UAW is now on strike – Jeep 4xe is the only EV currently affected
The United Auto Workers union has begun a strike against all three major American automakers, with about 12,700 workers currently on strike, and the potential for up to 146,000 total to go on strike in the future if automakers do not offer the union a satisfactory agreement.
While this strike is not specifically EV-focused, this story is nevertheless related to our coverage since it affects the auto industry as a whole, and many EVs are built by union labor by the “Big Three” US automakers (GM, Ford and Chrysler, which is now a part of Stellantis).
However, currently the strike doesn’t include all unionized US auto workers. Of the ~146,000 UAW workers in the US, only 12,700 of them have walked off the job for the time being, at one plant for each of the three automakers.
The plants targeted for shutdown are GM’s Wentzville Assembly in Missouri, Ford’s Michigan Assembly in Wayne, MI, and Stellantis’ Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio.
Of those three plants, the only one that currently produces an electrified vehicle is the Stellantis plant in Ohio, which builds Jeep Wranglers. This includes the Wrangler 4xe, a plug-in hybrid Jeep with a 17.3kWh battery pack and 21 miles of all-electric range.
There are no pure BEVs built at the three plants in question, so EVs have mostly escaped for the time being. In fact, with fewer gas vehicles being built, this could even benefit EVs in the short-term – but that could change at any moment.
New leadership, new tactics
As of this year, the union is under new leadership. In March, it held the first direct election in its 88-year history, electing its current president Shawn Fain after previous appointed presidents were subject to scandal.
Fain has called this new tactic of closing a few plants at a time a “stand-up strike.” This allows the union to show that it is serious about striking, but to gradually increase pressure on the Big Three with the threat of expanding the strike to more plants if automakers do not offer enough to the union. It also means that strike funds will last longer – the UAW current has around $825 million in strike funds earmarked to pay workers while they’re off the line.
This new “stand up” nomenclature is meant to contrast with the “sit-down strikes” of the past, where workers would arrive to work at their stations and then simply sit down in place – thus preventing the potential for companies to hire scabs to replace striking workers.
Previously, the UAW would normally strike against a single automaker at a time, typically with one or a few plants. This is the first time it has held a strike against all three automakers at once, though it is still only walking out of some facilities for the time being. But that could change, and the strike could expand to cover more vehicles – and potentially some BEVs – if automakers don’t improve their offers.
In the runup to this strike, automakers have already offered significant pay increases, but these fall short of what the union considers acceptable. At first, automakers were offering around a ~10% increase, and more recent proposals have risen to around ~20%, though there are other provisions that are being negotiated for as well.
But the union says that these numbers are not high enough. Fain points to executive pay, which he says has gone up 65% over the last four years, in comparison to autoworker pay which has risen only 6%.
The Big Three counter this by stating that if their labor costs increase, this could put them at a disadvantage against non-unionized automakers like Tesla, Toyota and other foreign automakers in the US. Many of these automakers are building factories in the US already.
And with the economy in somewhat of a rocky place recently, a swift end to this strike is in the interest of many. It is estimated that just a ten-day strike could cost the US economy $5 billion, so negotiations will surely be frantic.
Unions have been having a bit of a moment this year, with many strikes happening around the country. Public approval of unions is around its highest point since 1965, which has given labor the momentum to push for better protections as several industries are in times of disruption. Americans tend to favor striking auto workers and film & TV workers over their employers at a margin of three or four to one.
Electric cars and unions
In the auto industry specifically, electric cars have been in focus because electric cars typically have fewer parts than gas-powered vehicles, and thus require fewer human assembly hours. This is a benefit as the cars are less complex, but it also means that fewer auto workers may be needed to build the same number of cars.
Also, as automakers are building battery plants in the US, some are trying to start battery assembly jobs at lower hourly rates than traditional auto assembly jobs have paid. GM’s Ultium battery workers, who unionized earlier this year, just earned a 25% pay raise last month, noting this discrepancy in starting pay.
This was the first big union win in US EV production, as US battery production has heretofore mostly been non-unionized. In particular, the largest US EV maker, Tesla, has seen some unionization efforts, but those efforts have mostly met with retaliation from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Unions have at times been somewhat skeptical of the transition to electric vehicles, largely due to this reduction in total hours of labor needed for assembly. Though this doesn’t apply to all unions – in Germany, Audi’s worker union demanded that EVs be built at the main plant, thinking that if they did not embrace the EV transition, they might lose their jobs entirely anyway as the industry moves towards EV.
Labor was also central to President Biden’s original Build Back Better proposal, which would have added an additional $4,500 tax credit for union-made EVs, but that provision didn’t make it to the final bill due to opposition from all Senate republicans and Joe Manchin. That proposal ended up going into law as the Inflation Reduction Act, which gives a $7,500 tax credit to EVs that are built in the US, though without a union requirement attached.
Electrek’s Take
Personally, I’m pro-union. And I think that everyone should be – it only makes sense that people should have their interests collectively represented, and that people should be able to join together to support each other and exercise their power collectively, instead of individually.
This is precisely what companies do with industry organizations, lobby organizations, chambers of commerce, and so on. And it’s what countries and regions do with local, state or national governments. So naturally, workers should do the same. It only makes sense.
But at times, unions can have conservative views on manufacturing. In particular, they are interested in maintaining jobs for all of their members, which makes sense from their perspective.
But if the climate crisis requires that we produce fewer and/or smaller personal vehicles, as it does, and if those vehicles must be electric, as they must, then this means we simply have to have fewer auto manufacturing jobs in the future. It’s just going to happen. There is simply no way to get around it while also working to reduce emissions.
This could put unions in a tough spot, because they want to protect their workers, but hopefully still recognize the necessity of a rapid transition to cleaner transportation options.
There’s no reason we can’t have both things, and currently the unions don’t seem to be working against the transition at all, nor do I expect them to. I hope we can continue on this same path, and unions and the auto industry can both embrace electrification in the most rapid way possible (that is, even more rapidly than anyone currently is), while still maintaining worker protections and high levels of manufacturing quality.
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Ride1Up recently threw its hat into the electric mountain bike ring — and not with a tentative little toss, either. The new Ride1Up TrailRush is the company’s first fully fledged, fully class 3 eMTB, and it’s aiming to take a big bite out of a segment that has traditionally been dominated by pricey, big-brand models.
Ride1Up TrailRush Video Review
To see this e-bike in action during my own testing, check out my video review below. Then keep reading for my complete thoughts on this awesome new electric mountain bike.
Ride1Up TrailRush tech specs
- Motor: Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive motor (90 Nm torque)
- Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h)
- Battery: 36V14Ah (504Wh)
- Frame: Aluminum alloy 6061
- Fork: 120mm Rockshox Judy Siler TK Air Fork
- Weight: 57 lb (25.8 kg)
- Brakes: Tektro Orion HD-M475 quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes
- Extras: Brose color LCD display, integrated torque sensor, dropper post, three color options, two frame sizes, mounting points for rear rack, distinct and utter lack of a kickstand (maybe that one’s a bug…)
- Price: $2,095
A good eMTB for a great price?
Let me give you the bottom line up front: The TrailRush delivers serious off-road capability, name-brand components, and a high-end German-made mid-drive motor system at a price that’s going to make a lot of riders do a double-take. In a good way.
For years, Ride1Up has been carving out a reputation as the go-to brand for affordable, high-performance e-bikes that don’t feel cheap. Commuters and casual riders already know the name well, but the TrailRush marks a new chapter for the brand – one that swaps city streets for singletrack, gravel fire roads, and just about anything else you can point a set of knobby tires at.
At the core of the TrailRush is the Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive motor, delivering an impressive 90 Nm of torque. For those not deep in the eMTB weeds, that’s plenty of grunt for steep climbs and technical trail work, and it puts the TrailRush right in the ballpark with much more expensive bikes from the likes of Specialized or Bulls – both of which often use the same Brose platform or other comparable German mid-drive systems like those from Bosch.
This mid-drive motor system is paired with a bottom-bracket-integrated torque sensor, which means the motor’s output feels smooth and intuitive, responding to your pedal pressure rather than just cadence. And not only is the assistance more natural feeling, but it’s also whisper quiet. Like, it literally is as quiet as a whisper. When I ride on gravel or anything else that has a bit of a crunch under my tires, I seriously can’t even hear the motor. If I’m on something soft and quiet like grass, I can just barely make out the faint sound. In the highest power mode, it’s a tiny bit louder, but this is still one of the quietest mid-drive e-bike motors I’ve ever tested. It’s a dream when all you really want to do is enjoy the beautiful outdoors around you and not listen to the whine of plastic gears.
The motor runs through a 10-speed Shimano Deore M6000 drivetrain with a clutch derailleur to keep chain slap in check when the trail gets rowdy. Shifting is crisp, and with the 11-36T cassette out back, you’ve got a nice wide range to tackle everything from flat-out fire road sprints to granny-gear climbs.
Power comes from a 36V 14Ah Phylion battery with Samsung cells, tucked neatly into the frame. Ride1Up says you can expect long-range performance, and while exact real-world numbers will depend on terrain and assist level, pairing that capacity with a mid-drive motor and efficient torque sensing should get you well beyond the kind of short-loop range you might expect from hub-driven budget bikes with throttles.
And that’s one important note here. Yes, the 36V battery is lower voltage than a lot of other models out there, and the 504 Wh isn’t exactly blowing battery capacity out of the water. But the bike is torquey and the lack of a throttle means that 504 Wh lasts a lot longer than you think. I could easily get 30 miles (50 km) of off-road riding in medium power levels, and would certainly get significantly more if I had the leg muscles to keep the bike in the lowest power level all the time.
Built for real trail work
This isn’t one of those “mountain-style” e-bikes that’s really just a cruiser with knobby tires. Ride1Up spec’d the TrailRush with legit off-road parts:
The 120mm RockShox Judy Silver TK air fork up front gives adjustable, tunable suspension for real trail comfort. This isn’t some junk spring fork – it’s the real deal.
The Tektro Orion HD-M745 quad-piston hydraulic brakes provide serious stopping power, even from higher speeds, and are exactly the kind of powerful braking system you want on long, steep descents.
Even the Exaform KSP900 dropper post with 150mm of travel is a serious value-add component, letting you get the saddle out of the way when it’s time to point downhill or just lowering it for comfortable stops. If you didn’t quite set your saddle height appropriately, you can adjust it on the fly instead of hopping off and fiddling with the height on the side of the road or trail.
And those Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR 29×2.6” tubeless-ready tires, which are practically the default choice for aggressive trail riders thanks to their traction and durability, are a major step up from the typical Kendas we see on budget “mountain bikes” that aren’t really meant for real trails.
Add in the set of 780mm-wide MTB bars for leverage, thru-axles for robust hub and wheel mounting, and you’ve got a package that’s ready for real-world trails — not just a parking lot test ride. Though if you did want to turn it into a mall cruiser, it actually has bosses ready to accept a rear rack, meaning you could do cargo duty during the week and then hit the trails on the weekend!
Class 3 speed, XC range
The TrailRush is set up as a Class 3 eMTB, with pedal assist up to 28 mph. That’s practically a requisite in North America, where everyone wants to eke out as much speed as they are legally allowed. Keep in mind, though, that some trails do limit riders to Class 1 e-bikes that can only hit 20 mph. But the bike can be limited to slower speeds to comply, which is fairly common these days.
I touched on range when mentioning the battery above, and this is always a tricky topic with eMTBs because ride styles vary so much. But the combination of a 504 Wh battery, a high-efficiency Brose system, and a rider who uses lower assist settings could easily stretch up to 50 miles on mixed-terrain rides, according to the company. Hammer it on full boost non-stop though, and expect your range to suffer accordingly.
Ride feel and budget positioning
While the TrailRush is pitched as an XC/light trail bike, the geometry and build hint at a versatile personality. The 120mm travel fork and relatively slack front end should make it stable on descents, while the mid-travel setup keeps it lively and efficient on climbs. The quad-piston brakes are overkill for some riders, but anyone actually hitting big descents will be happy to have them! Plus, they’re extra punchy in the case of emergency braking.
And as I mentioned, the Brose system is also known for its quiet operation, which is a subtle but important part of the ride experience. There’s no harsh whine here, just a muted hum that lets you enjoy the sound of your tires on dirt.
With an MSRP of $2,095, the TrailRush is hundreds of dollars below the nearest D2C competition and thousands below the legacy mountain bike brands. That’s going to open up the mid-drive, name-brand suspension eMTB experience to riders who might have written it off as financially out of reach.
Of course, there are tradeoffs. At this price point, you’re not getting a carbon frame or the latest 12-speed drivetrain. The fork is a capable RockShox Judy Silver rather than a higher-end Pike or Lyrik. But those choices feel smart – they keep costs in check while still delivering a genuinely trail-worthy package.
My takeaway
Ride1Up’s entry into the mountain bike space was always going to be interesting, given how well they’ve nailed the commuter and city bike categories. The TrailRush doesn’t feel like a half-measure or a “we can do it too” model; it feels like a deliberate, well-specced eMTB built to meet real rider needs at a disruptive price of $2,095. And it focuses on their core audience: riders who want a quality bike but aren’t necessarily going to spend an entire paycheck or two to get it.
For riders looking to break into the eMTB world without dropping $6,000–$8,000, the TrailRush could be a game-changer. The Brose mid-drive alone is a huge plus, bringing smooth, natural-feeling power and enough torque to handle genuine trail challenges. Pair that with real suspension, a dropper post, great tires, and quad-piston brakes, and you’ve got a bike that’s ready to do more than just look the part.
It’s also a statement. The TrailRush shows that Ride1Up is willing to take the same value-driven approach that’s made their commuter bikes so popular and apply it to a category where “budget” has often meant big compromises. The real-world ride matches the spec sheet, which I think will end up making this one of the most important new eMTBs of the year. Not because it’s better than the competition, but because it’s good enough to get so many more people into eMTBs at a reasonable price, and on something built well enough to give them a safe and fun adventure.
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Kia’s new EV5 is about the size of a Tesla Model Y, and it will hit the market in the next few months. The real thrill will come with a GT version set to follow right behind it.
When is the Kia EV5 GT launching?
It has been about a month since Kia revealed the upgraded EV5, a new midsize electric SUV that will sit between the EV3 and EV9.
Although the EV5 has been on sale in China since 2023, Kia introduced the global version, which will be sold in Europe, North America, South Korea, and other markets.
The electric SUV has already helped Kia make a comeback in China, the world’s largest EV market. Despite an intensifying price war and a wave of low-cost domestic models launching, Kia turned its first profit in the first quarter of 2025, marking the first time in eight years.
Now, a new high-performance variant is on the way. Kia’s new midsize electric is getting a GT upgrade, and it’s expected to pack some serious power.
According to The Korean Car Blog, Kia confirmed for the first time that the EV5 GT will arrive in the first quarter of 2026.
The new EV5 GT will follow other Kia electric vehicles, including the EV6 GT and EV9 GT, that’s getting the performance upgrade.
Although Kia has yet to reveal official prices and specs, we have a good idea of what to expect. Like the EV6 GT, Kia’s midsize electric SUV will likely arrive with a dual-motor, AWD powertrain, packing over 600 horsepower and 770 Nm of torque. The added power should be good for a 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) sprint in about 3.5 seconds.
Like its other GT vehicles, the EV5 is expected to pull popular features from the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, like a Virtual Gear Shift (VGS), launch control, drift optimizer, and more.
You can also expect to see sporty new design elements, such as updated front and rear bumpers, headlights, and taillights. Added GT-specific badging and other detailing will be featured throughout.
Although we will have to wait to see it until closer to launch, a blacked-out EV5 GT-Line was recently spotted (via HealerTV) in Korea, hinting at a few design upgrades you can expect.
The interior will feature Kia’s new ccNC infotainment system, which includes dual 12.3″ central navigation and driver display screens, as well as an additional 5.3″ climate control screen.
The global EV5 is 4,610 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,675 mm tall, which is slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y. It’s closer in size to Hyundai’s IONIQ 5.
Kia will launch the EV5 in Korea and Europe in the second half of the year. The GT variant will follow in early 2026.
The EV5 will arrive in North America in early 2026. However, it may not be sold in the US. Kia said earlier this year that the EV5 will be “exclusive to the Canadian market in North America.”
Kia’s midsize electric SUV will initially launch with two battery pack options, offering a WLTP driving range of up to 329 miles. Unlike the version sold in China, the global EV5 will be produced in Korea.
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Tesla shareholders are suing the company, Elon Musk, and a few current and former leaders for securities fraud over its ‘Robotaxi’ launch in Austin.
The lawsuit emphasizes that expanding Robotaxi services is critical for Tesla amid declining demand for its electric vehicles and other challenges, but the company failed to disclose risks to regulators, the public, and investors.
The complaint alleges that Tesla and its executives made materially false and misleading statements, inflating the company’s stock price by exaggerating the readiness and safety of self-driving vehicles, particularly the Robotaxi.
Specific claims include:
- Repeatedly overstating the effectiveness of autonomous driving tech and its financial prospects for Tesla.
- Elon Musk’s statement on an April 22, 2025, conference call that Tesla was “laser-focused on bringing robotaxi to Austin in June.”
- Tesla’s claim on the same day that its approach would deliver “scalable and safe deployment across diverse geographies and use cases.”
- Concealing risks highlighted by a late June 2025 public test of Robotaxis in Austin, Texas, where vehicles reportedly exhibited dangerous behaviors such as speeding, sudden braking, driving over curbs, entering wrong lanes, and dropping passengers in the middle of multilane roads without proper safety measures. This test allegedly led to a 6.1% drop in Tesla’s share price over two trading days, erasing about $68 billion in market value.
Electrek’s Take
For now, the lawsuit appears more like a fishing expedition than a serious matter. I don’t like lawsuits that use stock price movements to claim damages.
However, in this case, as I’ve been reporting for months, I do think that Tesla did the ‘Robotaxi’ launch purely for optics with a system that is not ready to be unsupervised and valuable.
Tesla did it because it is not capable of delivering on its long promise of unsupervised self-driving in consumer vehicles, and Waymo is making it look bad by actively deploying and expanding autonomous ride-hailing systems.
It needs to start to look like it is in this competition, even if barely.
The deployment of autonomous driving systems should prioritize safety as the primary driver, rather than optics. In this sense, the lawsuit can make some sense as it will be damaging to investors when Tesla’s house of cards of autonomy comes crumbling down.
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