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Conversations around Tesla’s reputation leaned toward the negative throughout 2023, but it depends on who you’re talking to, reports YouGov.

What’s the ‘Buzz’ about Tesla’s reputation?

The global market research firm conducted polls about what it calls the “Buzz” around Tesla – that is, what people are hearing about the brand – and whether there’s been a change in the proportion of people considering driving its EVs following recalls and recent negative headlines.

YouGov asked US adults about “Buzz” between January 2023 and April 2024:

Over the past two weeks, which of the following brands have you heard something POSITIVE / NEGATIVE about (whether in the news, through advertising, or talking to friends and family)?

Tesla’s Buzz scores stayed consistently negative through 2023 among YouGov’s “all US adults” category, with an average score of -7.1 in a score range of -20 to 90, and its scores dipped a bit further following the Autopilot ADAS recall in December.

Tesla’s customer base had considerably higher Buzz scores in 2023, meaning they were more likely to say they were hearing positive things about the brand. Current Tesla customers averaged a net Buzz score of 61.8, and that steadily increased in the early half of 2023 before stabilizing.

Would you still buy a Tesla?

Here’s where it gets interesting.

YouGov asked consumers between January and December 2023 whether they’d consider a Tesla when making a future purchase, and 70% of current Tesla owners said they would consider buying a Tesla.

In the “all US adults” category, unlike Tesla’s negative reputation results, it’s a positive percentage: 7.7% say they would consider Tesla for their next car purchase, and scores in this group have shown no significant change since Q1 2023.

YouGov concludes that “news of brand recalls has not played a significant role in shaping consumer consideration for the brand, particularly among Tesla’s customer base.”

Electrek’s Take

This is intriguing but not shocking. Tesla has a highly loyal customer base. The lease is about to end on my Tesla Model 3. We planned to sign a new lease for a Model Y. The recalls haven’t bothered me much, but all the turmoil that Fred and Jamie have reported on in recent weeks has. It’s most definitely killed my Tesla buzz.

When I leased this Model 3, I felt excited and proud. Now I feel disappointed and deflated by what’s happened at Tesla in recent weeks, thanks to Elon Musk’s layoffs and his bizarre decision to wipe out the entire Supercharger team. One of the best things about driving a Tesla is the Supercharger network.

Plus, it’s important to note that YouGov’s poll about next car purchases doesn’t extend into 2024, so it’d be interesting to see how all the recent drama has affected Tesla’s reputation with Tesla drivers.

I’m still considering a Tesla for my next car selection because, well, Tesla drivers know why. But I’d have to hold my nose while making that choice – I know it’s probably still good for me, but it’s now a bitter pill to swallow.

Read more: I just bought my very first Tesla. Here’s what happened


To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to 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 you share your phone number with them.

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Genesis GV90 leaks as breathtaking ultra-luxe SUV with coach doors [Video]

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Genesis GV90 leaks as breathtaking ultra-luxe SUV with coach doors [Video]

Genesis is gearing up to launch the stunning new flagship SUV. Ahead of its official debut, the GV90 leaked during an internal presentation, revealing our first look at the ultra-luxe electric SUV.

Genesis GV90 leak reveals coach doors and more

The GV90 is arriving as the largest, most luxurious Genesis SUV to date. Based on the Neolun Concept, the new flagship SUV will sit above the GV80 as Genesis expands into new segments.

As Genesis calls it, the “ultra-luxe, state-of-the-art SUV” stole the spotlight at the New York Auto Show last March.

It wasn’t the stunning, reductive design inspired by Korea’s moon-shaped porcelain jars or the premium Royal Indigo and Purple silk materials that caught most people’s attention at the event, but the B-pillarless coach doors.

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The SUV was showcased with Rolls-Royce-like coach doors, offering a new level of luxury for Genesis. Although we’ve seen the GV90 spotted out in public testing a few times now with coach doors, we wondered if they would make it to the production model.

Genesis-GV90-leak-coach-doors
The Genesis Neolun electric SUV concept, a preview of the GV90 (Source: Genesis)

After the full-size SUV reportedly leaked during an internal presentation, it looks like we’ve found our answer. The Genesis GV90 leak reveals two versions: a standard model and a coach-door model.

The leaked images from our friends at ShortsCar offer our first look at the production version in full. Earlier this month, a GV90 prototype was spotted out in public with the coach doors wide open, providing a sneak peek of the interior.

From what was shown, the cabin will feature a similar layout to the concept, with high-end purple and indigo materials. The GV90 was also caught with an all-black interior, which is expected to be the standard version.

A new video from the folks over at HealerTV offers a closer look at the breathtaking interior ahead of its official debut.

The GV90 appears to retain the gear selector located near the top of the steering wheel from the Neolun concept.

Another report, from TheKoreanCarBlog, confirms the new gear selector after the first interior spy shots surfaced.

From what we’ve seen so far, the GV90 is shaping up to be a near replica of the ultra-luxe Neolun concept. Genesis has yet to announce a launch date for the GV90, but it is expected to make an official debut by the end of the year with sales starting in mid-2026.

Prices and final specs, like driving range, will be revealed closer to launch, but the Genesis GV90 is rumoured to be the first vehicle to ride on Hyundai’s new eM platform.

Hyundai said the new platform will deliver a 50% improvement in range compared to its current E-GMP-based EVs, such as the IONIQ 5. It’s also expected to offer Level 3 autonomous driving as well as other advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features.

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Battery storage hits $65/MWh – a tipping point for solar

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Battery storage hits /MWh – a tipping point for solar

Turning cheap daytime solar into electricity you can actually use at night just got a lot cheaper. A new analysis from energy think tank Ember shows that utility-scale battery storage costs have fallen to $65 per megawatt-hour (MWh) as of October 2025 in markets outside China and the US. At that level, pairing solar with batteries to deliver power when it’s needed is now economically viable.

Battery storage costs have fallen dramatically over the past two years, and the decline continues. Following a steep decline in 2024, Ember’s analysis indicates that prices continued to fall sharply again in 2025.

The findings are based on real-world data from recent battery and solar-plus-storage auctions in Italy, Saudi Arabia, and India, as well as interviews with active developers across global markets.

According to Ember, the cost of a whole, grid-connected utility-scale battery storage system for long-duration projects (four hours or more) is now about $125 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) as of October 2025. That figure applies to projects outside China and the US. Core battery equipment delivered from China costs around $75/kWh, while installation and grid connection typically add another $50/kWh.

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Those lower upfront costs have pushed down the levelized cost of storage (LCOS) to just $65/MWh. Ember’s calculation reflects real-world assumptions around financing costs, system lifetime, efficiency, and battery degradation.

Cheaper hardware isn’t the only reason storage costs are falling. Longer battery lifetimes, higher efficiencies, and lower financing costs, helped by clearer revenue models such as auctions, have all contributed to the sharp drop in LCOS. Ember has published a live calculator alongside the report, allowing users to estimate LCOS using their own assumptions.

Why this matters comes down to how solar is actually used. Most solar power is generated during the day, so only a portion needs to be stored to make it dispatchable. Ember estimates that if half of daytime solar generation is shifted to nighttime, the $65/MWh storage cost adds about $33/MWh to the cost of solar electricity.

With the global average price of solar at $43/MWh in 2024, adding storage would bring the total cost to about $76/MWh, delivering power in a way that better matches real demand.

As Ember global electricity analyst Kostantsa Rangelova put it, after a 40% drop in battery equipment costs in 2024, the industry is now on track for another major fall in 2025. The economics of battery storage, she said, are “unrecognizable,” and the industry is still adjusting to this new reality.

“Solar is no longer just cheap daytime electricity; now it’s anytime dispatchable electricity. This is a game-changer for countries with fast-growing demand and strong solar resources,” Rangelova added.

Together, solar and battery storage are increasingly emerging as a scalable, secure, and affordable foundation for future power systems.

Read more: EIA: Solar + storage soar as fossil fuels stall through September 2025


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Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad

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Podcast: Tesla Optimus fail, Rivian AI/Autonomy day, Mercedes GLB EV, and more

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Podcast: Tesla Optimus fail, Rivian AI/Autonomy day, Mercedes GLB EV, and more

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss a very telling Tesla Optimus fail, Rivian’s AI/Autonomy day, Mercedes GLB EV, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

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We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:

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