As we head into the end-of-year break, we're preparing some specials on our main channel, including a lovely chat with Joe and Micah from ⁨@QuigsQuest⁩ , who drove a regular Chevrolet Bolt EV from the Great Lakes to the Arctic Sea. And it's got us thinking: what's your favorite road trip for an EV? It could be one you've made, or one you'd like to - but we'd love to hear about it all!

The Pacific Northwest—where we’re based—has been inundated with ridiculous levels of moisture thanks to a persistent atmospheric river. This week, in addition to the near-constant rain, Nikki endured an unexpectedly strong windstorm that left branches scattered everywhere. Luckily, the power stayed on—so and today, we examine the outside aftermath.

Today on the show: Ford kills the F150 Lightning EV, cancels its T3, and future electric van projects - while refusing to bring the Ranger PHEV to the U.S., promising a plug-in hybrid Lightning (EREV) to replace the EV variant - and selling its batteries to AI farms. Plus, Europe backtracks on its ICE car ban, and President Trump's cabinet prepares to kill one of the world's premiere climate research bodies.

Are EVs Heavyweight Pedestrian Murderers? Are electric vehicles actually “silent killers” stalking our streets? The internet comments section certainly thinks so, claiming the quiet motors and heavy batteries of EVs make them a menace to pedestrians. But a brand new study published in Nature Communications has crunched the numbers from the UK’s road safety database, […]

The weather this past week at the house has been beastly - and much of the Pacific Northwest is under water. The mud at the house - not to mention the more than a foot of rain - has left gardening off the table. Will Nikki get her plot ready for next year's first planting before the Winter Solstice?

Today on the show: Ford and Renault announce a new partnership on EVs to give Ford new European models, SK On and Ford break up their BlueOval battery joint venture, and Stellantis confirms it’s exploring bringing the Fiat Topolino microcar to the U.S. — just one week after President Trump said he wants Japanese-style kei cars on American roads.

Are we moving fast enough? The 2025 verdict is in, and it’s deeply concerning. Kate is back in the studio this week to dive deep into one of the most critical documents of the year: the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook 2025. Widely considered the “gold standard” of global energy analysis, this report […]

There are plenty of benefits for Ford F150 Lightning owners thanks to the truck’s close relationship with the gasoline F150—from shared components to a wealth of aftermarket add-ons. But the Lightning also inherits one less desirable trait: its massive shifter. Designed to auto-fold so the center console can become a makeshift desk while parked, the shifter is elegant in concept—but in practice, both ICE and EV F150 owners have reported significant issues. In some cases, the shifter can fail entirely, leaving the truck stranded. To avoid this problem, inventive owners have developed a retrofit: swapping in a rotary shifter from other Ford vehicles. This not only frees up console space for storage but also makes the “desk” usable by a front-seat passenger while the truck is parked. Today, we’re performing that upgrade on Nikki’s F150 Lightning, complete with a 3D-printed part she designed herself. The result is functionally superior, aesthetically pleasing, and likely the quickest upgrade she’s made to her truck so far!

This week, the U.S. President blamed fuel economy standards and electric vehicles for rising average vehicle costs. The reality, as we all know, is very different. But what would you say is the primary cause of EV (and non-EV) sticker prices rising. Is it the tech?

Fresh off the Hydro-Hen fiasco, Nikki noticed the chicken feed disappearing faster than usual… 🐔💨 After some sleuthing—inspecting the coop, checking security footage, and staring suspiciously at the neighbors—she discovered the culprit: pretty much every animal and bird in the neighborhood, exploiting a tiny gap in the wire mesh! Join us as we track down the sneaky snackers and figure out how to keep our chickens fed and happy. Who knew protecting your flock could be this wild?

Today on the show: President Trump’s administration rolls back CAFE standards by nearly a decade, cutting emissions requirements by a third; Purdue University demonstrates 190 kW DC fast charging on a moving big rig; and UK police warn drivers — don’t call 999 for a stuck EV charging cable.

Thinking about adding semi-autonomous driving to your EV? Both Nikki and Kate’s families have Comma systems—Kate has one in her 2019 Kia Niro, and Nikki’s wife has one in her 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Premiere. So far, they’ve been smooth… except for Kate’s pesky broken USB port. At Comma Con 2025, the company unveiled the all-new Comma 4, a next-gen eGPU, and teased some exciting future updates. But here’s the question: is upgrading to a Comma 4 worth it? And what if you’re new to add-on self-driving tech? Nikki takes a spin in her wife’s Bolt EV to test things out and shares her thoughts—pros, cons, and everything in between.

As more people switch from fossil fuels to electric vehicles, governments are starting to worry about lost revenue from fuel taxes. The response? Laws that would tax EV owners based on the miles they drive. On the surface, these taxes are framed as “fair”: EV owners should contribute to road maintenance and infrastructure. But are these charges really fair? Do they take into account the massive societal and environmental benefits of driving electric? And who truly benefits from these policies? In this video, we break down the data, explore EV taxation programs from around the world, and take a deep dive into Oregon’s newly-signed EV tax, coming in 2027. We examine fairness, equity, and what these policies really mean for EV adoption — and for the future of cleaner transportation.

The Ford F-150 Lightning gets over-the-air updates, but some newer features — like on-screen charging info and improved BlueCruise indicators — weren’t always included on older trucks. Using FORScan and a bit of DIY, it’s possible to add these features yourself. In this video, we show how we upgraded Nikki’s Lightning — and why paying attention to high-quality jumper cables is critical.

For years, many of us — including countless EV advocates and fans — have been telling automakers that smaller, more efficient electric vehicles will sell, and that buyers are ready for them. But after a decade of being told they should desire ever-larger, ever-more-powerful vehicles with ballooning footprints and horsepower figures… will mainstream car buyers actually agree?

Earlier this year, Nikki replaced the cracked, leaking base of her chicken watering tube with a custom-designed, 3D-printed upgrade she proudly dubbed the Hydro-Hen. But there’s a problem. She keeps finding it destroyed in the coop — the water gone, the valve ripped clean out, and the whole unit in pieces on the ground. At first, it looked like a one-off accident. Then twice. Then three times. Now it’s a pattern. So the question is: who’s wrecking the Hydro-Hen… and how on earth are they getting past that twist-lock mechanism? Is it sabotage? Mischief? Opportunistic engineering? Or is one of Nikki’s feathered tenants hiding talents far beyond their pay grade?

Nikki takes the 2025 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter — a fully-electric commercial van — for a spin, proving that practicality can be exciting.

In some parts of the world, political influence and old-fashioned FUD mean EVs are still being sidelined by automakers less than eager to build them. But there are plenty of used EVs out there that are perfectly capable of being everyday drivers — and they still need after-sales support. After receiving a truly ridiculous quote for a new set of light bulbs for her 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, Nikki asks: are dealerships that were once friendly toward EVs now going backwards, overcharging for repairs, or even refusing to work on them?

With a brief break in last weekend’s relentless rain, Nikki headed outside with good intentions: tame the raspberries, clear some brush, and generally convince the vegetable plots to look a little less like a forgotten jungle. But after getting into a good rhythm… she managed to break not one, but two garden tools in quick succession. At that point, the universe made its feelings clear — and Nikki wisely called it a day.

On today’s show: the 2027 Bolt EV officially starts production ahead of its launch next year; EV per-mile taxation gains traction in the US and UK; and Norwegian EV charging specialist Zaptec delivers a hilarious satire of gas stations and ICE drivers jealous of EV owners and their ability to charge almost anywhere.

A few weeks ago, Nikki’s Charge Station Pro stopped connecting to the home network. Even a factory reset couldn’t bring it back to initial setup. Since she had a spare, she swapped in a new unit and called Ford’s EV charger support team to replace the broken one. But because the old unit was still charging the truck, they insisted it was “just fine.” The problem? After a factory reset and with no WiFi, the broken Charge Station Pro couldn’t pair with the home network, the truck, or her $10,000 home integration system—turning it into a very expensive paperweight. It might charge the truck, but it can’t do the thing it was actually bought for: keeping the home powered during an outage. Today, we’re taking matters into our own hands. Since Ford won’t replace it, we’re going to try ourselves using some basic hardware diagnostic tricks. We’re breaking out the serial cables and Minicom terminal to see if we can bring this non-functioning Charge Station Pro back to life.

As Nikki procrastinates on the tasks that need to be done before the winter truly sets in, she's been having some problems with the WiFi for her chicken coop. Yes, the chickens have WiFi - and yes, they tried turning it off and on again ;)