The Watt Car EV Podcast The Watt Car

Last week’s announcement of a U.S. tariff hike on Chinese EVs is followed by this week’s news of a potent plug-in pickup from China called the Shark, showing companies like BYD have serious chops that could really take a bite out of the North American market. Meanwhile, the UAW fails to control the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama, Kia is spotted testing its EV pickup, Toyota announces an EV big rig, and more!

Yeah, we know this episode’s podcast title is a misquote, but the sentiment remains true: With the unveiling of a hydrogen-powered 5500 Ram truck, it’s a bold strategy for Ram. What else is a bold strategy is Biden’s 100% tariff on Chinese-built EVs, Tesla’s about-face on firings and hirings, and Rimac shifting away from full electric hypercars. We talk about all of this, plus more, on this week’s podcast.

We have two big EV topics to chew on this week, and both involve the heads of organizations. First, let’s discuss Elon. Is Tesla’s success tied to its polarizing CEO, or is there life after Musk? Then, it’s time to talk about the rise and fall (and then another rise and fall) of Henrik Fisker’s automotive empire. Was his vision right but the timing wrong, did Henrik concentrate on the wrong things, and what is this CEO’s next play?

Is Mazda trying to correct past mistakes with its Errata…err…we mean Arata? That’s just one of the topics we discuss on this week’s podcast. Other conversations include charging a Tesla on CCS, new CHAdeMO installations, Tesla lays off its Supercharger team, Nissan unveils “unique” concepts, and so much more.

With a win at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant, the UAW is on a tear — and now its setting sights on Mercedes manufacturing in Alabama. We delve into how this came to be, and what this could mean for the price of your next EV. We also discuss Tesla, from the company’s Q1 earnings to Cybertruck recalls, and more.

Rivian’s hoping to move fast and fix things — like charging experiences for its owners. Thanks to a creative grading system, Rivian could have a winning idea on its hands. But before we discuss that on this week’s podcast, we tackle Tesla Model 3 windshield repair costs, Tesla layoffs, Mercedes redesign strategies, and more.