EV Geek Podcast

In this episode of The Friday Charge, we're breaking down the biggest electric vehicle stories of the week, including:

🔋 This Week's EV Headlines:

Honda confirms the end of the Prologue after the 2026 model year

Why Honda is betting big on hybrids instead of EVs

Hyundai drops the price of the 2027 Ioniq 5 N by over $6,300

The Ioniq 5 N switches to a native NACS charging port

California launches a brand-new EV rebate program

Hyundai's new $5 billion U.S. battery factory is now online

Toyota delays the all-electric Highlander SUV

GMC celebrates 25 years of Hummer with the limited-edition 2027 Hummer EV ICON | 25

Honda's decision is especially surprising considering the Prologue was one of America's best-selling EVs last year. Is this the right move, or is Honda giving up on the EV market just as competition heats up?

We also discuss Hyundai's growing investment in U.S. battery production, Toyota's continued reliance on hybrids, and why performance EV fans have a new reason to celebrate with a more affordable Ioniq 5 N.

👇 Let us know in the comments:
Is Honda making a huge mistake by abandoning the Prologue? Or are hybrids the smarter path forward?

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California just signed a brand-new $3,500 instant EV rebate into law called "MyFirstEV" (SB 168)—but there is a massive catch hidden in the fine print.

While the new program is designed to help first-time buyers go electric with an on-the-hood, point-of-sale discount, a highly specific "headquarters loophole" completely waives the $50,000 price cap for California-based EV brands like Rivian and Lucid. Meanwhile, Tesla (now headquartered in Texas) gets left out in the cold on its premium models. In today's episode, we break down exactly how this new $3,500 rebate works, why it's sparking a massive political feud between Gavin Newsom and Elon Musk, and how you can take advantage of the cash before the state's funding completely runs out.

Are you looking to buy your first EV this summer? What do you think about this new loophole? Let me know in the comments!

Are electric vehicles actually dying, or are we just looking at the ultimate market correction?

In this episode, we are breaking down the official Q2 2026 EV sales data from Cox Automotive to separate the mainstream media narratives from what’s actually happening on dealership lots. With EV market share stabilizing at 5.8% after the post-incentive crash, the game has officially changed. We sit down with two industry experts to tackle the hard questions: Is the current hybrid boom a gateway or a massive roadblock for BEVs? Can legacy brands like Toyota actually catch Tesla despite Tesla owning half the market? And is a surging used EV market about to completely cannibalize new car sales?

If you want to understand where the automotive industry is actually heading over the next five years—without the hype—this is the conversation you need to hear.

Let us know in the comments: Are you buying a hybrid next, or waiting out the EV winter?

This week on The Friday Charge, Joel and Sebastian break down the biggest EV news stories you need to know! Tesla officially unveils the long-awaited Model Y L in the U.S. with six seats, a longer wheelbase, and a premium Launch Edition—but is it worth the price? We also discuss massive Polestar discounts of up to $25,000, Ford's recall of more than 42,000 Mustang Mach-Es, Waymo's expansion into Las Vegas and three additional cities, rumors that Tesla could require Face ID to activate Full Self-Driving, and GM's recall and delivery stop for the Cadillac Vistiq. Join us as we separate the hype from reality and explain what these developments mean for EV buyers and owners.

Think Tesla owns the charging game? Think again. Walmart just doubled its ultra-fast charging network in 60 days, and they’re solving the biggest problem in EV ownership. Here’s how the retail giant is leaving traditional networks in the dust.