NYT reporter blames Hertz for his own ignorance of EV range and charging
We’ve all read so-called “range anxiety” stories — and most EV owners know they amount to a hill of beans when it comes to the lived experience of electric cars. And yet, there seems to be a narrative in mainstream media that range anxiety is the key issue when it comes to EV adoption, one that they’re rather keen on pushing whenever the opportunity arises.
The New York Times published an article this week in which one of its climate reporters — one who claims to have had experience driving and charging Teslas in the past — describes an incident that ended with his depleted rental Volvo C40 Recharge being towed away by Hertz in rural Minnesota.
The blame, according to that Times reporter, lies at the feet of Hertz for not informing him of the few charging stations where he was headed (how would they know?), the C40 Recharge’s “slow” recharge speed (it supports 149kW DC), and the general state of US charging infrastructure (read: the one charger he found was too slow).
The reporter also briefly blames himself for choosing an EV for a trip into rural farming country without checking on the availability of charging stations, but this seems rather beside the overall story he’s attempting to drive home here: EVs and EV infrastructure aren’t “ready” for regular Americans. From the article:
But for now, if electric vehicles can’t get me from Minneapolis to the South Dakota border and back, they’re almost certainly not ready for the great American road trip.
The facts of the story are as follows.
- The reporter rents a C40 Recharge from Hertz in Minneapolis.
- He says the vehicle has 200 miles of indicated range (read: it probably wasn’t fully charged — the C40 offers 226 miles of EPA range), but knows that he has planned a 308-mile round-trip journey with deadlines.
- He finds a single (6kW) charger while en route and stops to use it, but it’s Very Slow (“2%” added in 30 minutes).
- He decides to go on anyway, hoping there will be more charging stations ahead (he does not appear to research this at all). There aren’t any.
- He arrives at a farm near the South Dakota border with 20% charge remaining (45 miles) and charges the car on an AC wall outlet for 15 hours, adding 20 miles of range (so, 65 miles, presumably — this will become important later).
- He decided that because there are no chargers within 50 miles of the farm, he has to call Hertz and have them tow the car, which they do, and he gets a ride with a friend back to Minneapolis.
- Hertz charges him a $700 tow fee, and he works with Hertz PR to get this refunded because he believes the fee is unjust.
A few things come to mind.
First, I can’t even begin to understand how any of this is Hertz’s problem. This person used a rental vehicle in a way that was likely to leave it stranded and is blaming the rental company for this? Is this any different than renting a Ford Mustang and then blaming Hertz when it gets stuck on a washed-out dirt road in the backcountry? Did he even tell Hertz what his route was? Did he truly expect them to say something like, “Hey, this is probably going to mean planning your charging carefully”? His justification here is borderline ridiculous.
But Hertz deserves some blame too. The company rented me a car that was slow to charge, and did nothing to warn me about the dearth of charging stations outside of Minneapolis. Surprising me with a huge fee poured salt on the wound.
Second, his assertion that this was a “slow charging” car. Now, this is just flatly wrong — the C40 Recharge supports 149kW DC fast charging. While you’ll be lucky to find something like that out in the Minnesota sticks (barring Tesla Superchargers), a 50kW charger plugged in for an hour would likely have avoided this whole debacle.
Third, the whole chain of events here is a comedy of errors. I bothered to actually do some Google Maps sleuthing, and everything about this outcome was utterly avoidable. The reporter claims that a 6kW Blink charger was the “only” option on his way back to Minneapolis, but that was only after he’d passed a 50kW ChargePoint about 60 miles into his journey, presumably with around 140 miles of indicated range remaining on the C40. Had he stopped there and charged near to full, he’d have been able to hit the same station on the way back for a brief second charge before returning the car the next day.
All this is to say: The person who ended up in this situation was a victim of their own ignorance. Nothing more, nothing less. In choosing to use a vehicle with an understood set of capabilities and limitations, he chose not to inform himself and instead ended up in a debacle whose summary analysis should have started and ended at “well, that was stupid of me.”
As icing on the cake, his claim about the car being unable to reach another charging station after adding 20 miles of range at the farmhouse overnight seems dubious. A ZEF 50kW station in Marshall, Minnesota, is at most 65 miles from wherever this person was headed, and likely a bit closer (I picked a town that would have actually made for a round trip longer than the 308 miles the reporter claimed).
The article says that the car showed no chargers “within 50 miles” of the farm, so presumably that means anything beyond that radius just… didn’t exist?
I get it: When traveling for work, considering the peculiarities and planning necessary for your means of conveyance is probably not the first thing on your mind. But when you’re taking a 300-plus-mile road trip in rural Minnesota in an electric car, you should probably be thinking about this stuff.
And as for Hertz refunding that $700 tow fee, while I’m not going to say I love anything about Hertz as a company, it sure seems like they did it to avoid the ire of The New York Times more than any belief this person had a valid grievance.
EVs aren’t complicated. This person’s trip was entirely feasible — with five minutes of planning. They chose not to put in that five minutes and ended up stranded. I don’t think electric cars or their infrastructure are to blame.
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As demand for the Cybertruck can’t reach more than about 10% of Tesla’s planned production capacity, Elon Musk used his privately owned company to try to boost demand.
We now learn that SpaceX has bought tens of millions of dollars’ worth of Cybertrucks – potentially over a hundred million.
Elon Musk said that he expects Tesla to sell as many as 500,000 Cybertrucks per year.
Tesla actually planned to produce up to 250,000 Cybertrucks annually at the Gigafactory Texas. It never came even close to that.
The automaker is extremely opaque about its sales data, bundling Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck sales together.
However, based on registration data and historical split of Model S/X sales, we can estimate that Tesla is having issues selling even 20,000 Cybertrucks per year – less than 10% of its planned capacity.
By definition, the Cybertruck is a commercial flop.
Tesla boasted over 1 million reservations for the vehicle ahead of production, but it is estimated to have converted only about 60,000 of those reservations into orders since production began more than 2 years ago.
There are many reasons for this, but it is primarily because the Cybertruck costs much more than initially announced at the unveiling in 2019 and has less range and fewer cool features than the prototype.
SpaceX to the rescue
Earlier this year, we reported that Tesla started delivering truckloads of Cybertrucks to SpaceX and xAI, Elon Musk’s privately owned companies.
Now, a source familiar with the matter told Electrek that SpaceX bought over 1,000 Cybertrucks from Tesla and that it could ramp up to about 2,000 over time.
Hundreds of Cybertrucks can currently be seen parked in SpaceX’s lots in Southern Texas:
With a base price of $80,000, it would represent between $80 million and $160 million in sales.
It would be a significant help to Tesla’s performance in the fourth quarter, as the automaker is suffering from EV incentives ending in the US at the end of the third quarter, which remains Tesla’s most important market.
Electrek’s Take
SpaceX has been helping out Elon’s other companies quite a bit lately. It has reportedly committed to invest $2 billion into xAI, which is burning cash at an insane rate. Now, they are buying tens of millions to over a hundred million worth of Cybertruck, which are sitting in Tesla’s inventory, making its 4th quarter look even worse than it already is.
Can’t blame him here. This is legal. Although SpaceX investors might have concerns about how smart a purchase this is and what the utilization rate of those trucks looks like.
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Volkswagen’s upcoming family of smaller, more affordable EVs will not be offered with a gas-powered engine. Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schäfer said small gas cars make no sense, urging “the future in this segment is electric.”
Volkswagen shifts from small gas cars to EVs
During an interview with Auto Motor und Sport (via Ecomento), Schäfer explained that “Offering new gasoline-powered models in the Polo class and below makes no sense in light of future emissions regulations.”
The comments come as the German auto giant prepares to launch its new family of mass-market electric cars, starting with the ID.Polo in Spring 2026.
“The future in this segment is electric,” Schäfer urged, adding that new gas cars would be “too expensive,” and wouldn’t make any sense.
With the Polo-sized electric car due out next year, the report suggests Volkswagen’s upcoming entry-level EVs will not get any sister models with a gas engine. Although the VW brand CEO didn’t say exactly how long it plans to continue selling ICE versions of the Polo and T-Cross, local reports suggest it could still be until 2030.
As for hydrogen-powered cars, Schäfer called them “a sham discussion” for the volume segment. “There simply isn’t enough green hydrogen, the fuel cell is far too expensive, and the technology isn’t efficient either,” he said.
“The only way to quickly decarbonize mass-market cars is through electric drive,” according to Schäfer. The ID.Polo is kicking off a new generation of Volkswagen as its first EV to bear an established brand name.
Volkswagen is set to launch the Polo EV in Europe next Spring, starting at around €25,000 ($30,000). The electric version of the T-Cross, the ID.Cross will follow it in mid-2026. Volkswagen has yet to reveal prices, but the ID.Cross is slated to sit below the ID.4, which starts at around €35,000 ($41,000).
Both will be based on VW’s new MEB+ platform, set to underpin Volkswagen’s upcoming entry-level EV series. An even smaller, lower-priced ID.1 is due out in 2027, which will serve as a replacement for the e-UP!.
Electrek’s Take
Finally, a global OEM has the right idea. Volkswagen appears to be finally on the right path with its new entry-level EV lineup.
Schäfer is correct. Small gas-powered cars don’t have a future, but it’s not just because of stricter emissions rules. Buyers are looking for smaller, more efficient electric vehicles.
Through the first 10 months of the year, electric vehicles accounted for 16.4% of vehicle registrations in Europe, up from 13.2% in October 2024.
According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, the market share of gas and diesel-powered cars fell to 36.6% from 46.3% during the same period.
Chinese and Korean brands, such as BYD, Kia, and Hyundai, are seeing early success in Europe with mass-market EVs like the Dolphin Surf, EV3, and Hyundai Inster EV. Volkswagen looks to grab its share with the ID.Polo and ID.Cross arriving in 2026.
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Environment
Rivian rolls out software update 2025.46, including Universal Hands-Free driving and digital key for Apple and Android users
Rivian has just shared details of its latest over-the-air software update 2025.46, which includes some of the new features announced during its recent AI and Autonomy event last week. The update features a new digital key function for Gen 2 R1 owners, “flavorful” drive styles, kick turns, tuning, and, of course, Rivian’s new Universal Hands-Free driving capabilities.
There’s a lot to unfold with the 2025.46 software update, so we’ll provide a quick recap of our visit to Rivian’s Palo Alto facilities last week for its inaugural AI and Autonomy Day. During the exclusive event, Rivian executives, like founder and CEO RJ Scaringe, unveiled the company’s new in-house designed silicon chip, which will help power its new dedicated autonomy platform.
In addition to adding LiDAR to the upcoming R2 models, Rivian shared plans to expand its Enhanced Highway Assist ADAS to support Universal Hands-Free driving. That includes expanded availability of the feature from 135,000 miles to over 3.5 million miles of roads across the US and Canada.
According to Rivian, this availability is expected to start rolling out in early 2026. However, it appears the process is now underway with its latest software update, which includes a slew of other noteworthy upgrades.
2025.46 includes Rivian’s Universal Hands-Free driving
According to a blog post from Rivian this morning, a key rollout in its end-of-the-year software update is Universal Hands-Free driving, which significantly expands the number of roads on which R1 owners can engage the driving assist feature.
With update 2025.46, Gen 2 drivers can engage Universal Hands-Free on virtually any road where lane lines are clearly marked. Note that this is not a full autonomy feature (yet), so Hand-Free cannot slow or stop at lights or stop signs.
Speaking of autonomy, Rivian is introducing three new Drive Styles for its assisted driving features, including Universal Hands-Free, Highway Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Lane Change on Command. After the update, R1 owners will be able to choose their “spice level” of autonomous functions:
- Mild: A relaxed style with more gap distance and more gradual lane changes.
- Medium: A balanced style to manage cut-ins and accelerate with traffic flow.
- Spicy: A more dynamic style with a tighter gap distance and quicker steering during lane changes.
Another significant bonus, in addition to Universal Hands-Free, is Rivian’s new Digital Key feature for Gen 2 R1 owners. Following the 2025.46 update, owners will now be able to add their R1S or R1T key to their digital wallet on iPhone, Apple Watch, Google Pixel, or Samsung devices. Digital Key provides an additional means of easy access to your EV, as well as the ability to share keys with family and friends.
Other features in software update 2025.46 include a new way to view the Driver Display for both Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 owners. Per Rivian:
Gen 2 drivers can now switch between the Autonomy view, which shows surrounding lanes and vehicles, and the Maps and Navigation view on the driver display. Gen 1 drivers can switch between the Driver Assistance view, which shows vehicles and objects up ahead, and the Maps and Navigation view on the driver display. Press the right thumbwheel on the steering wheel to swap.
Here’s an example:
Last but not least, Rivian is introducing some exciting new features for R1 Quad owners. Software update 2025.46 includes a new tuner screen from the Rivian Adventure Department (RAD) – “a team of engineers, software developers, and designers who create and test features that push the boundaries of our vehicles.”
The RAD Tuner (seen below) was initially used by teams at Rebelle Rally and Pikes Peak, but is now available to Gen 2 Quad owners. Those drivers will be able to tune beyond Rivian’s factory presets and customize the vehicle’s behavior to their preferences and/or the terrain. Touch sliders control custom, savable drive modes that include factors such as acceleration, torque balance, and stability.
In addition to RAD Tuning, Rivian’s latest software update also includes the ability for Gen 2 Quad drivers to perform Kick Turns. Per the blog post:
Turn makes it easier to steer in tight off-road conditions while moving at speeds under 15 mph (24 km/h). It works by controlling the power and tire grip, letting the vehicle spin about its center, even when it’s moving. You can now make tighter turns with just a simple button press. When you engage Kick Turn, your R1 Quad smartly adjusts the power to the inside wheels, slowing them down or even reversing them. This precise control over wheel slip ensures your vehicle turns exactly as quickly and smoothly as you intend.
Electrek‘s Seth Weintraub tested it out in Lake Tahoe earlier this year, and it’s absolutely incredible. Check it out:
I have a Gen 2 R1S, so I’m looking forward to Universal Hands-Free rolling out so I can test it and report back. Stay tuned. If you haven’t test-driven a Rivian yet, I highly recommend doing so. You can schedule a demo drive at your nearest Rivian Space here.
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