It’s October 1st, which means the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit is dead and gone. That doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for EVs, however – BMW, Ford, GM, and others are stepping up with big rebates, clever accounting tricks, and huge discounts to keep the deals rolling! All this and more on today’s stylin’, profilin’, limousine-riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ episode of Quick Charge!

WOOOOOOOOO!!!

We’ve also got a hard-hitting look at both the EV and oil subsidies impacting the auto market at large, and what it means to give these two different technologies a level playing field to compete for customers on.

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Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. The nonprofit just kicked off its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream EV.

Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more!

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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.

Solar and wind accounted for 90% of new US electrical generating capacity added in the first seven months of 2025, according to data just released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). In July, solar alone provided 96% of new capacity, making it the 23rd consecutive month solar has held the lead among all energy sources.

Solar’s new generating capacity in July and YTD

In its latest monthly “Energy Infrastructure Update” report (with data through July 31, 2025), which was reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign, FERC says 46 “units” of solar totaling 1,181 megawatts (MW) were placed into service in July, accounting for over 96.4% of all new generating capacity added during the month.

The 434 units of utility-scale (>1 MW) solar added during the first seven months of 2025 total 16,050 MW and were 74.4% of the total new capacity placed into service by all sources.

Solar has now been the largest source of new generating capacity added each month for 23 consecutive months from September 2023 to July 2025. During that period, total utility-scale solar capacity grew from 91.82 gigawatts (GW) to 153.09 GW. No other energy source added anything close to that amount of new capacity. Wind, for example, expanded by 10.68 GW, while natural gas increased by just 3.74 GW.

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Renewables were 90% of new capacity added YTD

Between January and July, new wind provided 3,288 MW of capacity additions – significantly more than the new capacity provided by natural gas (2,207 MW). Wind thus accounted for 15.2% of all new capacity added during the first seven months of 2025.

For the same period, the combination of solar and wind (plus 4 MW of hydropower and 3 MW of biomass) was 89.6% of new capacity, while natural gas provided just 10.2%; the balance came from coal (18 MW), oil (17 MW), and waste heat (17 MW).

Solar + wind are 23.23% of US utility-scale generating capacity

Utility-scale solar’s share of total installed capacity (11.42%) is now almost equal to that of wind (11.81%). Taken together, they constitute 23.23% of the US’s total available installed utility-scale generating capacity.

Moreover, at least 25-30% of US solar capacity is in the form of small-scale (e.g., rooftop) systems that are not reflected in FERC’s data. Including that additional solar capacity would bring the share provided by solar + wind to more than a quarter of the US total.

With the inclusion of hydropower (7.61%), biomass (1.07%), and geothermal (0.31%), renewables currently claim a 32.22% share of total US utility-scale generating capacity. If small-scale solar capacity is included, renewables are now more than one-third of total US generating capacity.

Solar still on track to become No. 2 source of US generating capacity

FERC reports that net “high probability” additions of solar between August 2025 and July 2028 total 92,631 MW – an amount more than four times the forecast net “high probability” additions for wind (22,528 MW), the second fastest-growing resource.

FERC also foresees net growth for hydropower (579 MW) and geothermal (92 MW) but a decrease of 131 MW in biomass capacity.

Taken together, the net new “high probability” capacity additions by all renewable energy sources over the next three years – the bulk of the Trump Administration’s remaining time in office – would total 115,120 MW.  

There are now 35 MW of new nuclear capacity in FERC’s three-year forecast, while coal and oil are projected to contract by 25,017 MW and 1,576 MW, respectively. Natural gas capacity would expand by just 8,276 MW.

Should FERC’s three-year forecast materialize, by mid-summer 2028, utility-scale solar would account for more than 17% of installed U.S. generating capacity – more than any other source besides natural gas (40%). Further, the capacity of the mix of all utility-scale renewable energy sources would exceed 38%. Inclusion of small-scale solar systems would push renewables ahead of natural gas.

“With one month of Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ now under our belts, renewables continue to dominate capacity additions,” noted the SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director, Ken Bossong. “And solar seems poised to hold its lead in the months and years to come.” 

The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. 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.

Toyota’s electric vehicle sales plunged as it prepares for a new wave of models. The new EVs are bringing much-needed upgrades, including more range, faster charging, revamped designs, and more.

Toyota’s EV sales crashed in Q3 as new models roll out

Despite most automakers reporting record EV sales as buyers rushed to claim the $7,500 federal tax credit, Toyota was an outlier, selling just 61 BZ models in September.

Including the Lexus RZ, which managed 86 sales, Toyota sold just 147 all-electric vehicles in the US last month, over 90% less than the 1,847 it sold in September 2024.

Toyota’s total sales were up 14% with over 185,700 vehicles sold, meaning EVs accounted for less than 0.1%. Through the first nine months of the year, sales of the BZ and Lexus RZ are down 9% and 36% compared to the year prior.

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So, why is Toyota struggling to sell EVs when the market is booming? For one, it’s basically sold out of its current EV models, the bZ4X and Lexus RZ.

The 2026 Toyota BZ (formerly the bZ4X) is arriving at US dealerships, promising to fix some of the biggest complaints with the outgoing electric SUV.

Powered by a larger 74.7 kWh battery, the 2026 Toyota BZ offers up to 314 miles of driving range, a 25% improvement from the 2025 bZ4X.

The electric SUV features Toyota’s new “hammerhead front end” design, similar to that of the new Crown and Camry, with a slim LED light bar and revamped front fascia.

Toyota’s new electric SUV also features a built-in NACS charge port, allowing for recharging at Tesla Superchargers. It also features a new thermal management system and battery preconditioning, which improves charge times from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes.

The base 2026 BZ XLE FWD starts at just $34,900, but uses a smaller 57.7 kWh battery, good for 236 miles range.

The 2026 Lexus RZ received similar updates. Next year, Toyota is launching two more fully electric SUVs, the 2026 C-HR and BZ Woodland.

It’s not just the US that Toyota’s EV sales crashed last month, either. In its home market of Japan, Toyota (including Lexus) sold just 18 EVs in September.

The Japanese auto giant is betting on new models to drive growth. However, it remains committed to offering all powertrain options, including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrids, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Can Toyota’s new generation of electric vehicles spark a comeback? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.