbers in Europe were released for August, confirming that Tesla’s decline is continuing, but it has slowed down, with the company “only” being down 22%.
However, the most worrying part for Tesla is that it is happening while battery-electric vehicle sales were up 30% last month.
Tesla’s decline in Europe has been well-documented for the last two years, but it has accelerated significantly in 2025, with Tesla experiencing a monthly decrease of 30-40% year-over-year.
In somewhat good news for the company, the decline has slowed in August.
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The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) released its report for sales in August 2025.
It confirms that Tesla delivered 14,831 vehicles in Europe (EU + EFTA + UK) in August 2025, down 22% from August 2024.
In comparison, the decline is not as alarming as previous months, but it now brings Tesla’s total deliveries year-to-date to 133,857 vehicles compared to 198,474 vehicles in 2024. That’s down -32.6%.
Where things start to get more alarming for Tesla is when you compare it to the broader EV market.
ACEA reports:
The YOY variation in August 2025 showed a rise of 30.2% for battery-electric and 14.1% for hybrid-electric cars, while plug-in-hybrid electric recorded its sixth consecutive month of continuous strong growth with a 54.5% increase.
Here are the results for August and year-to-date in EU + EFTA + UK:
Electrek’s Take
It should be alarming when the world’s biggest electric automaker sees its sales decline 22% in a market where electric vehicle sales are surging 30%.
There’s certainly something wrong that should be addressed.
Musk even commented on this ACEA report. Reuters published it and claimed that BYD outsold Tesla in the EU. Musk retweeted and commented on a post claiming that Reuters was misleading:
Reuters is not being misleading. BYD outsold Tesla 9,130 units to 8,220 units in the EU last month.
If they had said “Europe” rather than the EU, it would have been misleading, but they didn’t.
Tesla did outsell BYD in broader Europe, if you include EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) and the UK: 14,831 to 11,455 units.
Either way, I don’t know why he would want to get into that conversation whatsoever because in EU+EFTA+UK, BYD was up 215% last month compared to Tesla being down 22%.
Year-to-date, BYD is up 280% compared ot Tesla being down 32%.
At this pace, BYD is likely to outsell Tesla for the entire year, and the Chinese automaker is operating under tariffs in Europe, a market where it has only been present for about three years.
Elon has fully lost the plot.
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Hyundai Motor is recalling nearly 8,000 2023-2025 Genesis GV60 EVs due to a potential issue with the molding at the top of the windshield that may cause it to fall off.
Why is Hyundai recalling Genesis GV60 EVs?
After issuing a recall for nearly 600,000 Pallisade, IONIQ 5, and IONIQ 6 vehicles last week, you can add a few more to the list.
Hyundai is recalling certain 2023-2025 model year Genesis GV60 EVs due to a potential issue with the molding at the top of the windshield, which may peel or even detach while driving.
Those with impacted vehicles may hear a wind noise or whistling coming from the upper part of the windshield. After running internal tests, Hyundai found the issue was due to insufficient adhesion from the supplier.
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Although no crashes or injuries were reported, Hyundai is aware of 112 reports of molding detachment from October 26, 2022, through August 8, 2025.
Hyundai has since fixed the issue and estimates that only 1% of the 7,855 Genesis GV60 EVs being recalled actually have the defect.
The 2025 Genesis GV60 (Source: Genesis)
The company expects to mail owner notification letters on November 17, 2025. GV60 owners can contact Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741 with questions. Hyundai’s recall number is 028G.
Owners can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit NHTSA.gov for more information. The NHTSA campaign number for the recall is 25V624.
The 2025 Genesis GV60 (Source: Genesis)
According to Cox Automotive, Hyundai sold 3,400 Genesis GV60 models in the US in 2023, 2,866 in 2024, and another 1,192 in the first half of 2025. So, that would be just about all Genesis GV60s sold in the US from 2023 through the first few months of 2025.
After dropping the Electrified G80 from its lineup earlier this year, Genesis now sells just two EVs in the US: the GV60 and Electrified GV70.
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A new software update from Rivian was sighted earlier this month, and it’s being prepared for a full rollout to Gen 2 R1S and R1T EVs. The latest Rivian update includes upgrades to the American automaker’s Enhanced Highway Assist driving, more energy-conscious home charging capabilities, and a slew of other improvements outlined below.
Update September 25, 2025: Rivian has confirmed the details of software update 2025.34 outlined below. However, we still do not have a concrete timeline for when the update will roll out to current R1S and R1T owners.
Like most software-defined vehicles, Rivian models like the R1S and R1T receive periodic updates over-the-air (OTA). As a Rivian owner and an enthusiast, software updates are often exciting news to report on, as they usually result in new features or abilities to existing technology or enable various efficiencies (and bug fixes fixes, of course).
Over the past six months, we’ve seen updates like 2025.10, which rolled out to the public in early April, and 2025.14, which updated the BEV’s Highway Assist feature. In late May, RivianTrackr shared that software update 2025.18 was rolling out internally before launching wide to Rivian owners, and it was one of the more robust rollouts we had seen for a while.
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Most recently, a similar site called RivianRoamer has reported on a new software update, 2025.34, which has already been spotted before it makes its way out to the public
Source: Rivian.com
Rivian software update adds new “Co-Steer” feature
Per reports, Rivian software update 2025.34 is in the works in a beta version before it inevitably makes its way to the community of R1S and R1T owners. That being said, please note that any of these listed features or improvements could change or be removed altogether before the update goes out wide.
The first notable upgrade pertains to the Enhanced Highway Assist ADAS in Gen 2 Rivian models. Right now, the pending software update will enable a new assist feature called “Co-Steer,” which will allow a driver to adjust their given position within a lane using “gentle steering inputs” without the Enhanced Highway Assist disengaging.
Speaking of Enhanced Highway Assist, Rivian shared that the availability of the ADAS feature has increased by up to 50%, particularly on urban and suburban highways. Lastly, the 2025.34 update includes a new perception model that improves lane centering performance, especially on curves.
Additionally, Rivian’s latest pending software update will allow your vehicle to automatically charge itself during off-peak times at your home when electricity is cheaper, ensuring your vehicle is ready when you need it.
According to the report, “smart scheduling” can cut annual home EV charging costs by 20% or more and increase your use of clean energy. You can enable this feature and monitor everything through your account in the Rivian app (version 3.5 or later).
Other updates and big fixes from 2025.34 (subject to change)
Audio improvements (Gen 2 Rivian models)
Fine-tuned equalization and delays to make the bass feel richer and more impactful
Soundstage improvements for better localization, separation, and layering
Improved blending of Dolby Atmos content for all listening positions
Performance improvements
Updated and improved media apps, including increased touchscreen responsiveness
Improved Navigation stability and responsiveness
Improved responsiveness to mobile commands while vehicle is asleep
Resolved rare issue that prevented users from accepting the terms of service for Rivian Navigation with Google Maps
Fixed issue that kept Gear Guard video thumbnails from displaying properly on the Motion Cam and Incidents screens
Resolved rare issue where the tonneau cover position is displayed incorrectly on certain screens of Gen 1 R1T models
Resolved rare issue that caused fog lights to turn off and exterior lights to revert to Auto mode (Gen 1)
Fixed issue that caused trip energy and efficiency data to fluctuate unexpectedly
Improvements to the accuracy of battery range on arrival estimates, including adding location air density as a factor for locations at higher elevations
Resolved rare issue that prevented the door handles from presenting for an unlock request while Car Wash mode is active (Gen 2 EVs)
Reduced excessive blower noise during climate control start-up in mild conditions while maintaining cooling performance in extreme temperatures (Gen 2 EVs)
Fixed rare issue that caused cabin conditioning requests initiated from the Rivian mobile app to fail on the first attempt (Gen 2 EVs)
Additional improvements for 12V battery health detection, including in-vehicle and mobile app notifications to alert you when the 12V battery needs to be replaced (Gen 2 EVs)
That’s all for now. As a reminder, the above release notes pertain to a beta version of the software update, and 2025.34 could be different when it reaches Rivian owners in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for it!
In the meantime, I recommend scheduling a test drive with Rivian if you haven’t done so yet. See if you can get behind the wheel of an upcoming R2. It’s a winner!
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