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Despite pulling out of the Russian market in a response to that nation’s invasion of Ukraine, new trademark filings and a buyback option on its shuttered factory are raising eyebrows. Is Hyundai headed for a Russian return?

Hyundai joined most Western automakers in pulling out of the Russian market, and officially “left” the market in December of 2023, issuing one of the shortest, emotionally neutral-est press releases in recent memory:

SEOUL, December 19, 2023 – Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) today held a Board of Directors meeting, approving a plan to sell its entire stake in Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus (HMMR LLC) to Art-Finance LLC. The operation of St. Petersburg-based HMMR has been suspended since March 2022. Hyundai is currently making final arrangements with Art-Finance for details of the deal.

To support Hyundai vehicle owners in Russia, Hyundai will continue to provide after-sales services and other customer care businesses.

HYUNDAI

But Hyundai didn’t simply abandon its Russian assets or sell them off. The Korea Herald reports that the company “sold” its manufacturing facility in St. Petersburg for just 140,000 won (the equivalent of 100USD), with a buyback option allowing the company to buy the plant back within two years of the initial sale.

For those of you doing the math, that gives Hyundai until December 2025 to decide whether it wants to buy back its massive, multimillion dollar, 200,000-unit annual capacity St. Petersburg factory for less than the cost of taking a family of four out to a prime-time showing of whatever Disney’s latest cynical live-action cash-grab is.

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“But wait,” says the disembodied head of Billy Mays’ ghost, “there’s more!” That same report cites a number of Russian outlets that claim Hyundai and Kia have received more than 20 fresh trademarks in the vehicles, parts, and accessory categories from Rospatent, the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property.

My guess: they’re gonna want that factory back.

Why now

From the Presidential Press and Information Office; under Creative Commons v.4.

While it might be nice to imagine a resolution and permanent ceasefire in Ukraine, the reality is that it’s Trump’s destabilizing tariffs, combined with a population that’s reluctant to give Chinese automakers a fresh foothold on their uphill climb, have come together to make a fresh look at the Russian market – especially as the two-year buyback deadline looms.

With the Trump risks regarding US exports, (Hyundai) needs to figure out ways to diversify their business regions,” Kim Pil-su, an automotive engineering professor at Daelim University, told The Korea Times. “(The company) already has experience in the Russian market and Russian customers have preference for Hyundai and Kia cars. It might cost them to buy back (the Russian plant) but they are going to proceed with the buyback option to revive their Russian business.”

It’s believed that Hyundai’s new, affordable new $25,000 Inster EV will lead the Korean charge back into Russia – part of a bid to push back against the Chinese influx of affordable, high-tech EVs, while the St. Petersburg factory spools up for production of more gas-powered offerings as EVs struggle to gain traction.

At its peak, Hyundai sold 354,000 vehicles across the country, accounting for a massive 23.3% total share of the new car market. Without other Western competition, a reborn HMMR would be looking at blue skies and green fields. If cold ones.

Electrek’s Take

Hyundai-Insteroid-EV
Hyundai Inster EV; via Hyundai.

Nobody ever said, “this is business,” before doing something nice. Planning for a return to the world’s 11th largest economy while the rest of the industry hits the brakes and waits for more stable footing is good business.

To put it another way: scared money don’t make no money.

SOURCES: TASS, The Korea Times; image of Trump and Putin from Wikimedia. According to Google Translate, that text in the featured image reads, “GOING BACK.”


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This vast 1.3 GW Indiana solar farm will power 200,000 homes

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This vast 1.3 GW Indiana solar farm will power 200,000 homes

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.

Read more: Solar adds more new capacity to the US grid in 2024 than any energy source in 20 years


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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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BYD’s funky new kei car spotted testing: Here’s our first look at the mini EV

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BYD's funky new kei car spotted testing: Here's our first look at the mini EV

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-mini-EV-spotted
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-affordable-EVs
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-mini-EV
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.

Source: Sina, CarNewsChina

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Ford F-150 Lightning retakes America’s best-selling electric pickup crown

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Ford F-150 Lightning retakes America's best-selling electric pickup crown

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.

Ford-F-150-Lightning-best-selling-electric-pickup
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-Elevation
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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