265: Finding Their There
By The Watt Car Staff — April 9, 2026
This week, we discuss a number of automotive brands finding their “there” in the EV world. For starters, Toyota’s bZ gains footing while Subaru gets into the three-row EV game and Rivian’s R2 ups its efficiency. Meanwhile, Afeela’s dead, plus some politicians say Chinese cars are not welcome on America’s shores (although that ship has certainly sailed).
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SHOW NOTES
Sony and Honda discontinue Afeela: https://www.autoweek.com/news/a70847226/sony-honda-kill-afeela-ev/
Refreshed Toyota bZ turns out to be a hit: https://electrek.co/2026/04/02/toyota-sold-more-evs-in-the-us-than-ford-q1-one-suv/
2026 Toyota bZ doesn’t have built-in route planning in nav (suggested charging stops): https://insideevs.com/reviews/787629/2026-toyota-bz-review/
Subaru pulls sheet off 3-row Getaway: https://gizmodo.com/new-getaway-means-subaru-has-an-electric-suv-in-every-size-2000741132
Preliminary numbers show Rivian R2 could beat Tesla Model Y on efficiency: https://insideevs.com/news/792230/rivian-r2-epa-range-efficiency/
Chinese-made EVs won’t be allowed in the U.S., says American ambassador to Canada: https://www.autoblog.com/news/u-s-draws-the-line-at-the-border-chinese-evs-wont-enter-america
Senator Bernie Moreno wants to enact tougher restrictions on Chinese EVs: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/republican-senator-proposes-widen-us-ban-chinese-autos-2026-03-31/
Study claims franchise dealership model adds nearly $5,000 to the price of a new car: https://www.thedrive.com/news/study-quantifies-how-much-the-dealership-model-costs-customers-and-it-aint-pretty
Tesla unveils “folding” superchargers for quicker deployment: https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-folding-supercharger-v4/
This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez
Episode art courtesy Toyota
Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay
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