In the midst of the United Auto Workers’ strike, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was asked on Face The Nation whether she plans to trade in her Tesla Model 3 for a union-built EV.
However, there really aren’t many EVs she could pick from, and that’s a problem for the Big Three, the UAW, the American auto industry, and US workers in general. And also for AOC.
The UAW started striking two weeks ago, beginning with shutting down one plant at each of the Big Three auto companies. Only one plug-in car was affected initially, the Jeep 4xe.
Since then, the strike has expanded to several more GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers, but the strike against Ford has not expanded as the UAW says talks are progressing better there.
With only one plug-in car currently affected by the strike, it may seem like EVs lucked out, or that the unions perhaps decided not to stop EV production. But in actuality, the reason that union-made EVs haven’t been affected by the partial shutdowns is because, well, there just aren’t very many of them.
What choices does AOC have?
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has spoken out repeatedly supporting unions. She’s stood on picket lines in her district and generally supports strikes and labor unions.
Last year, she stated that she wanted to trade in her Tesla Model 3 and get a union-made EV instead. And this weekend, with the UAW striking, she was asked the same question again.
In her answer she mentioned that she purchased her car during the pandemic, looking for safe and efficient travel to DC from her district in Queens, New York. At the time, the Model 3 was the best choice for this – and, frankly, it probably still is, based on fast charging capability, price, range, and general vehicle quality.
But it’s also not union-built, and in addition, Tesla CEO Elon Musk often interferes with unionization efforts and talks down on unions (he even did so yesterday) and routinely acts publicly creepy towards AOC, which is likely a contributing factor to her desire to rinse her hands of the brand.
At the time, the only union-built EV made in the US was the Chevy Bolt. There are more union-built EVs today than there were in 2020 when AOC bought her Tesla, but the choices are still limited.
In the last few years, we’ve seen the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Hummer EV, and the Cadillac Lyriq all go into production here in the US with union manufacturing. But none of those would really be great choices for AOC. Nor would the E-Transit, which is mainly for commercial use, though it paints an amusing #Vanlife image for the congresswoman.
The Lightning and Hummer are far too large for a city dweller, and likely too way much vehicle for her purposes. And the Lyriq, despite being really dang nice, is probably not the right statement for an everyman representative like her – although its $57k base price is almost identical to the $58k MSRP that Long Range Model 3s were fetching at their peak price at the end of last year.
At least, those are some union-made EVs that are built in the United States. If we expand elsewhere, we can find plenty of examples of EVs built by union labor. While foreign automakers typically run non-union shops in the US, they are unionized in their own countries (so, no ID.4 then unless she picks a used, early run model before they switched to Tennessee models). European auto-worker unions are strong (especially in Germany), and Asian automakers are typically unionized domestically even if their unions are not as strong as in Germany. Mexican auto assembly plants are also often unionized, including the one that builds the Mustang Mach E.
But, as a US rep, she is probably looking for a US-made vehicle (and to be fair, she does have the most American-made vehicle already in her Tesla). So even the Mach E from our neighbors to the South is out of the running.
That leaves us the same choice she would have had in 2020: the unassuming but awesome Chevy Bolt. We at Electrek think this is a great choice, having given it our Vehicle of the Year award, and it remains a screaming deal given its low MSRP and availability of credits and incentives to drive that price down further (if you can find one anyway – you can check local dealer inventory here).
A Bolt EUV (due to Super Cruise availability, for that long trip down to DC) is going to be our official recommendation.
But it’s still not ideal for her circumstances, since the Bolt has a slow 54kW DC charge rate. Since Queens and DC are about 240 miles apart, the Bolt’s 247 mile range will likely need a little top-up for safety along the way, and slow DC charge rate and lack of access to Tesla’s superior Supercharger network (though that’s changing soon) will make that experience less than optimal.
Her choices could be getting better soon, with the upcoming Chevy Blazer and Equinox EVs, but those aren’t out yet (though they’re due to hit the road this coming quarter). And her choices will get a little worse at the end of the year as well, since the excellent Chevy Bolt is due to end production in December (though it is slated to come back).
So it’s no wonder she hasn’t been able to trade in her car yet – and that’s kind of a problem.
Electrek’s Take
It’s a problem because it shows that the companies that have formed the industrial backbone of the US for so long are simply not building enough EVs. Everyone understands that EVs are the future of the auto industry – though we at Electrek would argue that they are also the present of the auto industry, not just the future.
Tesla currently has around 5x the combined market cap of Ford, GM, and Stellantis, despite that those three companies combined sell about 10x as many vehicles as Tesla currently. This is obviously a quite… optimistic valuation, but it also shows, among other things, that the market values growth and sees where the industry is going. And it’s clear that investors, as a collective, have more confidence in Tesla’s ability to prepare for the future of the industry than they do in the Big Three combined.
Some, including business media and leadership from the Big Three in the last week or two, blame this on the UAW themselves. The argument goes that unionized labor asks for too much or stands in the way of progress, and that this cripples the Big Three with labor costs and keeps them from being competitive as vehicles evolve, particularly given that EVs will require fewer assembly hours than gas cars.
But as mentioned above, other countries’ automakers have strong auto unions and yet are not similarly “shackled.” And when questioned about whether they might oppose the industry’s green transition due to this drop in assembly hours, UAW leadership has never taken the bait and has merely insisted it be a “just transition.”
So everybody knows that we need to go in the right direction, but American automakers have still been slow to offer a wide variety of EV models – despite GM’s promises to the contrary.
The US government has tried to stimulate more production here, via the Inflation Reduction Act, which gives tax credits to domestically-produced EVs. The proposed law originally included an additional union-made credit, but it was struck by the efforts of all 50 republicans and Joe Manchin.
As I stated in the last article about this, 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 people do when sorting themselves into local, state, or national governments. So naturally, workers should do the same. It only makes sense.
Unions are important not just for AOC’s car choices, but for American labor as a whole. The US economy and US workers tend to do better when unionization rates are high, and the auto industry is one of the bulwarks of organized labor in the US and has been central to US manufacturing prowess for decades. This is why AOC supports them, and why President Biden, who joined UAW workers on the picket line yesterday, does as well.
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Aptera, the company behind a highly efficient electric vehicle capable of charging from the sun, is about to go public, but its approach raises concerns.
Is it the end of another solar car project?
There have been a handful of “solar car” projects and they all have failed so far.
I put “solar car” in quotes because they are essentially small electric vehicles that are so efficient that adding solar panels can contribute relatively significantly to charging the car.
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Aptera is one of the rare survivors, thanks to a couple of relatively successful crowdfunding efforts. The company has been inching closer to bringing its vehicle to production, but it still appears to need some investments to make it happen.
Now, Aptera is going public.
Generally, that’s good news. An initial public offering (IPO) means that a company is going to raise capital for its operations and give more people the opportunity to invest in the company.
However, Aptera is not doing a traditional IPO. It’s not even doing a SPAC deal. It’s doing a direct listing, which means that if approved by NASDAQ, it will allow shareholders to trade their shares on the public market.
This is usually an exit strategy for existing shareholders. Aptera won’t receive any proceeds from going public. They wrote in their SEC filing:
This prospectus relates to the registration of the resale of up to 31,741,948 shares of our non-voting Class B common stock… We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of Class B common stock by the registered stockholders.”
What good could come out of this for the company?
As of the end of June 2025, the last reporting date, Aptera had about $13 million in the bank, and it is burning through more than that in a year – meaning it is running out of cash.
The company needs to be infused with capital soon, and this direct listing is not it.
Meanwhile, Aptera stated that the public listing will not occur until at least October 14, next week, to allow shareholders, including those who invested in the crowdfunding rounds, sufficient time to transfer their shares into their broker accounts and trade them.
Electrek’s Take
As I previously disclosed, I invested a small amount in Aptera’s crowdfunding campaign a few years ago. Nothing I wasn’t entirely willing to lose. I knew and consistently stated that the project would be challenging to bring to market.
I invested because I love the project and wanted to help give them a chance to succeed. I not only like the solar aspect, but also the idea of creating a hyper-efficient vehicle that still retains a relatively high level of utility.
But this smells like the end to me. I’d love to hear your take in the comments below, but I don’t see a way out of this for the company.
I guess there’s a possibility that insiders somehow hold, and there’s some public demand for the stock amid this crazy bubble we are in – resulting in a price increase, which Aptera takes advantage of with a public offering. But that sounds far-fetched, doesn’t it?
What other possible scenarios are there except for the obvious one where current shareholders quickly dump their shares, the stock crashes, Aptera can’t raise capital, and closes its door and sell itself for parts?
While solar cars are cool, the most efficient way to power an electric car with solar energy is to have solar panels on your home. If you are in the US, the next few weeks are likely the last opportunity to secure a solar installation and take advantage of the federal tax credit, which is set to expire.
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The new Nissan LEAF hit the streets of the UK for the first time, bringing a fresh crossover SUV-like look, up to 386 miles of driving range, and a host of other upgrades.
Nissan introduces the new LEAF in the UK
Nissan’s electric hatch is back, but you may not recognize it. The LEAF drops its hatchback design for its third generation, adopting a new crossover SUV-like style.
“The all-new LEAF is the embodiment of our DNA here at Nissan: smart, sleek, stylish, and ready for the next generation of EV drivers,” Cliodhna Lyons, Nissan’s VP of product and services planning for the AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe, and Oceania) region, said on Thursday.
Nissan announced the new LEAF hit the streets of the UK for the first time as it prepares to open pre-orders. The new LEAF will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland, UK, plant alongside the Qashqai and Juke SUVs.
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The new LEAF will be available with two battery options, 52 kWh and 75 kWh, offering a WTLP range of 271 miles and 386 miles.
The new Nissan LEAF hits the streets of the UK (Source: Nissan UK)
According to Nissan, the 75 kWh battery delivers a range of up to 269 miles (WLTP) and energy consumption as low as 4.5 miles/kWh when travelling at 70 mph on the highway.
With DC charging speeds of up to 150 kW, the new LEAF can add 273 miles of range in just 30 minutes. It’s also equipped with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) with up to 3.1 kW output, to power up mobile devices, a camping setup, a work site, and more.
The interior of the new Nissan LEAF (Source: Nissan)
Inside, the new LEAF features dual 14.3″ driver display and infotainment screens. Powered by NissanConnect with Google built-in, drivers have access to Google Maps Car Route Planner, Google Assistant, and more.
The new model offers a suite of advanced safety and driver assistance (ADAS) features, such as Intelligent Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist. Other optional features include 3D Around View Monitor, Invisible Hood View, and Front Wide View.
The new Nissan LEAF (Source: Nissan)
Nissan will open pre-orders for the new LEAF by the end of 2025, with the first customer deliveries slated for Spring 2026. Prices will be announced soon.
In the US, Nissan said the 2026 LEAF has “the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently on sale in the US,” priced from just $29,990. It will begin arriving at US dealerships any day now. The 2026 Nissan LEAF offers an EPA-estimated range of up to 303 miles. That’s a big upgrade from the up to 212 miles of range in the outgoing LEAF.
What do you think of the new LEAF? Are you a fan of the crossover look? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Japanese equipment giant Kubota has pulled the wraps off a world’s first. The new, Autonomous Fuel Cell Tractor packs electric drive motors powered by a hydrogen fuel cell — one that can get topped off with hydrogen made from farm waste!
As longtime Electrek readers already know: I’m no fan of hydrogen as a transport fuel, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work in other applications — and one of those is certainly large-scale farming. In that context, Kubota’s latest announcement feels like a natural sequel to the company’s broader push into electrification and intelligent farming tools.
The company has high hopes for its electric farm equipment, as Japan (like other Western nations) is struggling to attract young people into farming, leading to a continually aging and shrinking workforce and ongoing labor shortage.
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“The concept behind this model is to simultaneously achieve environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, and labor saving,” reads the official press copy. “Since only water is discharged during operation, it is environmentally friendly, and is also designed for operation without operators onboard via autonomous driving and remote control.”
You’ve heard all that before. What may be new to you is the notion that hydrogen can be produced locally, by many kinds of farmers, using existing farm inputs that convert biowaste into methane, then reform or electrolyze it into hydrogen. That circular model gives farmers in areas with limited grid access (or a desire to stay off the grid, for their own reasons) a viable way to generate and store energy.
Energy that, unlike the electricity from solar panels, can power modified reciprocating engines like Cummins’ (relatively) new X15 diesel or a number of Volvo Penta engines.
Electrek’s Take
Cummins hydrogen combustion 15L engine; image by the author.
Do any research at all into farming and agriculture as-a-whole and you’ll be shocked by the age of farmers and the age of their equipment, too. The industry is packed with combustion engines, people fearful of big corporations taking their data, and of big governments cutting off their fuel supplies (however ironic that may be). To them, and to the heavy machines that are already too big and heavy to work in rain and mud in some cases, a relatively lightweight, on-site energy solution might be a welcome thing.
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