The VF 8 is young automaker VinFast’s ($VFS) flagship EV, hitting the US market two years ago as a 2023 model. Following some early software hiccups, VinFast has pushed forward to get more of its SUVs on US roads, pulling demand levers while expanding its stateside dealer network.

We drove the VF 8 early on, and it was fine, but there were some clear bugs that needed to be sorted out. 2024 remains a pivotal year for the Vietnamese automaker as it looks to continue riding rising revenues and make up for missed delivery targets last year.

One feature VinFast is utilizing to entice would-be US customers is entertainment. Today, VinFast announced the VF 8 will offer Sony’s new streaming service, RIDEVU – a world debut in an EV.

Per a VinFast release this morning, new and existing customers can now access Sony’s RIDEVU service as part of the automaker’s VF Connect Prime package. VF 8 customers in the US with the package can add RIDEVU via over-the-air (OTA) update.

The VinFast VF 8, now including Sony RIDEVU is available for sale in the US (mainly California) at a starting MSRP of $47,200.

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Under this quid pro quo, Trump reportedly said he would scrap stricter EPA emissions rules anticipated to drive up sales of electric cars—something he is quite critical of—through the beginning of the next decade (while stopping short of an EV mandate) as well as end the Biden administration’s freeze on permits for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and auction off more leases for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oil field (Image: Flickr user johnny choura, used under CC license)

Under Biden, the U.S. is now producing more oil than any country ever has, at nearly 13 million barrels per day last year, the report noted. ExxonMobil and Chevron—the two largest U.S. energy companies—also reported their biggest profits in a decade last year. But the oil industry has still complained about Biden policies—particularly the new EPA emissions rules.

Yet oil companies have been hesitant to fund Trump’s campaign, according to the report. Oil interests contributed more than $6.4 million to Trump’s joint fundraising committee in the first three months of this year, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Climate Power. In contrast, one oil executive reportedly said in the Mar-a-Lago meeting that the industry has spent $400 million on lobbying the Biden administration this year.

It’s worth remembering that these companies diversified their investments, becoming “energy companies” rather than oil companies, and gasoline is seen as a legacy business—nevertheless one that will be important for a long time. So it’s not surprising that they didn’t immediately get on board with Trump’s offer.

BP to purchase Tesla chargers

Were oil executives to take the former president up on said offer, they would be reasonably assured that he’d follow through. During the last Trump presidency, his agencies attempted to revoke California’s emissions authority—and failed—and delayed the imposition of higher fines for automakers that failed to meet emissions targets.

If re-elected, elimination of stricter emissions rules and EV-friendly policies might not be the only way Trump disrupts the auto industry. He’s announced that he will seek a 100% tariff on Chinese vehicles—even if they’re made in Mexico—with some indications he may try to go further in dismantling what’s left of NAFTA, which allows Mexico-built vehicles from other global automakers at no tariff and eligible for some federal incentives. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this month fired most of the Tesla Supercharger team in a shift away from further fast-paced growth of the public charging network. BP now appears ready to capitalize on that.

“If there are stranded real estate partners who are looking for someone to call, they should feel free to pick up the phone and call me or look me up on LinkedIn,” Sujay Sharma, CEO of BP Pulse Americas, the corporate arm in charge of the company’s U.S. charging network, said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Highway sign for electric-car fast-charging station at BP in Metrolina area of Charlotte, NC

BP reportedly plans to spend $1 billion by 2030, half of that amount within the next two or three years, to install over 3,000 chargers in the U.S. That will include large-scale sites with 12 or more chargers that BP calls Gigahubs.

It first offered EV charging in 2010 and started a serious push in 2017. BP sees EV charging as a business line bound for profitability, with one executive saying in 2022 that chargers were already almost as profitable as gasoline pumps. It’s not the only oil company enthusiastic about charging: Shell announced earlier this year that it’s shedding some gas stations in favor of EV charging.

Nissan Leaf electric car using DC fast-charging station at BP in Metrolina area of Charlotte, NC

The BP charging buildout will be complemented by expansion plans from dedicated charging networks. Electrify America, which was created as part of a fine for Volkswagen’s diesel-emissions cheating, also this week confirmed an expansion push through this year. And Ionna, the national EV charging network funded by investments from seven automakers, is looking to open its first stations this year, on the way to a minimum of 30,000 fast-chargers across North America.

Automaker commitments to the Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector means, regardless of the gutting of the Tesla Supercharger team, NACS will likely continue to proliferate on these alternative networks. But when it comes to reliability, merely switching to the NACS connector won’t solve much; it’s about interoperability and keeping on top of the software updates to enable that—plus maintenance. 

The $50 million investment from mid-market infrastructure equity investment firm Basalt Infrastructure Partners will allow EnviroSpark to rapidly grow its owned and operated network across the US, innovate technologies, and make its EV infrastructure more accessible and sustainable.

EnviroSpark wants to do that with laid-off talent from Tesla, specifically the Supercharger team, which was laid off just over a week ago. This pop-up is on its website’s homepage:

Aaron Luque, cofounder and CEO of EnviroSpark, said in an emailed statement:

This is the single greatest talent acquisition opportunity since I founded EnviroSpark. Tesla had been able to scale their charging infrastructure due in no small part to the talented employees on the Supercharger team.

With the help of our recent investment from Basalt, we’re looking to bring on as many of these highly skilled individuals as possible to achieve our ambitious growth objectives.

Following a successful $15 million funding round led by Ultra Capital in 2022, EnviroSpark has made a name for itself in the EV charging market. With more than 8,200 charging plugs all over North America, the company is in a great position to help accelerate EV adoption.

EnviroSpark has recently forged strategic partnerships with RaceTrac, Waffle House, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Ford Dealerships. These collaborations complement longstanding relationships with Tesla, Volkswagen, Volta, and Starwood Capital Group.

It’s also partnered with the US federal government through the General Services Administration to advance commercial and government EV adoption and secured National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) awards in Georgia and Tennessee.

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Last week, Elon Musk fired Tesla’s entire charging team to make a statement against the head of the team who was pushing back against layoffs.

We reported that the move resulted in Tesla backing out of leases on planned Supercharger stations and a lot of confusion amongst its partners in ongoing projects.

While this undoubtedly will result in Tesla’s slowing down its charging station deployment, it is an opportunity for other companies.

Sujay Sharma, chief executive officer of bp pulse Americas, said in an interview with Bloomberg that site owners that were working with Tesla before should come:

“If there are stranded real estate partners who are looking for someone to call, they should feel free to pick up the phone and call me or look me up on LinkedIn.”

BP is also looking to scoop former Tesla charging employees.

Last year, Tesla sold $100 million worth of white-label Supercharger hardware to BP.

Electrek’s Take

As I said on the podcast last week, the only not-too-bad outcome to Elon firing Tesla’s charging team is if the workers get quickly scooped up by other companies looking to heavily invest in charging electric vehicles.

Those employees can bring back some of their projects that Tesla dropped, but even then, it will undoubtedly slow down EV charging deployment, especially in North America. It could potentially come back up after all those employees are settled.

Tesla could also sell BP more Supercharger hardware – though Tinnuci’s team was in charge of that too.

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Ford Europe has followed the lead of its American counterpart in making public commitments to electrification while simultaneously investing big bucks into the transition toward BEV production overseas.

The automaker has already completed a $2 billion investment to convert its Cologne, Germany, facility into a BEV production hub. That location will be home to the production of the all-electric Ford Explorer this summer, as well as a second all-electric model based on Volkswagen’s MEB architecture.

In addition to the Explorer, Ford currently sells the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit van in Europe—a mere start in transitioning into a BEV-only brand by 2030. Ford made that promise in 2021 as an ambitious goal, nixing combustion vehicle sales five years before the European Union voted to ban them.

With limited models in its current portfolio and a growing number of BEV competition in Europe amidst softer than anticipated demand, Ford’s head of passenger cars hinted that there might be room for ICE vehicle sales beyond 2030 after all. It all depends on the consumer.

Ford Europe sees trajectory to BEVs but monitors demand

Per Automotive News Europe, Ford Europe’s head of passenger cars, Martin Sander, relayed hope for the automaker to stick to its 2030 BEV targets but is definitely keeping a foot in the door for combustion vehicle sales to continue if necessary.

The automaker has cited a less-than-stellar demand for its BEVs in Europe as the reason behind the possible revised strategy, resulting in missed targets. As a result, Sander said combustion vehicles, particularly plug-ins, could still be in play beyond 2030:

If we see strong demand, for instance for plug-in hybrid vehicles, we will offer them.

During the Financial Times Future of the Car summit on Tuesday, Sander still relayed optimism for BEV adoption, sharing that there is still a clear trajectory to electrification:

We just have to manage our way towards 100 percent electric drivetrains.

In Europe, Ford continues to lean down and discontinue production of certain combustion models, like the Fiesta for example, while simultaneously beefing up passenger and commercial EV production. In addition to the MEB EV coming out of Cologne, Ford Europe will also launch the all-electric Puma Gen-E whose combustion version is currently built in Romania. Sander also told the media that Ford Europe has plans for its facility in Valencia, Spain, but didn’t share any other details.

So Ford Europe isn’t abandoning its 2030 BEV goals just yet, but the markets will need to improve to justify abandoning combustion vehicles altogether for good. Fingers crossed!

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But that style does come at a price for taller passengers; Tesla has upped its interior-material game; and the car that’s so forward-thinking still lacks some tech polish found in Tesla and other competitors. 

Here are the pros and cons of living with the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 after shuttling the kids around town and running errands for a week.

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6

Pro: Ioniq 6 design stands out

At best the Model 3 is clean and inoffensive, and at worst it’s boring and anonymous. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 just looks cool, and its design is functional to boot. It’s more aerodynamic than the Model 3, and it’s one of the most aerodynamic vehicles in production today. Its streamliner design features a front end that arguably has Porsche Panamera and GM EV1 vibes. The rear end harkens back to the Infiniti J30 and finishes it off with a ducktail spoiler. The signature Ioniq chiclet LED light signatures front and back are intricate, neat details that catch the eye.

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6

Yangwang operates as one of the newest all-electric brands under the BYD umbrella. BYD launched the sub-brand in January 2023 while showcasing a new performance EV architecture called e⁴.

When paired with Yangwang’s DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System, the automaker says these two core technologies will “revolutionize the pure electric supercar segment, seamlessly integrating track performance, street adaptability, and playful features.”

Like supercars than call ollie, for instance.

At the brand launch, Yangwang unveiled its first two models—the borderline amphibious U8 SUV and the U9 supercar, designed to compete with Ferrari. We’ve since seen a third, less extreme model called the U7 sedan emerge, but only its two siblings are currently available on the Chinese market – the most recent being the U9 this past February.

The U9 features quad motors, 1,287 horsepower (960 kW), and 1,200 lb-ft (1,680 Nm) torque for a 0 to 62 mph (0-100 km/hr) sprint time of 2.36 seconds. This summer, Yangwang will show the public at Goodwood what the U9 is capable of on the track, and its supercars are already making their way over from China.

Yangwang U9 to make overseas debut at Goodwood

According to CnEVPost, BYD’s Yangwang brand plans to compete at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed held each year in West Sussex in the UK. According to a recent Weibo post from Yangwang’s general manager of sales, Hu Xiaoqing, two U9 supercars departed China by boat on May 7 and are on their way to England.

According to Hu, Yangwang looks forward to showcasing its U9s at Goodwood while “meeting with supercar enthusiasts around the world.” The Goodwood Festival of Speed began in the early ’90s and is considered by many to be one of the pinnacle motorsport events for showcasing vehicle capabilities and attempting record track times.

As a UK event, China has not had much of a presence at Goodwood in the past, but Yangwang hopes to change that this year. For example, NIO was the only China-based automaker present at last year’s event. Still, we expect to see more and more EVs making their way overseas as Chinese automakers continue to expand into new markets around Europe.

The 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed will take place July 11-14 this year, and we hope to do a full recap of the EVs (including the Yangwang U9) that stand out and hopefully don’t crash into a pile of hay. Stay tuned.

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