DAILY: Tesla Delivers Standard Model Y, ALSO. e-bikes and GM Ends Brightdrop Vans | 23 Oct 2025

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Welcome back to the podcast.

Today, Tesla delivers the standard Model Y, also e-bikes,

and GMN's bright drop vans.

Plus, stay tuned.

Later in the show, I'll tell you which automaker

just launched their annual Halloween software update.

On EV News, China, our spin-off show today,

we're talking about NEV sales rebounding in China,

Xiaomi losing a really interesting court appeal

actually brought by one of their customers,

and BYD's shark pickup, not the shark six,

but a different one, heading for Europe.

Join me later for a bonus show

as we have a look at Tesla's quarterly update.

Now, this isn't a finance podcast,

but Tesla, what would be being a bellwether

for the EV industry, in a really interesting place.

Deliveries and revenue are up,

but had a really negative reaction

from experts that aren't me.

So I'm gonna try and dig into that

and fully understand the latest update from Tesla.

It'll be live tonight for patrons,

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that they come out at the same time for everybody.

Now, Tesla has begun customer deliveries

of the Model Y standard.

It's rear wheel drive,

production in the U.S. is a gig of Texas,

and Tesla introduced the lower cost Model Y standard

earlier this month, and the Model 3 standard as well.

Tesla invited early owners, including content creators,

the likes of Tesla Bros on X,

who were allowed to film,

but actually then couldn't do their handover

because of a firmware issue.

Tesla is expanding availability of the standards in Europe,

being built at Gigaburlin, not in China yet,

because they've got the new Model Y long wheelbase,

which is kind of their focus.

And I think when Tesla needs a sales boost in China,

they've always got that in their back pocket.

They could roll out the standards in China,

but then you're in a price point where other vehicles

that are not only cheaper,

but come with all the things that people are expecting.

So I'm not sure how a stripped down version works in China,

because the expectations are so much higher now.

The idea of not having even basic things

like electronic wing mirrors, for instance,

for many people, they're kind of a set and forget thing.

But on the other hand,

these Chinese cars from domestic names

are coming with not just electronic wing mirrors,

but LiDAR and advanced ADAS, an AI built in,

integration into your Chinese digital life.

And so, yeah, it's a really interesting thing

to see whether they even take those vehicles to China

and whether anybody wants them.

Because at the minute, Tesla is a premium brand in China.

People look up to it and spend a little bit more money

to get those vehicles.

Tesla have to be kind of careful

that they don't change their brand image

by launching very, very basic vehicles.

But for now, I think the underlying specs

of the standard vehicles, not that I've driven one,

you know, if you need reasonable transport,

the specs are good.

EPA at 321 miles on the Model Y,

which for the Model Y, a big vehicle, very good.

Top speed 125 miles an hour, but neither here nor there.

If I did that on UK roads, I'd lose my license.

And not to 60 of seven seconds, that's fine, it's usable.

Tesla says the vehicle retains

its safety and efficiency standards

and the latest Hardware 4.

Yeah, as Hardware 3 owners are finding out the hard way.

Those full self-driving features that have been long-promised,

they're not gonna come to Hardware 3, are they?

That might be an expensive retrofit, awesome.

I don't know, court cases that Tesla has to fend off.

These initial handovers mark the start

of customer access to the standard three,

sorry, wise and soon threes.

Now, Rivian have a spin-off business

making e-mobility products.

And the first one, or first two actually,

I'll talk about the first one.

So the business is called ALSO, which works in print

because you can see the word ALSO

and they stylize it in capitals, ALSO.

But on a podcast, if I say also,

you think I'm joining two sentences together.

So I'll try and be very careful how I say it.

Also, the company unveiled the TMB.

That's their first two wheeler.

They say that this e-bike applies automotive grade electronics

and software to an e-bike,

rethinking pedal-to-wheel interaction.

And it's actually kind of interesting

what they've done here.

And so let me explain how the vehicle works.

So the mobility startup, which has been spun out of Rivian,

said that they've built their own e-bike motors

and e-bike batteries and software,

which is what Rivian do really well, actually, software.

The TMB incorporates features more common to cars

than e-bikes.

Its core dream ride drive is what they've called it,

removes any direct mechanical link

between your pedals and the rear wheel.

Now, there is still a belt.

I'll tell you about that in a minute.

The pedals merely generate electricity.

So you turn the pedals to charge the battery

and the propulsion comes from a motor.

Now, the motor is down near the pedals,

but also compares dream rides to an E-Rex

or an extended range vehicle, like a BMW i3 Rex,

where the engine is just a generator,

where your pedals are a generator.

So that's interesting.

You can just keep moving your pedals

at the efficient cadence for you

and the load is the same,

while the motor constantly changes the required wheel torque.

Dream ride offers two transmission styles,

auto, so you can set and maintain cadence of your pedals,

while the motor output and generator input adjust

and manual mode, which uses software to emulate gears

to feel like a normal bike.

The TMB's final drive is belt driven

using a gate system and 62 tooth rear sprocket.

So very interesting, quite interesting looking vehicle

as well, I wouldn't say it's very sleek.

That whole battery and drive unit

is quite a big chunky thing.

I'm sure they'll slim that down with version two

and version three and whatnot.

Also, sorry, no, yeah, I did it, I did it.

Also joining two sentences together, not the company.

This is gonna be great for any kind of deliveries

or if you have your kid on the back in a child's seat

or I have a little tag along bike,

you know, one with one wheel on the back

and then it hooks onto my seat post.

I used that for many years when my little boy was sort of

four till, maybe three till six, maybe three till five,

then he got his own bike and stuff and could keep up with me.

And I'll use it for my little girl now,

she's three and a half when she starts to learn to ride

and when I take her to school next year,

she'll probably use the tag along,

maybe the trailer for the first year,

but either way, I'm a massive e-bike convert.

Don't talk about it a lot on the podcast

because the podcast mainly about cars,

but e-bikes over here are pedal X.

So we don't have twist grip or throttle grip,

throttle acceleration.

You can get them from Chinese market places,

don't get me wrong, but they're not allowed.

So we have to have pedal X that are limited on speed

and honestly that's fine because I got my kids with me.

So I'm not canning it across trails and stuff like that.

I'm taking them places to the library or swimming pool

or the school and it's so great to get out of the car

when the weather allows here and it's really nice.

So 20 miles an hour is perfectly safe

with the kids around.

Two battery packs, a 538 watt hour unit

that'll do 60 miles of range

and a large pack that holds 808 watt hours

for 100 miles of range.

USB-C fast charging up to 240 watts.

So you can charge it in a couple of hours

according to Gear Junkie website.

I'll pop a link to that website in the show notes

so you can read more and have a look at the pictures,

little software display by the handlebars.

It looks very cool, but is also very expensive.

Four and a half thousand dollars to get into one

before you start to spec that up a little bit.

Maybe that price will come down in time.

These things usually do.

We also heard the news that Amazon,

an early backer in Ruby and big supporters than the investor,

Amazon has ordered thousands of the Quad version TMQs.

So this uses not bicycle wheels,

I would say slightly larger wheels,

but it's still effectively a bicycle.

It's got pedals and it's got a steering wheel

or handlebars rather, but it's more enclosed.

I mean, there's different versions of it,

but the picture they showed at the launch

was with an enclosed version and then a large area,

large cargo, enclosed cargo area behind.

So again, getting around cities on pedal power.

It's a four-wheel vehicle,

but it's still effectively a pedal assist bicycle.

The TMQ can handle 400 pounds of payload

of Amazon packages under a multi-year agreement.

Also, we'll customize the vehicles

to meet Amazon's delivery requirements in Europe

and the United States,

reducing vehicles on city streets and things like that.

This vehicle looks pretty much the same,

apart from everything from behind the rider

has a big area to put packages.

According to techcrunch.com,

they write the TMQ and also TMB e-bikes

share much of the same DNA,

including the drivetrain,

a pedal by wire system developed by also

even some of the physical elements,

notably the handlebars

and built-in five-inch circular touchscreen

that can be turned to lock and unlock the vehicle

are all the same.

That touchscreen unit,

which displays navigation,

media controls, fitness stats and assist levels

syncs with the also app

to let users check their battery charge,

download software updates and manage security.

Link in the show notes

if you'd like to see some pictures of this

looks very, very cool, by the way.

All right, let's move on

and talk a little bit about General Motors.

Again, not a financial podcast here,

but we will look at how they're doing.

GM raised its 2025 core profit forecast

to $12 to $13 billion from $10 to $12.5 billion.

The company narrowed its expected tariff impact

to $3.5 to $4.5 billion

and shares rose 6% following the announcement.

Earlier this month,

GM recorded a $1.6 billion charge

tied to changes in its EV strategy.

CEO, Mary Barra said the company might face

additional EV related charges

while noting that addressing over capacity

will reduce losses for next year.

Barra has shifted public guidance away

from a pledge to produce only electric vehicles

from 2035 onwards saying future production

will allow customer demand to be followed.

And management says it's trimming the EV over capacity

and supply chain challenges by evolving the business,

went down really well with investors

and that's a smart idea to respond to the market.

One of the unfortunate decisions is General Motors

is gonna stop building the bright drop

electric delivery fans at their assembly plant in Ontario

and will not move production to another facility.

Mary Barra said on October 21st,

GM will reevaluate the Kami plant for future opportunities.

Mary Barra called the decision difficult

because of its effect on employees,

about 1,000 people were left after they scaled it

down earlier this year,

citing slower than expected commercial EV demand

and shifting policy incentives as key reasons.

The union reported the move will cost 1,000 jobs.

Early reporting in March,

documented a glut of bright drop vans piling up

in the parking lot outside the factory,

hundreds parked on either side of the US-Canada border.

GM had moved bright drop into its Chevrolet lineup

last year to boost sales and compete with Ford and Rivian

in the commercial EV space.

Industry observers point to policy shifts,

notably President Trump's reversal

of parts of the Inflation Reduction Act,

which Joe Biden had signed into law in 2022

to provide up to $7,500 in federal incentives,

including the commercial vehicles tax credit as well,

saying those changes have raised the costs

and made importing vehicles less attractive.

Paul Wattie of Auto Pacific called the move

a dose of realism, noting bright drops ambitious goals

exceeded the current market demand.

That's not a great bit of news,

unfortunately for the people making those vehicles

and an odd one as well,

because fleets are going EV at a really fast pace

because EVs are cheaper to run for fleets,

better for the drivers, nicer experiences,

anything that stops start, parcel delivery,

which is an increasing business anyway.

And the bright drop vans, whilst not cheap,

were very, very capable and competitive.

And so very odd.

And actually bright drop sales were going up too.

So very odd for GM to shutter the bright drop program.

The vehicles were great.

And there's no doubt there's more of these type of vehicles

needed over the next few years

as more fleets want to go electric.

So a disappointing decision,

one that I don't fully understand

because bright drop was doing better, but there we go.

Now, again, Porsche is a curious, curious beast.

Porsche are making some incredible EVs at the moment.

And yet the last few months to ease investor worries

have been talking about their move away from EV,

how Porsche is going back to combustion

and the idea of Porsche going EV was too premature

and investing in more combustion.

And yet the EVs they're putting out

in contrast to that are some of the best out there.

Take this one, Porsche adding to its McCann lineup.

And if you're familiar with how they do their turbo,

turbo S, GTS trims, it'll make perfect sense to you.

Porsche is adding the GTS trim to the McCann,

positioning it alongside the McCann turbo electric

as the crossovers to sport focused variants

signaling performance focus.

Porsche rates the McCann GTS at 509 horsepower

with an over boost to 506 horsepower.

Both GTS and turbo electric use the same 100 kilowatt battery,

sorry, 100 kilowatt hour battery,

dual permanent synchronous motors

and a single speed transmission.

Porsche claims 60 miles an hour in 3.6 seconds,

top speed limited 155.

The sport chrono is standard

and includes the track endurance mode,

the conditions, the battery before and after track use.

Standard chassis hardware includes active air suspension

tuned by Porsche's team, a lower ride height,

a firmer sway bar calibration

and optional rear axle steering.

Dual motors enable active torque vectoring

aided by a new limited slip rear diff.

And Porsche reports an almost even 4852 rear weight distribution.

The cars look incredible like this one.

And yet Porsche at the same time are saying,

well, we're not forgetting about combustion.

That was all too early.

Let's go back to more of that.

So really confusing.

Porsche has so many issues to work out,

not just the public messaging, but well, a lot.

So does VW Group.

Wow, what a big task they have.

We'll take a break. We'll come back.

We'll talk about diesel, share falling,

bi-directional charging from Eaton and France and Spain.

Committing to 2035, stick around, back in a mo.

Welcome back to the podcast.

Let's whip through the second half of the news for you today.

And let's talk a little bit about used EV leasing

surging in the UK, the BVRLA,

that's the industry organization,

data showing salary sacrifice,

which is a way of getting a vehicle

through your employer with tax benefits.

Leases of used EVs has risen by 7000%,

but it was from a very low number.

But year on year, it's 4,000 used EVs

that went through Southsac in the three months to June 2025,

while business contract hire of used EVs climbing as well.

Overall used car contracts have been expanding

and leasing firms are increasingly

releasing ex-fleets vehicles.

That trend increases across the EV market

through business contract hire

and salary sacrifice at the moment.

You know, if a car is new to you,

as I always buy used cars that are new to me

and it's nice to have a new thing to play with,

but you don't have any of that initial new depreciation,

could be a way for fleet companies

to try and mitigate some of the depreciation

we've seen over the last three years on EVs.

Diesel share of new car sales in Western Europe

have gone below 10% last month in September,

provisionally 9%, we think.

That's a steady downward trajectory.

The milestone aligns with the broader market shift

to electric.

September registrations were skewed towards the UK

because of our new number plate kind of timing,

amplifying the UK's influence on the regional diesel share.

The UK's diesel share is now sub 5%.

At the monthly level, year on year declines

have been down about four percentage points every month.

A year to date, the diesel market has contracted

by 250,000 units, a Q1 to Q3 this year,

first nine months of the year,

diesel sales down to, well, about a million units.

Germany contributing to the big decline

and other countries as well

that were once huge diesel fans.

Spain, France also in decline.

The sub 10% result highlights the ongoing

reallocation of new car demand

and how what was once seen as a low CO2 future

for the automobile industry,

diesel is becoming very much a footnote.

Fascinating to see.

Eaton has added two new charges for Europe,

the DC30 and the Duo, both manageable via charge point

after the company's partnership back in May.

These are vehicle to grid or vehicle to X really.

In Canada, US and Europe, the DC30 is a 30 kilowatt fast

charger, compliant with all the European rules,

supporting public payments and things like that.

But it's also bidirectional.

That Eaton says ensures that it's completely future proofry,

a future where energy comes out of our cars

as well as goes into them.

The Duo is a wall box that charges two vehicles

simultaneously from one unit.

And again is V2G capable integrating

with charge points management hardware and software rather.

France and Spain are reaffirming support

for the 2035 zero emission target for new cars

and rejected calls from Germany, Italy and others

like the vehicle manufacturers themselves

to dilute the phase out of combustion by 2035 in Europe.

France and Spain say Europe's automotive future is electric.

In a joint letter disclosed by French media

and presented to ministers in Luxembourg,

they warned the forthcoming CO2 review

must not listen to the car industry.

You must not weaken the 2035 goal, which has now,

you know, it's been in stone for a long time,

calling it a reference point for Europe's industrial

transition and that they hope that the upcoming review

preserves the 2035 ban on pure combustion.

Paris and Madrid argue that a predictable regulatory path

is what's needed for investments

into battery manufacturing and vehicle electrification.

Noting billions of euros have been committed

since 2035 was put in stone

and that we shouldn't water those down

despite the car industry very much wanting

to sell you many more engines.

It's good for them.

Now, Harbinger has launched its medium duty

battery electric trucks in Canada

and is now taking orders,

their medium duty step vans for cold weather,

testing all complete now

and the company targets fleet operators

in urban and regional routes.

The industry receptions according to the CEO

has been really good.

They offer a hybrid version and a pure bear version.

Canada requires at least 35% of medium

and heavy duty vehicle sales to be zero emission by 2030,

rising to 100% by 2040.

Quebec's been leading adoption since 2022

of new commercial vehicles going electric.

Now Politico's E&E News reporting

that the $718 million awarded by the previous administration

in grants to five firms, including a $316 million grant

to ascend elements to produce components

from recycled EV batteries in Kentucky.

The Department of Energy in the US

has now canceled those grants.

Recipients were Ascend, American Battery Technology,

ICL, and a Glassmaker as well,

or an Anovion, whatever they do,

but the DOE said these projects

don't adequately advance the nation's energy needs

and were canceling the grants.

The report contrasts the move

with the earlier administration actions

that have discontinued funding for 223

clean energy projects.

Those ones all in states that were won by Harris

in last year's election.

Democrats have accused the Department

of taking illegal action and damaging the US economy.

Prague will prohibit shared electric scooters citywide.

That starts in January after city councillors

approved a measure revising rules for shared transport.

So these things like e-scooters and stuff,

there's these schemes that have been cropping up.

Some of them are in docks.

Some of them you just leave them on the side of the road.

You unlock them with an app on your phone.

And then you use an e-scooter.

We have them around here.

The update also establishes

where both pedal and electric bicycles must be parked.

But shared e-scooters have been omitted,

effectively ending the public access,

which has been a trial in Prague.

e-scooters have been barred from many busy sections

of the city centre after safety concerns

and other European areas of Titan rules as well.

Paris and Madrid banning them entirely.

Lime, which operated e-scooters and e-bikes in Prague for years,

have been disputing claims that e-scooters are dangerous.

And finally, Rivian released their software update

with this year's Halloween themed features

for the R1S and R1T.

The Gen 2 vehicles get the majority of the upgrades.

Gen 2 owners can get new four exterior sound and light effects

that appear on the front and rear of the vehicles.

Rivian calls the options Swamp Gas, Player Piano,

Bayou Blast and Scary Spirit.

The effects can be activated manually.

Rivian's descriptions of Swamp Gas.

So it plays an alligator roar followed by a swamp sound.

Player Piano is a haunting old time melody.

Bayou Blast is a mysterious and energetic burst of sound

and light and Scary Spirit makes demonic eyes

across the front light bar.

The update also adds swamp themed all purpose driving mode

for the Gen 1 vehicles as well.

And so those owners are not completely left out

of this cool little software update coming to Rivian's.

I love that they make the time to do stuff like this

because it's fun and why not.

And that's your podcast for today.

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DAILY: Tesla Delivers Standard Model Y, ALSO. e-bikes and GM Ends Brightdrop Vans | 23 Oct 2025

About this episode

Tesla Model Y

NEV

BYD

Tesla Model 3

Gigafactory

LiDAR

ADAS

0-60 time

Hardware 4

full self-driving features

Bmw I3

transmission styles

manual mode

BrightDrop

Chevrolet

Ford

Porsche

EV

combustion

Porsche Macan

turbo

GTS trim

horsepower

kilowatt hour battery

dual permanent synchronous motors

single speed transmission

Sport Chrono

active air suspension

rear axle steering

active torque vectoring

limited slip rear diff

depreciation

Rivian R1S

Rivian R1T

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