While the current majority in DC shared intentions to likely kill the existing $7,500 federal EV tax credit, some language in a (very fluid) proposal suggests that not all automakers will be immediately affected. For example, Rivian is an American automaker whose sales are young enough that US consumers might still be able to take advantage of the tax credit, and that could also include the upcoming R2 EVs.

May 13, 2025: As expected, the House Ways and Means Committee published markups of “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill” to the public domain. As we reported below, the proposal includes ending several federal tax programs on December 31, 2025.

That includes termination of the Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles Credit and the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Credit, as well as the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit.

Lastly, the proposal includes a termination of the Clean Vehicle Credit at the end of this year. However, as originally reported below, there is an exception for automakers who have not sold at least 200,000 vehicles between December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2025.

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That means Rivian EVs could very well still qualify for federal tax credits through December 31, 2026.

The past two years, federal tax credits for EV sales through the Inflation Reduction Act have done wonders for US adoption, helping give consumers the last little push they needed to go all-electric with at least one vehicle in their home.

It was great while it lasted.

These days, the current administration has its sights set on a delusional idea of “success” from the past, trying to breathe new life into dying industries like coal and, yes, combustion vehicles. EV adoption was never going to happen overnight, but recent discussions among the GOP stating it is likely to kill the federal EV tax credit is disheartening news.

We’ve already long-surpassed “critical mass” in the US adoption process, so it’s a fair wager that EVs are here to stay and will continue increasing their market presence. While most makes and models are likely to be disqualified from federal EV tax credits after 2025 (only about 20 or so currently qualify these days), some proposed exceptions in place will allow credits to continue for American companies like Rivian, for example.

Proposal states Rivian EVs could qualify for tax credits after 2025

According to Reddit user u/FiveDollarHoller, they are a lobbyist in the midst of Washington’s discussions to repeal the federal EV tax credit. According to the post, the US House Ways and Means Committee will finalize its tax title this week.

According to proposal shared by reliable source close to the lobbyist, a slew of credits will be eliminated on December 31, 2025, including the following:

• Used EV credit
• Clean Vehicle Credit
• Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit
• Alernative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Proprty Credit

We share the same sentiment as the lobbyist in that this proposal remains fluid and discussions are ongoing, so the details of these plans could have already changed by now and most likely will change before everything is approved through the necessary government channels.

One interesting tidbit in the current proposal is an exception within the $7,500 Clean Vehicle Credit for OEMs that have not sold 200,000 vehicles by December 31, 2025. If that exception makes its way into the final legislature, EVs from Rivian, including the R1S and R1T, could still qualify for tax credits.

Better still, Rivian recently shared that it remains on track to begin scaled production and deliveries of its second flagship model, the R2, in 2026, meaning customers of that BEV could also qualify for federal tax credits.

At the end of 2024, Rivian had sold 51,579 compared to 50,122 a year prior and 20,332 deliveries in 2022. Per its recent Q1 2025 quarterly report, the American automaker targets 40,000 to 46,000 deliveries in 2025. By those numbers, that puts Rivian around approximately 168,033 total deliveries if it hits the high end of its 2025 outlook.

As such, Rivian’s numbers would fall below the 200,000 sales threshold outlined in the current proposal. Again, this is hearsay at most until we get a legitimate proposal publicized by the Capitol. Still, it’s a noteworthy potential perk for companies like Rivian if it comes to fruition. It could also incentivize more US consumers to purchase a Rivian since it could be one of the only OEMs that still qualify (along with Lucid, probably).

Per the IRS, despite being built in Normal, Illinois, the Rivian R1 models are not listed as qualified BEVs for the $7,500 tax credit. We will have to see how this all plays out in the coming days and months.

Per the Reddit post, the complete text of the EV tax credit repeal proposal is supposed to be shared today (Monday) at 2 PM. Once a bona fide proposal is in place, it will still need to be approved by the House Ways and Means Committee, then the House, followed by the Senate (which may be a lot more challenging to get approved).

We will monitor this process closely, which will likely last well into 2025, and will report on what EVs (if any) may still qualify for federal tax credits next year and whether that will include Rivian. Regardless, if you’re pondering the idea of purchasing a BEV (Rivian or not), you should try to take delivery before the end of the year because the federal EV tax credit doesn’t appear long for this world.

RIC Robotics just teased a 20-foot tall, AI-driven construction robot it calls, “the world’s first Giantroid.” There’s a few dudes in Japan who may dispute that claim, but there’s no question that this all-terrain robot has the potential to revolutionize the way big jobs get done!

While most famous for “3D printing” a 5,000 sq-ft. Walmart expansion construction job in under seven days, RIC Robotics are industrial automation experts who (they claim) are perfectly positioned to bring cognitive AI onto the world’s construction sites. And their latest concept, the Zyrex Giantroid, promises to be the machine to do it.

Unlike humanoid robots designed that are designed to replace humans in a 1:1 swap, the Zyrex is purpose-built for construction, and capable of performing both heavy-duty tasks, like heavy material handling and demolition, as well as delicate trades like welding, assembling, trimming, carpentry, and more.

“We’re not just building another robot ,” explains Ziyou Xu, founder of RIC Robotics, in an apparent dig at the more humanoid Tesla Optimus. “We’re engineering the future of construction with Zyrex … we’re addressing the industry’s labor shortages with powerful robotics capable of performing skilled work at scale.”

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The company claims the Giantroid will be ready for production early next year, be powered by a “self-charging” li-ion battery pack (translation: it plugs itself in), and make its way around human-centric job sites using a combination of AI, LiDAR, and optical cameras.

RIC Robotics estimates its Zyrex construction robot will be priced at “under $1 million,” and be made available with monthly leasing options starting below $20,000. More detailed specs aren’t available yet, so be sure to watch this space.

Electrek’s Take

Even as wages seem to climb and the need for more housing and construction climbing along with them, the global shortage of construction workers and equipment operators continues apace. That’s why more autonomous and remote-operation solutions are needed, and why RIC Robotics is, I think, on the right path here.

As for the need for a Giantoid instead of humanoid, I’ll leave that to Xu. “If Tesla’s Optimus is the Ironman of the Avengers,” he says, “then Zyrex is the Hulk.”

SOURCES | IMAGES: RIC Robotics; via Equipment World, Robotics and Automation.

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A team of white hat European hackers using their brains, keyboards, and a couple of bits and baubles from eBay managed to take control of a 2020 Nissan LEAF and violate just about every privacy and safety regulation in the process.

The best part: they recorded the whole thing.

Budapest-based cybersecurity experts PCAutomotive were able to exploit a number of vulnerabilities in a 2020 Nissan LEAF that enabled the white hat team to geolocate and track the car, record the texts and conversations happening inside the car, playing media back through the car’s speakers, and even (this is the genuinely terrifying dangerous part) turning the steering wheel while the car was moving. (!?)

Maybe the scariest part of this hack, however, is how seemingly easy it was to pull off by starting with a “test bench simulator” built using parts from eBay and exploiting a vulnerability in the LEAF’s DNS C2 channel and Bluetooth protocol.

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The PCAutomotive team gave a hugely detailed 118-page presentation of their exploit at black hat Asia 2025, which we’ve included at the bottom of this post, in case the original link goes dead. If you’re into that sort of thing, the fun stuff starts around page 27. And, if you’re not, just know that all the vulnerabilities were disclosed to Nissan and its suppliers between 02AUG2023 and 12SEP2024 (p. 116/118), and the “attack” itself can be seen in the video below that. Enjoy!

Summary of vulnerabilities

• CVE-2025-32056 – Anti-Theft bypass
• CVE-2025-32057 – app_redbend: MiTM attack
• CVE-2025-32058 – v850: Stack Overflow in CBR processing
• CVE-2025-32059 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [0]
• CVE-2025-32060 – Absence of a kernel module signature verification
• CVE-2025-32061 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [1]
• CVE-2025-32062 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [2]
• PCA_NISSAN_009 – Improper traffic filtration between CAN buses
• CVE-2025-32063 – Persistence for Wi-Fi network
• PCA_NISSAN_012 – Persistence through CVE-2017-7932 in HAB of i.MX 6

Remote exploitation of Nissan LEAF

Electrek’s Take

This is one of those posts that, on the bright side, does a great job explaining how a remote operator can “log in” to a vehicle and steer it out of trouble when a weird or edge-case-type situation pops up.

Unfortunately, this is also one of those posts that some of the more clueless anti-EV hysterics will point to and say, “See!? EVs can get hacked!” But the reality is that virtually any car with electric power steering (EPS), electronic throttle controls, brake-by-wire, etc. can be hacked in a similar way. But, while steering a target’s car into an oncoming semi might be a great way to pull off a covert CIA assassination, the more worrying issue here is the breach of privacy and recording – unless you want to spend some time in El Salvadoran prison, I guess.

Remember, kids: Big Brother is watching you.

SOURCE | IMAGES: black hat.

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