The Watt Car EV Podcast

Phil Royle & Ed Sanchez
  • 3.7 (6)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

Not your average EV, plug-in, and hybrid (and fuel cell!) automotive podcast.

  1. 1d ago

    284: The Polestar Conspiracy

    Why is Polestar leaving America? There’s a conspiracy theory about that, and it now has a Polestar dealer suing the company over its reason for removing the brand from American shores. Also on this week’s podcast, Porsche’s Taycan run may end by 2030, Tesla can’t beat Zoox in Vegas, Ferrari sells a Luce for $40 million, and more. SHOW NOTESPolestar dealer alleges brand used Connected Vehicle Rule as cover story to exit U.S. market: https://insideevs.com/news/804851/nj-dealer-suing-polestar-coverup/Porsche may end Taycan production by 2030: https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/porsche-plans-discontinue-taycan-production-by-2030-wirtschaftswoche-reports-2026-08-13/Lucid unveils Gravity GT-S, effectively replacing Dream Edition, at a discount: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a73402285/2027-lucid-gravity-gt-s-revealed/Tesla asks Las Vegas for approval for 5,000 robotaxis, it gets approved for 10: https://electrek.co/2026/08/17/tesla-nevada-robotaxi-permit-10-vehicles-las-vegas/Tesla Robotaxi in Austin plows through traffic bollards: https://electrek.co/2026/08/18/tesla-robotaxi-rams-through-bollards-austin/Waymo gets approval to expand to 18 counties in California: https://electrek.co/2026/08/14/waymo-cpuc-approval-california-expansion-18-counties/Rivian announces point-to-point autonomous driving will launch later this year: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/15/rivian-tesla-self-driving-adas-fsd.htmlFlorida man spends $40 million at Car Week auction to get the first production Ferrari Luce: https://www.thewattcar.com/2026/08/the-ferrari-luces-40-million-sale-means.htmlJaguar shows off the electric Type 01 interior during Car Week, but keeps exterior in camo: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/jaguar-shows-off-its-past-and-previews-its-future-in-pebble-beach/Polish Model 3 owner DIY upgrades HW3 to HW4: https://insideevs.com/news/805235/tesla-hw4-retrofit-progress-owner/This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezEpisode art courtesy PolestarMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

    284: The Polestar Conspiracy

  2. Aug 13

    283: A Ford-able Truck

    Ford has announced some of the specs of its new affordable EV pickup, and we can’t fathom a more compelling product. Yet, with a starting price barely north of $28,000, is the Ford Fathom the nail in Slate’s coffin. We discuss the future on this week’s episode. We also talk about Lucid’s “operational reset,” Cadillac’s uptown shift, and more. SHOW NOTES Ford’s affordable pickup is the Fathom, not the Ranchero: https://www.thewattcar.com/2026/08/fords-fathom-is-four-door-punch-to-face.html Lucid says it is undergoing an “operational reset” as it delays Cosmos Launch: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/04/lucid-group-lcid-earnings-q2-2026.html Lucid recently moved to a hybrid dealership model in Germany, and it's now rumored to be doing the same in the UAE: https://eletric-vehicles.com/lucid/exclusive-lucid-extends-indirect-sales-model-to-uae-despite-german-dealer-result/ Cadillac will let you build a bespoke Escalade IQ, for a price: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a73395844/curated-by-cadillac-escalade-iq-revealed/ Hoping to get the California EV credit for a new Tesla? Too late: https://insideevs.com/news/804405/tesla-runs-out-of-california-ev-rebates/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez Episode art courtesy Ford Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay Website: https://www.thewattcar.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

    283: A Ford-able Truck

  3. Aug 6

    282: The Freedom Fries of Cars

    Are freedom cars coming? If Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has his way, they will. The proposal gives Americans the “right to drive disconnected and non-automated” cars. Sounds good, although it only took us a couple of minutes to come up with a better proposal. Also on this week’s podcast, Zoox gets approval for expanded operations in Las Vegas, Waymo hits more legal issues in Santa Monica, Mazda says the next Miata will be ICE and EV, Telo ups the towing ante, and more! SHOW NOTES Transportation secretary Sean Duffy proposes “Freedom Cars” initiative: https://www.newsweek.com/sean-duffy-proposes-freedom-cars-for-americanswhat-it-means-12239971 Amazon owned Zoox receives approval to start charging for autonomous rides in Vegas: https://www.reuters.com/world/amazons-zoox-wins-first-us-approval-paid-robotaxis-with-no-human-controls-2026-07-30/ Waymo and Santa Monica residents clash over autonomous car charging lots being too loud: https://youtu.be/X9rcfRBG3Go?is=eogKfLemTTdqcywT Mazda CEO says next Miata is being designed to support an EV version: https://insideevs.com/news/803155/mazda-miata-ready-for-electric/ Ed’s Miata EV wishlist: https://www.thewattcar.com/2023/02/my-wish-list-for-a-mazda-miata-ev.html Telo raises the towing capacity on the MT1 to 8,000 pounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLU4RdnI_Xk, https://insideevs.com/news/803579/telo-tiny-ev-pickup-tow-capacity-update/ BYD Racco a surprise hit in Japan: https://electrek.co/2026/07/30/byds-electric-kei-car-received-over-5000-orders-first-week/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez Episode art courtesy Zoox Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay Website: https://www.thewattcar.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

    282: The Freedom Fries of Cars

  4. Jul 30

    281: Don’t Make it Obvious

    If you’re going to cheat, don’t make it obvious. For example, the Rivian R2 EPA efficiency numbers may not be the entire story, so we talk about it on this week’s podcast. We also talk about Mitsubishi’s latest EV, which is simply a Nissan Leaf undercover. In both cases, the manufacturers are doing what they need to do to survive. So is it cheating? And does it matter? Also, BYD enters the kei car world, Mercedes may get banned from the US, and more. SHOW NOTES Rivian R2 disappoints in real-world efficiency testing vs Model Y: https://insideevs.com/news/802795/rivian-r2-model-y-efficiency/ Mitsubishi introduces Eclipse Sportback EV (hint: It’s a rebadged Leaf): https://electrek.co/2026/07/28/mitsubishi-eclipse-sportback-ev-rebadged-nissan-leaf/ BYD looks to conquer Japan’s kei car market with the Racco: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinas-byd-launched-ev-mini-car-japan-2026-07-28/ Protectionist bill in Senate could jeopardize Mercedes-Benz in the U.S.: https://insideevs.com/news/802474/senate-bill-chinese-car-crackdown/ OG Tesla founders Marc Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard back Telo: https://runtimewire.com/article/telo-mt1-500-truck-launch-tesla-founders This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez Episode art courtesy Rivian Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay Website: https://www.thewattcar.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

    281: Don’t Make it Obvious

  5. Jul 23

    280: Price and Prejudice

    On this week’s podcast, it’s been a roller coaster of a year for Lucid, and 2026 is barely half over. With bankruptcy rumors swirling, Lucid’s stock tumbled and the company took evasive action. Is this curtains for Lucid? Meanwhile, Honda cancels the Prologue starting in 2027, Ford’s CEO says there’s no stopping Chinese EVs, Hyundai Group tops a battery degradation poll, and more! SHOW NOTES Bentley to use drums and an orchestra for its EV sounds: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/electric-cars/electric-bentley-torcal-replace-v8-soundtrack-drums https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/electric-cars/electric-bentley-torcal-replace-v8-soundtrack-drums Lucid stock crashes, company hires advisory firm for direction, denies it’s going into bankruptcy: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2026/07/14/lucid-motors-denies-bankruptcy-rumors-after-stocks-55-crash/ Lucid weighing options from going private to bankruptcy: https://eletric-vehicles.com/lucid/exclusive-lucid-weighs-going-private-or-chapter-11-as-adviser-reports-to-board/ Lucid stock rebounds to where it was after denying bankruptcy: https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/07/17/lucid-rallies-10-for-a-third-straight-up-day-leaving-tesla-rivian-behind/ Honda Prologue discontinued for 2027: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a72753661/honda-prologue-discontinued/ Bill Ford says “We can’t expect to keep them [the Chinese] out forever, and we have to be able to beat them at their own game”: https://www.thedrive.com/news/bill-ford-says-carmakers-need-to-tackle-china-head-on-even-if-theyd-rather-not Toyota CEO Koji Sato proposes standardization of components among Japanese OEMs to improve global competitiveness: https://www.thedrive.com/news/japan-wants-to-standardize-car-parts-to-protect-its-auto-industry EVs top vehicle category in Germany for June 2026: https://insideevs.com/news/802162/evs-outsold-gas-hybrid-diesel-germany/ EV battery degradation study at 62,000 miles: https://supercarblondie.com/evs-tesla-audi-bmw-battery-degradation-study/https://supercarblondie.com/evs-tesla-audi-bmw-battery-degradation-study/ Chip Motors unveils low-speed neighborhood EV: https://electrek.co/2026/07/16/chip-motors-15000-electric-luv-25-mph/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez Episode art courtesy Honda Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay Website: https://www.thewattcar.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

    280: Price and Prejudice

  6. Jul 16

    279: At What Price

    With a bright Crayola partnership everyone will see coming, it’s a wrap for Slate. But it turns out, a Slate optioned to the hilt is far from inexpensive. With a construction based on affordability (cough, cheap, cough), people are looking for a deal, but at what cost? We talk tiny pickups on this week’s podcast with that, plus a conversation about a Telo towing. Also, the UK implements a mileage tax, EV battery recycling is a difficult business, and more. SHOW NOTES UK to implement mileage tax for EVs starting in 2028: https://www.electrive.com/2026/07/14/uk-confirms-mileage-based-ev-tax-from-2028/ TWC Podcast Episode 153, Death, Taxes, and EVs: https://www.thewattcar.com/2024/01/twc-podcast-153-death-taxes-and-evs.html EV battery recycling is not very profitable for scrap yards: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/13/nx-s1-5847025/ev-battery-recycling-economics Rivian ECV dominating commercial EV van sales: https://insideevs.com/news/801568/rivian-van-best-selling-q2-2026/ Slate offering licensed Crayola wraps: https://www.thedrive.com/news/slate-knows-that-gray-is-boring-so-its-launching-with-legit-crayola-wraps Think the Slate is cheap? Be careful with the options sheet: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a71856215/slate-truck-options-pricing-over-45k/ Small but mighty, Telo tows a Pebble trailer: https://electrek.co/2026/07/14/pebble-flow-telo-mt1-electric-truck-tow/ U.S. surpasses 250,000 charging point milestone: https://www.cars.com/articles/the-u-s-surpassed-250000-ev-charging-ports-is-it-enough-2-527011/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez Episode art courtesy Slate Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay Website: https://www.thewattcar.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

    279: At What Price

  7. Jul 9

    278: Danger Valley

    Is Lucid’s latest purchase and finance deals the first real sign that it's teetering on insolvency? We want Lucid to succeed, but the signs aren’t good. We discuss the gravity of the situation. Also, the Tesla Model Y L heads to the U.S., as does the Fiat Topolino. Then, Rivian’s R2 range looks solid, Windrose controversy swirls, and more, on this week’s podcast. Catch the video version of the podcast on YouTube. Subscribe to the audio version on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, PocketCasts, iHeartRadio, Podbean, or wherever top-quality podcasts are served. SHOW NOTES Lucid offers 0% interest financing for 72 months on Gravity: https://eletric-vehicles.com/lucid/lucid-extends-0-apr-to-72-months-on-unsold-2026-gravity-stock/ Polestar blowing out inventory at fire-sale prices: https://insideevs.com/news/800504/polestar-3-deals-banned-america/ U.S. finally gets Tesla Model Y L: https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2027-tesla-model-y-l-debut-first-look.html Tom Moloughney tests the Rivian R2’s highway range: https://insideevs.com/news/800671/rivian-r2-70-mph-highway-range-test/ Bentley’s new electric SUV gets a name: Torcal: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a71810312/bentley-torcal-ev-suv-revealed/ Fiat promises Topolino for U.S., teases Multiplina (4-passenger): https://www.jalopnik.com/2205725/new-fiat-muxltiplina-cutest-way-unlicensed-teens/ McMurtry unveils street-going Spéirling Pure: https://www.electrive.com/2026/07/07/mcmurtry-unveils-production-version-of-its-electric-racing-car-speirling-pure/ Is Windrose the next Nikola?: https://www.theautopian.com/teslas-main-semi-truck-competitor-allegedly-owes-employees-money-and-somehow-lost-one-of-its-huge-trucks-wall-street-journal/ Ferrari introduces a fake manual, in an ICE V12: https://www.motor1.com/news/800497/how-does-ferraris-manual-transmission-work/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez Episode art courtesy Lucid Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay Website: https://www.thewattcar.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

    278: Danger Valley

  8. Jul 2

    277: The Sacrificial Lamb

    Turns out, a vehicle needn’t be made in China for the U.S. to chuck it from these shores for being a Chinese car, but was Polestar simply a sacrificial lamb for Geely, since Volvo’s presence has been spared? That’s just the first topic on this week’s podcast. The conversation then wanders somewhat autonomously to Tesla, VW, and Bosch and the future of self-driving cars, plus dielectric battery EVs, and more. Subscribe to the audio version of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, PocketCasts, iHeartRadio, Podbean, or wherever else top-quality podcasts are served. SHOW NOTESPolestar exits US market: https://www.thedrive.com/news/polestar-is-done-selling-new-cars-in-the-us Tesla rolls out FSD v14 “lite” to HW3: https://electrek.co/2026/06/29/tesla-fsd-v14-lite-hw3-rollout/ VW reportedly cutting losses with Bosch over autonomous driving software not achieving goals: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volkswagen-plans-end-automated-driving-tie-up-with-bosch-bild-reports-2026-06-28/ DOT proposes elimination of the brake pedal for fully autonomous vehicles: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/25/trump-admin-proposes-axing-brake-pedal-requirement-for-avs-in-a-boost-for-tesla/ Shell shows prototype with dielectric fluid battery: https://www.autoblog.com/news/shell-built-an-ev-that-uses-half-the-carbon-of-todays-electric-cars Ferrari marketing chief “leaves” company following Luce launch: https://electrek.co/2026/06/23/ferrari-replaces-marketing-chief-luce-ev-backlash/ Ferrari Luce sells out in China: https://www.autoblog.com/news/ferraris-first-ev-got-roasted-online-then-sold-out-in-china This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. SanchezEpisode art courtesy PolestarMusic courtesy Twisterium at PixabayWebsite: https://www.thewattcar.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar

    277: The Sacrificial Lamb
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3.7
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Not your average EV, plug-in, and hybrid (and fuel cell!) automotive podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Phil Royle & Ed Sanchez
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    284
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Phil Royle & Ed Sanchez
  • Show Website
    The Watt Car EV Podcast

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