Patrick George

Very different car, but yes, it nails the proportions much more nicely

A photo of the 2026 Polestar 4, with no rear window.

A photo of the 2026 Polestar 4, with no rear window.

A photo of the 2026 Polestar 4, with no rear window.

As a quick break from all the auto business stuff I always post about: this thing was dope, and I'm a bit sad to give it back. Rear windows = overrated? Turns out, maybe.

The other thing: this is a completely surmountable issue. The tire industry makes crazy advancements all the time, but people don't see it. New compounds, constructions, etc.—I know folks actively working on pollution and sustainability. They keep customers when tires last longer.

I've been a car guy my entire life, and I only ever heard of tire particulate pollution when I started covering EVs. Wonder why that is

Tesla Just Killed the Most Important Car of the 21st Century The Model S deserved better than this.

By the end, it was overpriced, irrelevant, and eclipsed by the brand's toxic CEO. But the Tesla Model S still transformed the car industry. An obituary, of sorts:

www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

YouTube video by InsideEVs Canada Lets In Chinese EVs, Volvo EX60 Reveal & Tesla Gets Cheap Insurance | InsideEVs Podcast Ep58

Also me and @tlevin.bsky.social had a rousing discussion about this on the pod this week (but our chat about *insurance* was way more interesting)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehza...

The Firewall Against Chinese Cars Is Cracking America can't keep out China's cheap EVs forever.

"The road map for how Chinese cars could come to the U.S. has never been clearer." Good one by @patrickgeorge.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

Three Ways to Think About Chinese EVs Breaking Into North America With Canada's new trade deal allowing Chinese EV imports, a shift is clearly underway. But what does it mean for GM, Ford, Toyota and the other automakers?

Some thoughts in this week's Route Zero about where the Chinese EV incursion into North America could go next. Which scenario do you think is most likely?

www.routezeromedia.com/p/three-ways...

Cheap Chinese EVs Are Coming To Canada. Not Everyone Is Happy About It As Canada lifts 100% tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, some politicians and labor groups aren't thrilled about where this could lead.

Trump: “It’s a good thing for [Carney] to sign a trade deal. If he can get a trade deal with China, he should do that.”

insideevs.com/news/784721/...

'Innovate Or Be Left Behind': On Detroit, China And The Future Of Cars Amid the Detroit Auto Show, the American auto industry finds itself at a crossroads. Does it still innovate if it's no longer under the regulatory gun?

In the span of less than two weeks:

—Geely openly admits it’s eyeing a U.S. announcement
—Trump tells China Inc. “let them come” if they build here
—Canada cuts tariffs on Chinese-made EVs

Backing off in the tech race is about to get very real:

www.routezeromedia.com/p/detroit-ch...

In Detroit, Trump touts tariffs and reiterates openness to Chinese auto plants in U.S. President Donald Trump said tariffs and rollbacks in environmental regulations are bolstering the U.S. auto industry. He also said he was open to Chinese automakers opening U.S. plants.

It’s far more likely this could happen under his administration, and then be framed as fantastic economic news, than under a Democrat in the White House

www.autonews.com/manufacturin...

Trump: I hear hydrogen vehicles are not testing too well

First you hear your favorite jams at the club, then you hear them at Home Depot

Hyundai Is Launching Its Own Robotaxi Service. Can It Win Where Cruise Failed? CES 2026 was a coming-out party for Hyundai's Motional robotaxi division. It aims to compete with Waymo, but it has a lot of catching up to do.

I'm not sure most automakers could stomach the idea of an in-house autonomous taxi division. But when I spoke to Motional's CEO at CES last week, she explained why Hyundai's playing the long game here:

insideevs.com/news/784109/...

Actually working on a story about this—it's not through taxi revenue, but it's theoretical, and not everyone's gonna pull it off

A good take on robotaxi services at CES: www.businessinsider.com/first-time-c...

California Plans To Plug The EV Tax Credit Gap With $200 Million The state is proposing to set aside hundreds of millions of dollars in EV incentives to make up for the loss of the federal tax credit.

California wants to plug the hole left by the EV tax credit with $200 million.

It would light a fire under some asses very effectively now that fuel economy regs are gone!

CES 2026, in one photo

I drove a bunch of these last year. They're like Volvos and Polestars, but better. And some of their SUVs feel tailor-made for American buyers. If they could backdoor these brands with U.S. production and the prices aren't outrageous, they could be a hit.

Hyundai’s Robot Bet Raises A Big Question: What Happens To Jobs—And Car Prices? Hyundai admits humanoid robots in car factories will change the nature of work—but don't expect much of an impact on prices.

More here: insideevs.com/news/783490/...

I Tried Mercedes' Answer To Tesla Full Self-Driving. It Handles City Streets—With One Major Caveat We went for a ride in a CLA sedan equipped with MB.Drive Assist Pro. Here's why Mercedes thinks hands-on is the way to go in cities.

Mercedes wants to automate your city driving—as long as you keep your hands on the wheel, anyway.

insideevs.com/news/783339/...

At the same time, this so far feels like more of a Boston Dynamics announcement than a Hyundai one. How they’ll bridge this gap with the actual cars is what I’m wondering

Neat

They also straight-up admitted that the robot on stage is tele-operated for now, and it’s nice to see some transparency around this stuff for a change

I am the furthest thing from a robotics expert, but this looks so much more legit than anything I’ve seen from Optimus

insideevs.com/news/783475/...

Even so, does it matter now?

Tesla Dominated EVs For Years. BYD Just Left It In The Dust As Tesla contends with an aging lineup and the controversial politics of its CEO, Chinese juggernaut BYD isn't slowing down.

If you're an American, BYD is the biggest car company in the world that you've never seen

insideevs.com/news/783252/...

Enormously proud of everything our small but dedicated team accomplished this past year! Catch up on some of our biggest hits right here.

It may be showing its age, but I still really enjoy this thing. The question is, what will Ford do with it now, as EV optimism gives way to a big strategy shift?