InsideEVs Plugged-In Podcast

Can the highly anticipated Rivian R2 turn Rivian into a profitable EV powerhouse? This week on the Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim sit down with a very special guest: Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained!
Both Mack and Jason recently got behind the wheel of the Rivian R2, and they are breaking down exactly why they loved it—and what it means for the future of the company.
But it’s not all good news for EV startups. Jason opens up about his tumultuous experience owning a Lucid Air. We dive deep into the challenges facing both Rivian and Lucid as they fight to become mainstream automakers.
Jason’s channel:
https://www.youtube.com/engineeringexplained
Jason's Lucid Air Experience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrz1LXNm9cI
Mack’s Rivian R2 review:
https://insideevs.com/reviews/798129/rivian-r2-first-drive-review/
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Is the internet overreacting to Ferrari’s first-ever electric car? In this episode of the Plugged-In Podcast, Mack and Tim break down the massive wave of public backlash hitting the newly unveiled Ferrari Luce. Tim shares his firsthand thoughts after actually seeing Maranello's Jony Ive-designed EV up close, and explains why he thinks it’s actually cool. (Sorry!)
Plus, we look at the positive side of the electric transition: the EV charging grid is officially getting a glow-up. From Rivian hitting a major infrastructure milestone to Walmart and Electrify America making charging less of a headache, things are moving fast. Finally, we unpack a Reuters investigation that suggests Tesla might still be years away from truly scaling full self-driving technology.
Reuters story on Tesla FSD
https://www.reuters.com/investigations/why-teslas-ai-trainers-dont-trust-its-self-driving-tech-or-its-safety-stats-2026-05-28/ 
Walmart’s Expanding EV Charging Network Is Getting Easier To Pay For (And Cheaper)
https://insideevs.com/news/796951/walmart-ev-fast-charging-expansion-card-discounts/ 
Rivian’s EV Charging Network Is Growing Fast, And It Just Hit A Major Milestone
https://insideevs.com/news/797654/rivian-ev-charging-network-growth-milestone/ 
It's Still Way More Expensive To Insure An EV. But That's Changing
https://insideevs.com/news/797585/ev-ownership-insurance-price-expensive/ 
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Do EV enthusiasts care about performance cars? Do traditional car enthusiasts care about EVs? This week on the Plugged-In Podcast, Mack Hogan and Andrei Nedelea break down the news about the Ferrari Luce, the company’s first EV. It’s got over a thousand horsepower, four independent motors, and a trick suspension that should make it plenty interesting to drive.
But in the second segment, we break down a key challenge for the Luce: Who is it for? Typical car enthusiasts that buy Ferraris seem relatively closed off to electric performance vehicles. And even for InsideEVs’ enthusiastic audience, nobody seems to care about the high-power stuff. They’d rather read about Hyundais and Chevies than Porsches and Ferraris.
Finally, Tim Levin and Mack sit down with Andrew Chapin, the Chief Operating Officer of autonomy company Nuro, to get an update on the autonomous vehicle race. You won’t want to miss it. 
I Saw Ferrari’s First EV In The Flesh. Here’s My Honest Take
https://insideevs.com/news/796897/ferrari-luce-electric-car-2026/ 
Mercedes-Benz's Electric Super Sedan Has A New Kind Of EV Motor And Unprecedented Charging Speed
https://insideevs.com/news/796361/2027-mercedes-amg-gt-4-door-coupe/ 
Nobody Wants Electric Supercars. But Why?
https://www.motor1.com/features/766252/nobody-wants-electric-supercars-opinion/ 
Lucid Gravity Robotaxis Will Hit The Uber App Next Year, With Nuro Tech
https://insideevs.com/news/766132/lucid-gravity-robotaxi-uber-nuro/ 
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Is the federal government about to change the cost of EV ownership? This week on the Plugged-In Podcast, Tim Levin and Mack Hogan break down the proposed $130 annual federal registration fee for electric vehicles and what it means for the future of highway funding.
Mack also shares his experience behind the wheel of the Volvo EX60—a minimalist luxury SUV that might just be the most polished electric vehicle Volvo has ever built. Plus, we discuss the brand-new Mercedes-AMG GT, which has officially claimed the crown as the fastest-charging EV in America, boasting an 11-minute charge time from 10-80%. 
Finally, Tim sits down with Brandt Hastings, President of North America at ABB E-Mobility, to talk about the massive shift in charging infrastructure and how ABB is meeting the demands of the next generation of EVs, trucks, and robotaxis.
Congress Wants You To Pay $130 A Year Just To Drive An Electric Car
https://insideevs.com/news/796222/ev-fee-gas-tax-house-bill-2026/ 
I Drove The 2027 Volvo EX60 And Think It's The Best Volvo Ever. All Because It’s Electric.
https://insideevs.com/reviews/796359/volvo-ex60-first-drive/ 
Mercedes-Benz's Electric Super Sedan Has A New Kind Of EV Motor And Unprecedented Charging Speed
https://insideevs.com/news/796361/2027-mercedes-amg-gt-4-door-coupe/ 
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Is the Golden Age of EV charging finally here? This week on the Plugged-In Podcast, Tim sits down with Seth Cutler, CEO of Ionna, the massive charging joint venture backed by seven of the world’s biggest automakers. We dig into how Ionna plans to deploy 30,000 chargers by 2030 and whether this company can actually fix the reliability crisis.
Plus, Mack takes the new Volvo EX60 for a spin to test its Google Gemini integration, which is also coming to vehicles from GM, Polestar, and other brands. Forget basic, frustrating voice commands. We’re talking full-on conversational navigation. The guys discuss why this is probably the best feature in new cars. 
We also look North as Chinese EVs trickle into Canada. While the US doubles down on 100% tariffs, Canada is taking a different path. Is this the backdoor for BYD and Geely to get into America?
Tesla Is Now Testing A Virtual Waitlist For Superchargers
https://insideevs.com/news/795797/tesla-supercharger-virtual-queues-tk/ 
Mazda's EV Delay Is Barely A Pivot
https://insideevs.com/news/795650/mazda-delays-first-major-ev/ 
The Floodgates Open: Chinese EVs Land In Canada
https://insideevs.com/news/795438/first-chinese-evs-canada-deliveries/
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