Hundreds of EPA employees have asked their boss, Lee Zeldin, to stop lying
Nearly 500 employees of the Environmental Protection Agency have published a “Declaration of Dissent” opposing the actions of the current EPA head, Lee Zeldin, who is working to politicize the agency, ignore science, and spread misinformation.
The letter was sent to Zeldin, and to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and Members of Congress. It was also posted online, where you can read it in full.
It details concerns by EPA employees who have worked to advance the agency’s mission of actually protecting the environment, and who see the current leadership as working against that mission.
Specifically, the letter lays out five primary concerns. It says that:
- Zeldin has undermined public trust by adopting the messaging of political propaganda, rather than the science that the EPA’s work relies on. This includes spreading misinformation about science through official EPA channels, claiming science is a “religion,” praising “clean coal” (which does not exist), and attacking members of Congress (which may have violated the Hatch Act, which disallows political campaigning by federal employees).
- Zeldin ignores science to benefit polluters. The EPA has solid science showing asbestos, mercury, greenhouse gases, and PFAS (aka “forever chemicals”) are harmful to health; yet Zeldin has worked to increase exposure to all of them. He has also steered the country to more polluting (and more expensive) gas guzzling vehicles and ignored the increased energy use of AI. Doing all of this threatens trust in the EPA as a scientific authority.
- Zeldin is harming America’s most vulnerable communities. Research shows that disadvantaged communities bear the brunt of environmental damage, but Zeldin has worked to deepen harm to those communities.
- Zeldin wants to take the job of research from the EPA’s research office and assume direct control over it himself, allowing political meddling into what are otherwise strictly scientific findings.
- Zeldin promotes a culture of fear, making staff think that they may see retaliation or lose their livelihoods if they do their job of researching how to best protect the environment.
The letter was signed by 424 employees, with 197 of them being anonymous due to that aforementioned culture of fear. The number of signatures seems to be increasing – Science quoted EPA attorney Nicole Cantello as stating that “having folks speak up is contagious.” At the time that article was posted, the employee count was 278.
It concludes by exhorting Zeldin to take the goal of the EPA, and his own stated goal to “inherit a world with clean air, clean water, and a thriving economy” seriously. It points out that under Zeldin’s current course, EPA “will not protect communities from hazardous chemicals and unsafe drinking water, but instead will increase risks to public health and safety.” It states that there is an opportunity to correct course and take the mission seriously, and asks for his “deliberate consideration of these concerns.”
Electrek’s Take
It shouldn’t be a surprise that an environmental saboteur is in charge of the agency, given that we once again have an enemy of America squatting in the White House.
The last time the same incompetent former reality TV host wandered into the White House in 2017 (after receiving 3 million fewer votes than his opponent), we saw Scott Pruitt acting as Chief Saboteur of the EPA. He was hired because, at the time, he was suing the EPA with the goal of making the air dirtier. So you can guess where that went, with a guy who wants to poison you holding the job of protecting you from poison.
Thankfully, he wasn’t as effective as the hundreds of thousands of dollars of fossil fuel industry bribes he received over this life might have hoped, and his tenure was marked by scandal and incompetence. Pruitt ended up being even too corrupt for the champion of corruption himself, and resigned after scandal after scandal.
Pruitt was then replaced by Andrew Wheeler, a coal lobbyist, who unsurprisingly was also an idiot and a liar who tried to organize a $70 billion bailout for the dying coal industry (it didn’t work, the industry is still dying).
So, Zeldin is stepping right into those same shoes.
Even before he assumed his position, he came out with the Orwellian statement that he wants to make the air cleaner by making the air dirtier. And, like the previous two saboteurs appointed by the convicted felon who is actively working to harm you in as many ways as he can (and who is Constitutionally barred from holding office in the US), Zeldin has also received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Oil & Gas industry over his political career – during which he received the worst environmental score out of the entire New York congressional delegation.
Right off the bat, he started his efforts to poison you, raise fuel costs and harm US industry, and there is little evidence that he’s got any interest in stopping.
The rhetoric he has used is not just filled with misinformation, but is cult-like in its style. It randomly puts words in all caps, refers to pollution as “beautiful”, and so on, echoing the style of the ignorant felon squatting in the White House.
So we applaud these EPA employees for taking their job seriously, and trying to get some sort of change from their leadership – or at least, to shine a light on the hostility that it has shown to science and human health.
But given the incompetence and hostility to America is a directive straight from the top, which republicans seem to be mindlessly parroting in lockstep, we’re not sure they’ll get through. The real solution is to stop letting the republican party get anywhere near control over air quality, jobs, the economy, technology, or science, as they repeatedly prove their hostility to all of these things.
Another thing republicans want to kill is the rooftop solar credit. That means you could have only until the end of this year to install rooftop solar on your home, before republicans raise the cost of doing so by an average of ~$10,000. So if you want to go solar, get started now, because these things take time and the system needs to be active before you file for the credit.
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Tesla’s head of the Cybertruck program, Siddhant Awasthi, announced that he is leaving after more than 8 years at the company.
Awasthi is a good example of Tesla’s transition into fostering inside leadership rather than outside hiring.
For better or worse, over the last 5 years, Tesla has virtually had no significant outside hires into high-level leadership roles. It almost exclusively promotes from within.
Awasthi worked on a hyperloop school program, interned at Tesla, and joined the company straight out of school in 2018. Within 2 years, he became an engineering manager. Within 3 years, he was a senior technical program manager in charge of the Cybertruck’s 48-volt architecture.
To say that this is unusual at a major company would be an understatement.
By late 2022, ahead of Tesla’s planned start of Cybertruck production, he was made head of the electric truck program.
He was in charge of the production ramp and future improvements to the electric pickup truck, which has since become a commercial flop. Tesla is having trouble selling 25,000 Cybertrucks per year, despite planning for an annual production capacity of 250,000 trucks.
Today, the young engineer announced on X:
I recently made one of the hardest decisions of my life to leave Tesla after an incredible run.
He tried to “sum up” his career at Tesla in a paragraph:
It’s tough to sum up eight years in just a few lines, but what a thrilling journey it’s been: ramping up Model 3, working on Giga Shanghai, developing new electronics and wireless architectures, and delivering the once-in-a-lifetime Cybertruck—all before hitting 30. The icing on the cake was getting to dive back into Model 3 work toward the end.
In addition to his duties as Cybertruck program manager, Awasthi was also made in charge of the Model 3 program last summer.
Tesla has recently completely revamped its vehicle program organization following a wave of layoffs last year and many subsequent departures amid a talent exodus at the company.
Electrek’s Take
While I’m using Awasthi as an example of Tesla prioritizing internal promotions rather than attracting outside talent, I’m not blaming the failures of the Cybertruck program on him. The blame should always be placed at the very top.
The program failed because someone at Tesla —likely Elon —was way too optimistic about what it could accomplish, and ultimately, what Tesla unveiled in 2019 had very little to do with what it brought to production in 2023.
It had less range, fewer cool features, and all for a way higher price.
But it’s also far from an endorsement of Tesla’s organizational approach, far from it.
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When it comes to battery longevity, it appears that brand matters. A recent study published by Germany’s ADAC revealed tangible, real-world differences in how the high-voltage batteries in PHEVs age across manufacturers. The results: Mercedes’ batteries came out on top, Mitsubishi trailed behind.
A recent study by the German motoring group ADAC (think of it as Germany’s equivalent of America’s AAA) and data analysts at Austrian battery firm AVILOO analyzed more than 28,500 state-of-health (SoH) measurements from plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) across six years and several vehicle brands. While the study found that battery degradation for most brands remains within a range consistent with an average vehicle lifespan, it turns out that one of the strongest predictors of battery longevity was the brand of vehicle tested.
In other words: not all hybrid batteries are created equal, and it seems like you really do seem to get what you pay for with batteries from traditionally pricer brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volvo out-performing those from mainstream car brands like VW, Ford, and Mitsubishi. Here’s how ADAC broke it down:
In terms of brand comparison, Mercedes-Benz models generally show very stable battery performance up to a mileage of 200,000 kilometers. This contrasts with Mitsubishi, whose PHEVs already exhibit significant degradation even at low mileages, although this stabilizes somewhat over the course of their lifespan.
Battery degradation in vehicles from the Volkswagen Group and Volvo remains within an unremarkable range even with higher proportions of electric driving. BMW models show a noticeable variation across the entire field, depending on electric usage. In Ford models, battery capacity decreases remarkably early, regardless of the specific user group. However, predictions regarding battery condition at higher mileages are not possible due to the limited number of tests.
ADAC | GOOGLE TRANSLATE
So, what are the big takeaways here, besides the notion that more expensive products tend to be built better than cheaper ones? It seems like most PHEVs are maintaining more than 80% of their batteries’ SoH after 200,000 km (~120,000 miles), with some of the higher-performing batteries doing significantly better.
Still totally fine
Again, the ADAC results shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that the Mitsubishi PHEV models aren’t perfectly serviceable, reliable offerings – just that some cars that cost a lot more than the Mitsubishi tend to have batteries that last a little longer under typical driving conditions.
ADAC also adds that, if frequent electric-only trips are on your agenda (as they are on mine), a fully battery-electric vehicle may be the smarter pick, as their batteries go through fewer charging cycles and tend to last longer than PHEV batteries as a consequence.
At the end of the day, it’s a straightforward choice: align your powertrain with your intended daily use, and your battery will have an easier, longer, and healthier life.
SOURCES: ADAC, AVILOO; via Motorpasión.
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At EICMA 2025, Honda finally pulled back the curtain on its first full-size electric motorcycle with the first-ever public unveiling of the Honda WN7. As someone who’s followed the electric motorcycle space for over a decade, I’ve been waiting a long time to see Big Red bring some serious voltage – and it looks like that moment has arrived.
The WN7 isn’t just a compliance bike or a modest scooter like we’ve seen for years from Honda – it’s a legitimate full-size motorcycle, albeit still a commuter motorcycle and not something you’d likely want to take on a cross-country trip.
Designed as a naked street bike in Honda’s “FUN” category, the WN7 features a peak output of 50 kW (67 hp), putting it in a similar performance class to a 600cc internal combustion motorcycle. With 100 Nm of torque, it even rivals liter-class bikes in terms of torque off the line, promising quick acceleration and agile city or highway handling.
Honda’s development team leaned into the EV strengths with a design philosophy they call “Be the wind.” The goal is apparently a ride experience that’s quiet and immersive, letting you hear the world around you while still delivering that satisfying EV torque hit.
Visually, the WN7 sports a sharp silhouette and a horizontal LED light bar up front – a design element Honda says will become the face of its entire electric lineup. It also features a new colorway exclusive to Honda’s EVs: a black body accented with golden mechanical components.
One of the most interesting engineering decisions is the frameless chassis. Instead of a traditional motorcycle frame, Honda uses the rigid aluminum battery case itself as a central structural element, connecting both the front steering head and the rear swingarm pivot directly to it. This design not only cuts weight but also improves handling by centralizing the mass. It’s a move we’re seeing more frequently, having been employed by other electric motorcycle makers such as LiveWire as part of their S2 Arrow platform.
Honda’s powertrain includes a new liquid-cooled motor with a built-in inverter, delivering its power to a belt-drive rear wheel through a newly designed gearbox. It’s quiet, clean, and torquey – just what you want in a commuter or light touring bike.
The moderately sized, fixed 9.3 kWh battery supports both CCS2 fast charging (20% to 80% in 30 minutes) and Type 2 charging, with a claimed range of 140 km (87 miles) per charge under WMTC standards. Riders also benefit from regenerative braking with customizable deceleration levels, as well as a slow-speed walk mode for precise parking assistance.
No word yet on pricing or exact market release dates, but Honda says the WN7 will be produced in Japan and rolled out in regions “where electrification is advancing.” Perhaps that could be a clue about its entry, or lack thereof, in North America.
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