Environment

Joe Rogan’s new custom Tesla Model S Plaid looks sick

Published

5 months ago

January 24, 2025

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Joe Rogan got himself a new Tesla Model S Plaid customized by Unplugged Performance, and I think it looks sick.

Dope or nope?

Rogan was not always a fan of electric vehicles. In fact, at one point, he was one of the biggest EV misinformation spreaders.

It wasn’t intentional. Like many, he got caught in the decades of misinformation pushed by the fossil fuel industry and some automakers trying not to make them.

He eventually got onboard after Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, convinced him to get a Model S Plaid during an interview.

The famous comedian and podcaster was impressed by the acceleration of electric vehicles, or more specifically, the Model S Plaid’s acceleration and the overall technology inside Tesla’s vehicles.

For the last year or so, he has been talking about getting a new Model S Plaid and having it modified by Tesla tuner Unplugged Performance (UP). The company has now announced that it has delivered the vehicle to Rogan:

This one-of-one build blends the best of Unplugged Performance’s engineering expertise with Joe’s vision for a perfect blend of class and aggression that can be driven daily. The result is a car that’s as striking in appearance as it is in craftsmanship and performance.

Here’s a gallery of Rogan’s new Model S Plaid:

The main modification is a widebody, which involves a “19-piece prepreg carbon fiber widebody kit that increases the width of the vehicle by 80mm.”

It is also equipped with UP-03 forged monoblock wheels and carbon fiber rocker panels with an integrated Koenigsegg Advanced Manufacturing aerodynamic shark fin at the front wheels.

Here’s Rogan checking out his new car for the first time with UP founder Ben Schaffer:

The vehicle also features UP’s upgraded suspension and brakes.

Dope or nope?

Electrek’s Take

I think it looks pretty dope. I hope it gets Joe to become better informed about electric vehicles because even since he has owned a Tesla, he has kept spreading misinformation about electric vehicles.

I like Joe, but I think he can sometimes be quite careless about the impact of his platform, and I certainly wouldn’t take anything he says too seriously unless it has to do with subjects he is an expert in, which are comedy and martial arts.

As a fan of both, I think he is genuinely knowledgeable on those and worth listening to.

However, recently, I heard him say on his podcast that electric vehicles are worse than gas-powered vehicles for air population because they are heavier and, therefore, produce more brake pad particles.

I couldn’t believe him saying that as a Tesla driver himself. Then he somehow remembered about regenerative braking greatly reducing the use of brake pads in EVs compared to fossil fuel vehicles. I thought he was redeeming himself, but no. He then added that he thought only Tesla vehicles had regenerative braking.

He could really use an EV expert to dispel much of the misinformation he has spread about EVs on his podcast.

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Environment

Chime prices IPO at $27 per share, valuing fintech company at $11.6 billion ahead of Nasdaq debut

Published

9 hours ago

June 11, 2025

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Chime prices IPO at per share, valuing fintech company at .6 billion ahead of Nasdaq debut

Chime Visa Credit Card

Source: Chime

Chime priced its IPO at $27 per share on Wednesday, above the expected range, in an offering that values the provider of online banking services at $11.6 billion

The company raised roughly $700 million in the IPO, with another $165 million worth of shares being sold by existing investors. The stock is expected to begin trading Thursday under ticker symbol CHYM.

The offering comes after a years-long freeze in the fintech IPO pipeline, as rising interest rates and valuation resets kept many late-stage companies on the sidelines. The market has started to loosen. Trading platform eToro jumped 29% in its Nasdaq debut last month, and crypto company Circle popped after hitting the market last week.

Online lender Klarna, meanwhile, has delayed its IPO plans and last month reported steep quarterly losses.

The US’s largest solar + storage project just hit a big milestone

Published

9 hours ago

June 11, 2025

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The US's largest solar + storage project just hit a big milestone

AES just completed the first half of Bellefield, which will become the largest solar + storage facility in the US.

The 1,000-megawatt (MW) Bellefield 1 project in Kern County, California, includes 500 MW of solar and 500 MW of four-hour battery storage, all under a 15-year contract with Amazon. When the full 2,000 MW Bellefield project is done, it will be the biggest solar-plus-storage installation in the country.

“Completing the first 1,000 MW of Bellefield demonstrates how rapidly solar and storage can be deployed to meet the growing energy demand of data centers,” said AES CEO Andrés Gluski.

AES has locked in deals with “major global hyperscalers” – think tech giants like Amazon and Meta – for more than 10 gigawatts of clean power. Bellefield is a big part of that.

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To speed up the build and make it safer, AES used its own robot helper, Maximo. This AI-powered robotic system helped crews install solar panels faster and with more precision.

Once the full 2 GW project is online, Bellefield will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 467,000 homes annually. It’s expected to prevent more than 1 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually and boost air quality in the region.

Construction of Bellefield 1 created more than 700 union jobs, and AES says Bellefield 2, which is expected to wrap in 2026, will create around 1,000 union jobs at peak.

AES says it will start recognizing revenue from Bellefield 1 later this year, right on schedule.

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Environment

Kia’s new EV4 is already the best-selling domestic electric sedan in its home market

Published

10 hours ago

June 11, 2025

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Kia's new EV4 is already the best-selling domestic electric sedan in its home market

Kia’s first electric sedan is already being called “a box office hit.” In just its second month on the market, the Kia EV4 was the best-selling domestic electric sedan in Korea.

Kia EV4 is Korea’s best-selling domestic electric sedan

After launching sales in Korea in April, Kia sold just 831 EV4 models in its first month. Local reports attributed the “limited deliveries” in April to delivery delays and issues with subsidies.

Kia expected sales to rebound quickly after government subsidies resumed, and it appears that the issues are being resolved.

In May, Kia EV4 sales reached 1,373 in Korea, making it the best-selling domestic electric sedan. Hyundai’s IONIQ 6 also saw higher demand, with sales up 100% from last May to 754 units.

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With the IONIQ 6 refresh set to launch later this year, Hyundai is offering up to over $6,500 (9 million won) in discounts on the current model. Hyundai and Kia are dealing with an influx of new electric sedans with aggressive discounts from EV makers like BYD.

One industry insider called the Kia EV4 a “box office hit,” but it still has some time to earn that title. With a starting price of about $30,000 (41.92 million won), the EV4 is one of the most affordable models in its class.

It’s even cheaper than BYD’s Seal electric sedan, which launched in Korea in April, starting at 47.5 million won ($35,000).

The EV4 is available with two battery sizes: 58.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh, offering driving ranges of 382 km (237 miles) and 533 km (331 miles) in Korea, respectively.

Kia’s electric sedan can recharge from 10% to 80% in just under 30 minutes. The extended-range battery takes about 31 minutes to recharge.

Inside, you’ll find a similar setup to the brand’s other new EV models. The setup includes Kia’s new ccNC infotainment with nearly 30″ of combined display, including dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens, plus a 5″ climate control screen.

Kia EV4 Trim	Starting Price
Kia EV4 Standard Air	41.92 million won ($28,900)
Kia EV4 Standard Earth	46.69 million won ($32,000)
Kia EV4 Standard GT-Line	47.83 million won ($32,900)
Kia EV4 Long Range Air	46.29 million won ($31,800)
Kia EV4 Long Range Earth	51.04 million won ($35,000)
Kia EV4 Long Range GT-Line	51.04 million won ($35,900)

Kia EV4 prices by trim in Korea (Source: Kia)

The real test will come later this year when Kia launches the EV4 in Europe, followed by the US in 2026. In the US, it will be available with the same 58.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh battery packs, offering ranges of up to 235 miles and 330 miles, respectively. On the WLTP scale, it’s rated with a range of up to 391 miles.