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The Tesla Model Y was dethroned as the world’s best selling car last year, according to data from JATO dynamics. It was beaten by the Toyota RAV4, by a margin of just 0.16%.

Since Q1 2023, the Tesla Model Y had held the crown as the best-selling car in the world. It was the first EV to do so, quite an accomplishment for a vehicle company that didn’t exist two decades prior.

The win had actually been a fulfillment of a prediction by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who said when the Model Y was introduced that he thought it had the potential to take the crown. Unlike many of Musk’s other predictions, this one came true.

The Model Y retained the crown of best-selling car for the full year of 2023, and continued to sell well starting in 2024. It looked like it might retain the crown for the full year of sales.

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But then, things started to change… Musk decided to get involved in politics and became the largest source of bribes to anti-EV forces in the world. Musk gave hundreds of millions of dollars to try to destroy the American EV market, something that the party he donated to is trying to follow through with today in Congress.

Unsurprisingly, getting himself involved in anti-EV politics was not helpful for sales of the EV that the EV company he is the titular CEO of sells.

As the year drew on, consumers were turned off of Tesla, not only in the US but in other countries around the world which disliked Musk’s attempts to meddle in their own domestic politics (by, for example, showing support for German neo-Nazis, or his many other white supremacist statements).

This resulted in sales troubles for Tesla, which started in the middle of last year, when Tesla saw its first consecutive down quarters in deliveries that it had ever seen since the company got off the ground.

Now, given the new data compiled by Felipe Munoz of JATO dynamics, we know that the brand damage done by Musk was enough to knock Model Y off the top step – though by an exceedingly small margin.

The Toyota RAV4 managed to beat the Tesla Model Y by less than 3,000 units globally, which is around one tenth of one percent of the total sales of the two models. So, these models were essentially tied. The RAV4 gained sales and the Model Y lost sales over the full year.

Notably, Tesla also had another model, the Model 3, in the top-ten cars in the world. It retained its 9th-place spot, and sales increased by 10% in 2024. The BYD Qin rounded out the top 10, leaving 3 plug-in models among the 10 best-selling cars in the world.

The competition came at a weird time, for both the RAV4 and Model Y. The RAV4 was nearing the end of its current generation, needing a refresh which was announced in May for the 2026 model year. Among other things, that refresh kills off the ICE-only version of the RAV4, leaving only hybrid and plug-in hybrid models (though, as usual, Toyota is being deceptive in its marketing about what that means).

However, despite that upcoming refresh, the RAV4 still saw its best sales in its current generation, which is a rare feat.

The Model Y also had an upcoming refresh, which was perhaps more anticipated, and also expected/announced sooner. The refresh was officially announced on January 9, just a few days after the full year of sales ended, but we had seen plenty of leaks and information prior (including the refresh of the Model 3).

This upcoming refresh, and all the information about it, likely did help to depress sales from individuals who wanted to wait until the refresh came through.

So both models were late in their life, which means their places as #1 and #2 on the global sales charts were all the more impressive – but also, given the balance of how “expected” each refresh was, and how big of a refresh might have been expected, we think perhaps the Model Y’s sales were affected more by this than the RAV4’s, adding a potential asterisk to the change in title due to changeovers… but it’s still a bit of a stretch.

So, if 2025 were a normal year, we might expect another close fight, with both vehicles working through new order lists of their refreshed models.

But, if you haven’t been paying attention to the news (how? please tell me, I’d like to join you), 2025 is not turning out to be a normal year.

Musk has continued his politicking, which included starting the year off by making two unambiguous Nazi salutes in front of a world audience. He has since gone on to agree with a defense of Hitler’s actions in the Holocaust. His actions have driven protests against the companyembarrassed owners and pushed many customers away – and despite a very public breakup with the anti-EV forces he had previously allied himself with, the protesters he inspired aren’t planning on stopping.

As a result, Tesla sales have continued to crater this year. They’re dropping in almost every territory, and Tesla just confirmed its poor Q2 sales numbers, down significantly from the previous year. Tesla doesn’t break out individual model sales, but given the Model Y is its best-seller, we’re sure they’re down quite a bit.

So, while a fight might have still been possible in 2025, it seems unlikely at this point that Tesla can come back from the brand damage done to it by its titular CEO. Congratulations Model Y on your almost two years at the top, and for breaking this glass ceiling for EVs everywhere – and BYD/Xiaomi/Xpeng, we’ll be waiting to see you up there soon enough.


Another effect of Musk’s politicking is that republicans just voted to kill 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.

To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – ad*

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Toyota’s best-selling car may finally go electric: Here’s our first look at the Corolla EV

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Toyota's best-selling car may finally go electric: Here's our first look at the Corolla EV

A fully electric Corolla? Toyota’s best-selling car of all time looks to be finally going electric after the automaker previewed the Corolla EV for the first time.

Is Toyota’s best-selling car getting an electric version?

Since it first launched over 50 years ago, the Corolla quickly became one of the most popular vehicles in nearly every pocket of the globe.

In the late 90s, it even surpassed the Volkswagen Beetle to become the best-selling car in the world, not just Toyota’s.

After holding the crown for over two decades, the Toyota Corolla finally lost its title to the Tesla Model Y in 2023. Although it’s still a top-seller globally, the Corolla appears to be in line for its biggest update yet.

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Toyota previewed what appears to be a fully electric Corolla for the first time during a live stream event in Japan on Monday. The commercial showed several “never-before-seen cars” that will be unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show later this month.

Toyota-Corolla-EV
Toyota previews the Corolla EV (Source: Toyota)

One of the concepts shown was a new, seemingly electric Corolla. Outside of the big COROLLA logo on the back, you can hardly tell it’s the sedan Toyota currently has on sale today.

The concept features a closed-off grille and an apparent charge port on the front, hinting it is, in fact, electric. It also draws from Toyota’s latest design theme showcased on new EVs like the updated bZ4X and 2026 CH-R Electric.

Toyota-best-selling-car-electric
Toyota previews the Corolla EV (Source: Toyota)

It also looks nearly identical to the bZ3, a BYD-powered electric sedan that Toyota has been selling in China since 2023.

Toyota didn’t reveal any other details about the concept, but said the vehicle will appear at the Japan Mobility Show, which starts on October 30, 2025. Press days open on October 29, so check back soon for more info.

Electrek’s Take

The Corolla may be going electric, but don’t expect Toyota to drop the internal combustion engine (ICE) version anytime soon.

Given that Toyota is still standing by its commitment to offer vehicles across all powertrain options, even if it does launch an electric Corolla, it will likely be sold alongside ICE, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid variants.

Either way, an electric sedan would fit in Toyota’s EV lineup, which will include mostly SUVs like the bZ4X (now just the 2026 bZ in the US), CH-R+, and Urban Cruiser.

Would an electric Toyota Corolla compete with the Tesla Model 3? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Jetson showcases eVTOL racing concept called the Jetson Air Games [Video]

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Jetson showcases eVTOL racing concept called the Jetson Air Games [Video]

Personal use eVTOL developer Jetson continues to showcase to the public how exciting an aerial eVTOL racing format can be. The company recently showcased a racing format concept it calls the Jetson Air Games, in which four single-rider Jetson ONE eVTOLs raced head-to-head around a series of pylons during the annual UP.Summit. We highly suggest checking out the video footage below.

Jetson is startup founded in 2017 specializing in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. By developing smaller eVTOLs, Jetson originally hailed itself as the first competitor to provide commercially available personal aerial vehicles to the public.

And it has.

Last month, Jetson completed its first global customer delivery, which included a Jetson ONE for Oculus founder and tech entrepreneur Palmer Luckey.

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Before any customer deliveries, however, Jetson had been teasing the idea of using its flagship eVTOL product for racing purposes. In December 2024, the company released footage showing Jetson co-founder and CTO Tomasz Patan demonstrating the precision and agility of the Jetson ONE by navigating around an 8-meter (26ft) tall pylon.

According to a concurrent release, the pylon was a new item that Jetson began producing to encourage and support plans for a new league of eVTOL races. As we pointed out at the time, Jetson’s eVTOL racing idea was nothing new. A team called Airspeeder in Australia has been doing it for years with its own unique eVTOLs it calls “Speeders.”

While Airspeeder has completed eVTOL races, it has yet to do so with actual pilots on board. That’s the goal, but it still hasn’t happened yet, which left the door open for Jetson to be the first with its tech.

  • Jetson eVTOL racing
  • Jetson eVTOL racing
  • Jetson eVTOL racing

Jetson previews eVTOL racing format at UP.Summit

Jetson shared details of its latest milestone following a successful “aerial showcase” at UP.Summit 2025 in Bentonville, Arkansas. Using four Jetson ONE eVTOLs, which at one point formed a “first-ever” four-vessel formation flight, the company introduced the future concept of the Jetson Air Games.

According to Jetson, its Air Games is a new competitive eVTOL format racing designed to “redefine personal air mobility through dynamic aerial sports.” After the four-eVTOL formation (seen above), the Jetson ONE pilots completed a speedy race around the pylons, followed by a solo aerial session by who else but Tomasz Patan, who was also involved in both the formation and the ensuing race. Patan spoke:

Flying for such a large and engaged audience was incredibly special. It was a moment of pride for our entire team and a clear signal that Jetson is ready to lead the next chapter in aviation—and in aerial sport.

Jetson said its eVTOL racing showcase drew plenty of positive feedback from the audience, as well as several investment inquiries. According to the company, its Jetson ONE order is approaching units, representing $75 million in future sales.

The Jetson ONE currently costs $128,000, but the company shared plans to increase that starting price to $148,000, beginning November 3, 2025. As promised, here’s video footage of Jetson’s racing showcase below:

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Bigger, badder Section 179 tax credit could POWER UP fleet electrification efforts

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Bigger, badder Section 179 tax credit could POWER UP fleet electrification efforts

After the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit (Section 45W) expired on September 30, the “experts” rushed out predictions of an EV sales slowdown in Q4. But, with over 6,800 pages in the Internal Revenue Code still in play, a turbocharged Section 179 tax credit could still power a strong Q4 for commercial EVs.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) of 2025 gutted America’s energy independence goals and ensuring its auto industry would fall even further behind the Chinese in the EV race, but the loss of Section 45W wasn’t the only change written into the IRS’ rulebook. Section 179, an immediate expense reduction that business owners can take on depreciable equipment assets, has been made significantly more powerful for 2025.

The section 179 expense deduction is limited to such items as cars, office equipment, business machinery, and computers. This speedy deduction can provide substantial tax relief for business owners who are purchasing startup equipment.

INVESTOPEDIA

The revised Section 179 tax credit (or, more accurately, expense reduction) allows for a 100% deduction for equipment purchases has doubled to $2.5 million, with a phase-out kicking in at $4 million of capital investments that drops to zero at $6.5 million. That credit and can be applied to new and used vehicles, as well as charging infrastructure, battery energy storage systems, specialized tools, and more (as long as they’re new to you).

Work the tax credit


By Mira Norian; via Investopedia.

“But wait,” as they say. “There’s more!” A revised Section 168(k) also allows for bonus depreciation on eligible equipment and property, accelerating depreciation for a reduced tax burden.

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Fleets can take both the bigger Section 179 and 168(k) bonus depreciation allowances, but Section 179 must be applied first, leaving only qualifying purchases over the $2.5 million limit to be taken in bonus depreciation.

It’s a bit convoluted (what good tax code isn’t?), but these tax incentives are great for businesses looking to buy enough electric equipment assets to exceed the Section 179 spending limit – and, given the new Uber/Tesla semi truck purchase plan, the continued growth of the electric terminal tractor market, and the willingness of several utilities to incentivize both electric commercial vehicles and the deployment of smart EV charging infrastructure, that number may be bigger than you think.

Electrek’s Take Disclaimer


Volvo Group collaborates on fossil-free ski resort
L25 Electric wheel loader; by Volvo CE.

Tax law is weird. Not only are there Federal tax laws and rules that need to be followed, but state and even local county and city rules, as well. As such, you want to make sure they don’t get you the way the got Capone.

Even worse, your favorite journalist (Hi!) is probably an idiot. Get a certified accountant and tax law expert to help walk you through the dirtier details of your specific scenario – but don’t let the complexity of human interaction slow you down, either. The really rich guys you know pay pennies on the tax dollar compared to you and me, because they’re not afraid to ask their accountants for help.

The TL;DR version, though, is this: there’s still plenty of incentives out there for fleet operators looking to electrify their operations.

SOURCES | IMAGES: Equipment World, Investopedia, Volvo.


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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