Hyundai’s best-selling electric vehicle is getting a refresh. The updated 2025 IONIQ 5 will be the first vehicle to roll out of Hyundai’s new $7.6 billion EV plant in Georgia later this year. Here are some changes you can expect to see with the new Hyundai IONIQ 5.
The IONIQ 5 was introduced in February 2021 as Hyundai’s first dedicated EV built on its E-GMP platform.
Four years later, Hyundai’s all-electric SUV is already due for a refresh. With nearly 34,000 models handed over in the US last year, Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 was the sixth best-selling EV, topping the Rivian R1S and Ford F-150 Lightning.
Despite rivals reporting “slower-than-expected” EV demand, Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 has maintained its momentum in 2024.
Hyundai sold nearly 15,000 IONIQ 5s in the US through the first five months of 2024, up 43% from last year. Last month, the IONIQ 5 set a new May sales record with 4,449 models sold, up 82% YOY.
Despite the hot start, Hyundai plans to launch an upgraded IONIQ 5 later this year. Hyundai said the updated 2025 IONIQ 5 will be the first vehicle produced at its new Metplant in Georgia.
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai’s global chief operating officer, Jose Munoz, called it a “no-brainer” to have the IONIQ 5 lead production at its new EV and battery plant.
In an interview with Automotive News last month, Munoz said EVs like the IONIQ 5 will qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit once production begins in GA.
The new Hyundai IONIQ 5 facelift (Source: Hyundai)
Although Hyundai has been passing it on to customers through leasing, “As of October, we’ll be able to do so as well with retail customers who pay cash or finance,” Munoz explained.
Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) confirmed Tuesday that the 2025 IONIQ 5 will be the first production vehicle built at the facility. The new plant will make all IONIQ 5 trims (excluding the IONIQ 5 N) and will eventually be the only plant building IONIQ 5 models for the US.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 refresh (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai is currently training employees to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2024. Production is expected to start in October.
“We are in the final phase of construction and are getting ready for the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 to roll off the line,” Oscar Kwon, president and CEO of HMGMA, said.
“It’s the ideal vehicle for us to start production with,” Kwon added. Although Hyundai has yet to officially unveil the 2025 IONIQ 5 for the US market, we have an idea of what to expect.
Hyundai revealed the updated 2025 IONIQ 5 in Korea in March with several new upgrades and features. The new model comes with a bigger battery, new styling, and an added rear wiper.
The IONIQ 5 refresh features an 84 kWh battery, up from 77.4 kWh. With more power, the IONIQ 5s range increased from 458km (285 mi) to 485km (301 mi) in Korea. It also includes slightly faster charging, enabling 10% to 80% in 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, Hyundai introduced a new incentive this month for IONIQ 5 buyers in the US. If you purchase a 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5, you are now eligible for a $7,500 cash rebate.
If you don’t want to wait for the updated model, the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is currently offered at some of the lowest prices. You can use our link to find deals on Hyundai IONIQ 5 models in your area.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
The US wind industry installed just 5.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 – the lowest level in a decade, according to Wood Mackenzie’s new US Wind Energy Monitor report. Installations are expected to rebound in 2025, but the real concern lies in US wind’s sharply downgraded 5-year outlook. As for the reason behind that bleak forecast, we’ll give you one guess as to why, and it starts with a T.
Wood Mac reports that 3.9 GW of onshore wind came online last year, along with 1.3 GW of onshore repowers and 101 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind.
Onshore wind
The US is expected to achieve more than 160 GW of installed onshore capacity by 2025, and onshore growth is projected to bounce back from 2024 and surpass 6.3 GW this year.
“The cliff in 2023 and 2024 created by the Production Tax Credit (PTC) push in 2022 will come to an end,” said Stephen Maldonado, research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “Despite the uncertainty created by the new administration, the massive number of orders placed in 2023 culminating in projects now under construction support the short-term forecast.”
Advertisement – scroll for more content
The pipeline for onshore has 10.8 GW currently under construction through 2027, with another 3.9 GW announced.
GE Vernova led onshore wind installations in 2024 with 56% of the market and will continue to lead in connections for the next five years. It was followed by Vestas (40%) and Siemens Gamesa (4%).
Offshore wind
Offshore wind is projected to increase in 2025 as well, with 900 MW of installed capacity, up from a disappointing 101 MW in 2024. However, several projects have been shelved in the wake of Trump’s anti-wind executive orders, which downgraded the five-year outlook by 1.8 GW.
Electrek’s Take on US wind’s 5-year outlook
According to Wood Mac, 33 GW of new onshore wind capacity will be installed through 2029, along with 6.6 GW of new offshore capacity and 5.5 GW of repowers. However, due to Trump’s anti-wind policy and economic uncertainty, this five-year outlook is 40% less than a previous total of 75.8 GW. Growth will happen, but it’s going to be slower.
The main reason is Trump’s flourish of his Sharpie on executive orders that include “temporary” withdrawal of offshore wind leasing areas and putting a stop to onshore wind on federal lands. Plus, firing all those federal employees will likely make permitting wind farms a slower process. (Trump just wrote more executive orders today allowing coal projects on federal lands; he won’t have federal employees to issue permits for those, either.) He’s worked to throw up obstacles for wind projects in favor of fossil fuels. He won’t stop the wind industry, but he’s managed to get some projects canceled, and he’ll make things more of a slog over the next few years.
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*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
BYD’s cheapest EV in China just got even more affordable. After cutting prices this month, the BYD Seagull EV starts at just 56,800 yuan, or under $8,000.
BYD cuts Seagull EV price to under $8,000 in April
Despite an intensifying EV price war in China, BYD is cutting prices once again. The Chinese EV giant announced a new promotion this month across several Ocean Series models, including the Seagull.
The 2025 BYD Seagull EV is available starting at just 56,800 yuan ($7,800). The offer is for the non-Smart Driving Vitality Edition model, which usually starts at 69,800 yuan ($9,500).
After launching the new Seagull last year, BYD said the low-cost electric car officially opened “a new era of electricity being lower than oil.” Earlier this year, it upgraded most of its vehicles, including the Seagull, with its new “God’s Eye” smart driving system at no extra charge.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
BYD’s Seagull is offered in three trims in China: Vitality, Freedom, and Flying. It has two battery options, 30.1 kWh or 38.9 kWh, which is good for the 305 km (190 mi) and 405 km (252 mi) CLTC range, respectively.
BYD cuts vehicle prices in April 2025, including the Seagull EV (Source: BYD)
At just 3,780 mm long, 1,715 mm wide, and 1,540 mm tall, the Seagull is even smaller than the former Chevy Bolt EV (4,145 mm long, 1,765 mm wide, and 1,611 mm tall). It’s about the size of a Fiat 500e.
BYD Seagull EV (Dolphin Mini) testing in Brazil (Source: BYD)
The price cut comes as BYD’s sales continue surging. With another 377,420 new energy vehicles (EVs and PHEVs) sold last month, the Chinese automaker has now sold over one million NEVs in 2025.
BYD’s EVs accounted for 416,388 while PHEV sales reached 569,710, an increase of 39% and 76% from last year, respectively.
Perhaps even more importantly, BYD sold over 206,000 vehicles overseas in 2025, more than doubling from last year. The Seagull EV is also sold in other global markets like Mexico and Brazil as the Dolphin Mini.
Later this year, it will launch in Europe as the Dolphin Surf, with expected prices starting under £20,000 ($26,000). Although it may not be the cheapest EV, BYD’s executive vice president, Stella Li, recently told Autocar it will be “the best value” when it arrives.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Prior to the launch, only a fully loaded $60,000 Launch Edition Model Y was available to order since January, and had been delivered since early March.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
Now, North American buyers are able to buy a much cheaper version of the new Model Y for $49,000.
Only the Model Y Long Range AWD is available for now, but that’s Tesla’s most popular model in North America.
At the time, we noted that this is a great demand test for Tesla in the US amid some critical brand issues due to CEO Elon Musk.
We only have a few metrics to track the demand of the new Model Y in the US:
Delivery timelines on new orders
Available inventory
Discounts/incentives
For most US zip codes tested by Electrek with different Model Y configurations (wheels and paint colors), Tesla quotes delivery within “1-3 weeks”.
But we also found several zip codes on both the West Coast and the East Coast where Tesla claims it can deliver the new vehicle “today”:
This would point to Tesla already having vehicles in inventory despite launching it just 4 days ago.
But Tesla is hiding the inventory.
If you search for Model Y in Tesla’s new inventory, you can’t find any in the US at the time of writing:
However, Tesla is showing some units in inventory to people configuring new Model Ys.
Some potential buyers are reporting that Tesla has a tab that pops up and directs them to some new inventory available (via TroyTeslike on Patreon):
This confirms that Tesla already has new non-Launch Edition Model Y in inventory available for sale in the US – pointing to Tesla having no backlog of demand for the new vehicle.
Electrek’s Take
This is much worse than I thought. I thought that Tesla would build a backlog of demand for the new Model Y in the US from people who didn’t want the fully loaded version, but it looks like that backlog lasted 4 days.
Of course, it’s all because of Tesla and Elon, and brand destruction.
Many people who invested in the stock market lost a lot of money over the last few weeks, and these people often happen to be people who buy new cars.
Now, the only thing left is for Tesla to start offering discounts and subsidies financing – the latter likely coming first, as it is already the case with new Model 3 orders in the US.
The good news for Tesla is that if Trump continues to crash the stock market, the Fed will likely have to reduce rates, making Tesla’s 0% financing cheaper to subsidize.
That’s a fun balancing act.
Either way, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tesla offer incentives on the new Model Y in the US within the next 2 weeks – way ahead of schedule.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.