Tahoe Police Roast Ignorant Cybertruck Driver
Apparently, these Musk-Monstrosity's have a feature called Wade Mode that allows the vehicle to 'navigate shallow bodies of water' by raising the ride height and pressurizing the battery pack to keep it safe from water. This, however, does not look like a shallow body of water and I'm genuinely so curious what on earth the driver was doing. Normally, California Highway Patrol Truckee is tasked with reminding people that 2WD is not 4WD in snow storms, and that just because you want to drive through that snowstorm to ski pow, doesn't mean you should drive through it. But with the onslaught of drivable dumpsters in ski towns, they're now apparently tasked with reminding folks that just because your "truck" says it has auto-pilot, doesn't mean you should trust it. Haven't these folks ever seen A Space Odyssey?? I'd like to applaud Truckee CHP not just for posting this, but for the hashtags they came up with that had me giggling a little too hard. #CyberStuck, #WadeTooFar, #NotSoAmphibious, and my personal favorite, #SiriCallAWinch. Ha. Does any of this have to do with skiing? Not exactly, but if you've lived in a ski town in the last two years, you know that the roasts we used to reserve for rental car sedans without snow tires have now been directed almost entirely towards Cybertrucks. I'm all for saving the environment with electric vehicles, but at least Ford and Rivian are doing it with cars that actually look like cars, and I haven't seen any F150E's parked in a lake recently either...
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Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
Inside BYD's plan to rule the waves
Elon Musk had a problem. As Tesla struggled to ramp up sales in October 2022, it faced a critical shortage of ships to deliver its EVs. "There weren't enough boats, there weren't enough trains, there weren't enough car carriers," Musk told investors, after Tesla announced it had delivered tens of thousands of cars fewer than it made over the previous quarter. As Tesla struggled, its biggest Chinese rival devised a novel solution. BYD, which is on course to surpass Tesla this year as the world's top seller of EVs, decided in 2022 to build a fleet of seven giant ships, each capable of carrying thousands of cars. Unlike most of its Western rivals, which typically buy space on car carriers operated by shipping companies, BYD has cut out the intermediary as it doubles down on ambitious plans to sell half its cars outside China by 2030. Six of BYD's giant ships, which are emblazoned with the company's livery and a striking red and white color scheme, have entered service in the past year. Data obtained by Business Insider from ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic shows how the Chinese carmaker is using this fleet to drive an unprecedented international expansion, flooding ports in Europe, Brazil, and Mexico as it takes the fight to Tesla and overtakes legacy automakers. BYD's first ship set sail in January 2024, when the BYD Explorer No.1 — a 200-meter-long, 13-deck, roll-on roll-off behemoth — went into service. In July, the Zhengzhou, which can carry up to 7,000 vehicles, became the seventh vessel to join the fleet. The largest ship in BYD's armada, the Shenzhen, has a capacity of over 9,000 vehicles, making it one of the world's largest car-carrying vessels. The massive ships have been busy. After launching, Explorer No.1 immediately began a 41-day voyage to Europe, the first of three separate trips there in 2024. Explorer No.1 has also made three voyages to Brazil since May 2024. In May this year, it docked in the Brazilian port of Portocel in its second visit in four months, with two other BYD ships, the Hefei and the Shenzhen, also arriving in Brazil in April and May. All three arrived fully laden and left empty as BYD raced to deliver its vehicles to Brazil ahead of a planned EV tariff rise in July. The voyages to Europe and Brazil coincide with BYD's sales surging in both markets. BYD, which did not respond to a request for comment for this story, sold just 2,500 vehicles in Brazil in the first half of 2023. It's sold over 56,000 vehicles there so far this year, per data from Brazil's National Federation of Automotive Vehicle Distribution. That's more than Nissan, Renault, and Ford, and it has seen BYD take a dominant position in one of the world's fastest-growing EV markets. In Europe, BYD's sales in the first half of the year were more than 300% higher than over the same period in 2024. The Chinese carmaker sold more pure battery-electric vehicles than Musk's automaker in Europe for the first time in April, and its global EV sales have outpaced Tesla's for the past three quarters. Stian Omli, a senior vice president at logistics intelligence firm Esgian, told Business Insider that BYD was essentially operating a "shuttle service" between its production hubs in China and key ports in Europe and Brazil. BYD's strategy is shaking up the car shipping industry, which has been dominated historically by a handful of established shipping companies that usually plan and invest on cycles of a decade or longer. Companies like Norwegian logistics giant Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Japanese firm NYK Line sell space aboard their ships to multiple companies, then try to stop at as many ports as possible and pick up cargo for the return voyages. But Omli said BYD's strategy was to go direct, dump a massive number of EVs at one or two destination ports, and often return to China empty. "Just like they have changed the competitive landscape when it comes to cars, the Chinese are also changing the competitive landscape when it comes to the car carriers," Omli said. China's brutal EV market forces BYD to go global Stephen Dyer, managing director at auto consultancy AlixPartners, told Business Insider that the Chinese EV industry's drive to expand overseas is driven by a "never-ending" price war at home, as over 100 EV brands fight it out in the world's most brutally competitive car market. "If you can succeed outside China, you gain credibility with your core market consumers in China," said Dyer. BYD could do with a boost. In July, the automaker's sales fell for the first time this year, putting its target of selling 5.5 million cars in 2025 at risk. BYD's decision to operate its own ships had its roots in a post-COVID supply crunch between 2021 and 2023, when high demand combined with a shortage of specialised car carriers. This crunch sent the price of one car carrier for a yearlong charter soaring as high as $125,000 per day, far above the typical pre-COVID high of around $25,000, Omli said. This is what made Musk rage and prompted BYD to embark on its radical strategy just as it was beginning to enter international markets in earnest. BYD's setup allows the company to avoid being caught out if prices soar again, Omli said, and also gives it more flexibility to send its cars where and when it wants. Control over its supply chain is a key part of BYD's formula for building EVs quicker and cheaper than its rivals. The company manufactures almost all of its own parts. Executive vice president Stella Li previously said that the tires and windows of BYD's Dolphin hatchback were the only parts not made in-house. "Developing your own component suppliers gives BYD not only some cost leverage over other suppliers, but also the flexibility to do things much faster," Dyer said. "When you have your own fleet, it's the same idea. It allows you to do things quickly and flexibly. You can divert them to anywhere that you want to go, even part of the way on the voyage. You're assured of supply," he added. A costly gambit BYD is not the only Chinese EV company to dabble in deep-sea shipping. Rivals such as SAIC Motors have built even larger fleets, and Omli estimated the share of the global deep-sea car carrier fleet controlled by Chinese companies will rise from 10-15% to as much as 25% in the next few years. It's a hefty investment. Omli estimated that building the first four ships in its fleet cost BYD around $500 million, with such ships typically costing between $100 and $130 million each to build. BYD's fleet shows no signs of slowing down. The automaker's monthly vehicle exports in July were nearly three times higher than a year ago, per company figures, and its vessels have made six voyages to Europe so far this year. Recently, BYD's fleet has deployed its "shuttle service" strategy in Mexico. The 200-meter-long Changzhou became the first BYD vessel to arrive in the country in June, before criss-crossing the Pacific and returning with another load a month later. The Explorer No.1 has just made the same journey, docking at the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas on 14 August. BYD recently abandoned plans to build a factory in Mexico, but the company's EVs are still in high demand there. Executives say they expect sales to double this year. Data from Esgian shows that the four BYD vessels it tracks — The Explorer No.1, Shenzhen, Hefei, and Changzhou — have visited the Mexican ports of Mazatlan and Lararo Cardenas, along with Portocel, more than any other ports outside Asia this year. No risk, no reward While BYD's shipbuilding surge has given the company the flexibility to export its EVs at unprecedented volume, the strategy has risks. The company and its Chinese rivals have shipped so many vehicles to Europe over the past two years that it has put shipping infrastructure under pressure and turned some ports into giant parking lots. Germany-based auto analyst Matthias Schmidt told Business Insider that most of BYD's sales in Europe were to companies and dealerships, rather than consumers. Schmidt said he believed BYD's strategy was to flood the market through corporate channels and build enough momentum to become a recognisable brand for European consumers. The shipping supply crunch that pushed BYD to build its fleet has now mostly abated. A wave of car-carrying ships has been launched in the past two years, easing the shortage and bringing prices down to around $50,000 per day for one car carrier on a one-year charter, with Omli estimating they will probably fall to around $30,000. With shipping via external carriers a more affordable option, Schmidt said BYD now has to justify the massive costs of running its own fleet by exporting more vehicles. "That's probably partly behind the high number of vehicles coming to Europe right now. They need to ship those vessels relatively full to maximise utilisation," Schmidt added. Alexander Brown, a senior analyst at the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies, said that "a lot has changed" since BYD went all in on its own ships three years ago. Since then, Western economies have raised trade barriers to protect their own auto industries from Chinese carmakers, and the Trump administration has set about reordering global trade with tariffs. With this protectionism in mind, BYD has another big investment: factories. It recently began production at its new factory in Brazil, on the site of a plant Ford closed in 2021 after years of poor sales and big losses, ending a century of Ford production in the country. The Detroit automaker also shut down multiple plants in Europe, and Chinese automakers are now filling that gap. BYD is building production sites for the European market in Hungary and Turkey. Brown added that, if BYD had known how much tariffs would rise after going all in on cargo ships, "they may have done things a little bit differently." Graphics by Jinpeng Li.
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Want to buy an electric car or truck? What to know before tax credits expire Sept. 30
A brand new, out-of-the blue Sept. 30 deadline to buy an EV could be easy to miss, given all the quirky details packed into the nearly 900-page mega tax bill. But automakers aren't about to let that happen. An email sent by Telsa says: "Order soon to get your $7,500." "You can get $7,500 off a qualifying Tesla vehicle at delivery with the federal tax credit, which will now expire on September 30, 2025," the email stated. You must take delivery on or before Sept. 30 to be eligible. Sales of electric cars and trucks, including plug-in hybrids, could be scorching hot at the end of summer, according to industry analysts, as buyers hear more promotions about why they absolutely must lock in lucrative clean vehicle tax credits that expire under what has been called the 'one, big, beautiful bill.' A lucrative loophole on leasing EVs ends Sept. 30, too. A clean vehicle tax credit that's up to $4,000 for eligible used electric vehicles also expires Sept. 30. Don't kid yourself. Not every tax filer will qualify for the credit when buying a clean vehicle. The make and model and the MSRP matter. So does your income. The credits do not apply to every package offered on some electric car or truck or plug-in hybrid models. The availability of the credit for those who buy will depend on several factors, including the vehicle's MSRP, its final assembly location, the sourcing of the critical minerals and components in the battery, and your modified adjusted gross income. Included in the footnotes for the Tesla email: "Consult a tax professional. Not all buyers, vehicles or financing options will qualify. Terms and conditions apply." What vehicles qualify for the EV tax credit? Check out the details at to search for eligible vehicles. Independent websites, such as Edmunds, also list cars and trucks that are eligible for the federal EV tax credit. Some 2025 vehicles that could qualify for a $7,500 credit when you're buying the vehicle, according to the list, are: the Ford F-150 Lightning Flash Trim, as well as Lariat and XLT trims; the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S; the 2025 Tesla Cybertruck dual motor, long range and single motor; various models of the 2025 Tesla Model 3, Model X and Model Y; the Cadillac Lyriq and Optic; the Chevy Blazer EV, the Chevy Equinox EV, and the Chevy Silverado EV. Among these models, though, you're limited to a vehicle with an MSRP of $80,000. Ask the dealer whether the specific car or truck you're buying qualifies. Not every version of a model listed on the website qualifies. For a consumer to qualify for a clean vehicle credit, the manufacturer suggested retail price can't exceed $80,000 for vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. It cannot exceed $55,000 for other vehicles. What are the income limits for an EV tax credit? Higher income households won't qualify for the credit when buying an EV. Your modified adjusted gross income may not exceed $300,000 for married couples filing jointly; $225,000 for heads of households; and $150,000 for all other filers. You can use your modified AGI from the year you take delivery of the vehicle or the year before, whichever is less, according to the Internal Revenue Service. If your modified AGI is below the threshold in one of the two years, you can claim the credit. The EV or plug-in hybrid must be bought for your own use, not for resale. You must use it primarily in the United States. More: Gamblers will pay more taxes in 2026 and beyond when Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' hits More: Taxes on Social Security benefits were not eliminated despite what you've heard Why many drivers are opting to lease EVs The bulk of EVs these days are leased — and for good reason when it comes to the complicated tax credit. A loophole in the tax credit, which was part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, gave dealers an edge for promoting attractive leases for new EVs and plug-in hybrids, especially as many new clean vehicles were introduced. The driver cannot claim the clean vehicle tax credit in this case but can likely benefit from a better lease deal. It's one way many are finding lower monthly payments for higher priced vehicles, too. Leased electric vehicles are classified as "commercial vehicles," which means that they're eligible for the full federal clean vehicle credit without meeting strict battery and sourcing requirements. So, you might be able to lease an EV that wouldn't qualify for any credit at all if you bought it. In these cases, the tax credit belongs to the leasing company, often the automaker's captive finance arm. Some or all of that savings could be passed along to the buyer through a well-positioned lease deal. Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, told the Detroit Free Press that dealers are likely to feature attractive lease deals in the next two and a half months before the Sept. 30 deadline hits, which puts an end to the leasing loophole. She noted that only about 20 electric and plug-in hybrid models are eligible for the clean vehicle credit of up to $7,500 for consumers. Thanks to the EV leasing loophole, she explained, virtually any EV — regardless of price or country of origin — can qualify for the commercial clean vehicle tax credit, making it far more accessible than the consumer EV credit. The consumer who opts to lease the EV doesn't have to worry about any income limits affecting whether you qualify for the clean vehicle credit, she noted. And the leasing loophole gets around MSRP requirements or where batteries are produced or components are sourced. In April, 60% of all new EV transactions were lease deals, according to Cox Automotive data. Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds, said almost all offers involving leasing are going to be the most favorable deals, given that they allow for more vehicles to benefit from tax breaks regardless of assembly location or battery sourcing requirements. Automakers and dealers already are having trouble moving EVs off the lot now, Drury said. "EVs went from some of the hottest products on the market back in 2022 to sitting on the lot for months on end, and it has been this way for nearly two years," Drury said. Selling EVs could get even tougher once the clean vehicle tax credit disappears. "Any reduction in incentives could lead to further issues once the tax credit deadline approaches, especially since many automakers have incentives stacked on top of the tax credit — with the tax credit doing most of the heavy lifting," Drury said. It is hard to say what happens beginning in October. Will automakers move so many EVs off lots by Sept. 30 that they no longer need to offer super-deep discounts? Or will brands with bloated EV inventories now still need to offer really good deals to unload metal in the fall? Drury said in some cases it might be possible to see current inventories reduced to a more manageable volume, especially as 2026 model year planning and forecasting will take into account reduced sales. "This could easily make the next few months one of the best and last times to score a deal on an EV," Drury said. Valdez Streaty, at Cox Automotive, expects solid growth in EV sales in the third quarter, as buyers act ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline for the expiring tax credit. Not surprisingly, she predicts that EV sales then will drop off in the fourth quarter, as the electric vehicle market adjusts to a new reality where buyers no longer receive federal tax breaks. Some states, like Colorado, currently offer tax breaks for EV purchases. But even Colorado's smaller tax break is set to be reduced as of Jan. 1, 2026. EV sales in the second quarter were down 6.3% year over year, according to a report issued July 14 by the Cox Automotive Kelley Blue Book team. Some of that decline is attributed to some buyers who rushed ahead to buy in the first quarter, as many anticipated that President Donald Trump would ultimately put end to EV tax credits for consumers. During the second quarter, consumers bought 310,839 new EVs in the United States, down from 331,853 in the same period in 2024, according to the well-known provider of information about the value of new and used cars. Total EV sales through the first half of 2025 set a record at 607,089, up 1.5% year-over-year, according to Cox Automotive Kelley Blue Book. Right now, buyers are looking at healthy inventories for EVs and strong sales incentives, according to experts. Ford Motor Co., for example, has extended a program called the "Ford Power Promise" that offers a free home charger and complimentary standard installation until Sept. 30. The offer applies to the purchase or lease of a new Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E or E-Transit Cargo Van. More: Ford's latest sale may be just the start in a summer of car-buying deals, experts say One doesn't have to look far to find some sort of deal on EVs. "Manufacturers and dealers are using this opportunity to create a sense of urgency to buy now while this (tax) incentive is still in place," Valdez Streaty said. Overall, sales incentives on EVs in the second quarter were more than 10% of the average transaction price. In June, average EV incentives from manufacturers reached an all-time high of 14.8% of average transaction prices, hitting nearly $8,500, according to Kelley Blue Book. These incentives are in addition to any available tax credit. In June, the average transaction price was $56,910 for a new EV, according to Kelley Blue Book. Todd Szott, whose family owns dealerships in Michigan, said more buyers are getting motivated to shop for EVs by the Sept. 30 deadline. The dealership is promoting several lease deals, including $329 a month for 24 months on a 2025 Dodge Charger R/T and $299 a month for 24 months for a 2024 Wrangler, 4-door Sport 4xe. The dealership is also promoting a $399 a month lease for 36 months on a 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E. All lease deals are plus sales tax and state fees, and the first payment is due at signing. Almost all the dealership's customers lease electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, Szott said. "The federal tax credit goes to the leasing company and is passed on to the customer in the form of a great lease deal," Szott said. He noted that more makes and models qualify for the federal tax credit through leasing because the qualifications to get the credit through leasing are less stringent. Many drivers also benefit from leasing, he said, because EV and PHEV technology will improve and change in three years, so leasing for about three years makes sense. He sells Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Toyota vehicles through Szott Auto Group in White Lake, Highland Township, Holly, Waterford and New Hudson. More: Ford's latest sale may be just the start in a summer of car-buying deals, experts say Some tips for car shopping now If you're tempted to buy or lease to beat the Sept. 30 deadline, experts say do your research and figure out your options now. If you plan to buy, talk to your bank or credit union and see what kind of interest rate on a car loan you'd qualify to get. Pushing anything to the last minute can cause processing errors, warns Mike Mader, Baker Tilly's dealership industry practice leader. And paperwork is key if you're buying an EV and expecting a tax credit. Remember, you cannot claim a federal income tax credit on your tax return if you lease the EV. Don't think things will just magically work out at tax time. Some taxpayers faced enormous headaches this year when dealing with the credit on their 2024 tax returns filed this year. The federal government notes that Clean Vehicle Tax Credits must be initiated and approved at the time of sale. Buyers should obtain a copy of the confirmation from the Internal Revenue Service that a 'time-of-sale' report was submitted successfully by the dealer. The IRS has an online portal for dealers to submit time of sale reports for EVs sold. Dealers must submit time-of-sale reports within a three-day period. The National Automobile Dealers Association told the Detroit Free Press that some earlier tax glitches have been worked out. 'NADA worked with the IRS to resolve the systemic issues with the portal earlier this year and those fixes have remained successful,' according to NADA spokesperson Amy Wright. 'Anecdotally, some dealers have reported an occasional, individual problem, but that should not deter consumers from purchasing an EV. There is no reason to believe there will be upcoming problems.' Many dealers, Wright said, offer the $7,500 credit at the time of purchase and that will remain unchanged until Sept. 30. The buyer can choose to take the credit upfront or claim it later on their tax return. You need the proper paperwork in either case. While a bit more than two months isn't a long lead time, the NADA said it was able to help secure a longer phaseout of the tax incentive through Sept. 30 instead of seeing the credit hit a dead stop even earlier. Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@ Follow her on X @tompor.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Does India Need Tesla Now as Much as It May Have a Few Years Ago?
Tesla opens two official stores in India, years after various efforts to enter the country while also avoiding the massive import tariffs on foreign-made vehicles. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a number of times regarding building a gigafactory in India, but the discussions have not resulted in a positive outcome for the country. Tesla now offers only the Model Y in India, assembled in China, but now lacks the attention and political will to build a full-size plant in the country of over one billion people, as India's domestic automakers catch up. For a country with over a billion people, India has remained largely uninterested in Tesla for a long time. Or so it seemed. Every few years we heard rumors of overtures made by Tesla's team to India's government, wanting to be the site of Tesla's future gigafactories, but after a few weeks of hopeful forward-looking political niceties nothing would materialize. The last time India was seen as being among the finalists for a Tesla Gigafactory was in 2023, as Elon Musk teased that he was looking at a number of countries for the next site, including Canada. But 2023 was also a very different time for Tesla and for Elon Musk, no matter how close it seems. At the time, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi even reported to have made a personal push for Gigafactory India, which would have given Tesla not only tremendous regional export potential, but also longer-range export potential to Europe. In the end, nothing came of that particular effort in 2023, though India did once again pop up in mid-February of this year as CEO Elon Musk met privately with Prime Minister Modi, amid rumors of another push for a Tesla gigafactory in India. Attractive Electric Micromobility Network One of the reasons India has been among the finalists for Tesla's next plant is its population of 1.45 billion, and India has a very advanced electric micromobility network, making it suitable to host thousands of Tesla Supercharger sites. Also, Tesla in 2023 was still reportedly considering a $25,000 model, which would have been a popular version for India and for regional export. The eventual demise of that model, believed to have been felled by a number of factors including inflation, seemingly closed the door on Gigafactory India as well. One major sticking point during all of these negotiations—at least as it concerns an official launch if not local manufacturing—was a waiver from India's very high import duties, which had effectively kept out many Tesla vehicles, even through the gray market. Now, Tesla appears to be inching closer to an official sales launch in the country if not local manufacture—a business case that seems to have eroded relatively quickly over the past two years. For starters, Tesla would need the money to build the factory in India, and its financial picture is seen as having steadily eroded throughout 2025. Stores in Delhi and Mumbai? Nevertheless, Tesla has just opened a showroom in Delhi and has leased several pieces of land in nearby cities. A Supercharger location has been built near the Delhi site as well, with more planned for neighboring cities. Overall, Tesla reportedly plans one store in Delhi and one in Mumbai, and so far the only model on sale in the country is the Model Y, which is made in China. It's not quite the big, official launch, but something closely resembling the arrival of a western luxury brand in China in the 1990s, and without local manufacturing presence. The Model Y in India, therefore, is bound to be a pricey, rare, rich person's car with just a couple of official company stores located far apart—quite different from what was envisioned a few years ago. And it won't be an offering for the middle class, like it is in China or Europe. When it comes to local manufacturing, those chances now seem lower than just two years ago when the Berlin-Brandenburg plant was at least meeting European demand. That demand abruptly cratered due to a significant dip in Elon Musk's popularity in a number of western European countries and remains unlikely to be regained anytime soon. Likewise, Tesla appears to be done building gigafactories in far-off foreign countries for the time being, at least barring major political changes. More importantly, Tesla no longer appears to have the capital to devote to such a venture, nor any new (and actually affordable) models to offer India, while also facing a thin middle class not willing to spend money on anything the automaker has in its lineup at the moment. Those major political changes may well turn out to be China's quick assimilation of the EV market in scores of developing countries in Southeast Asia and South America, both of which disfavor Tesla's regional ambitions on the Indian subcontinent. We are also likely to see India's domestic automakers, Mahindra and Tata among them, break out of a largely domestic market and offer their own affordable and desirable EVs that can be exported—something which is already happening. India, it appears, may not need Tesla as it did just a few years ago. Does Tesla need new, less expensive vehicles in its lineup, beyond the Model 3 and Model Y? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
