Author: EVAI

• Tesla explained how the Cybertruck’s off-road modes work
• Cybertruck’s off-road modes include Baja, Overland, and Wade
• The off-road modes came via an over-the-air software update in May

Tesla added an off-road mode to the Cybertruck with a software update announced in May, and recently released a video explaining how it works.

Like the off-road modes available in other electric pickups like the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV, Tesla’s includes a mix of features that alter vehicle characteristics for specific terrain, as well as driver aids to make navigating said terrain easier.

2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

Within off-road mode, an Overland mode maximizes traction for low-speed, technical driving over rocks, while Baja mode is designed for higher-speed driving over loose surfaces. Drivers can also adjust the handling balance with a touchscreen slider, allowing for more stability or agility as needed.

Wade mode raises the ride height and pumps pressurized air into the battery compartment to help keep out water. This allows the Cybertruck to ford up to 32 inches of water, according to a Tesla off-road guide for owners. The feature is only available for 30 minutes at a time, and it may to take up to 10 minutes to pressurize the battery pack, Tesla notes.

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Tesla also included Trail Assist, essentially a low-speed off-road cruise control similar to what other brands already offer on their off-roaders. It automatically maintains a set speed (including while ascending and descending hills), letting the driver focus on steering around obstacles.

Tesla revealed the production version of the Cybertruck in November 2023, retaining much of the styling of the gasp-inducing stainless-steel behemoth Tesla first showed in 2019. But the production Cybertruck doesn’t come anywhere close to the $39,900 starting price or range of up to 500 miles Tesla suggested at the time. The Cybertruck has also been subject to numerous recalls since its launch due to busted wiper motors, loose trim, and sticky accelerator pedals.

• Volkswagen’s adding a sub-brand to a sub-brand as part of its EV push
• The new sub-brand will be for China only and named ID.Unyx
• Volkswagen already launched a sub-brand in China named ID.UX

Volkswagen is launching a China-only sub-brand within its ID EV sub-brand.

The automaker on Wednesday announced ID.Unyx, which will include five electric models by 2026, starting with a coupe-like crossover of the same name. They’ll be among 34 new models the automaker plans to launch globally by 2030, with a specific focus on China as it looks to reinforce its position in the world’s largest car market.

“Intelligently networked electric models such as the new ID.Unyx are the key to attracting young, lifestyle-oriented target groups and retaining existing customers for the Volkswagen brand,” Stefan Mecha, head of the VW brand in China, said in a statement. Mecha didn’t explain why these new models needed to be in a new sub-brand nested within the ID EV family, though, and didn’t specify whether they’ll use the same MEB platform as other ID models.

Volkswagen ID.Unyx

VW did say that the first ID.Unyx model was developed at a new facility in Hefei, China, and will also be manufactured in that city. Styling differs a bit from other ID models, with sharp creases in the body sides, a ribbed hood, and complex detailing on the front and rear bumpers.

The ID.Unyx crossover coupe will be offered with both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains, rated at 281 hp and 335 hp, respectively. A 77.0-kwh battery pack is used with both powertrains. VW expects single-motor models to achieve 385 miles of range in CLTC testing.

The ID name goes back to 2016, when the initial ID concept debuted at the Paris auto show. That concept previewed the ID.3 electric five-door hatchback that would eventually launch in Europe as the first ID model. VW has since settled on a mix of numbers, as with the ID.3 and the ID.4 crossover that is central to the automaker’s EV plans in the U.S., and names, as with the ID.Buzz van—with the ID prefix.

Volkswagen ID.Unyx

But VW has looked to supplement the global ID sub-brand with China-specific EVs. It previously announced a different sub-brand for China, called ID.UX, with five models in 2027. At the 2024 Beijing auto show, it unveiled a concept car called the ID.Code with styling claimed to be more in line with Chinese tastes.

VW is also developing at least one China-specific EV platform, dubbed the China Main Platform (CMP) for debut in 2026 and is partnering with Chinese automaker Xpeng on EV development. That’s in addition to existing joint ventures with local automakers SAIC and FAW, which originated under a government policy that required foreign automakers to partner with local firms.

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The gas-powered 2025 Cadillac Escalade gets the electric Escalade IQ’s design tweaks. Inside the Escalade factors in more than 55 inches of displays and touchscreens. The 2025 Cadillac Escalade arrives later this year. A Cadillac Escalade IQ electric SUV goes on sale later this summer but the gas-powered model will continue to be sold alongside…

Mercedes-Benz will install EV fast chargers at over 100 Starbucks locations, the two companies announced Monday in a press release.

The initial phase will see Mercedes install 400-kw DC fast chargers at Starbucks locations along the I-5 corridor, the highway route that served as the location for one of the earliest charging infrastructure projects, known as the West Coast Electric Highway, over a decade ago. It stretches from Canada to Mexico, passing through Starbucks’ home city of Seattle.

Mercedes-Benz EV Charging Hub in Sandy Springs, Georgia

Mercedes and Starbucks didn’t say how many chargers would be installed in the first phase, or what locations subsequent phases of the buildout would focus on.

The project follows a Volvo pilot program, announced in 2022, to add up to 60 ChargePoint DC fast chargers at up to 15 Starbucks stores along a 1,350-mile route between Seattle and Denver, with chargers placed every 100 miles.

Mercedes-Benz EV Charging Hub in Sandy Springs, Georgia

Mercedes announced its fast-charging network in January 2023, and opened the first charging site in Sandy Springs, Georgia, near Atlanta, in November. The automaker has said it will use 400-kw hardware exclusively, with amenities like restrooms, vending machines, and well-lit charging stalls at planned standalone charging hubs. These hubs will eventually include both Combined Charging Standard (CCS) and Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors.

The automaker claims to have opened a dozen additional charging hubs across Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky since the November 2023 launch. It expects to continue expanding the network to “nearly half” of U.S. states in the next 12-18 months. Partnerships like the one with Starbucks will give Mercedes flexibility to build out the network at sites that may not be able to accommodate a dedicated charging hub.

Manderbach Ford in Hamburg, Penn.; DLR Auto Group in Agoura Hills., Calif.; Smith Collision Center in Ada, Okla.; and Broadway Precision Collision, also in Ada, accused CDK of negligence and unjust enrichment in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. Northern District of Illinois. Manderbach Ford also claimed breach of contract.

Many existing plants will provide flexibility across propulsion systems as EV demand and consumer preferences fluctuate.