Tesla co-founder and former CTO JB Straubel is officially joining the company’s board of directors following a shareholder vote.
JB Straubel was a co-founder at Tesla and the company’s longtime chief technology officer until he left in 2019 to launch Redwood Materials, which is helping create a North American battery supply chain.
After Elon Musk, Straubel was the most well-known executive at the company and was widely credited for helping give Tesla a technological edge when it came to batteries and power electronics.
Straubel has been widely recognized as an engineering leader and an expert in batteries and power electronics. It was a significant loss for the company when he decided to leave.
Last month, Tesla fans were happy to learn that he was coming back in a different capacity.
Tesla disclosed that Hiromichi Mizuno, the head of Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, is not going to seek re-election on Tesla’s board. Instead, the company’s board nominated Straubel – pending a shareholder vote.
Today, Tesla’s held its annual shareholder meeting, and the company’s investors voted to have Straubel on the board for the next three years. Following the announcement that a majority of shareholders voted for him, he received a warm welcome from those in attendance.
Electrek’s Take
As a Tesla fan, I’m ecstatic about this. I’ve always admired JB. I thought he was always a great early communicator of the importance of electric transportation, which shows that he has a firm grasp of the subject.
I am happy he is back at Tesla, even if it’s just on the board. I think it might be a good indicator that he could take over the role of CEO from Musk in the future.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
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Now that the new Tesla Model Y Juniper refresh has been fully unveiled and we know all the details, which one do you prefer: the new one or the old Model Y?
We are curious to get your opinion on the new Model Y design. Opinions appear divided as some see the update with the lightbars as played out, while others appreciate the more aggressive look.
What do you think?
Here are comparison images of the new and old Model Y:
Here are also the updated specs and features, but these are objectively almost entirely positive other than the lack of gear shift stalk, maybe, so the poll is obviously more about the design changes:
Feature
Model Y
New Model Y
Starting Price After Est. Savings
$31,490 Available Now
$46,490 Available Starting March
Trims
Long Range RWD Long Range AWD Performance AWD
Launch Series Long Range AWD
Range
277-337 miles (EPA est.)
303-320 miles (est.)
Seating
First row: power recline and heated Second row: manual fold and heated
First row: power recline, heated and ventilated Second row: power two-way folding and heated
BYD’s record-breaking year is paying dividends. Despite its vehicles selling for less than $17,000 on average, BYD topped Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, ranking first in car sales revenue in China last year. After taking the market by storm in 2024, the world’s largest EV maker aims for even more growth this year.
BYD ranked first in car sales revenue in China in 2024
BYD capped off an impressive run in 2024, selling over 500,000 vehicles for its third straight month in December. The year-end sales push bumped BYD’s total passenger car sales to over 4.25 million passenger vehicles last year, up 41% from about 3 million in 2023.
After topping Volkswagen to become China’s largest car maker in 2023, BYD became the country’s largest auto group in October 2024, surpassing SAIC. SAIC has joint ventures with Volkswagen and GM.
Not only is BYD selling more cars than its overseas rivals, it’s also making more on vehicle sales. According to China’s Sina Finance (via CarNewsChina), BYD ranked first among automakers in China in car sales revenue last year.
BYD sold 3.49 million vehicles in China, generating 420.7 billion yuan, or around $58 billion. Mercedes-Benz was second, with 710,000 cars sold for 307.9 billion ($42.5 billion) in revenue.
Volkswagen placed third with 2.1 million vehicles sold in 2024 and 303.2 billion yuan ($41.9 billion) in sales revenue.
The most interesting part is that BYD’s average selling price (ASP) per vehicle was just $16,700 (121,000 yuan), compared to Mercedes-Benz’s $59,500 (430,000 yuan) and Volkswagen’s $19,700 (143,000 yuan).
Ranking
Automaker
Average Vehicle Selling Price (*USD)
Vehicle Sales Revenue (*USD)
1
BYD
$16,700
$58.1 billion
2
Mercedes-Benz
$59,500
$42.5 billion
3
Volkswagen
$19,700
$41.9 billion
4
Toyota
$23,300
$36.7 billion
5
BMW
$46,900
$32.7 billion
6
Tesla
$33,800
$22.3 billion
7
Aito
$55,500
$21.4 billion
8
Li Auto
$42,000
$21.1 billion
9
Honda
$20,800
$17.8 billion
10
Geely
$12,700
$13.2 billion
Top ten automakers by car sales revenue in China for 2024 (Source: CarNewsChina/ Sina Finance)
BYD beat out Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Toyota, BMW, and Tesla even with a significantly lower average selling price.
Electrek’s Take
After BYD stopped making fully gas-powered vehicles in 2022, the company has become a force in the auto market. With over 1.76 million EVs sold in 2024, BYD ranked second, slightly behind Tesla, which delivered over 1.78 million vehicles.
Despite this, BYD was the “world’s top EV maker,” beating out Tesla with about 4,500 electric cars produced in 2024.
With China becoming saturated with domestic rivals, BYD is aggressively expanding overseas to drive growth in 2025. Last year, it sold more EVs in Japan than Toyota, and it was BYD’s first full sales year in the country.
BYD was Singapore’s best-selling car brand last year, the first Chinese automaker to achieve this feat. With plans to rapidly expand in Europe, Central and South America, and other key regions, BYD is poised to see even more growth in 2025.
Although it’s best known for low-cost electric cars, like the Seagull, which starts at under $10,000 in China, BYD is quickly expanding its lineup with new pickup trucks, smart SUVs, off-road models, and electric supercars rolling out.
Earlier this month, it launched the world’s largest car carrier, which will ship up to 9,200 vehicles overseas as BYD prepares for another big year in 2025.
Electric bicycle incentive programs have grown considerably over the last few years, and Washington State is one of the most recent to lay the groundwork for yet another program designed to reduce the cost of this alternative transportation for lower-income commuters. But the state is also going about it in a unique way, by using funding raised from its emissions taxes.
That’s right, a new $5 million budget earmarked for electric bicycle rebates in the state is being funded by the state’s emissions taxes as part of the Climate Commitment Act, which received a groundswell of support among voters in the state.
The rebates will range from $300 for those making more than 80% of the area median income to up to $1,200 for lower-income residents.
Applications will take place via a still-in-development online portal system, and the rebates will be honored at the register, meaning riders won’t have to fork over the entire amount and then wait for a reimbursement check or tax rebate.
Unlike other e-bike incentive programs we’ve seen, such as the infamous California state program that was beset with issues from the start, the Washington State e-bike incentives won’t be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, lucky state residents will be randomly selected from the pool of entrants in a lottery-style drawing. However, many of the other details of the program are still being hashed out ahead of final implementation.
E-bike incentive programs like this one have been gaining traction nationwide as policymakers recognize the role electric bicycles can play in expanding transportation access. These programs often specifically target lower-income individuals who may not have the upfront cash to invest in an e-bike, despite the long-term savings they offer.
For many people, car ownership is an expensive burden, with costs for gas, insurance, and maintenance quickly adding up. E-bikes provide a cost-effective alternative, allowing people to commute to work, run errands, and access essential services without the financial strain of owning a car.
Beyond affordability, these programs also help address transportation equity and environmental concerns. Many lower-income neighborhoods have limited public transit options, making daily travel difficult for those without a car.
E-bikes can bridge that gap, providing a reliable and efficient mode of transportation that extends the reach of bus and train networks. Shifting more trips from cars to e-bikes reduces traffic congestion and carbon emissions, contributing to cleaner air and more livable cities.