265: Finding Their There

This week, we discuss a number of automotive brands finding their “there” in the EV world. For starters, Toyota’s bZ gains footing while Subaru gets into the three-row EV game and Rivian’s R2 ups its efficiency. Meanwhile, Afeela’s dead, plus some politicians say Chinese cars are not welcome on America’s shores (although that ship has certainly sailed). Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, PocketCasts, iHeartRadio, Podbean, and more! Or heck, use your favorite podcast application. Perhaps you prefer to watch as well as listen. If so, we’ve got you covered. SHOW NOTES Sony and Honda discontinue Afeela: https://www.autoweek.com/news/a70847226/sony-honda-kill-afeela-ev/ Refreshed Toyota bZ turns out to be a hit: https://electrek.co/2026/04/02/toyota-sold-more-evs-in-the-us-than-ford-q1-one-suv/ 2026 Toyota bZ doesn’t have built-in route planning in nav (suggested charging stops): https://insideevs.com/reviews/787629/2026-toyota-bz-review/ Subaru pulls sheet off 3-row Getaway: https://gizmodo.com/new-getaway-means-subaru-has-an-electric-suv-in-every-size-2000741132 Preliminary numbers show Rivian R2 could beat Tesla Model Y on efficiency: https://insideevs.com/news/792230/rivian-r2-epa-range-efficiency/ Chinese-made EVs won’t be allowed in the U.S., says American ambassador to Canada: https://www.autoblog.com/news/u-s-draws-the-line-at-the-border-chinese-evs-wont-enter-america Senator Bernie Moreno wants to enact tougher restrictions on Chinese EVs: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/republican-senator-proposes-widen-us-ban-chinese-autos-2026-03-31/ Study claims franchise dealership model adds nearly $5,000 to the price of a new car: https://www.thedrive.com/news/study-quantifies-how-much-the-dealership-model-costs-customers-and-it-aint-pretty Tesla unveils “folding” superchargers for quicker deployment: https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-folding-supercharger-v4/ This week’s hosts: Phil Royle and Edward A. Sanchez Episode art courtesy Toyota Music courtesy Twisterium at Pixabay Website: https://www.thewattcar.com Buy merch: https://www.thewattcar.com/store YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewattcar