EV News for the week ending June 20, 2025

SENATE REPUBLICANS REJECTED

Senate republicans are working to undo the stringent emissions rules and electric vehicle incentives put into place by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2024 under the Biden administration.

On Friday, the Senate parliamentarian threw a spanner into their plans ruling that republicans could not roll back the rules with a simple majority vote and instead would require 60 votes of the senate to rescind the laws currently in place.

Earlier in the week, Senate republicans sought to repeal the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle and remove fines on automakers for not reaching Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules. The CAFE rules have been in place since 1975 when enacted during the Ford administration.++

In a previous ruling by the Senate parliamentarian, Senate republicans disregarded a similar decision set by the parliamentarian and went on to repeal EPA waivers allowing California to enforce stricter emissions rules than those imposed by the EPA, as well as ban the sale of gas-powered light duty cars and trucks.Source

A NEW LEAF DROPS

On Tuesday, Nissan lifted the covers off of the fully revised Nissan LEAF. Since making its debut in 2009, Nissan has sold more than a 700,000 globally. Now sixteen years later, a vastly improved LEAF arrives with a crossover shape, improved range and charging capabilities, and a fresh new interior with updated tech.

The car features a tall yet narrow teardrop shape comprising aero bits that direct air over and around the car help Nissan net a 0.26 drag coefficient. The sleek design aides in the new LEAF in attaining (Nissan-reported) 300 miles of range.

The new LEAF is based on the same chassis as the Nissan Aryia. Two liquid-cooled battery packs will be available. A 52kWh battery connected to a motor capable of 175 horsepower and a 75kW pack mated to a motor churning out 215 horses. Some trim levels feature navigation-integrated active battery pre-conditioning. US models with the 75kW battery are estimated to see 303 miles of range and will recharge from 10-80% in "as little as" 35 minutes.

Other notable features include a NACS port, availability of a 'Vehicle to Load' (V2L) adapter. While 'Vehicle to Home' is also built-in, V2H will only be available on European models.

The new Nissan LEAF will be available later this year as a 2026 model.Source

NEW VINFAST DEALERSHIP

If you live in or around the San Diego area and are looking for an EV, then this next story is good news!

This week VinFast announced their first dealership partner in Calfornia, Sunroad Automotive Group, has opened the first VinFast dealership in San Diego, California.

The new dealership offers sales and support for the full VinFast lineup.

Paul Filmore, General Manager of VinFast San Diego said of the new opening, "We believe in VinFast’s strong potential to make a lasting impact in the North American market."

Speaking on the new store, Mike Nolte, Vice President, VinFast US said, "Adding our first dealership in California signifies VinFast's next strategic step in our business model transition and the development of our global dealership network."

VinFast has a goal of operating authorized VinFast dealerships in all fifty states. They currently have 30 across 15 states.Source

A SPAT OF REPORTS IDENTIFY ROAD BLOCKS TO EV UPTAKE

INITIAL COSTS SITED

David Bunch, Shell's Chief for Mobility and Convenience recently said, "The single biggest barrier to entry is the cost of the vehicle. Range anxiety is still there but it's diminishing." In a report commissioned by Shell, the key issue confronting buyers considering a new EV is not range, not public charging, nor road tripping.

The biggest road block preventing new car owners from selecting an electric vehicle is price. The report calls out the average electric vehicle costs around 30% more than a comparable gas-powered car.

The global survey of 15,000 drivers proved to offer a few other bits of information. One of these is how 31% of US drivers say they would consider switching to an electric car.

Another interesting bit of news is that 80% of US electric vehicle owners report that the pace of charging had improved. And 71% of respondents found public charging offered value..css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}