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White House unleashes dollars, programs to bolster infrastructure for electric vehicles

The White House has just given a boost to the e-car business. Unless you live in an area of the U.S. with plentiful electric vehicle chargers, buying an EV is a nonstarter, or at best a tough choice. Even if you can charge your car at your house, who wants to face the prospect of needing a tow home if you run out of juice?

A wide and dense network infrastructure of electric car charging stations is absolutely essential to the dreams and intentions of car manufacturers, government regulators, and anyone else hoping for the shift from fossil fuel dependency. Thursday’s expansion by the federal government of a $4.5 billion guaranteed loan program to support large-scale deployment of electric vehicle charging facilities and other actions in support of EVs is a big step in that direction.

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The federal action took place just after this week’s U.S. Department of Energy’s first Sustainable Transport Summit.  Six additional announcements supporting electric vehicle development were made. A new FAST Act process will identify zero-emission and alternative fuel corridors to determine where it makes the most sense to build out the fast-charging infrastructure.

The feds are also calling on local, county, and state governments to procure electric-powered fleets. The DOE will publish a guide to federal programs for funding, financing, and providing technical assistance for e-vehicle and charging stations. There will also be an “Electric Vehicle Hackathon” to discover, share, and develop new charging solutions.

Thirty-five businesses, nonprofits, universities, and utilities signed the DOE’s Workplace Charging Challenge to provide charging access for their employees. And last, nearly 50 utilities, vehicle manufacturers, charging companies, states, and organizations signed up to collaborate on building out the electric vehicle infrastructure. The collaboration agreement is called the “Guiding Principles to Promote Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure.”

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
You can now lease a Hyundai EV on Amazon—and snag that $7,500 tax credit
amazon autos hyundai evs lease ioniq 6 n line seoul mobility show 2025 mk08

Amazon has changed how we shop for just about everything—from books to furniture to groceries. Now, it’s transforming the way we lease cars. Through Amazon Autos, you can now lease a brand-new Hyundai entirely online—and even better, you’ll qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit if you choose an electric model like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, or Kona EV.
Here’s why that matters: As of January 2025, Hyundai’s EVs no longer qualify for the tax credit if you buy them outright, due to strict federal rules about battery sourcing and final assembly. But when you lease, the vehicle is technically owned by the leasing company (Hyundai Capital), which allows it to be classified as a “commercial vehicle” under U.S. tax law—making it eligible for the credit. That savings is typically passed on to you in the form of lower lease payments.
With Amazon’s new setup, you can browse Hyundai’s EV inventory, secure financing, trade in your current vehicle, and schedule a pickup—all without leaving the Amazon ecosystem.
It’s available in 68 markets across the U.S., and pricing is fully transparent—no hidden fees or haggling. While Hyundai is so far the only automaker fully participating, more are expected to join over time.
Pioneered by the likes of Tesla, purchasing or leasing vehicles online has been a growing trend since the Covid pandemic.
A 2024 study by iVendi found that 74% of car buyers expect to use some form of online process for their next purchase. In fact, 75% said online buying met or exceeded expectations, with convenience and access to information cited as top reasons. The 2024 EY Mobility Consumer Index echoed this trend, reporting that 25% of consumers now plan to buy their next vehicle online—up from 18% in 2021. Even among those who still prefer to finalize the purchase at a dealership, 87% use online tools for research beforehand.
Meanwhile, Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study reveals that while 86% of U.S. consumers still want to test-drive a vehicle in person, digital tools are now a critical part of the buying journey.
Bottom line? Amazon is making it easier than ever to lease an EV and claim that tax credit—without the dealership hassle. If you're ready to plug in, it might be time to add to cart.

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Gemini AI coming to cars as Android Automotive update suggests it’s due soon
The 6.8-inch Pioneer digital media receiver installed in a vehicle's dashboard.

Google appears to be getting ready to sends its Gemini AI into cars through an Android Automotive update.

This would make sense as Android Automotive already uses Google's Assistant to help with those much-needed in-car hands-free requests.

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Watch from the passenger seat as the new Porsche 911 GT3 sets a record at the Nürburgring
911 GT3 with Weissach Package (Manual Transmission), Nürburgring Nordschleife 2025, Porsche AG

If you've ever wanted to race at top speeds around one of the most iconic racetracks in the world, then now is your chance. A new Porsche 911 GT3 just set a record for the fastest time around the Nürburgring in a road car with a manual transmission, knocking almost 10 seconds off the previous best time. And Porsche has released a video of the run filmed from the cockpit, so you can experience the thrills for yourself.

The record was set by legendary driver and Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister at the wheel of a 911 GT3 with the Weissach package, setting a time of 6:56.294. That's 9.5 seconds ahead of the previous record set by the Dodge Viper ACR in 2017 -- though there's some math involved in these time calculations as the track was reconfigured in 2019.

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