DJI's Amflow electric mountain bikes are now available to buy in the US, one full year after they made their way to European customers. These bikes include the company's proprietary and impressive Avinox drive system, which is built around a 1000W motor capable of producing 120Nm of max torque.

This system is also light and compact, allowing for efficiently-designed bikes like the Amflow line. The Amflow PL e-bike weighs just over 40 pounds and includes a four-bar linkage structure, a rear shock co-tuned with FOX and an SRAM rear derailleur. The specs fluctuate depending on if you choose the standard model or the Pro. 

The Avinox system uses GaN 3x fast-charging tech, so the batteries on these bikes can go from empty to 75 percent in around 90 minutes. The system also integrates with a full-color touchscreen for control over the assist modes and to display pertinent information. Like most modern e-bikes, this system can connect to a smartphone for even more data.

These bikes have the usual assortment of riding assist modes, but the Auto mode uses "multi-sensor fusion" to continuously adjust the assistance level based on real-world riding resistance. The powerful motor of the Amflow PL is great for standard riding, but excels in off-road areas.

Now onto the bad news, and boy is it bad. The cheapest configuration of the Amflow PL is $7,500 and prices shoot up to $10,200 for the Pro model. Luckily, curious consumers can book a test ride in many locations. DJI has been licensing the Avinox drive system to other e-bike manufacturers, so maybe we'll get more budget-friendly offerings in the future. As of this writing, 16 international brands have announced they are building bikes built around the system.

Don't worry. This foray into e-bikes shouldn't cut into DJI's drone-making operation. It recently released the Mavic 4 Pro, which we absolutely loved.

• Mercedes-Benz says it has paused orders of its electric vehicles in the US.
• Mercedes cited "market conditions" for the decision.
• A Mercedes-Benz representative said he thinks demand for EVs will pick back up in the future.

Mercedes-Benz says it is pausing orders for its electric vehicles as demand wanes among American drivers.

A spokesperson for the German automotive company told Business Insider the decision affects all variants of the EQS Sedan, EQS SUV, EQE Sedan, and the EQE SUV. Vehicles that were scheduled for production before September 1 will still be delivered.

"As a company with global activities and more than 30 plants worldwide, including in Alabama and South Carolina, Mercedes-Benz continuously optimizes its production network and uses its high flexibility to react quickly to market conditions," the spokesperson said. "We continue to assemble all of our models meant for export to global markets, as well as adapt to meet local market demand."

The spokesperson said it cannot say when US order banks for EQ models will reopen "for competitive reasons."

In its Q2 earnings report on Wednesday, Mercedes-Benz said the total unit sales for its battery electric vehicles (BEV) had slipped by almost 25% compared to the same time last year: 45,843 units to 35,027 units.

In 2022, Mercedes-Benz began manufacturing two all-electric vehicle models — the EQS SUV and EQE SUV — at its Alabama plant. In 2023, it also added the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV.

The company's decision to pause orders comes after President Donald Trump's spending bill, which he signed into law this month, eliminated the $7,500 tax credit for new electric vehicles. Industry experts previously warned that axing the tax incentive could make EVs unaffordable, affecting companies like Tesla, Cadillac, and Chevrolet. The tax incentive will end on September 30.

EV sales in North America rose just 5% in the first four months of 2024, compared to 25% in Europe and 35% in China, according to EV research firm Rho Motion.

During Wednesday's earnings call, a Mercedes-Benz Group representative said he thinks American interest in electric vehicles will rebound over time.

"In spite of the announcement that they would take the 7,500 credit away, we don't believe that the BEV demand in the United States goes to zero," he said. "We still think that the medium to long-term adoption rate of BEVs in the US will creep upward. Maybe it will creep upward slower than if the previous regulatory trajectory had been kept in place, but nevertheless, we believe in the mid to long term it will creep upward."

• The Ferdinand Magellan, also known as US Car No. 1, was used by US presidents between 1943 and 1954.
• It was the president's official transportation in the days before Air Force One.
• The car was used by US presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight Eisenhower.

Long before there was an Air Force One, US presidents traveled the country aboard a 10-foot-wide train car.

Rebuilt in 1942 for presidential use, the Ferdinand Magellan, also known as US Car No. 1, was the president's official mode of transportation between 1943 and 1954.

Made with detailed security features and enlarged spaces for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the height of World War II, the armored car became the heaviest railcar ever built in the US, and today, it is the only passenger train car to ever be declared a National Historic Landmark.

The Ferdinand Magellan allowed the president to continue his duties in comfort while on the move. It often traveled with other cars dedicated to radio communications, White House staffers, and members of the press.

Take a look inside the "White House on wheels" that predates Air Force One.

US Car No. 1 was presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in December 1942.

On December 18, 1942, the Pullman Company presented a luxury train car that had been rebuilt at the request of the US Secret Service, which had determined that the president needed a secure way to travel during wartime.

Roosevelt most often used the car to travel from Washington, DC, to his home in Hyde Park, New York. The president insisted on not surpassing a speed of 35 miles per hour when traveling aboard the Ferdinand Magellan, making his journeys less efficient and heightening security measures, per the White House Historical Association website.

He last rode the car on March 30, 1945, when he visited his Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, where he died a few weeks later.

During his time, the president rode over 50,000 miles aboard the presidential train car.

It was most famously used in 1948 during Harry Truman's "whistle-stop" campaign tour.

While the car was built with Roosevelt in mind, including certain designs that would allow him to use a wheelchair on the train, it was his successor, President Harry S. Truman, who used it the most.

The president, who, unlike Roosevelt, opted for a speed of 80 miles per hour, employed the car in his iconic 35-day whistle-stop tour during his reelection campaign in 1948, where he delivered 356 speeches from the back of the Magellan, per Architectural Digest.

By the time Truman's successor, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, took office, more efficient air travel was starting to replace rail travel, and the US Car No. 1 was used for the last time in 1954.

The car was last used by Ronald Reagan during a commemorative whistle-stop tour in Ohio in 1984.

In 1984, Reagan brought the Magellan out of retirement for a one-day whistle-stop tour through Ohio during his reelection campaign.

The president traveled from Dayton to Perrysburg and stopped at five locations to give speeches from the rear platform of the presidential car.

Today, the US Car No. 1 sits in a small museum near Zoo Miami.

In 1959, the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami, Florida, acquired the car, which had been declared surplus and donated to the Smithsonian — which had no way to store it — in 1958.

Since then, the car has stayed in South Florida, where it is now open to the public.

The Gold Coast Railroad Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. A regular adult ticket for the museum costs $12, and tickets for the presidential train car cost an additional $10.

To carry the president, the unique armored car had enhanced security features.

The car, which is 84 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 15 feet tall, was covered with over 1/2 an inch of nickel-steel armor on its sides and featured 3-inch-thick bulletproof glass windows.

It was also the heaviest train car built in the US. After it was refurbished for presidential use, the train car weighed 285,000 pounds, making it much heavier than modern-day war tanks, which often weigh around 100,000 pounds.

The car also had its name, Ferdinand Magellan, removed from its sides in an effort to conceal the president's presence, although its design often stood out.

Other security features included two escape hatches and a complex security protocol, which included diverting traffic on the rails to ensure that no train traveled ahead or behind the president for at least 30 minutes. Operating under the code name POTUS, the president's train always had the right of way.

Passengers boarded from the front of the train, which housed the staff quarters and kitchen.

The entrance through which presidents and their guests would've entered is at the front of the car.

In the kitchen, an onboard chef had access to ovens and refrigerators.

The train's dedicated chef prepared the president and guests' meals inside this kitchen.

On the other side of the kitchen, the staff had pantry space to plate the dishes.

The kitchen was also equipped with a pantry and a full-size metal sink.

The car housed two staff members: one chef and one porter.

Near the kitchen, a chef and a porter had sleeping quarters that featured an upper and lower berth.

The dining and conference room was in the main cabin of the car.

The presidential car's main cabin featured a 6-foot solid mahogany table where the president and his guests — often diplomats or foreign leaders — could gather for dinners or meetings.

The dining room had its own set of presidential china.

Presidents and guests didn't have to sacrifice the White House's luxuries while they were on the move — the dining room had its own set of china decorated with the presidential emblem.

Today, the room displays an example of the glass used in the car's windows.

The 3-inch-thick laminated bulletproof glass windows were installed when the car was refurbished for the president's use.

The windows were sealed, so to keep the car ventilated there was a simple form of air conditioning in which fans pushed air cooled by blocks of ice.

The car included two guest bedrooms along with a presidential suite.

The first of two guest bedrooms aboard the US Car No. 1, Stateroom D, included an upper and lower berth, where guests could sleep, and an in-room bathroom.

In these guest rooms, Truman welcomed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during his visit to the US in 1946, during which he delivered his iconic Iron Curtain speech.

The presidential suite included the president's sleeping area.

Designed to accommodate Franklin D. Roosevelt's wheelchair, the president's room included a full-size bed, a dresser, and an in-room toilet.

Like most rooms in the car, it was also connected to a telephone, which was extremely rare at the time.

The connecting bathroom inside the presidential suite had a bathtub, a toilet, and a sink.

The presidential suite bathroom, equipped with a bathtub, toilet, and sink, connected the president's and the first lady's rooms, staterooms B and C.

The bathroom also contained an escape hatch, which was added as a security measure during the car's refurbishing.

The first lady's room paralleled the president's.

Inside the first lady's quarters was a bed and a dresser, although she didn't have an in-room bathroom.

The secondary guest bedroom could also be used as a breakfast or gathering room.

Located towards the back of the car, Stateroom A, the second guest room aboard the Magellan, featured convertible berths, like the other guest room, that could also be used as a breakfast, gathering, or office space for the president or his guests.

The upper berth could be raised into the ceiling, and the lower one could be converted into a sitting booth with a pull-out table.

The presidential car was often attached to train cars housing Secret Service, White House staffers, and the press.

The Ferdinand Magellan functioned as a White House on wheels, and was often attached to train cars dedicated to Secret Service, White House staffers, and reporters traveling with the president.

The US Car No. 1 was also often accompanied by two communications cars equipped with control consoles for radio broadcasts and telegraph communications so the president could be reached while he was on the move, per Atlas Obscura.

A narrow hallway led from the staterooms to the observation deck.

A slim, wood-paneled hallway led from the four staterooms to the observation deck at the rear of the car.

The observation lounge featured some of the presidential car's original furniture.

The observation room was also enlarged during the refurbishing of the car, allowing it to function as a secondary gathering room for the president and his guests.

During the refurbishment, a submarine escape hatch was added to the car.

Part of the car's security modifications included the addition of escape hatches, like this submarine hatch on the observation lounge.

Today, the observation lounge shows signs of hurricane damage that the car has sustained.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, and among its many damages were some sustained by the Magellan.

Although minor, a small window crack shows how the presidential car has stood the test of time.

Traveling presidents could address crowds from a podium on the car's rear platform.

At the end of the presidential car was an exposed podium from where the president often addressed crowds.

During Truman's whistle-stop tour, he spoke from the podium repeatedly, often addressing crowds in different cities within the same day.

The preserved train car stands as a remnant of US history and of how presidents spread their message.

Inactive as the president's main form of transportation for over 70 years, the Ferdinand Magellan stands as a memory of America's past.

However, our tour guide pointed out that the car is still on a track connected to current-day railroads and can be requested for use at any moment by the sitting US president.

Although I doubt Donald Trump would want to travel aboard the historic cabin, a modern-day president going on his own whistle-stop tour on US Car No. 1 remains a possibility.

• Boeing said it will further delay the launch of two new 737 Max variants to 2026.
• The delays come as the planemaker wrestles with a potential issue regarding the plane's deicing.
• "We're going to have to back up and make some additional design changes," said CEO Kelly Ortberg.

A pair of upcoming variants of Boeing's most popular plane, the 737 Max have been further delayed to 2026, CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed in an earnings call Tuesday.

Achieving certification for the Max 7 and Max 10 will be a key benchmark for Ortberg, who is approaching one year at the helm and has been leading Boeing's turnaround.

The company had initially hoped the Max 7, the shortest version of the flagship narrow-body jet, would be certified in 2022.

However, it has been constrained by work on the engine anti-ice system, a key safety feature that prevents ice from building up during cold weather conditions and at high altitude.

"Work on the solution is taking longer than expected, and we now are expecting certification in 2026," Ortberg said on the second-quarter earnings call.

The delay was first reported last week by industry publication The Air Current.

Back in 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration warned that the system could cause the engine to overheat — and potentially result in debris breaking off and hitting the plane.

Boeing then requested an exemption, saying an engine breakup is "extremely improbable," but withdrew this request in January 2024 as it faced a safety crisis in the wake of the Alaska Airlines blowout.

Figuring out a solution for the complex system has been far from straightforward.

Ortberg told investors on Tuesday that Boeing has been exploring different design paths.

"We found some issues with the design implementation we had, so we're going to have to back up and make some additional design changes to get through that de-icing requirement," he said.

"Basically, the engineering designs have not yielded in the time frame that we were anticipating, and so we still have work to do."

His comments came after Ryanair's earnings call last week, when CEO Michael O'Leary said Boeing's commercial airplanes chief wrote to confirm the airline's first 15 Max 10s would be delivered in the spring of 2027.

A Boeing spokesperson said: "We are maturing a technical solution that includes design updates. The modifications would be included in the baseline certification of the 737-7 and 737-10. We are finalizing our analysis and will present the information to the FAA. We will continue to work under their rigorous oversight to meet safety and regulatory requirements."

Meanwhile, Boeing is also working to certify the 777X — a twin-engine wide-body jet, also years behind schedule. It's now expected to enter service in 2026 as well.

"Flight testing continues with no new technical issues to report," Ortberg said during the earnings call.

Boeing reported quarterly revenues above expectations of $22.7 billion, with a net loss of $612 million.

It's been ramping up production of its cash-cow 737 Max, reaching the 38-a-month limit imposed by the FAA.

Its share price fell about 4% on Tuesday, but is still up more than 30% since the start of the year.

When Porsche first unveiled the new 911 GTS, it's safe to say that there weren't many people on planet Earth pining for a hybrid 911. The idea of one of the world's most iconic sports cars taking a cue from the humble Toyota Prius is a concept that's a little hard for the average auto enthusiast to get their head around.

But they should try, because the technology that Porsche has deployed in the new 911 GTS, Porsche's first hybrid sports car, is properly impressive. This is a hybrid system that exists not to improve fuel consumption, but to genuinely make a sports car better thanks to the injection of a little high voltage and a lot of boost.

Tech meets tradition

The 911 has maintained its stubborn rear-engined layout since the beginning. Its motor is slung between and behind the back wheels, not because it's necessarily the best place for handling, but just because that's how it's always been done. That doesn't change with the 911 GTS. What is new, though, is the addition of an electric motor into the mix, augmenting that gasoline engine in the way-back. That new motor sits neatly inside the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, adding 54 horsepower and 29 pound-feet of torque.

Those numbers are hardly remarkable, but the real magic is what else the car does with its new high-voltage system. There's actually a second electric motor here, a tiny one capable of surviving ridiculously hot temperatures. That's needed because it lives within the turbocharger.

A turbocharger is a simple wheel that is spun by exhaust gas. This in turn spins another wheel that forces air into the engine's intake. It's a simple technology developed well over 100 years ago, but since those early days of forced induction, there's always been an issue when it comes to automotive applications: lag. The reliance of exhaust gases to spin the turbocharger creates an intrinsic delay between the driver requesting acceleration and the car actually delivering it. Internal combustion needs to build pressure to spin the wheel to suck in more air to provide more power.

Porsche short-circuited that with this novel electric motor that spins the turbocharger up to 120,000 RPM in less than a second. Lag isn't completely eliminated, but it's so radically reduced that you hardly know it. Pair that with the extra, instant kick of torque provided by the electric motor in the transmission, and you have something magical: a car powered by gasoline that accelerates with all the instant ferocity of an EV.

Design sensibility

Tim Stevens for Engadget

Porsche calls that whole system, plus the 1.9-kWh battery that powers it, T-Hybrid. The net result in the 2025 911 GTS is 532 hp and 449 lb-ft of torque. That's a substantial, 59-hp boost over the old GTS.

Yet the only obvious sign that there's anything different about this car is the subtle T-Hybrid badges mounted down low on the doors. And that's a good thing, because I'm of the opinion that the current-generation 911, internally called the 992.2, is one of the prettiest cars on the road. Even in this decidedly understated Chalk color, it is absolutely striking. The color pairs perfectly with the 20-inch front and 21-inch rear black wheels and other ebony highlights around the car.

The interior is similarly minimalist, monotone to an extreme. But there are just enough subtle highlights of materials like carbon fiber and Alcantara to make it feel racy and purposeful, not basic. And, if you like, you can go with many more wild interior combinations. Porsche is happy to let you customize to your heart's content, but beware that it's going to cost you.

The car's interface is simpler than 911s of yore, too. Most of the controls have been consumed by the car's petite 10.9-inch touchscreen, serving both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, while a curved, 12.6-inch virtual gauge cluster lives behind the steering wheel. What physical controls remain are well positioned, delivering strong tactility for your frequent tasks. Perhaps the most important is the drive mode dial that’s mounted at the four o'clock position on the steering wheel. It's how you dial up the intensity of the 911 GTS. Or, push the shiny little red button to go fully manic.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

Driving

The GTS isn't Porsche's most powerful 911 of the moment. That honor lies in the 640-horsepower 911 Turbo S. But no other 911 delivers power like this one, offering a taste of the instant shove of the electric Taycan mixed with the internal combustion fury and high-speed acceleration you'd expect from a 911.

It is, suffice to say, quite intoxicating. And to get the best taste of it, push that aforementioned crimson button. That gives you 20 seconds of Sport Response mode, with the car's electronic turbocharger assist doing its damndest to maintain maximum power. The exhaust opens fully, the transmission drops a gear or two and suddenly that machine you were idling through traffic absolutely comes alive.

Put your foot down in this mode and the 911 GTS surges forward, without a moment's hesitation. You can hear the turbocharger behind your head whistling as it works to build intake pressure, hauling in air from the environment and jamming it right into the combustion chamber for the next squeeze and bang.It's addictive, but if you've become used to the silent surging power of an EV, it's perhaps a bit much. In Sport Mode, the standard sport exhaust on the GTS is loud enough to terrify anyone you go soaring past on a two-lane road.

Thankfully, the GTS is easy to silence. One tap of the exhaust button mounted below that touchscreen and the GTS becomes quiet. It's not-quite EV quiet, but very hushed. Despite having electric motors and a battery, this is not a plug-in hybrid. You'll struggle to even get out of your driveway without that engine firing up. But that's okay. Remember: This isn't an efficiency play.

In Normal mode, the suspension softens and the ultra-fast transmission transitions into something that smoothly slips from one gear to the next, keeping revs as low as possible to maximize fuel consumption. That nets the 911 GTS a 19 mpg combined rating per the EPA. Despite some bits of driving exuberance, I substantially bettered that, managing 25.1 mpg.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

But even at its most tame, the GTS is not a luxury grand tourer of the likes of an Aston Martin DB12 or Mercedes-AMG GT. At its softest, the suspension is still firm, the road noise from those prodigious tires is grating and even the wind noise at high speed is a bother — so much so that the middling Bose sound system struggles to overcome it.

So, despite the GTS moniker, it's more of a sports car than a grand tourer. Instant power is this car's party trick, paired with amazing feel, effortless handling and the kind of prodigious grip that will make your favorite driving roads feel tame.

Those are all the more reasons to find your new favorite roads. Despite punishing you on the highway and over broken asphalt, the 911 GTS never feels flustered and always leaves you wanting more. It's a car you won't want to get out of, which perhaps explains why I'm writing this very sentence from the driver's seat.

Cost of entry

At over $170,000 to start, or $196,185 as configured, it's not an affordable machine. Were I buying, my GTS would be a little cheaper. I'd stick with the rear-drive GTS model, rather than the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 you see here, simply for the fun-factor. I'd also skip the sunroof, which adds both $2,980 to the bill and weight to a car that already gained over 100 pounds compared to the prior GTS.

Those two deletions alone would cut about $10,000 from that still-soaring price. Expensive, yes, but the technology here feels worth it. This is a novel approach to electrification, making a sports car sportier with hardly any compromise. It is a truly desirable machine, the kind of hybrid that Porsche fans may not have known they needed, but one they definitely need to try.

Tesla wants to bring its robotaxi service to new markets, including cities in Florida, Nevada, Arizona, and California, Elon Musk said in an earnings call Wednesday. The company is testing its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) feature in Europe and China, and hopes the launch the controversial product in the near future. And it is plotting a new version of its Optimus humanoid robot.

"We have done what we said we were going to do," Musk said. "That doesn't mean we're always on time, but we get it done. And our naysayers are sitting there with egg on their face."

It was another sign that Musk wasn't going to let the limitations of his compan …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Tesla released its second quarter financial earnings today, offering the latest evidence of the damage Elon Musk’s political activities have done to his flagship company.

Tesla said it earned $1.17 billion in net income on $22.5 billion in revenue. That’s above Wall Street expectations of $22.3 billion but represents a 12 percent decrease year over year compared to $25.5 billion in revenue in Q2 2024.

The company’s profits also slid dramatically, logging a 16 percent decrease in net income for the second quarter year over year. And Tesla’s automotive revenue — the money it earns from car sales — slid 16.6 percent year over year, from $19.9 billion in Q2 2024 to $16.6 billion in this most recent quarter. The sale of $439 million in regulatory credits once again buoyed Tesla’s finances — though those are expected to dry up soon after congressional Republicans approved President Donald Trump’s plan to zero out fines for automakers who exceed fuel-efficiency targets.

The earnings comes on the heels of another terrible quarterly sales report for the company. Tesla said it delivered a total of 384,122 vehicles, a 14 percent decline compared to Q2 2024. (For a direct-to-consumer company like Tesla, deliveries are a proxy for sales.)

Tesla said its operating income decreased 42 percent year over year to less than $1 billion, with almost half coming from the sale of regulatory credits to other automakers (again, revenue that is expected to almost vanish in the months to come). Tesla’s cash pile decreased by $200 million in Q2 to $36.8 billion, and free cash flow (or the amount of cash the company has generated after accounting for its day-to-day operating expenses and capital expenditures) was at just $100 million. Some analysts predict that Tesla’s free-cash flow could actually turn negative later this year, which could trigger a steep drop in share price.

In its report, Tesla said it has completed “first builds of a more affordable model in June, with volume production planned for the second half of 2025.” These affordable models are expected to be stripped down versions of the Model 3 and Model Y, rather than a new vehicle program altogether, which is what many investors had hoped for. The company said it also is continuing to develop both the Tesla Semi and Cybercab, which are expected to enter volume production in 2026.

Tesla also gestured at the economic uncertainty caused by the Trump administration’s trade war, as well as “political sentiment” that has turned its brand toxic for many customers. That said, the company failed to mention politics or Musk’s growing unpopularity in its reasons for the drop in revenue, instead citing falling sales, lower regulatory credit revenue, a reduced average vehicle selling price, and decline in energy generation and storage revenue.

After years of exponential growth, the sudden reversal in Tesla’s fortune has left many investors and supporters with whiplash. Tesla now serves as a sobering example of what happens when a company is left on autopilot (or Autopilot, as it were) while its high-profile CEO gets distracted by questionable side quests.

Musk publicly stepped away from his controversial position as the head of DOGE, the Trump administration’s effort to slash “waste, fraud, and abuse” from the federal government that has mostly resulted in huge cuts to global humanitarian aid and the firing of thousands of federal workers. But even though he is now publicly feuding with Trump, Musk hasn’t completely backed away from his political activities. Earlier this month, he said he would create a new political party called “the America Party,” following through on his threat to challenge Republicans who supported Trump’s budget bill.

As Musk slides deeper into politics, investors have urged him to stay focused on Tesla and its costly — and questionable — project to build more self-driving cars and humanoid robots. The company rolled out its first robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, last month — although the service fell short of Musk’s earlier predictions. The vehicles were only available to a group of pro-Tesla influencers, and each car came with a safety monitor in the passenger seat who had access to a kill switch.

While Musk would like investors to focus on Tesla’s work with AI and self-driving cars, the company is still in the business of making and selling cars. But as competition heats up in China and Europe, here in the US, federal incentives that lower the price of most EVs are scheduled to disappear by the end of September — again, thanks to Trump’s bill. After that happens, Tesla’s sales are predicted to drop even more.

Tesla’s response to its demand crisis has been — you guessed it — deals, deals, and more deals. In recent days, the automaker has rolled out a series of discounts and financing incentives on all of its models, as it seeks to capitalize on what is likely to be its last best chance at a successful sales quarter this fall.

Lucid EV owners will soon have full access to Tesla’s Supercharger network, which is something that's been in the works since 2023. This goes live on July 31, allowing folks to juice up at more than 12,000 Supercharger stations throughout North America. Some of the company's vehicles can already use these charging stations, with the Gravity SUV gaining access earlier this year.

That leaves the Air line of luxury EV sedans. These vehicles will be able to roll up to a Tesla Supercharger for a top-off at the end of the month, but there are some major caveats. First of all, Lucid Air EVs will require an official adapter that costs $220, as they don't ship with a built-in NACS ports. This adapter won't work with V1 or V2 charging stations, which whittles down the convenience factor a bit.

There's another problem for Air owners. The adapter is limited to a 50kW peak charge rate, which provides around 200 miles of range per hour of charging. The Air can typically achieve a 300kW peak charge rate. Not only is this hobbled charge rate bad for Lucid Air devotees, it's also annoying for people that own other EVs. Remember, the Air will have to sit at the charger for an entire hour, which will increase traffic at the station.

Luckily, there are other charging stations available that make use of that 300kW peak rate. Air owners can use stations by Electrify America, EVgo and ChargePoint for a quick jolt. It's good to know that the Tesla Superchargers will be there in a pinch, which could come in handy during a road trip.

The company also recently unveiled the 2026 lineup of Air EVs. There's the Lucid Air Pure, which is a relatively streamlined option. Prices for this one start at $70,900. The Lucid Air Touring boasts an estimated range of 431 miles per charge, which is a decent metric. It starts at $79,900. Finally, the Lucid Air Grand Touring is the baddest of the bunch, with an estimated range of 512 miles per charge. Prices start at $114,900, but the seats offer a massage feature.

Honda and Acura EV owners can now take advantage of the sprawling Tesla Supercharger network with the release of the first Honda-approved NACS-CCS DC fast-charging adapter. This means that Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX owners can join the growing ranks of non-Tesla EVs that you might see filling up at any one of the more than 23,500 selected Tesla Superchargers.

"Combined with other growing charging networks, Honda and Acura EV drivers now have added peace of mind with a wider range of dependable DC fast charging options nationwide," said Ryan Harty, assistant vice president of Sustainability and Business Development at American Honda Motor Company.

While Honda and its subsidiary brand Acura only have one fully-electric model each at the moment, this lays the groundwork for future models to use the Supercharger network.

Prologue and ZDX drivers will now see Tesla Superchargers marked on their built-in Google Maps for easier navigation. Once they arrive, drivers will use the Tesla app to begin charging. Integration with HondaLink and Acura EV apps that will allow plug and charge capability are currently under development, according to Honda.

Customers can now buy the Honda-approved adapter from their authorized Honda and Acura dealership in the US or online. The adapter will retail for $225.