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Tesla delivered the first Cybertrucks yesterday, to lukewarm reaction given revelations on its specs, pricing and availability. But Tesla’s miss might be other EV truck makers’ gain, as the big question marks on Cybertruck have been answered disappointingly.

At the original Cybertruck unveiling, Tesla said the truck would start at $39,900, be available in late 2021, have a payload of 3,500 pounds in a 6.5ft bed, and a tow rating of up to 14,000 pounds max range of 500+ miles for the top-end version (which was meant to start at $69,900).

As of yesterday, we know that none of those numbers are true. The truck starts at $79,990 today (and $60,990 in 2025), has a payload of 2,500 pounds in a 6ft bed, tow rating of up to 11,000 pounds and range of 340 miles, or 470 with an additional battery that eats up a chunk of your bed space.

It seems like the only place where Tesla exceeded its original estimation is in 0-60 times for the mid- and high-spec configurations, which are .6 and .3 seconds faster respectively. These are nice specs and it’s awesome to see a Cybertruck beat a Porsche 911 while towing a Porsche 911, but a truck is still not a sportscar no matter what the quarter-mile results suggest.

And overall, the presentation at the event was just underwhelming (you can view a recording of our live-react watch party here). Not only was the event almost half an hour late and poorly-lit, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off his standard poor presentation skills (which have been getting worse lately with his twitter distraction, prompting questions from investors). Worse, some cool Cybertruck features weren’t even mentioned – like Powershare bidirectional charging which lets you run your home, camp, or another vehicle off of the Cybertruck’s battery.

Tesla even did a repeat of its window strength testing stunt from the original Cybertruck unveiling, but it pointlessly used a lobbed baseball instead of a steel ball.

All of this has led to a lot of disappointment among order holders – and made room for competing electric trucks now that we finally know answers to questions that have loomed large over the segment for years now.

Other electric trucks compare favorably with Cybertruck’s unveiled specs, pricing

Prior to now, other electric trucks have suffered from the comparison to a potential Cybertruck, with millions of preorders and a promised $40k base price.

With that product looming, it’s hard to look at an F-150 Lightning at a base of $50k (which is also $10k over its originally-promised price) and think that you’re getting a great deal. And the Rivian R1T, which has been widely praised as easily the best pickup ever, looks like even more of a stretch at its $73k base price.

But now that Cybertruck specs and pricing have been officially unveiled, those comparisons become a lot better.

There is a question whether many people were actually cross-shopping the Cybertruck versus more traditional-looking pickup trucks in the first place, but a difference in base price of more than $20k can make up for a lot of questionable styling.

The comparison was made directly on reddit, in a post comparing Musk’s past statements about the Lightning’s price with the actual prices of the Cybertruck – which are now much more expensive than the base and even upgraded trims of the Lightning, both of which are available now whereas the base model Cybertruck won’t come until 2025.

We’ve also seen plenty of comments, including the top comments on our own post about the Cybertruck yesterday, which aren’t happy about the Cybertruck’s base price and compare directly to the Lightning.

So despite the Cybertruck’s unconventional look, it’s clear that a lot of people are putting it into the “truck” category, and comparing it against other offerings. Tesla did so too, themselves, by offering a comparison against the Lightning, F-350 Super Duty, and Rivian R1T in a tractor-pulling test during the presentation yesterday.

The market has noticed

This means that Tesla’s loss is the other trucks’ gain. If Tesla truly has 2 million order holders who were waiting off on buying an electric truck until they finally saw the Cybertruck specs, surely some percentage of those holders will end up deciding to go elsewhere.

And it seems like the stock market has already made this comparison, because the market isn’t looking favorably on Tesla’s unveiling, whereas other EV truck makers are up quite a bit (with Rivian leading the pack, since trucks are their whole thing). The whole market is up intraday, but Rivian is up quite a bit more than the sector as a whole.

Even Tesla seems to have recognized that those reservation-holders might want to go elsewhere. Soon after the event, it offered Cybertruck reservation-holders $1,000 off its other EVs.

There has been a lot of talk recently about EV demand, but much of it is false. EV sales are indeed still rising, and rising at a good pace that is comparable to previous years. There are headwinds in the entire auto market right now, but a lot of the complaints can be shown to have ulterior motives – like, potentially being used to influence upcoming tailpipe regulations.

But for electric trucks specifically, both GM and Ford have backed off on production plans, for supply chain and other reasons, even though Ford just set an all-time Lightning record with a 100% year-over-year sales increase. Rivian has not reduced its production plans – in fact, it has increased them twice this year.

Given the poor reaction to the Cybertruck’s unveiled specs, maybe it’s time for those production plans to ratchet up a little further, since we think there will be some customers out there looking for something else to buy.

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Hyundai is temporarily halting IONIQ 5 and Kona EV production in Korea

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Hyundai is temporarily halting IONIQ 5 and Kona EV production in Korea

Hyundai is shutting down a production line at its Ulsan plant in Korea, where the IONIQ 5 and Kona EV are built. Although it’s only for a few days, the move comes as the automaker faces slower exports.

Why is Hyundai pausing EV production in Korea?

For the third time this year, Hyundai is planning to pause production of some of its most popular EV models in Korea.

Industry sources said on May 20 (via Newsis) that Hyundai will shut down Line 2 at its Ulsan plant in Korea, where it builds the IONIQ 5 and Kona Electric. The pause will start on May 27 and end on May 30.

Despite launching a new discount campaign in Korea earlier this month, offering over $4,300 (6 million won) in savings on the IONIQ 5, sales are still lagging. In particular, Hyundai has exported significantly fewer IONIQ 5 models this year.

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Through April, Hyundai exported just 9,663 IONIQ 5s, down from 27,476 sold overseas in the same period last year.

Kona EV exports have also fallen sharply. Through April 2025, Hyundai shipped just 3,428 Kona EV models, down 42% from nearly 6,000 last year.

Hyundai-EV-production-Korea
Hyundai IONIQ 5 refresh in Korea (Source: Hyundai)

According to the report, Hyundai said in an internal note, “The sluggish sales in the global electric vehicle market have not improved,” adding, “We have made every effort to secure additional orders, but we are currently unable to secure the quantity.”

Following a temporary halt in February and April, this will be Hyundai’s third time pausing EV production in Korea this year.

Hyundai-EV-production-Korea
Hyundai Kona Electric N Line (Source: Hyundai)

In a turn of events, Hyundai’s joint venture in China, Beijing Hyundai, announced losses improved by over 100 million won ($72 million) in Q1. With its first custom-tailored electric SUV launching in China later this year, Beijing Hyundai could turn a profit by the end of 2025.

The Korean automaker reported its seventh consecutive record sales month in the US. The IONIQ 5 remains a top seller with over 12,000 units sold through April, up 14% from last year.

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Hyundai IONIQ 9 three-row electric SUV (Source: Hyundai)

IONIQ 6 sales, on the other hand, are down 10% this year, with 4,424 sold through April, and Hyundai doesn’t give a breakdown for Kona EV sales.

Hyundai is also offering generous discounts in the US right now with up to $12,500 in upfront savings on the new three-row IONIQ 9. The 2025 IONIQ 5 is a steal with leases starting at just $209 per month.

Ready to try out Hyundai’s electric vehicles for yourself? We’ve got you covered. You can use our links below to find popular Hyundai EV models in your area.

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Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ bill will cause a US energy shortage – SEIA

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Trump's 'Big, Beautiful' bill will cause a US energy shortage – SEIA

The US solar industry just raised the alarm over the GOP’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” warning it could kneecap America’s energy future and trigger a massive power shortage in its current form.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is warning that legislation recently passed by the House Ways and Means Committee could shut down or prevent nearly 300 solar and battery storage factories from opening. If this bill becomes law without changes, the US could lose enough solar generation by 2030 to power the state of Pennsylvania for a year. That’s 145,000 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity that could vanish.

The SEIA analysis paints a grim picture: Nearly 300,000 US jobs are at risk, including 86,000 in solar manufacturing alone. And here’s the twist, as I’ve pointed out before – about 80% of the jobs and factories at risk are in red states that voted for Trump.

“There is still time to improve this bill, which, as written, represents a crisis for America’s ability to build the energy infrastructure we need to meet surging demand,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.

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The SEIA says the legislation would slam the brakes on solar and storage investments just as energy demand is soaring, thanks partly to the explosion in AI and data centers. SEIA estimates the bill could wipe out $220 billion in potential investments by 2030.

The House bill also repeals the Section 25D residential solar tax credit, which has been a critical driver of solar adoption for middle-class families. Without it, installing solar gets way more expensive – and out of reach for many households.

As Electrek reported last week, solar and wind accounted for almost 98% of new US electrical generating capacity added in Q1 2025, according to new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) data.

Solar and wind also made up an impressive 100% of new capacity in March, and March was the 19th consecutive month in which solar was the largest source of new capacity.

The US needs to add 206.5 gigawatts of new energy capacity by 2030. Solar is expected to deliver nearly three-quarters of that. If the bill guts solar incentives, we’re looking at higher electricity bills and slower economic growth. SEIA says the rollback could drive up consumer energy costs by $51 billion.

Hopper didn’t mince words: “Passing this bill would create a catastrophic energy shortfall, cede AI and tech leadership to China, and damage some of the most vital sectors of the US economy.”

She added that the Senate can still step in with a smarter proposal that aligns with Trump’s push for US energy dominance.

SEIA’s message to lawmakers? Fix the bill or energy production will plummet, blackouts will become more frequent, and the US will face a devastating – and completely avoidable – energy shortage.

Read more: The House draft budget kills the 30% residential solar tax credit


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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Lucid Gravity flexes its power at the Nürburgring alongside other upcoming EVs [Video]

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Lucid Gravity flexes its power at the Nürburgring alongside other upcoming EVs [Video]

Lucid’s Gravity is a three-row electric SUV, but it’s faster than most sports cars. Boasting up to 828 hp, the luxury SUV can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds. The Lucid Gravity was spotted ripping around the Nürburgring track in Germany, showing off its power and agility. Check it out in the videos below.

Lucid Gravity hits the Nürburgring for testing

As it ramps up production of its first electric SUV, Lucid is preparing for another big year of growth. Last week, Lucid’s interim CEO, Marc Winterhoff, told Bloomberg that the company would enter new parts of Europe and the Middle East this year.

Two Lucid Gravity test vehicles with European test plates were recently spotted testing at the Nürburgring, hinting that an official launch could be coming soon.

In a video from StateSideSuperCars posted last week, you can catch a glimpse of the Gravity (skip to 9:45) showing off its agility, handling, and control as it rips around the race track.

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Another video, courtesy of EMS Sport TV, shows the Gravity test vehicle alongside several other current and upcoming EV models, including BMW’s Neue Klasse SUV, Mercedes CLA EV, and what appears to be the Kia EV4 sedan.

Lucid Gravity electric SUV testing at Nürburgring (Source: StateSideSuperCars)

During the Gravity’s “Celestial Arrival” in March, Winterhoff said Gravity deliveries would resume by the end of April. Lucid delivered the first models in December 2024, but those were for family, friends, and employees.

The Lucid Gravity Grand Touring is available to order in the US. Prices start at $94,900 with up to 450 miles of range. Later this year, Lucid will launch the Gravity Touring model, starting at $79,900.

Lucid Gravity electric SUV testing at Nürburgring (Source: EMSSportTV)

On Lucid’s website, the Gravity SUV is still unavailable to order in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, or Norway.

The Lucid Gravity Grand Touring and Touring models are available in Saudi Arabia, starting at SAR 487,715 ($130,000) and SAR 416,645 ($111,000), respectively.

Another luxury electric SUV was recently spotted at the Nürburgring. The “ultra-luxe” Genesis GV90 was caught with less camo, giving us our best look at the upcoming flagship SUV.

Source: Lucidowners.com

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