EVs In The News - DECEMBER 2025
- kathrynrygg
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
Igor Orlovich and Ravi Mehta follow the news about Electric Vehicles and have curated items for fans and those thinking about going electric for their next car, SUV, or truck.
News from the Dealers:
The 2026 Jeep Recon EV will start at $66,995 and has 250 mi of range. Jeep's second EV SUV can go doorless and delivers 650 hp—a lot more than the V-8-powered Wrangler.
Mercedes-Benz's new CLA EV will have a whopping 374 miles of electric range and a much more reasonable price tag: $47,250 - compared to the $120,000 EQS that it is replacing.
The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker combines 375 Horsepower with legendary All-Wheel drive performance for $39,995. Other features: 280 miles of estimated range with recharging at speeds up to 150 kW and a standard NACS charge port.
The 2026 Subaru Uncharted combines 375 Horsepower with legendary All-Wheel drive performance for $34,995. Other features: 300+ miles of estimated range for the FWD and 285 for the AWD model. Just like its big brother, it will recharge at speeds up to 150 kW and have a standard NACS charge port.
Electric Advantage:
Electric vehicles don’t start out clean. Building large batteries comes with a carbon cost, so new EVs hit the road with more emissions on their ledger than comparable gas cars (30% more!) But a new analysis from Northern Arizona University and Duke University shows that this early penalty fades within just a couple of years, and then they stay far cleaner for the rest of their lives.
The Australian Government wants EV and PHEV owners to start sending power to the grid with the goal of ensuring reliability by increasing the electricity available on the grid. Bidirectional chargers convert electricity from the grid to the electricity required by EV batteries, but can also convert it back, allowing power to be drawn from the battery and distributed elsewhere. Australia is looking to be a leader on this V2G technology and working hard to incentivize EV adoption in the country.
Charging News:
Rivian will be installing their Adventure Network charger soon in the Starbucks lot across from the Eastview Mall in Victor. It will have 1 CCS1 plug and 1 NACS plug.
You can now see real-time availability of Tesla Superchargers on Google Maps, displaying the live information under the “Overview” section of the app with green highlights. It might seem like a small addition, but it can make a meaningful difference to road trips: drivers no longer have to switch between apps or wait for Tesla’s own app to load just to check charger status.
As of last month, Volkswagen is finally offering the Tesla (NACS) adaptor for owners for $200. Additionally, they have committed to making their cars NACS native (or able to use the Tesla system without an adaptor).
It's early days yet, but solid-state batteries made from rock silicates are expected to become an environmentally friendly (90% of rocks contain this material), more efficient (1,000 km on 10 min of charge), and safer (no combustible liquids in the battery) alternative to current lithium-ion batteries. Prototypes may be available within 2 years and in a decade, this could be the primary vehicle battery.
In Other EV News...
Electric US Postal trucks are now making their rounds. They look a bit funny, but the new design is great for delivering packages and importantly, for visibility. This vehicle also has AC, which earlier trucks lacked, a feature that postal workers are celebrating!