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The 2024 Subaru Solterra is an upgrade over last year’s model with faster charging and more for the same starting price.

Subaru launched its first all-electric vehicle in the US last year, the Solterra SUV. The 2023 Subaru Solterra was the first electric SUV to feature its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive for off-road performance.

With dual electric motors, the electric SUV features “outstanding traction and capability” on all kinds of roads or weather conditions.

Subaru’s EV includes 8.3″ of ground clearance with standard X-Mode for optimal traction in various conditions.

The Solterra also includes Subaru’s most advanced multimedia system yet. It has standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Cloud Navigation, and Intelligent Assistant.

Subaru says the Solterra includes more cargo space than Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 for bikes, camping supplies, extra gear, and more. The interior also offers ample space and generous rear legroom with a flat floor.

2024-Subaru-Solterra
2024 Subaru Solterra (Source: Subaru)

2024 Subaru Solterra prices and upgrades

Subaru listed to customers and improved the 2024MY in the biggest way with faster charging. The 2024 Subaru Solterra can charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 35 minutes. Subaru claimed the 2023MY could charge to 80% in under an hour.

Thanks to an upgraded battery conditioning system, the new Subaru Solterra can charge up to 80 minutes faster in freezing temperatures.

2024-Subaru-Solterra
2024 Subaru Solterra (Source: Subaru)

Starting next year, certain Subaru EVs will adopt Tesla’s NACS ports. The automaker will also provide an adapter to give current customers access to Tesla’s supercharger network.

Subaru also improved the steering wheel in the new Solterra with regenerative braking force paddle switches.

The new model includes standard roof rails with up to 700 lbs static load capacity. Subaru says the upgrade is ideal for a rooftop tent or other larger items. The dynamic load capacity is up to 176 lbs.

2024-Subaru-Solterra

Although Subaru has yet to reveal the range for the new Solterra, we expect figures to remain similar to last year’s model, with around 220 miles. Meanwhile, dual electric motors deliver 249 lb-ft of torque.

2024 Subaru Solterra trim Starting Price
(including $1,345
destination fee)
Premium $46,340
Limited $49,840
Touring $53,340
2024 Subaru Solterra price and trims

The 2024 Subaru Solterra will be available in Premium, Limited, and Touring trims. The base Premium model starts at $46,340 (including $1,345 destination fee).

2024-Subaru-Solterra
2024 Subaru Solterra interior (Source: Subaru)

The Limited model starts at $49,840 (with destination). Subaru’s Limited trim includes a 12.3″ touchscreen, Harman Kardon premium audio, and a wireless phone charger.

Subaru’s top Touring model includes a gloss black hood accent, panoramic moonroof, front and rear LED footwell lighting, new ventilated front seats, a digital rearview mirror, and smart key access.

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The first giant 15 MW turbine is up at Germany’s largest offshore wind farm

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The first giant 15 MW turbine is up at Germany’s largest offshore wind farm

Germany’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, EnBW’s He Dreiht, just hit a big milestone: The first enormous turbine is now up in the North Sea.

He Dreiht – which means “it spins” in Low German – is using Vestas’s massive 15 megawatt (MW) turbines, the first project in the world to install them. Just one spin of one of the rotors can generate enough electricity to power four households for an entire day.

When it’s finished, He Dreiht will have 64 mega turbines cranking out 960 megawatts (MW) of clean power – enough to supply around 1.1 million homes. And it’s being built without any government subsidies.

EnBW, one of Germany’s major energy companies, has been working in offshore wind for more than 15 years, but He Dreiht is their biggest project yet. “It will play a key role in helping us to significantly grow our renewable energy output from 6.6 GW to over 10 GW by 2030,” said Michael Class, who heads up EnBW’s generation portfolio development.

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The project is a win for Vestas, too. “With the installation of the first V236-15.0 MW, we have reached an important milestone for both the He Dreiht project and our offshore ramp-up, which helps Germany build a more secure, affordable, and sustainable energy system,” said Nils de Baar, president of Vestas Northern & Central Europe.

He Dreiht is located about 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Borkum and 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Helgoland. At peak times, more than 500 workers will be out at sea building the farm, using a fleet of more than 60 ships. EnBW’s offshore team in Hamburg is running the show.

The installation process is a major operation. The 64 foundations were already set in the seabed last year. Parts for the turbines are loaded onto the installation vessel Wind Orca in Esbjerg, Denmark, and shipped out in a 12-hour journey to the construction site. From there, the turbines are lifted into place. Meanwhile, crews are also working on internal wind farm cabling.

A partner consortium made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management owns 49.9% of the shares in He Dreiht.

Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build


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Tesla gives update on Tesla Semi factory, says on track for volume production in 2026

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Tesla gives update on Tesla Semi factory, says on track for volume production in 2026

Tesla has released a quick update about its Tesla Semi factory in Nevada. It says that it is on track for volume production of the electric semi truck in 2026.

The Tesla Semi was first scheduled to go into production in 2019, but it has faced numerous delays.

Now, it appears that there is finally some momentum to bring it to volume production.

For the last two years, Tesla has been working to build a new factory next to Gigafactory Nevada, where it builds the battery packs and drive units for most of its electric vehicles built in North America.

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Today, Tesla released a “progress update on the factory, confirming that it finished building and it’s now working on deploying the production lines:

Tesla had previously mentioned aiming for volume production by 2025, but it is now only talking about starting production toward the end of the year and ramping up next year.

The automaker reiterated its planned production capacity of 50,000 units.

We recently reported that an early Tesla Semi customer, Ryder, stated that the electric truck program is experiencing more delays and a price increase described as “dramatic.”

They now expect to take deliveries of their first trucks later in 2026 and said that the price has increased “dramatically,” leading them to scale back their pilot program from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks.

When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.

However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2022. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.

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Vietnamese solar giant Boviet opens first US factory in North Carolina

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Vietnamese solar giant Boviet opens first US factory in North Carolina

Vietnamese solar panel maker Boviet Solar just opened the doors to its first US factory — a huge new PV module plant in Greenville, North Carolina.

The company dropped $294 million into the state-of-the-art facility, which will pump out Boviet’s Gamma Series monofacial and Vega Series bifacial solar panels. They’re using advanced PERC and N-Type solar cell tech, which basically means these panels are built to deliver higher efficiency and better performance across residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects.

The Greenville factory’s first phase is now online with an annual PV module output capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW). For Phase 2, which is scheduled to come online in the second half of 2026, Boviet will invest another $100 million to add 600,000 square feet and ramp up to another 2 GW. It will make high-efficiency solar cells.

Once both phases are complete, Boviet’s campus will cover more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing and R&D space. It’s one of the biggest clean energy manufacturing projects North Carolina has ever seen.

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The jobs impact is significant, too. The first phase will create 460 skilled local jobs. Phase 2 is expected to add another 908, bringing the total to over 1,300 direct jobs, plus nearly 2,000 more indirect jobs across the region. That’s good news for Pitt County’s economy, real estate market, and workforce training programs.

“This facility is not just creating jobs, but creating opportunity, innovation, and a stronger foundation for eastern North Carolina,” said Senator Kandie Smith. Governor Josh Stein added that Boviet Solar’s move shows how North Carolina is leading the way in clean energy growth.

Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus


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