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 how Trump’s victory will impact the EV market, TSLA surging, the new Ioniq 5 being a great deal, and more.

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

Jaguar Land Rover confirmed the first EV based on its new EMA platform will be here in less than two years. After the Range Rover Electric and Sport EVs, a smaller electric SUV, likely the Velar will hit the market.

Range Rover Velar electric SUV is due out in 2026

The first Range Rover electric SUV is expected to make its big debut soon, with sales starting in 2025.

Shortly after, the Range Rover Sport Electric will hit the market. JLR’s CEO Adrian Mardell has now confirmed that the first EV to ride on its new EMA platform will launch in less than two years.

Unlike Range Rover’s flagship EV, the new model will be underpinned by the company’s new EMA platform. The Range Rover Electric and Sport EVs share the same MLA platform as the current gas models.

According to AutoCar, the new EV is expected to be the smaller Range Rover Velar Electric, which will launch in under two years.

“We’ll first have MLA BEV, with the Range Rover BEV later next year,” Mardell said. “Then it’s the first vehicle off EMA, which will probably be springtime in 2026.”

Well ahead of its debut, Range Rover’s smaller Velar electric SUV model has already been spotted out testing.

In August, we got our first look at the electric Velar, which was being delivered on a transporter to JLR’s Nurburgring test facility.

The first EMA-based model will launch with hands-free, eyes on driving features. A spokesperson told AutoCar it would be the first to feature the new tech.

With the first Range Rover Electric launching soon, JLR said the electric SUV had already secured over 48,000 clients on its waitlist. According to JLR, its customers are using PHEVs “as a stepping stone towards battery electric vehicles (BEVs).” The Range Rover Electric will make its first appearance shortly. Check back for more details soon.

Trina Solar is selling its Texas solar panel factory as the US scrutinizes Chinese companies cashing in on Inflation Reduction Act tax breaks.

FREYR Battery is acquiring Trina Solar’s 5 gigawatt (GW), 1.35 million-square-foot solar panel factory in Wilmer, Texas, that only just came online on November 1.

FREYR, which was founded in Norway and moved its headquarters to Georgia, will pay $340 million for Trina’s factory. Trina will retain a minority ownership stake in Freyr, reports Bloomberg. The factory is set to reach full production by 2025, with firm contracts already locking in 30% of its estimated output for US customers.

The two companies announced the acquisition on November 6, the same day that Kamala Harris conceded the US election to Donald Trump. On July 31, senators introduced S.4873, a bipartisan bill aimed at stopping Chinese companies from cashing in on US tax credits meant to boost American solar manufacturing. Chinese companies are expected to face even tighter trade restrictions under the Trump administration.

As Electrek reported in August 2023, Changzhou-headquartered Trina Solar was one of five Chinese solar panel manufacturers that received a US Department of Commerce (DOC) tariff slap because the DOC ruled that the companies were dodging US tariffs on China-made goods by processing components in Southeast Asian countries before shipping their solar products to the US.

Daniel Barcelo, FREYR’s newly appointed CEO, said, “We are proud to be partnered with Trina Solar, a global manufacturing and solar technology leader. Domestic manufacturing capacity for solar and batteries is essential for energy transition and job creation.” Barcelo said in an interview, according to Bloomberg, that he feels confident that the newly acquired factory will qualify for the IRA manufacturing tax credit.

As Politico reported earlier this week about the Inflation Reduction Act’s 45X tax credit:

The 45X tax credit pays factory owners based on each component that’s produced. A solar module, for instance, can receive 7 cents a watt, or $70,000 per megawatt, though the payment will get smaller beginning in 2029.

Trina’s 5,000-megawatt Texas factory stands to receive $1.775 billion from 2025 through 2032 if it operates at a 78% utilization rate, according to Antoine Vagneur-Jones, head of trade and supply chains at BloombergNEF. At a 60% utilization rate, Trina would net more than $1 billion, he said.

FREYR says its next step is to build a 5 GW solar cell factory in the US, and site selection is already underway. The company plans to break ground in the second quarter of 2025, aiming for initial production in the second half of 2026. The new US-owned and operated solar cell factory will help solve a key bottleneck for developers, create up to 1,800 direct jobs, and meet local content requirements for US solar projects.

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