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Hyundai is gaining traction where most automakers are struggling to stay afloat. Despite a flood of low-cost electric cars and an intensifying price war, Hyundai sees an opportunity “to write a new chapter” with its first dedicated EV rolling out in China.

Will Hyundai’s new EV spark a comeback in China?

Leading up to its debut, we thought it could be the IONIQ 4 with a sleek new look. The ELEXIO is Hyundai’s first custom-tailored EV for China.

During its global debut earlier this month in Shanghai, Hyundai said China is a “must-fight place,” calling it “the core of Hyundai Motor’s global strategy.” The company also revealed its “In China, for China, to the World” strategy as it looks to make a comeback in the world’s largest EV market.

According to Hyundai, the company is already seeing early success. On Monday, Hyundai’s joint venture in China, Beijing Hyundai, announced that its losses improved by over 100 billion won ($72 million) in the first quarter.

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The company posted a net loss of 42.3 billion won in the first three months of 2025, down from the massive 146 billion won ($105 million) in Q1 2024. At this pace, Hyundai could see a profit by the second quarter in China.

Hyundai-new-EV-China
Hyundai ELEXIO electric SUV (Source: Beijing Hyundai)

Hyundai said lower operating costs spurred the cost improvements after the company sold its Chongqing plant last year.

It’s also due to rising exports. Beijing Hyundai exported 14,999 vehicles in Q1, up significantly from just 608 a year ago. Hyundai’s Chinese JV is investing 8 billion yuan ( $1.1 billion) as it looks to revamp the business.

Although it’s already seeing some success, Hyundai’s new ELEXIO electric SUV is expected to accelerate its momentum. With the EV launching in the second half of 2025, Hyundai could turn a profit by the end of the year. It may even happen as early as the second quarter.

Hyundai claims the new EV opens “a new starting point for the transformation from traditional fuel vehicle giant to electrification” in China.

The ELEXIO electric SUV, dubbed the Chinese version of its popular IONIQ 5, rocks a new look with crystal cube LED headlights and a full-length light bar that stretches across the front.

Based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, which powers the IONIQ 5, the ELEXIO is rated with up to 435 miles (700 km) CLTC driving range. More details, including prices and trim options, will be revealed closer to launch. Check back soon for the latest.

What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Would you buy the ELEXIO in Europe, the US, or other global markets? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Newsis, Beijing Hyundai

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State of the solar industry as GOP eliminates homeowner’s tax credits

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State of the solar industry as GOP eliminates homeowner's tax credits

On today’s sunny side up episode of Quick Charge, we take a look at the latest from the world of solar power, and discuss Congressional Republicans’ plans to limit your energy independence by eliminating a critical tax credit for homeowners nearly ten years early. (!)

We’ve also got a quick review of a massive solar farm powering 200,000 homes in Indiana and the biggest solar project East of the Mississippi – both part of a record 98% of all new power generation and grid capacity introduced in 2025 coming from wind and solar. Those are jobs, those are lower utility rates, those are energy independence … so why are Congressional Republicans working to make that more expensive?

If you want to read that EnergySage report on the state of the home solar industry, including news about battery energy storage system and V2H/V2G prices and financing trends, you can check it out for yourself, below, then let us know what you think in the comments.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. 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.

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Alphabet’s Waymo wins approval to expand driverless ride-hailing service to San Jose

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Alphabet's Waymo wins approval to expand driverless ride-hailing service to San Jose

A Waymo autonomous vehicle drives along Masonic Avenue on April 11, 2022 in San Francisco, California. 

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Alphabet’s Waymo unit has received approval to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service to more parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose.

In March, the company submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission to gain approval for its latest passenger safety plan, a key step in gaining permission to operate driverless vehicles across a broader area. On Monday, the proposed expansion was approved, allowing for Waymo’s driverless coverage to extend from San Francisco down through the Peninsula.

“We’re very excited to share that the CPUC has approved our application to operate our fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the South Bay and nearly all of San Jose!” the company wrote in a post on X on Monday. “While this won’t change our operations in the near-term, we’re looking forward to bringing the benefits of Waymo One to more of the Bay Area in the future.”

Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro

Waymo is a bright spot in the Google story, says Truist's Youssef Squali

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Trump reversal revives Empire Wind, NY’s offshore energy giant

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Trump reversal revives Empire Wind, NY’s offshore energy giant

The $5 billion Empire Wind is back in business. The Trump administration’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has lifted its stop-work order for Empire Wind, a major offshore wind project off the coast of New York led by Empire Offshore Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Equinor. Construction is now allowed to resume.

Equinor CEO Anders Opedal welcomed the news, saying the restart reinforces Equinor’s commitment to delivering clean energy while supporting local economies and saving thousands of jobs. He also credited a wide coalition of officials for helping get the project back on track, including Trump, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and congressional leaders like Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Dan Goldman. Opedal also thanked the Norwegian prime minister and the minister of finance for raising the issue with the US administration.

Governor Hochul said in a statement that “countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials” had taken place.

Neither the BOEM nor the Department of the Interior has issued a comment.

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The Trump administration halted construction of the 54-turbine Empire Wind on April 16, but discussions between Equinor, regulators, and leaders at the federal, state, and city levels led to a reversal. That means Empire Wind can now push ahead with its goal of powering 500,000 New York homes with offshore wind energy.

“This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the US and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region,” said Molly Morris, president of Equinor Wind US. She added that Empire Wind is boosting supply chain investments across the country, with activity in New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and South Carolina.

Equinor plans to reassess the project’s financials in the second quarter. The goal is still to install turbines offshore in 2025 and hit full commercial operation by 2027. The company says it will work with suppliers and regulators to minimize any delays from the month-long pause.

Empire Wind was first awarded its offshore lease in 2017 after a competitive federal process. It received its final construction green light in early 2024 following an extensive environmental review. Construction kicked off shortly after, and the project is now over 30% complete.

The US is a major market for Equinor. The Norwegian energy giant says it has invested around $60 billion in US energy projects since the early 2000s, more recently in low-carbon solutions, critical minerals, and renewables. Empire Wind is one of its flagship projects in the US.

Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build


If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. 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.

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