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The future of the electric vehicle is a critical issue for the U.S. auto industry and its home base of Detroit, Michigan. It’s also increasingly becoming a political issue, according to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The Biden administration’s support of EV adoption includes the Inflation Reduction Act, now at odds with Donald Trump’s promise to remove fuel economy mandates if he is re-elected, a policy reversal that could extend the era of gas-powered vehicles.

“We’ve seen politics bleed into this space,” Whitmer said at the CNBC CEO Council Summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. “Yes, we should say [research and development] is a good thing and setting the pace in the world is a good thing, but it is complicated right now like everything is.”

Whitmer, who has supported several EV-focused policies, including making all state government vehicles fully electric by 2040 and rebates that would encourage EV sales, said the auto industry understands the right strategy.

“The world is moving fast and our OEMs are being more nimble and embracing this. … We don’t take [internal combustion engine cars] off the menu of what we can offer, but until we build up the [EV] infrastructure, we know there’s going to be fits and starts, but it’s moving in the right direction,” she said.

Automakers, who spent much of the last few years pushing EVs heavily, have started to lower expectations, matching a decline in interest from consumers. Political pressure from either side in the next term could alter that.

“Everything is politicized in this moment. It’s an unfortunate part of where we are right now as a country,” Whitmer said.

In the long term, the EV investment curve is tied to broader national goals on manufacturing, as well as economic and national security, which Whitmer pointed to as a sign of strength.

“For the first time in a real long time, we’ve got a real strategy as we look to rebuild manufacturing in this country, and we saw during the pandemic how bad it was on so many fronts, not just on the jobs but on homeland security,” she said. “We’ve got to have manufacturing growth in this country and it’s happening with a sustained and real focus … Making sure we are building the cars of the future is an important part of that security, and good paying jobs, and supporting an industry that is trying to move fast is in all of our interest.”

Whitmer, a Democrat who said she grew up in a household with a Republican father and a Democratic mother, spent her first term as governor in 2018 in the minority across the state, and even as Michigan shifted left in more recent years, the state still has several Republican stronghold districts.

“I think it’s important that we teach people to ask questions to try to take in as much information, whether sitting across the table from someone with very different politics or a very different set of experiences,” she said.

CNBC “Squawk on the Street” co-anchor Carl Quintanilla asked Whitmer if that approach makes it hard to stay true to her principles.

“I don’t think [listening] changes your values, but you always have to be able to learn and to understand what’s going on,” Whitmer said.

She first ran for governor with a promise to fix the state’s roads, a goal that came out of conversations she had with people from both parties and what they said would make their lives better.

She voiced support for an energy policy that has not been popular on the left in recent history but has received renewed attention nationally.

“We’re going to meet our energy goals and our climate goals and nuclear is an important part of the equation. Do you think the public is ready to talk about nuclear again? I wasn’t sure what to expect but in the community, we’ve seen great support,” she said.

“These are good-paying jobs, they are intertwined with our clean energy goals and having energy independence which is crucial for our economy and security and we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback,” Whitmer continued. “There is a generation that is uncomfortable but most of it has been positive.”   

Whitmer acknowledged that sticking to her principles has opened her up to criticism, but that’s inevitable right now.

“One of the things that I’m always acutely aware of is that in this environment, no deed goes uncriticized,” Whitmer said. “Once I accepted that, it’s been liberating because it frees me up to not try to anticipate how we make everyone happy because it’s an impossible task.”

“I think some of this might be paralyzing if you were trying to make everyone happy; forget it,” she said. “You’re not going to be able to do it. Do the next right thing, on behalf of your employees, on behalf of your employees, on behalf of your community.”

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One of the world’s largest wind farms just got axed – here’s why

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One of the world’s largest wind farms just got axed – here’s why

Danish energy giant Ørsted has canceled plans for the Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm, dealing a major blow to the UK’s renewable energy ambitions.

Hornsea 4, at a massive 2.4 gigawatts (GW), would have become one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world, generating enough clean electricity to power over 1 million UK homes. But Ørsted announced that it’s abandoning the project “in its current form.”

“The adverse macroeconomic developments, continued supply chain challenges, and increased execution, market, and operational risks have eroded the value creation,” said Rasmus Errboe, group president and CEO of Ørsted.

Reuters reported that Ørsted’s cancellation of Hornsea 4 would result in a projected loss of up to 5.5 billion Danish crowns ($837.85 million) in breakaway fees and asset write-downs. The company’s market value has declined by 80% since its peak in 2021.

The cancellation highlights significant challenges currently facing offshore wind development in Europe, particularly in the UK. The combination of higher material costs, inflation, and global financial instability has made large-scale renewable projects increasingly difficult to finance and complete.

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Ørsted’s decision is a significant setback to the UK’s energy transition goals. The UK currently has around 15 GW of offshore wind, and Hornsea 4’s size would have provided almost 7% of the additional capacity needed for the UK’s 50 GW by 2030 target, according to The Times. Losing this immense project off the Yorkshire coast could hamper the UK’s pace of reducing dependency on fossil fuels, especially amid volatile global energy markets.

The UK government reiterated its commitment to renewable energy, promising to work closely with industry leaders to overcome financial and logistical hurdles. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told reporters in Norway that the UK is “still committed to working with Orsted to seek to make Hornsea 4 happen by 2030.”

Ørsted says it remains committed to its other UK-based projects, including the Hornsea 3 wind farm, which is expected to generate around 2.9 GW once completed at the end of 2027. Despite the challenges, the company emphasized its ongoing commitment to the British renewable market, pointing to the critical need for policy support and economic stability to ensure future developments.

Yet, the cancellation of Hornsea 4 demonstrates that even flagship renewable projects are vulnerable in the face of economic pressures and global uncertainties, which have been heightened under the Trump administration in the US.

Read more: The world’s single-largest wind farm gets the green light


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Is the Tesla Roadster ever going to be made?

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Is the Tesla Roadster ever going to be made?

The Tesla Roadster appears to be quietly disappearing after years of delay. is it ever going to be made?

I may have jinxed it with Betteridge’s Law of Headlines, which suggests any headline ending in a question mark can be answered with “no.”

The prototype for the next-generation Tesla Roadster was first unveiled in 2017, and it was supposed to come into production in 2020, but it has been delayed every year since then.

It was supposed to get 620 miles (1,000 km) of range and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds.

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It has become a sort of running joke, and there are doubts that it will ever come to market despite Tesla’s promise of dozens of free new Roadsters to Tesla owners who participated in its referral program years ago.

Tesla uses the promise of free Roadsters to help generate billions of dollars worth of sales, which Tesla owners delivered, but the automaker never delivered on its part of the agreement.

Furthermore, many people placed deposits ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 to reserve the vehicle, which was supposed to hit the market 5 years ago.

The official timelines from Tesla are pretty useless at this point since they haven’t stuck to any of them, but the latest official one dates back to July 2024 when CEO Elon Musk said this:

“With respect to Roadster, we’ve completed most of the engineering. And I think there’s still some upgrades we want to make to it, but we expect to be in production with Roadster next year. It will be something special.”

He said that Tesla had completed “most of the engineering”, but he initially said the engineering would be done in 2021 and that was already 3 years after the prototype was unveiled and a year after it was supposed to be in production:

Musk commented on the Roadster again in October 2024, but he didn’t reiterate the 2025 timeline. Instead, he called the new Roadster “the cherry on the icing on the cake.”

Tesla’s leadership has been virtually silent about the new Roadster since. Two Tesla executives even had to be reminded about the Roadster by Jay Leno after they “forgot” about it when listing upcoming new Tesla vehicles with tri-motor powertrain.

There was one small update about the Roadster in Tesla’s financial results last month.

The automaker has a table of all its vehicle production, and the Roadster was updated from “in development” to “design development” in the table:

It’s not clear if that’s progress or Tesla is just rephrasing it. Either way, it is not “construction”, which makes it unlikely that the Roadster is going into production this year.

If ever…

Electrek’s Take

It looks like Tesla owes about 80 Tesla Roadsters for free to Tesla owners who referred purchases, and it owes significant discounts on hundreds of units.

It’s hard for me to believe that Tesla is not delivering the new Roadster because the vehicle program would start about $100 million in the red, but at this point, I have no idea. It very well might be the reason.

However, I think it’s more likely that Tesla is just terrible at bringing multiple vehicle programs to market simultaneously. Case in point: it launched a single new vehicle in the last five years.

At this point, I think it’s more likely that the Roadster will never happen. It will join other Tesla products like the Cybertruck Range Extender.

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Lucid is offering over $20,000 in discounts on the Air EV this month

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Lucid is offering over ,000 in discounts on the Air EV this month

The 2025 Lucid Air isn’t just any luxury sedan. It’s the world’s most efficient car with over 400 miles of range. After introducing new discounts this month, Lucid is offering over $20,000 in savings on select 2025 Air models.

Lucid Air EV discounts top $20,000 in May

In the first quarter, the Lucid Air was the best-selling EV and the third top-selling sedan overall in its segment, including gas-powered cars.

After launching the 2025 Air Pure last summer, Lucid claimed it was the “world’s most efficient car” at 5.0 miles of range per kWh. That translates to over 420 miles of EPA-estimated range and the highest MPGe rating of any EV at 146 MPGe.

Lucid introduced new discounts this month, making the 2025 Air significantly more affordable. The 2025 Lucid Air Touring is available with up to $20,500 in savings with leases starting at just $599 for 36 months.

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The promo includes a $1,000 on-site bonus, a $2,000 conquest offer, a $10,000 Air Credit, and a $7,500 EV credit.

Other trims, including the Lucid Air Pure and Lucid Air Grand Touring, offer discounts of up to $18,000 and $15,500, respectively.

Lucid-Air-discounts
2025 Lucid Air offers (Source: Lucid)

The 2025 Lucid Air Touring starts at $78,900 with 620 HP and 406 miles of range. Lucid is offering 2025 Air Pure models from $69,900, with up to 420 miles of range. The Grand Touring gets up to 512 miles with prices starting at $110,900.

Lucid increased its Tesla trade-in allowance this month, which can save you an additional $4,000. To take advantage of the deals, you must take delivery by May 31, 2025.


2025 Lucid Air trim
Starting Price Lease Discounts Lease From
(per month/ 36 months)
EPA-estimated Range
Lucid Air Pure $69,900 -$18,000 $579 420 miles
Lucid Air Touring $78,900 -$20,500 $599 406 miles
Lucid Air Grand Touring $110,900 -$15,500 $849 512 miles
Lucid Air Sapphire $249,000 N/A N/A 427 miles
2025 Lucid Air prices and range by trim

You can also now lease Lucid’s new Gravity electric SUV. According to Lucid’s payment calculator, the 2026 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring can be leased for $1,102 a month.

That’s based on an MSRP of $94,900 with a down payment of $8,030. Later this year, Lucid will launch the lower-priced Touring model, starting at $79,900.

Ready to check out Lucid’s luxury EVs for yourself? You can use our links below to view current offers on Lucid Air and Gravity models in your area.

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