Connect with us

Published

on

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.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

GE Vernova lands repower orders for 1 GW of US wind turbines

Published

on

By

GE Vernova lands repower orders for 1 GW of US wind turbines

GE Vernova’s onshore wind business announced that it received orders in 2024 to repower over 1 gigawatt (GW) of wind turbines in the US.

Wind energy repowering is all about breathing new life into older turbines. By swapping out aging parts like turbines, blades, and nacelles for the latest tech, wind farms see significant boosts in efficiency, power capacity, and overall lifespan. Other infrastructure and control systems can also get a second life.

Adding new components to existing infrastructure and grid connections means it’s less expensive to extend the life of the wind farm with fewer resources. New components make the turbines less prone to breakdowns which means less maintenance, so there are fewer operational costs. 

The repowering projects for which GE Vernova received orders will use nacelles and drive trains that it manufactures in its Pensacola, Florida, factory.

“As the United States works to meet the doubling of projected demand for more energy, repower projects like these help US workers in US factories take advantage of what we already have, where we already have it,” said Matt Lynch, general manager of Repower at GE Vernova. 

The orders were booked between the first and fourth quarters of 2024. GE Vernova’s wind repower projects are expected to come online between 2024 and 2027.

GE Vernova’s onshore wind business has a total installed base of approximately 56,000 turbines and nearly 120 GW of installed capacity worldwide.

Read more: Cleantech investments to top fossil fuels for the first time in 2025


If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. 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. They have 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 Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Kia’s NACS adapters available now; Supercharger access still pending

Published

on

By

Kia's NACS adapters available now; Supercharger access still pending

Kia’s official first-party NACS adapters are now ready to ship out, but owners will have to wait to use them on Tesla Superchargers until later this quarter.

The rollout of Supercharger access to non-Tesla brands is hitting a fever pitch this year, with several brands added to the “coming soon” list, and even beyond that, VW and Honda have both made their own announcements that access is coming soon.

But for most vehicles, charging on Superchargers will require an adapter for the time being, as most brands aren’t adding native NACS ports to their vehicles until a future date (the current exceptions are the 2025 Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 which have native ports).

Each manufacturer is dealing with adapter rollouts separately, and Kia’s ready to announce that their adapters are ready to go.

Kia told us today that shipments of first-party adapters are currently en route to dealerships, and certain owners will be getting a notification soon to claim their adapter.

In Kia’s previous announcement about adapter availability, it said that any 2024 or 2025 EV6 or EV9 owners who took delivery after September 4 would get a free NACS adapter. Those owners should receive a push notification soon in their Kia Connect app through which they can claim their adapter.

For other owners, adapters will be available from Kia dealers for $249, which is roughly in line with the average cost we’ve been seeing for these adapters. Dealers should be getting the adapters any day now.

However, these adapters will be of limited usefulness for the next several weeks. You’ll be able to use them to charge at Tesla destination chargers, or any home charger with a Tesla/NACS plug on it, but Supercharger access still requires a handshake between the car and the charging network, and that handshake is currently disabled.

Originally, Kias were going to gain access on January 15th, but that was pushed back until the “back end of this quarter.” Some owners found out a loophole to allow for charging on the network, but that loophole was closed just yesterday.

As a result, Kia is also including “definitive instructions” on how to use the adapters along with each shipment. It wants to ensure that everyone is using them properly, especially given the recent back-and-forth about, uh, unsanctioned methods to access the network before official availability.

Kia’s EV6 with the native NACS port has also taken longer to arrive than Hyundai’s 2025 Ioniq 5. Ioniq 5s are already shipping (and can even charge faster than Teslas at a Supercharger, a feat the EV6 should also achieve), but EV6s haven’t yet hit dealerships. They should be on around the same timeline as Supercharger access, and ought to be available in the back half of this quarter.

So… Kia fans will still have to wait a little bit, but at least you’ll have the adapters ready to go for when the floodgates open later this quarter.

If you’re looking to buy one of the fastest-charging EVs on the road today, use our link to check local dealers and get in line for when they get the new 2025 Kia EV6s in stock.


But when you’re charging at *home*, charge your electric vehicle using rooftop solar panels. Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage, for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here. – ad*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Kempower and Ziegler partner on EV fast charging for fleets

Published

on

By

Kempower and Ziegler partner on EV fast charging for fleets

EV charger manufacturer Kempower and Ziegler Energy Solutions have paired up to deliver EV fast charging infrastructure for commercial fleets.

To put it simply, Finland and US-based Kempower brings DC fast chargers to the table, and Ziegler Energy Solutions’ (ZES’s) specialty is infrastructure, energy efficiency, and operational flexibility, along with sales and service.

“As businesses and municipalities increasingly transition to electric fleets, reliable and adaptable EV charging infrastructure with the highest uptime is paramount,” said Troy Monson, general manager of Ziegler Energy Solutions. “Partnering with Kempower enables us to deliver scalable, user-friendly solutions that support our customers’ electrification goals and operational needs.”

ZES, which is now a Kempower Certified Partner, helps fleet operators address challenges like high mileage, uptime demands, and energy cost management using its EV fleet planning tools that simulate real-world scenarios like duty cycles, charging schedules, and energy needs. It also has a leasing program, and integrates solar and battery storage into fast charging infrastructure.

This means Kempower can now offer its DC fast chargers to fleet operators with ZES’s support, ensuring uptime and reliability.

Read more: GM is using AI to find ideal spots for EV charging stations


If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. 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. They have 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 Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending