Week of July 21
Tesla is opening its first restaurant, General Motors is making strides with some massive electric vehicle sales wins, and affordable solid-state batteries could be closer than we think — here's all that, and the other news you need to know about clean machines this week.
Tesla is expanding into … diners?
The always-in-the-headlines EV-maker has just opened its retro-futuristic diner in Los Angeles, featuring jumbo cinema screens, Cybertruck-inspired to-go boxes, and 80 charging stations. People have reportedly been coming from far and wide to check it out, and Tesla head Elon Musk says there are plans to launch more locations in other cities.
GM is continuing its EV win streak — at Tesla's expense
Second-quarter EV sales for California — Tesla's biggest U.S. market — are down 21% from the same period last year.
Meanwhile, General Motors beat economists' expectations, in part due to its EV sales more than doubling. Despite the tariffs biting a big chunk out of profits — a slip of 35% to $3.04B — Chevy is now the No. 2 top-selling EV brand in America, with sales soaring by 134% over the first half of this year.
Solid-state batteries are already here — and they're cheap
The holy grail of EVs' power — solid state batteries — has long been promised to add more range, increase charging speeds, decrease vehicle weight, and improve performance while also cutting costs.
Now, these batteries aren't just possible, they're about to hit the affordable end of the EV market. At a media event in mid-July, legendary British manufacturer MG, now owned by China's SAIC Motor, said the firm's new MG4 electric hatchback will be the first mass-market electric vehicle globally to feature a semi-solid-state battery.
It will officially debut on August 5 in the U.K., with its low sticker price expected to be equivalent to around $11,000 to $16,400 USD.
Chevy's new EV concept is one of a kind
According to Robb Report, the new Chevrolet California Corvette concept car is a wild-looking electric bullet with a carbon fiber body and an active spoiler that also acts as an air brake.
Chevy says the concept would be powered by a "T-shaped prismatic battery pack" to allow for the vehicle's low-to-the-ground stance and aid aerodynamics.
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