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On this episode of the Plugged-In Podcast, we discuss the new Tesla Model Y, Toyota’s EV pivot and a recent Rivian R1T road trip.
Can Toyota learn to act like Tesla? That’s kind of a wild question, when you think about it. What could the biggest automaker in the world learn from a company that barely existed 20 years ago?
A whole lot, as it turns out. We write a lot around here about how Tesla has a wide lead over established car companies when it comes to software. How it leads on charging experience and over-the-air updates. How it’s reached economies of scale for electric vehicles that the legacy auto players can only dream of.
But Tesla also schools Toyota in another unlikely way—the actual nuts and bolts of designing EVs. My co-host Patrick George and I discuss that and more on this week’s episode of the Plugged-In Podcast.
Much of our conversation was inspired by an enlightening Bloomberg Businessweek story from this week. It argues that Toyota’s most basic production systems and ways of thinking aren’t built for the EV era. Tesla and innovative Chinese companies like BYD have become electric-car juggernauts by fundamentally rethinking how cars are made and relentlessly focusing on vertical integration. Toyota, meanwhile, depends on designs honed over decades in the combustion-car business and lots of outsourcing.
Can it learn to thrive in the EV era—and on what timeline? That’s the big question. Because Chinese automakers are wasting no time as they gobble up market share pretty much all over the world. Oh, and Toyota isn’t alone here; other old-school automakers need to wake up too.
Also on today’s show, we talk about the new Model Y and Patrick’s recent road trip in a Rivian R1T. Spoiler alert: He broke it.
Our podcast is available on the InsideEVs YouTube channel and all major audio platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Audioboom. New episodes drop every Friday. Make sure to subscribe on your favorite platform, leave us a review and tell a friend to tune in. Enjoy!
Can Toyota Learn To Act Like Tesla?
https://insideevs.com/features/747617/plugged-in-podcast-toyota-tesla/
Polestar 7: A Compact SUV From Europe, And Polestar 2 Successor
https://insideevs.com/news/747566/polestar-7-electric-suv-confirmed/
Polestar 7: Here’s A Theory About What It Could Look Like
https://insideevs.com/news/747610/polestar-7-volvo-zeekr-geely/
Tesla Model Y Juniper Update: Everything We Know
https://insideevs.com/reviews/724281/tesla-model-y-juniper-update/
The U.S. Had A Record Year For EV Sales In 2024. Here’s How
https://insideevs.com/news/747197/ev-sales-2024-tesla-us/
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02:14 – 2025 Model Y Update
05:36 – 2025 Tesla Sale Drop
07:06 – 2024 Model Y Sales Numbers
08:26 – Tesla Sales in China
10:00 – Tesla Model 3 Impressions
11:20 – Toyota Manufacturing Struggles
13:25 – Toyota BZ4X & Toyota’s Supply Chain
15:18 – Toyota’s Producton Process
18:33 – Tesla’s Production Process
20:33 – Toyota’s Future Outlook
24:15 – Rivian R1T Review
29:00 – Rivian Model Lineup Review
31:20 – Rivian Charging Benefits
33:02 – Rivian Car Wash Model
37:00 – Polestar US Sales
39:48 – Direct-To-Consumer Car Sales
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