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After just over six months on the road, two Teslas have driven around the world powered by electricity – including an entire family, with 3 young children, in a Tesla Model 3. But for one of the drivers it’s nothing new, as this was actually his fourth round-the-world trip in an EV – the first being way back in 2012.

80edays is the brainchild of Rafael de Mestre, the aforementioned owner who just finished his fourth round-the-world journey in an EV.

It started in 2012, when he heard about a pair of engineers navigating around the world in a Citroen C-Zero, a rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV, one of the early EVs of the modern era. de Mestre, however, owned a Tesla Roadster, the car that jump-started the modern EV moment, and thought there’s no way he was going to let a Citroen be the first around the world.

So, off he set in a self-declared “race” against the other team, wanting to beat them and be the first. After plenty of trials and drama, in a time when there were scarce public charging locations to be found even in advanced nations, and before Supercharging existed, de Mestre ended up winning the race and becoming the first to complete an electric circumnavigation of the globe. You can still find his driving and charging route here.

Despite the lack of infrastructure for his first race, and still-lacking infrastructure in many parts of the globe since, de Mestre likes to say “wherever there is light burning, you can find a charge” – and he carries a comically-crowded trunk full of custom charge adapters to make sure he can do this anywhere around the globe.

Since then, de Mestre has achieved the feat multiple times, often recruiting teams to go with him. In 2016, the trip included 9 Teslas, 1 Denza (a BYD/Daimler joint brand) and a Hungarian-made electric bus – though de Mestre drove a much more comfortable Tesla Model S that time, rather than his tiny Roadster.

A photo with all the teams from 2016 in China

In 2022, he set off again in his Roadster, and we caught up with him as he passed through California. This journey was notable for including what de Mestre believes is the first zero-emission transatlantic trip by car, as he shipped the Roadster in the cargo hold of a wind-powered cargo ship, which barely fit due to the car’s exceptionally small size.

And in 2024, he and a Czech family – Zdenek, Hanna, Max (11), Damian (8) and Laura (6) Martinek – took their Model S and Model 3, respectively, around the world. They started on April 24 of this year, and finished on November 3 under the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona – where de Mestre, who was born in Catalunya, has always started and ended his trips.

They were joined at times by other drivers who took on parts of the route, like a Kia Niro which joined to Morocco, but these two cars were the only finishers of the entire circumnavigation.

The “guest” Kia Niro joined the trip to Morocco

The most significant achievement of this trip was the inclusion of an entire family of five this time, all within a single Tesla Model 3. In 2016 a father and his adult daughter finished the trip, but there hadn’t been any full families or children on previous instances of 80edays until now. The trip set an Official World Record for first round-the-world trip in an electric car by a family, and longest trip in an electric car in a family.

The Martineks’ Model 3. The cargo box attaches to the tow hitch, which is available on EU-spec Model 3s

Now, the Model 3 is a fine-sized car, with plenty of room for five passengers and impressive cargo space for a mid-size sedan… but then add all of their stuff, and send them around the world, and it’s quite impressive that that was all possible in a single normal-sized car. The car used an additional cargo box attached to the tow hitch, but this was lost due to border difficulties in China, so the family had to manage with just the car’s default cargo space (so much for the Americans who think their chihuahua needs an entire third row for itself…)

The group was in New Jersey for the 4th of July this year

de Mestre also set a record for longest-driven trip in an electric car, at 42,015km, crossing 36 countries along the way. And each of his EVs have now done two trips around the world, seemingly the only two EVs to have done not just one, but multiple circumnavigations. The latter of which, the Model S, started the trip with over 600,000km (372k miles) on the odometer.

The Teslas return home to the Tesla factory in Fremont, CA

Along the way, the group met with local Tesla clubs in many areas, and with friends around the world from previous trips de Mestre has taken. They also gave presentations about EV driving in some places that are a little more off the beaten path, particularly central Asia.

On this trip, we also caught up with the crew briefly for lunch when they passed through Los Angeles and gave them a quick ride in a Waymo, which was everyone’s first time in a truly driverless vehicle and inspired some fun reactions from the kids. (Read more about a tougher test we gave Waymo on a chaotic Venice Beach weekend here)

de Mestre’s Model S when we met up with him in Los Angeles

The group was in good spirits at the time, but was about to hit the lowest point of the trip – significant difficulties with both shipping and customs getting the cars to China. Due to customs, they had to give up a lot of their luggage, including the Model 3’s external cargo holder. One of de Mestre’s repeated goals with this project is to create a more open world, with fewer borders, and freer movement and more cooperation across them, after experiencing so much frustration during his various trips.

Central Asia proved the most challenging part of the trip

Between these troubles and the international nature of climate change, de Mestre has largely decided that borders are a roadblock to solving many of the world’s problems. When two countries are polluting across borders, rather than working together to solve the problem, what will often happen is that each one blames the other and does nothing to improve the situation – all the while, the global problem continues, and everyone is worse off for it. Cooperation is the answer, not isolation.

Visiting a tree planted in Andorra during a previous 80edays trip

And speaking of climate change: on the same day the group finished their trip in Barcelona, the city felt the devastating effects of climate-affected storms which have been hammering Spain’s eastern coast recently, and came to Barcelona yesterday with floods that have disrupted transportation and have killed hundreds in the region over the past week. Not only were these storms made more common by climate change, but their intensity was increased, with more precipitation which overloads infrastructure that was built for a more normal climate, which we as humans are rapidly moving away from due to the combustion of fossil fuels.

Which puts a point on this whole exercise: despite that this is obviously an unnecessary, fun thing to do, it’s still making some important symbolic points. We have cleaner transportation options available to us today, and we are only making them harder to implement by putting up borders and reducing cooperation between nations. de Mestre and the Martineks have shown us all, once again, that there are better options available to us – we need only start taking them.

And finally, I’ll ask the same question I’ve been asking since 2012, with more and more evidence building every day: Who says you can’t roadtrip in an EV?

You can learn more about the trip and see pics & vids on instagram at @80edays_official, find Zdenek and his family at @tesloukolemsveta (mostly in Czech language), or support the project (which had significant cost overruns due to border processing issues) through Rafael’s Patreon. There’s a writeup of the trip here, and more info on 80edays’ website.

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Oil giant BP is seen as a prime takeover target. Is a blockbuster mega-merger in the cards?

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7 hours ago

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April 15, 2025

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Oil giant BP is seen as a prime takeover target. Is a blockbuster mega-merger in the cards?

BP logo is seen at a gas station in this illustration photo taken in Poland on March 15, 2025.

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Oil giant BP has been thrust into the spotlight as a prime takeover candidate — but energy analysts question whether any of the likeliest suitors will rise to the occasion.

Britain’s beleaguered energy giant, which holds its annual general meeting on Thursday, has recently sought to resolve something of an identity crisis by launching a fundamental reset.

Seeking to rebuild investor confidence, BP in February pledged to slash renewable spending and boost annual expenditure on its core business of oil and gas. CEO Murray Auchincloss has said that the pivot is starting to attract “significant interest” in the firm’s non-core assets.

BP’s green strategy U-turn follows a protracted period of underperformance relative to its industry peers, with its depressed share price reigniting speculation of a prospective tie-up with domestic rival Shell. U.S. oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron have also been touted as possible suitors for the £54.75 billion ($71.61 billion) oil major.

Shell declined to comment on the speculation. Spokespersons for BP, Exxon and Chevron did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC.

“Certainly, BP is a potential takeover target — no doubt about that,” Maurizio Carulli, energy and materials analyst at Quilter Cheviot, told CNBC by video call.

“I would conceptualize the question of ‘will Shell bid for BP’ in the more general consolidation that it is happening in the resources sector, both oil but also mining — particularly in the past year a lot of companies thought that to buy was better than to build,” he added.

A Shell logo in Austin, Texas.

Brandon Bell | Getty Images News | Getty Images

In the energy sector, for example, Exxon Mobil completed its $60 billion purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources in May last year, while Chevron still seeks to acquire Hess for $53 billion. The latter agreement remains shrouded in legal uncertainty, however, with an arbitration hearing scheduled for next month.

In the mining space, market speculation kicked into overdrive at the start of the year following reports of a potential tie-up between industry giants Rio Tinto and Glencore. Both companies declined to comment at the time.

Never say never, right? I think even Exxon-Chevron in the depth of the pandemic held talks so I think that would have been even wilder to say.

Allen Good

Director of equity research at Morningstar

Quilter Cheviot’s Carulli named Chevron as a potential suitor for BP, particularly if the U.S. energy giant’s pursuit of Hess falls through.

Speculation about a potential merger between Shell and BP, meanwhile, is far from new. Carulli said that while the rumors have some merit, a prospective deal would likely trigger antitrust concerns.

Perhaps more importantly, Carulli added that a move to acquire BP would conflict with Shell’s steadfast commitment to capital discipline under CEO Wael Sawan.

‘An existential crisis’

“Never say never, right? I think even Exxon-Chevron in the depth of the pandemic held talks so I think that would have been even wilder to say,” Allen Good, director of equity research at Morningstar, told CNBC by telephone.

“I wouldn’t take anything off on the table. You know, oil and gas is facing an existential crisis. Now, views differ on how soon that crisis will come to head. I think we’re still decades away,” Good said.

For Shell, Morningstar’s Good said that any pursuit of BP would likely be an attempt to merge the two British peers, as opposed to an outright acquisition — although he said he doesn’t expect such a prospect to materialize in the near term.

The sun sets behind burning gas flares at the Dora (Daura) Oil Refinery Complex in Baghdad on December 22, 2024.

Ahmad Al-rubaye | Afp | Getty Images

Asked about the likelihood of Chevron seeking to purchase BP if a deal to acquire Hess collapses, Morningstar’s Good said he couldn’t rule it out.

“BP certainly doesn’t have the growth prospects that Hess does, but you could get a situation where, again, like I said with Shell, you’d have Chevron acquiring BP, stripping out a lot of costs, certainly the headquarters would no longer be in London … but it doesn’t address the growth concerns ex-Permian for Chevron. So, in that case, I would be a little skeptical,” Good said.

“The issues these companies are facing are to please shareholders, and the two ways to do that really are to reduce costs and return cash to shareholders. So if you can continue to lean into that model somehow, then that’s the probably the way to do it,” he added.

What next for BP?

Michele Della Vigna, head of EMEA natural resources research at Goldman Sachs, described BP’s recent strategic reset as “very wise” and “thoughtful,” but acknowledged that it may not have gone far enough for an activist investor.

U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management has reportedly built a near 5% stake to become one of BP’s largest shareholders. Activist investor Follow This, meanwhile, recently pushed for investors to vote against Helge Lund’s reappointment as chair at BP’s upcoming shareholder meeting in protest over the firm’s recent strategy U-turn. BP has since said that Lund will step down, likely in 2026, kickstarting a succession process.

“I think there are three major optionalities in BP’s portfolio that any activist investor would love to see monetized. The first one is not all in BP’s hands, it’s the monetization of the Rosneft stake,” Della Vigna told CNBC over a video call.

BP announced it was abandoning its 19.75% shareholding in Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft shortly after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022. It had marked a costly and abrupt end to more than three decades of activity in the country.

CEO of BP Murray Auchincloss speaks during the CERAWeek oil summit in Houston, Texas, on March 19, 2024. 

Mark Felix | AFP | Getty Images

A second optionality for BP, Della Vigna said, is the firm’s marketing and convenience business.

“I mean, within BP, a company that trades on three times EBITDA, there’s a division that can trade at 10 times EBITDA, right? Amazing. You can make the same point for a lot of the other Big Oils,” Della Vigna said.

EBITDA is a standard metric that refers to a firm’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization.

“The third option is BP is a U.S.- centered energy company — and it’s clear, right? BP is the most U.S.- exposed of all the majors, more than Exxon and Chevron,” Della Vigna said, noting that 40% of BP’s cash flow comes from the U.S.

“So, being listed in the U.K., when the U.K. gets you the biggest discount of any other region in Big Oil, doesn’t feel right. I think some form of relocation or transatlantic merger may be worth considering,” he added.

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Idaho Power wants to cut solar pay rate to under 1¢ per kWh and charge 8¢ per kWh for electricity

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12 hours ago

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April 15, 2025

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Idaho Power wants to cut solar pay rate to under 1¢ per kWh and charge 8¢ per kWh for electricity

Idaho solar
Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com

Utility Idaho Power has asked the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to drastically slash the rates it pays rooftop solar customers for excess energy. This move could severely impact solar adoption in Idaho just as electricity rates are climbing.

The utility wants to drop the Export Credit Rates (ECRs) – the amount rooftop solar owners get credited for feeding power back to the grid – by 60%, from the current 6.18 cents per kilowatt-hour to just 2.46 cents. That’s a massive 72% plunge from the previous rate of 8.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, which had stood for over a decade.

If the PUC approves the proposal next Month, the new lower rates will kick in on June 1, right before peak solar-producing months. This shift is part of Idaho Power’s controversial “Net Billing” program approved in December 2023, despite public backlash. Under this new system, ECRs would change every year, making it nearly impossible for residents to calculate the financial returns of their rooftop solar investments – a major deterrent to adopting solar.

The proposed rates would vary seasonally. From October through May, when electricity demand drops, Idaho Power wants to cut solar payments even further by a staggering 80%, paying less than 1 cent per kilowatt-hour. Meanwhile, it plans to charge non-solar customers at least 8 cents per kilowatt-hour for the same electricity, padding its own profits.

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Idaho Power is basing these rate cuts on an internal “Value of Distributed Energy Resources Study” from 2022. However, environmental groups hired independent analysts who argue that Idaho Power’s data selectively undervalues solar power.

“How can our state regulators just let this happen? The PUC is supposed to double-check the utility’s math to make sure Idaho ratepayers aren’t being taken advantage of,” said Lisa Young, director of the Idaho Sierra Club. “Distributed solar is worth more than the retail electricity rate, not less. The PUC needs to stop turning its cheek on corrupted math and letting this monopoly utility pad its pockets even more.”

Idaho Power customers already faced unpopular hikes to their monthly fixed charges from January 2025, when their flat monthly fees rose from $5 to $15. These fixed charges hit low-income residents hardest and discourage energy conservation and rooftop solar.

“People in Idaho go solar because it lowers their power bills, gives them energy freedom and security, and helps the environment,” said Alex McKinley, owner of the local small business Empowered Solar. “Idaho Power is trying to take that opportunity away from people by skewing these rooftop solar rates in its favor. It’s not right.”

Members of the public can submit public comments at puc.idaho.gov/Form/CaseComment and reference Case #IPC-E-25-15.

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Global EV sales jump 40% in March despite tariff turmoil

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13 hours ago

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April 14, 2025

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Global EV sales jump 40% in March despite tariff turmoil

Global EV sales March 2025 BYD Song

Global EV sales surged to 1.7 million units in March, hitting 4.1 million for Q1 2025 as the EV market continues its robust growth, according to new data from EV research house Rho Motion. Year-over-year sales jumped 29% and marked an impressive 40% month-over-month leap from February.

Europe saw a solid 22% growth in EV sales year-to-date, driven primarily by battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), which climbed 27%. Germany’s BEV market rose 37%, Italy surged by 64%, and the UK hit a milestone with over 100,000 EVs sold in March alone, a first-time record boosted by new vehicle registrations. France’s EV sales dropped 18%, severely impacted by reduced government subsidies, with BEVs down 5% and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) falling sharply by 47%.

In North America, EV sales increased by 16% in Q1 2025. The market’s outlook remains unclear due to Donald Trump’s recent imposition of substantial tariffs. February’s 25% tariff on auto imports from Canada and Mexico and a broader tariff in March affecting all auto imports are expected to hike consumer prices. With approximately 40% of US EV sales being imported from countries like Japan, Korea, and Mexico, the impact on affordability and market dynamics is likely significant.

China, still the global leader in EV adoption, saw EV sales grow 36% year-over-year in Q1, approaching 1 million units in March alone – a milestone previously reached in August 2024. The US-China tariff crisis will have a minimal impact on China due to the low volume of cross-border EV sales. However, Tesla’s Model X and Model S are exported from the US to China, and the prices for these could nearly double due to tariffs.

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Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester said, “This quarter, while turbulent, has seen a strong rate of growth globally for the EV market. Some countries, such as the UK, had a record-breaking March as drivers continue to go electric.

Meanwhile, in North America, forecasts are struggling to keep up with the rate of policy announcements under the current White House administration. What is sure is that the electric vehicle market is already struggling to compete with ICE on cost, so reductions in subsidies and hefty tariffs for a very international supply chain are guaranteed to have a cooling effect on the industry.”

EV sales in Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024, YTD percentage: 

  • Global: 4.1 million, +29% 
  • China: 2.4 million, +36% 
  • Europe: 0.9 million, +22% 
  • North America: 0.5 million, +16% 
  • Rest of World: 0.3 million, +27% 

The bottom line: EV sales are up month-over-month, quarter-over-quarter, and year-over-year.

Read more: Contrary to popular belief, EV sales grew more in 2024 than 2023

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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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