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Elon Musk is introducing his new right-wing fans to the idea of implementing a carbon tax, and it goes about as well as you would expect.

Over the last few years, Musk has become a sort of hero of the right.

Regardless of where you stand politically, it is a fascinating situation. I remember not too long ago when the right consistently attacked him for taking advantage of government subsidies at his companies.

A few years later, he buys Twitter, reinstates some previously banned conservative accounts, makes fun of Joe Biden and other democrats, starts to talk about “wokeness” and illegal immigration consistently, and now he is loved by the right.

Through this period, the once zealot climate change warrior who quit President Trump’s business council because he withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement, started talking a lot less about climate change and Tesla’s mission to accelerate to world’s transition to renewable energy.

On top of running six different companies, Tesla’s CEO is virtually a full-time political influencer now.

It is creating an interesting situation. For the first time in a while, Musk decided to use his massively popular X account to promote an idea perceived as left-wing (even though it shouldn’t be political): a carbon tax.

Musk wrote:

Musk has been pushing the idea of a carbon tax for a long time, and it’s interesting to see him introducing the idea to his new right-wing fans.

As you can imagine, it didn’t go too well.

Most of the top-voted comments underneath his post were responses that were quite negative. Here are a few examples:

I had to go down about 50 responses to see a positive response to Musk’s comment. It appears that for better or worse, Musk’s X profile is now dominated by his new right-wing fans.

Electrek’s Take

I am the first to admit that a carbon tax is difficult to implement correctly. In theory, it makes a ton of sense. In fact, free-market conservatives should love it since it fixes the market.

A free market only works if it’s fair and all external costs are accounted for. If external costs are not accounted for, the market becomes inefficient and fails.

A carbon tax accounts for the external costs of emitting carbon. It fixes the market inefficiency – making the true costs (including environmental) accounted for in the costs of the products. The products best for the environment would come up on top.

Now, to agree with that, you need to agree with the vast majority of environmental scientists who say that humanity’s carbon production is contributing to the acceleration of the Earth’s warming.

Yes, the climate has always naturally changed for billions of years, but it doesn’t mean that humans starting to pump billions of metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year is not accelerating it. The data looks clear.

For example, the amount of solar energy the earth is receiving has followed the natural cycle of the sun, and yet, global temperature has increased massively amid increased industrialization:

Therefore, at the very least, we can agree that products emitting less carbon over their entire life cycle are less risky of negatively affecting the environment. So why take more risk?

So, a carbon tax would, at the very least, help reduce the risk of this crazy experiment that humanity is conducting by unearthing carbon and burning it into the atmosphere in incredible amounts.

Now, I agree it’s hard to implement correctly. There are a lot of different aspects to it. For example, it works best if it’s global. Everyone needs to get on board. There’s the idea that the US shouldn’t get involved unless everyone gets involved, but that’s a decision between being a positive leader or accepting to be part of the problem because others don’t want to be part of the solution. I don’t like that mentality.

Also, it needs to be meaningful with a fair price. There have been carbon taxes before, but they had minimal impact because they haven’t really accounted for the trillions of dollars that burning fossil fuels costs worldwide every year.

It’s an incredibly difficult tax to make it fair, but I think it’s one worth doing. There could be a way to do it while reducing other taxes and encouraging people to live lifestyles that emit less carbon. And if you want to keep doing it, you can. It’s just that now it will reflect the true costs of the products.

As a side note, I hate to get too political. I’m not a very political person. I don’t believe that a lot of truly meaningful change in history came from politics and politicians. I don’t consider myself left or right. I approach every issue with an open mind. Please keep that in mind before for call me a leftist for endorsing a carbon tax.

In fact, I think we should go back to the days when this was a bipartisan issue in the US. Conservatives often claim that their side has the better economic policy, and nearly every economist is in favor of a carbon price – because unpriced externalities are a market inefficiency, and a carbon price solves that. Plus, a group of influential republican luminaries, including Bush and Reagan’s Secretaries of State George Shultz and James Baker, Bush’s Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, and conservative economist Greg Mankiw have all endorsed a carbon price.

One of the main problems is that it’s called a carbon “tax,” and many people, especially conservatives, have a visceral reaction to that word. If that’s your case, please try to get past it and understand the reasoning behind it.

Finally, please keep the comment section civil.

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Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto project says it sold $550 million in tokens

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2 hours ago

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March 17, 2025

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Trump's World Liberty Financial crypto project says it sold 0 million in tokens

The World Liberty Financial website arranged on a smartphone in New York, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. 

Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto project said on Monday that it raised $250 million in its second token sale, bringing the total amount of coins sold to $550 million.

WLFI, a venture backed by the first family that describes itself as a sort of crypto banking platform, launched in October, weeks before Trump’s election victory. In a document published at the time of launch, WLFI said the Trump family could take home 75% of net revenue.

In Monday’s release, WLFI said more than 85,000 participants underwent so-called know-your-customer verification to gain access to the token sale. Co-founder Zach Witkoff, son of billionaire U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, is quoted in the release as saying that “WLFI is on track to supercharge DeFi,” or decentralized finance.

In January, Tron blockchain founder Justin Sun upped his stake in WLFI tokens to $75 million. A court filing the following month showed that Sun and the SEC were exploring a resolution to the regulator’s civil fraud case against the crypto entrepreneur.

WLFI is one of several crypto projects in the Trump family that are kicking off just as the president is pushing a crypto-friendly agenda. Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

According to a memo from the White House last week, David Sacks, the Trump administration’s AI and crypto czar, sold over $200 million worth of digital asset-related investments personally and through his firm, Craft Ventures, before starting the job. Sacks said in a podcast that he “didn’t want to even have the appearance of a conflict.”

At the end of February, the SEC declared that meme tokens are not securities. The announcement came after the president and First Lady Melania Trump launched their own meme coins in the days leading up to the inauguration.

WATCH: Trump’s bitcoin reserve leaves crypto investors disappointed

Trump's bitcoin reserve leaves crypto investors disappointed

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Volkswagen just revealed the 2025 ID.4’s initial pricing and trim [update]

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March 17, 2025

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Volkswagen just revealed the 2025 ID.4's initial pricing and trim [update]

2025 Volkswagen ID.4
Photo: Volkswagen of America

Volkswagen of America announced the initial pricing and trim for the 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 – here’s the lowdown on the latest rebate.

March 17, 2025: The 2025 VW ID.4 is already arriving on dealer lots, and VW is already offering it with a $5,000 Retail Customer Bonus across all 2025 ID.4 trims. However, the rebate is only available when paying cash or financing at a standard rate, which means it can’t be combined with VW’s 72-month 0% APR offer also available for the 2025 ID.4.

CarsDirect crunched the numbers and estimated that over a 72-month term, consumers will save “about $61 per month by choosing the 0% deal over the $5,000, which adds up to almost $4,400 over the course of the term.”

But if you want a better deal on an ID.4, then opt for a 2024 model, because you can stack 0% APR for 72 months with the $5,000 bonus.

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The offers are good until the end of April.

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Volkswagen ID.4 in stock. –trusted affiliate link

February 3, 2025: Volkswagen has restarted production of the ID.4 at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant with 82 kWh models rolling off the line. The 62 kWh version will follow later, and all models are set to get additional features starting midyear. Pricing and more details are coming soon.

The 82 kWh ID.4 models stick to a similar trim lineup as 2024. Both the Entry and S trims come in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, while the top-tier S Plus is exclusively all-wheel drive.

Without further ado, let’s get to it. Here’s the meat-and-potatoes pricing and trim of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.4:

Entry

RWD Pro: starting at $45,095 MSRP

AWD Pro: starting at $48,995 MSRP

Exterior features

  • 19-inch alloy wheels on RWD models
  • 20-inch wheels on AWD models
  • Gloss black grille
  • LED head- and taillights
  • Automatic headlights with rain-sensing wipers
  • Heated windshield (AWD only)
  • Heated washer nozzles
  • Heated mirrors
  • Black roof rails
  • 3-door KESSY® with proximity unlocking
  • Tow hitch (AWD only)

Interior features

  • 12.9-inch Discover Pro Max infotainment display with navigation and backlit sliders
  • Wireless App-Connect (AndroidAuto, CarPlay, and MirrorLink) and charging with compatible devices
  • 45W USB-C charging
  • Intuitive voice control
  • 5.3-inch ID. Cockpit
  • Volkswagen Car-Net with Plus Nav and Plus Speech packages included at no additional charge for three years
  • SiriusXM® with three-month Platinum Plan trial subscription included
  • Manual cloth and leatherette seats
  • Heated front seats
  • Dual-zone Climatronic
  • 10-color ambient lighting ID. Light
  • Auto-dimming interior mirror
  • Stitched dashboard
  • Variable cargo floor cover.
  • Driver assistance features include standard IQ.DRIVE; plus Park Distance Control; Park Assist (Parking Steering Assistant); Dynamic Road Sign Display; and Light Assist (High Beam Control for headlights).

S

RWD Pro S: starting at $50,195 MSRP

AWD Pro S: starting at $54,095 MSRP

Exterior features

  • The equipment set from the entry models
  • 20-inch wheels
  • Illuminated front and rear VW logo and light line in the front fascia
  • Premium LED projector headlights with Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS)
  • Poor weather lights
  • Mirrors with memory function

Interior features

  • 30-color ambient lighting
  • Perforated leatherette seats
  • Door-panel stitching
  • Heated steering wheel
  • 12-way power seats with memory
  • Ventilated front seats
  • Rear-seat pass-through
  • Center armrest with cupholders
  • Panoramic fixed glass roof with electric sunshade
  • Power tailgate with Easy Open and Close

S Plus

AWD Pro S Plus: starting at $57,295 MSRP

Exterior features

  • Features build on the S models
  • 21-inch wheels
  • Black roof with silver roof accents, C-pillar, and roof rails
  • Silver accents on front and rear bumpers
  • Power-folding mirrors with signature lighting

Interior features

  • Additional features include heated rear seats
  • Three-zone Climatronic
  • Harman Kardon premium audio with 14 total speakers including subwoofer
  • Area View (Overhead View Camera)

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Volkswagen ID.4 in stock.–trusted affiliate link

If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

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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Kia’s first electric hatch actually looks pretty cool in real life [Video]

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3 hours ago

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March 17, 2025

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Kia's first electric hatch actually looks pretty cool in real life [Video]

Kia-EV4-first-electric-hatch

Is the hatchback finally coming back? Kia’s first electric hatch, the EV4, looks like the one we’ve been waiting for. It almost looks more like a low-riding crossover on the road, but it could be a cheaper option. Check it out for yourself in the video below.

Kia’s first electric hatch is almost here

We finally got our first look at the EV4 during Kia’s 2025 EV Day last month. Four models, two sedans and two hatchbacks, were showcased.

Both will kick off new segments in Kia’s rapidly expanding EV lineup. The EV4 is part of Kia’s new mass-market electric car lineup, with prices starting at $30,000 and even lower in some markets.

After opening orders for the EV4 sedan in Korea last week, the hatchback version is expected to arrive later this year. The EV4 hatch was recently spotted driving on the road for the first time in Korea, giving us our best look at its bigger backside.

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You can immediately see this is not your average Ford Focus or VW Golf. In Kia’s words, the “EV4 introduces a new typology” for sedans and hatchbacks. And that it does.

Kia-EV4-first-electric-hatch
Kia EV4 hatchback GT-Line (Source: Kia)

The video from ShortsCar shows the EV4 hatch from all angles as it drives by on a public street. It looks about the same as the sedan from the front, but you can’t miss the extended backside.

While the sedan has more of a sports car-like back end, the hatch almost looks like a mini crossover, and not in a bad way.

Kia EV4 hatch spotted on the road in Korea (Source: ShortsCar)

The EV4 sedan starts at about $29,000 (41.92 million won) in Korea. Although the sedan is built at Kia’s Autoland Gwangmyeong EVO Plant in Korea, the hatch will be built in Slovakia, as it’s primarily aimed at Europe.

Kia plans to begin building hatchback models in the second half of the year. The sedan model will also launch in Europe later this year. It will be offered with two battery options, 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh, for up to 630 km (391 miles) WLTP range. The hatchback is rated with up to 590 km (366 miles) range by WLTP standards.

Kia-EV4-hatch-interior
Kia-EV4-first-electric-hatch

For those in the US, don’t worry. Kia confirmed that the EV4 sedan will launch in the US. However, no specific date has been set. When it arrives, it’s expected to be among the most affordable EV options at around $35,000 to $40,000.

The hatchback will start at around 37,000 euros ($40,000) in Europe. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but it’s not expected to arrive in the US.

Would you buy the electric hatch if it was sold in the US? I actually like the look. It reminds me of a smaller, low-riding EV6. Let us know what you think of it in the comments below.

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