Hyundai’s new 2025 IONIQ 5 Limited with a Tesla NACS port (Source: Hyundai)
With the release of Hyundai’s 2025 Ioniq 5 with native NACS port, owners are heading to Tesla Superchargers to see how the experience is. And it turns out, the away team is beating the home team at charging speed… at least in some metrics.
This has been a busy time for the transition to NACS, the new EV charging standard for North America that was originally advanced by Tesla and now standardized by SAE.
Hyundai is one of the brands that was added to the “coming soon” list, but it also already released a vehicle with a native NACS port, and several of them are out in the wild. Given that the car includes the right port to charge on a Supercharger, it ought to be able to charge no problem, right?
Well, owners are finding that it can, if they go through the normal process for third party vehicles on Tesla Superchargers (download the app, set up payment information, start charge sessions through app, etc) and have the proper adapters or a 2025 car with native NACS. Hyundai hasn’t made it official yet, but it seems plenty possible.
And today we saw one test that shows Hyundai beating Tesla in one metric, even on Tesla’s home turf.
Out of Spec reviews took a Tesla Model 3 and a 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 with native NACS port to a local Tesla Supercharger to do a 1v1 charging test, and find out which vehicle charges better and faster on Tesla’s network.
The Ioniq 5 is based on Kia/Hyundai’s joint E-GMP platform, which has been hailed for its exceptional charging performance.
Despite it having a lower peak charge rate than some other vehicles (it tops out at around 230kW), it has an exceptionally broad charging curve, which means that it can maintain that peak charge rate for longer than other vehicles. Other vehicles start charging fast, but slow down rapidly as the battery fills up.
The upshot of this is that charging sessions will be faster with a broad charge curve, as long as you’re charging up to a high state of charge. Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 can charge from 10-80% in just 18 minutes, making it the current charging speed champion (and the Ioniq 6 charges even faster in terms of “miles per minute,” if you account for vehicle efficiency – more on that later).
That broad charge curve shined in Out of Spec’s side-by-side test, which you can see on its YouTube channel. The two cars have similar battery sizes, so it’s actually a pretty close test.
In the test, the Model 3, charging on home turf, charged for 31 minutes and 53 seconds, and 55.7kWh was delivered from the charger to the vehicle.
But the upstart Ioniq 5 managed to gain 59.6kWh in 30 minutes and 37 seconds, a slightly shorter time and slightly more energy delivered.
Those numbers are close enough to call it a wash, but still an impressive showing on away turf.
The victory is all the greater when considering that the Hyundai isn’t even charging at full power. The E-GMP platform uses an 800 volt architecture, and Tesla’s Superchargers mostly use 400 volts (the new V4 Supercharger will provide 400-1000 volts, but most in the wild are V3).
This means that the Ioniq 5 could only achieve a peak charge rate of 123kW in the test, which is nevertheless improved from the ~100kW that earlier model year E-GMP cars have seen when charging at Superchargers. But that’s far lower than the 250kW peak the Model 3 can reach.
But that aforementioned charge curve is still what ended up winning out. Slow and steady won this race.
There were a few difficulties in this specific test. For some reason, the Ioniq 5 randomly stopped charging, and Out of Spec couldn’t figure out why, and had to spend time restarting the charge session – which thankfully didn’t take that long, due to the much faster handshake speed to start charging sessions on Superchargers as compared to CCS stations.
The interruption also meant that the Hyundai had to ramp up its charging speed again. It may also be difficult to precondition a Hyundai – warming the battery to achieve better charging speeds – because so far, Tesla stations aren’t included in Ioniq 5’s navigation system, so preconditioning won’t happen automatically. An update should come soon to enable that.
However, this wasn’t a total victory for the Ioniq 5. Despite achieving a faster charge rate and getting more total energy, the Model 3 still won out in the most important practical metric – miles per minute.
Energy really doesn’t matter that much, what matters is how far it can get you. And the Model 3 is much more efficient than the Ioniq 5. While the cars have similarly-sized batteries, Tesla says the Model 3 can go 363 miles, whereas Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 can go 303 miles. Account for that ~20% higher efficiency, and the Model 3 won today’s test handily.
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Mammoth Solar, a 1.3 gigawatt (GW) solar farm in northern Indiana, is now powering into its biggest construction phase yet, cementing its place as one of the largest solar projects in the US.
The solar farm is set to increase Indiana’s solar capacity by more than 20% once it’s fully online. And with construction ramping up this month, developer Doral Renewables has given Bechtel Full Notice to Proceed on the design, engineering, and construction of three major phases of the project: Mammoth South, Mammoth Central I, and Mammoth Central II. Together, these phases will generate 900 MW of clean energy.
That’s enough electricity to power around 200,000 homes with clean energy, helping Indiana shift away from fossil fuels while boosting the local economy.
Construction is already underway, and over the next two years, Bechtel will install around 2 million solar panels, with about half of them made in the US. The company is also handling all engineering, procurement, and construction work, using its digital project management tools and autonomous tech to keep everything on track.
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At the peak of the buildout, Mammoth Solar is expected to create over 1,200 jobs, with at least 15% of those set aside for apprenticeships.
Bechtel says its success will hinge on strong collaboration with local trades and vendors. The company is working closely with craft professionals and is committed to being a reliable community partner throughout construction.
Once the solar farm is complete in 2027, Doral Renewables plans to roll out agrivoltaics across the site. That means livestock grazing and crop cultivation will happen right alongside energy production, giving farmers in the area a way to keep working their land while supporting clean energy development.
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BYD is about to launch an even smaller EV, but this one’s a little different. It’s BYD’s first kei car. You know, those tiny vehicles that dominate Japan’s city streets? BYD’s mini EV was just spotted out in public, giving us our first real look at the upcoming kei car.
BYD’s first mini EV was spotted in public
Last week, rumors surfaced that BYD was developing its first kei car, which would compete with top-selling models from Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, and other Japanese brands.
Kei cars, or “K-Car,” as they are sometimes called, are a class of ultra-compact vehicles that cannot be longer than 3.4 meters (134″). To put that into perspective, BYD’s smallest EV currently, the Seagull (called the Dolphin Mini overseas), is 3,780 mm (148.8″) long.
The mini vehicles are ideal in Japan because they are so small, making it easy to get around tight city streets. They are also more affordable and efficient than larger vehicles.
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BYD’s mini EV was spotted for the first time during a road test this week by IT Home (via CarNewsChina), revealing a familiar look. It has that boxy, compact look of a typical kei car with sliding side doors.
BYD’s kei car, or mini EV, in camouflage (Source: Sina/ IT Home)
According to reports, BYD is developing a new platform for the model. It will reportedly include a 20 kWh battery, good for 180 km (112 miles) WLTC range. By using its in-house Blade LFP batteries, BYD is expected to have a cost advantage.
BYD’s upcoming mini EV is expected to start at around 2.5 million yen, or about $18,000. That’s about the same as the Nissan Sakura (2.59 million yen), Japan’s best-selling EV last year.
Last year, around 1.55 million kei cars were sold in Japan, accounting for roughly 40% of new vehicle sales. Honda’s N-Box was the top-selling kei car (EV or gas) for the third straight year.
As Nikkei reported, some are already calling BYD’s electric kei car “a huge threat.” A Suzuki dealer said, “Young people do not have a negative view of BYD. It would be a huge threat if the company launches cheap models in Japan.”
Nissan Sakura mini EV (Source: Nissan)
BYD already sells several electric cars in Japan, including the Atto 3 SUV, Dolphin, and Seal. Last month, the company launched the new Sealion 7 midsize electric SUV, starting at 4.95 million yen ($34,500).
Although Japan isn’t really an EV hot spot, with sales falling 33% in 2024 to just under 60,000 units, BYD sees an opportunity.
BYD Dolphin Mini (Seagull) testing in Brazil (Source: BYD)
By making virtually every car component in-house, including batteries, BYD can offer EVs at such low prices while still making a profit. BYD’s cheapest and best-selling electric car, the Seagull, starts at under $10,000 (69,800 yuan) in China.
With new smart driving and charging tech rolling out, BYD’s electric cars are getting smarter and even more efficient.
Can BYD’s mini EV compete with Japanese brands? At the right price, it may have a chance. Check back soon for more on the upcoming kei car. We’ll keep you up to date with the latest.
Ford’s electric pickup truck is back at the top. The F-150 Lightning is once again the best-selling electric pickup in the US after overtaking the Tesla Cybertruck in the first quarter.
Ford’s F-150 Lightning is the best-selling electric pickup
After launching in 2023, Tesla’s Cybertruck quickly outpaced the Lightning to become America’s top-selling EV pickup last year.
Since Tesla doesn’t break down regional sales, registration data gives us our best estimate. The latest registration data from S&P Global Mobility (via Automotive News) shows that the F-150 Lightning retook the title in March and the first quarter of 2025.
Ford’s electric pickup notched 2,598 registrations in March, topping the Tesla Cybertruck with 2,170. In the first quarter, the F-150 Lightning remained ahead with 7,913 registrations, compared to the Cybertruck’s 7,126.
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Although the Cybertruck was the fifth top-selling EV in the US last year, it didn’t even crack the top ten in March. It placed ninth through the first three months of 2025, behind the Volkswagen ID.4.
2025 Ford F-150 Lightning (Source: Ford)
While Tesla and Ford remained the leaders in the electric pickup market, several new models are gaining momentum. According to the most recent numbers from Cox Automotive, GM sold 2,383 Chevy Silverado EVs and 1,249 GMC Sierra EV models in Q1. Meanwhile, Rivian sold 1,727 R1Ts during the quarter.
Earlier today, Electrek reported that new models, including the Honda Prologue and Chevy Blazer EV, helped drive EV registrations up 20% in the US in March.
2026 GMC Sierra EV AT4 (left) and Elevation (right) trims (Source: GMC)
Although the Lightning reclaimed the crown from Tesla, Ford’s electric pickup isn’t exactly flying off the lot. Ford reported Lightning sales fell 16% to just 1,740 units in April. Through April 2025, Ford has sold 8,927 electric trucks, down 9% from the 9,833 it handed over last year.
Electrek’s Take
To be fair, Tesla is still ahead by a wide margin in the US. The S&P numbers show Tesla had over 51,000 registrations in March, up 1% after two months of lower YOY growth.
GM’s Chevy surpassed Ford to become the second-best-selling EV brand with nearly 8,500 registrations, an increase of 274% from last year. Ford dropped to third with 7,361 registrations.
Although it’s just one quarter, it’s starting to show how Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s political antics are likely impacting sales. After the Cybertruck’s initial hype, it appears many buyers are opting for traditional pickups, like the F-150 Lighting.
Meanwhile, Ram is delaying its first electric pickup, the 1500 REV, again. Ram is pushing production back until summer 2027, saying it’s “extending the quality validation period.” The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Ramcharger will also be delayed until the first quarter of 2026.
After pulling the Ramcharger ahead of the fully electric version last year, Stellantis blamed weak demand for EV pickups in the US.
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