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Universal Plug & Charge – the ability for any EV to just plug in and start charging without having to open an app, swipe a card or press any buttons first – will be ready in 2025 and promises to make EV charging much easier, thanks to an effort between the Society of Automotive Engineers, the auto industry, and the Biden Admin’s Joint Office of Energy & Transportation.

In the ideal case, one of the best parts of EV ownership is the fact that it’s such a convenient, easy experience. Just charge your car at home most nights, and the few times you need to charge on the road, stop at a DC fast charger, plug in (without having to swipe a credit card or anything) when you have lunch or otherwise need a break, and continue on whenever you’re ready.

But, outside of Tesla Superchargers and the much smaller Rivian Adventure Network, on-the-road EV charging can be an inconsistent experience in the US. While other networks exist and plenty of drivers use them every day, they typically have lower reliability and can be confusing or frustrating to initiate charge sessions at.

Many EV drivers can tell you about exasperated moments they’ve experienced, or witnessed others experience. Lots of us have had to coach a new owner through the charging process – or struggled with it ourselves when setting up a new charging app for the fifteenth f$%*ing time.

It would be a lot better if you could just walk up, plug in, and charge. And do this anywhere.

This idea isn’t new – Tesla’s system already works like this, but it can do so since it’s vertically integrated and one company controls the whole process. For public chargers that have to serve several different types of cars, the back end hasn’t been available to allow this sort of charging.

The problem is the lack of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) back-end to authenticate vehicles and payments. Public keys are a cryptographic mechanism that allow for secure authentication – one example is website certificates, so your computer can know that it is looking at a legitimate website.

In Europe, this PKI is provided by a company called Hubject, which verifies charging sessions on European public chargers. But in the US, nobody had coalesced around a single company or organization to provide these certificate services yet.

A solution has been in the works for a few years now, and it’s finally just about ready to go, in the form of what’s colloquially referred to as “Universal Plug & Charge,” and technically referred to as the ISO 15118 standard.

Today, a consortium of companies, the SAE, and the Biden Administration’s Joint Office of Energy and Transportation announced that Universal Plug & Charge will come in 2025.

The technical details involve a PKI back-end that isn’t provided by a single company, but utilizes a standardized process to allow various companies to provide this service.

In practical terms, it means faster starts to charging sessions as the communication process is streamlined, better security, and potential future capabilities like bidirectional charging.

And it means that other EVs that support Plug & Charge will finally have a Tesla-like charging experience, where they can just plug in and start charging – with payment taken care of on the back end, instead of having to swipe cards or open new apps.

The Joint Office says that PKI suppliers can start applying to offer back-end services, and that “throughout 2025, the industry will continue to move toward the universal Plug & Charge model.”

So… like many things have been with EVs, it sounds like there will still be a gradual process of adoption, but the light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible, and it looks like EV fast-charging is going to get a lot simpler in the near future.


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Tesla used car prices keep plumetting, dips below average used car

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Tesla used car prices keep plumetting, dips below average used car

Tesla used car prices continue to plummet, while the average used car price is increasing. Despite being considered a premium brand, used Tesla vehicles are now cheaper than the used car sale price.

Isn’t this nuts?

Last year, Tesla’s used car prices started to drop along with the rest of the used car market in the US.

However, when the market started to recover in March 2025, Tesla’s used car prices didn’t. It continued to drop.

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In fact, it has now dropped so much that the average used Tesla vehicle costs less than the average used car on Car Gurus:

This is unprecedented. Although the brand has taken a significant hit over the last year, Tesla is still regarded as a premium brand in the industry. The fact that its average used car sale price would dip below the industry average, which includes inexpensive mass-market vehicles, is quite exceptional.

Used Tesla car prices are now down 4.59% year-over-year, compared to the market average being up 1.22%:

Make/Model Avg Price Last 30 days Last 90 days Year over Year
CarGurus Index $28,039 +0.19% +1.22% +1.22%
Tesla $27,814 -1.75% -4.59% -4.59%

All Tesla vehicles are down year-over-year, with the Cybertruck unsurprisingly leading the charge.

However, Cybertruck has started to recover in the last few months, along with Model 3.

The Model Y, which is by far Tesla’s most popular model by volume, is dragging the average down as it continues to fall:

Make/Model Avg Price Last 30 days Last 90 days Year over Year
Cybertruck $83,963 +0.88% +0.3% -30.44%
Model 3 $23,318 +0.2% +0.75% -8.04%
Model S $26,534 -5.48% -9.53% -22.61%
Model X $37,747 -2.33% -9.24% -16.8%
Model Y $29,216 -0.49% -0.68% -11.97%

Electrek’s Take

Many Tesla owners have been selling their used vehicles and switching to new brands, increasing the supply and putting pressure on prices.

I expected this, but I didn’t expect the pressure to be so great that prices would dip below the average used prices.

This is significant.

It’s proof that the Tesla brand has taken a massive reputational hit and there’s no clear recovery in sight.

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Ford puts new electric pickup on the back burner, but promises lower-priced EVs

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Ford puts new electric pickup on the back burner, but promises lower-priced EVs

That new electric Ford pickup we’ve been waiting for is delayed once again. Ford is putting its “groundbreaking” new EV pickup on the back burner as it doubles down on more affordable models.

When is Ford delaying its new electric pickup now?

Ford was expected to begin production on its next electric pickup, codenamed “Project T3,” by the end of this year, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

After pushing back the start of production last year until 2027, Ford confirmed on Thursday that the electric pickup is now delayed even further.

According to Automotive News, Ford has informed suppliers that it has delayed the production of its new electric pickup, initially scheduled for production at its BlueOval City EV assembly plant in Tennessee, until 2028. Several sources close to the matter said Ford is also delaying production of its new electric van.

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Ford now plans to begin building the next-gen E-Transit in Ohio starting in 2028, which was initially slated for 2026.

A company spokesperson confirmed the delay, saying the “F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling electric truck, and E-Transit continue to meet today’s customer needs.”

Ford-new-EV-pickup-delayed
2025 Ford F-150 Lightning (Source: Ford)

The statement added that “We remain focused on delivering our Ford+ plan and will be nimble in adjusting our product launch timing to meet market needs and customer demand while targeting improved profitability.”

The move comes as Ford shifts its focus to smaller, more affordable EVs. Earlier this week, Ford opened its new EV Design Center in Long Beach, California, where its team will develop what’s promised to be a highly efficient, low-cost EV platform.

Ford-new-electric-pickup-delayed
Ford opens new EV design center in Long Beach, California (Source: Ford)

Ford’s team, led by former Tesla engineer Alan Clarke, is filled with ex-Rivian, Lucid, and Apple workers and has grown drastically from what started as a “skunkworks” group.

Like its crosstown rival GM announced this week, Ford will use LFP batteries to cut costs. The new batteries will be manufactured at its new plant in Michigan, using licensed tech from China’s CATL. GM announced this week it will source LFP batteries from CATL to power the new Chevy Bolt EV until it begins making its own.

Ford-new-EV-pickup-delayed
Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black Edition (Source: Ford)

According to Lisa Drake, Ford’s vice president of tech platform programs and EV systems, the new midsize platform will support eight different body styles, including trucks, crossovers, SUVs, and maybe even sedans.

Ford filed a trademark for the name Ranchero on August 5, hinting that the nameplate could be revived for the new midsize EV pickup.

Drake confirmed CEO Jim Farley’s comments that Ford aims to match the costs of leading Chinese brands. We will learn more about Ford’s “plans to design and build a breakthrough electric vehicle and platform in the US” on August 11.

Ford-new-EV-pickup-delayed
Ford’s electric vehicles in Europe from left to right: Puma Gen-E, Explorer, Capri, and Mustang Mach-E (Source: Ford)

Farley said on the company’s earnings call that Ford is “moving from being the dominant player in truck hybrids in the US to offering EREVs, PHEVs, and a full range of hybrids across our lineup, especially our bigger vehicles.”

Ford’s CEO added, “We think that’s a much better move than a $60,000 to $70,000 all-electric crossover. We think that that’s really what customers are going to want long term.”

Ford says it’s “going back to its roots for another Model T moment.” Check back on Monday for more details. We’ll provide a breakdown of the event.

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Forklift certified: Bedrock secures $80M to develop AI equipment operators

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Forklift certified: Bedrock secures M to develop AI equipment operators

Led by a team of ex-Waymo engineers, Bedrock Robotics is developing a new generation of autonomous heavy equipment equipment operators who, they hope, will be able to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without human intervention.

The company “emerged from stealth” last month with news of an $80 million raise on an undisclosed valuation for its autonomous equipment play — but they’re not building heavy equipment themselves. Instead, the company plans to offer upgrades for existing equipment assets that includes a suite of cameras, LiDAR sensors, and AI-powered software that will enable to work at all times, and in conditions that human operators wouldn’t be able to tolerate.

Bedrock’s tech package prototype was developed specifically for excavators, as the most common/versatile piece of construction equipment. And, reportedly, can be installed by technicians and ready for work in just a few hours.

Credible roster


AI prototype suite on a tracked excavator; via Bedrock Robotics.
AI prototype suite on a tracked excavator; via Bedrock Robotics.

Bedrock’s roster of Waymo veterans includes Boris Sofman, Ajay Gummalla, and engineers Tom Eliaz and Kevin Peterson. Peterson is extra-notable as the former head of perception for Waymo Via and founder of a similar autonomous equipment company called Marble Robot back in 2016, before selling that company to Caterpillar in 2020, as part of the brand’s integration of autonomous drive solutions into its iconic bright yellow construction and quarry products.

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The team is hoping the lessons they learned automating taxis and exiting tech startups will enable them to revolutionize the heavy equipment space, overcome the industry’s endemic labor shortage, and (of course) make everyone involved a buttload of money.

Before that happens, however, the company needs to prove that its tech is actually capable of doing the job as well as human operators. Sofman believes their success in the robotaxi space gives them the sort of credibility investors are looking for, and shows that, “the state of technology just being right, where we’re seeing it work on one of the hardest applications in the world,” he said to Forbes. “That’s exactly the type of building block that catalyzes change. When you tally up all the ways we use these specialized heavy machines, it’s another one of those transportation-style spaces that is due for a wave of what’s happening in transportation.”

Sofman, if nothing else, is a good hype man. When Forbes tees him up, explaining that the construction industry in a “tricky” time, highlighting the Trump Administration’s trade tariffs and aggressive, often illegal immigration crackdowns artificially boosting materials costs, driving inflation, and making an already tight supply of skilled workers even tighter, Sofman is ready to parrot it right back.

“It’s this fascinating situation where you have an astronomical macroeconomic tail and a need to re-industrialize the US,” says Sofman. “At the same time, the labor pool, even more aggressively than what we saw in trucking, is going the opposite direction.”

Bedrock hasn’t yet released revenue targets or pricing, but cite the size of the established market, along with infrastructure upgrades aided by the passage of Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure law (which, again, is “tricky” these days), higher demand for new warehouses and data centers as enough to make a business case to investors.

For their parts, they’ve convinced their old boss, ex-Waymo CEO John Krafcik. “Boris has assembled an extraordinary founding team, many of whom I had the privilege of working with,” says Krafcik, who invested an undisclosed amount in the startup. “It’s an exceptional group with the technical depth, grit and vision to make autonomous construction machines real.”

NVentures, the venture capital arm of Nvidia, was also named as an investor.

Electrek’s Take


There’s no question that there are a number of factors making things a bit “tricky” for the construction industry right now, and that — at least until operator wages rise — there’s more work than workers these days, even as both the global and US populations continues to grow. That said, there’s a particular type of corpro-political technobabble hype that I have, thankfully, been able to remain immune to over my many (many) years on planet Earth, and Sofman speaks it with an effortless fluency that makes it hard to tell if he’s said anything at all.

But, crucially, he’s got $80 million and I don’t, so maybe ignore uncle Jojo. In the meantime, try to remember that market size isn’t a business plan, OK? OK.

SOURCES | PHOTOS: Bedrock Robotics, via Equipment World, Forbes.


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