Nissan LEAF First Drive, Plus Honda Prelude & BMW iX3 Reveals

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 Welcome to the podcast of Motor Week. Television's original automotive magazine Motor Week is made possible by auto value and bumper to bumper and

spk_0 TireRack.com. Here's your Motor Week podcast host, John Davis.

spk_0 And welcome to Motor Week podcast number 362. I am indeed your host John Davis. And boy do we have a jam pack show for you this week.

spk_0 We have no less than three new vehicles to talk about. One from BMW, one from Honda and one from Nissan. We also have a lightning round on how current events are changing Porsche's product plans.

spk_0 And a viewer wants to have more information on how we actually test cars here at Motor Week. And finally, how some automakers are coming up with inventive ways to extend the EV tax incentives that

spk_0 are going to be able to get inspired at the end of September. So lots to talk about and doing just that today are our over the edge reporter Greg Carlos. That is me.

spk_0 Our digital producer Jessica Ray. Hello, hello and staff writer extraordinaire Alexander Kellum. Audi. All right. First up, that BMW I mentioned specifically the long awaited EV version of their most popular model worldwide,

spk_0 which is the X3 compact utility. This is the new I X3 SUV. Jessica, it certainly has big shoes to fill. Can it? I mean, this is it's such a weird time. I think for this vehicle to be making its debut.

spk_0 I feel like it's probably a little bit more important globally than I think that's a good bet in the US, but nonetheless, you know, they still sell a lot of X3s here in the US.

spk_0 It's their second highest volume vehicle here after the X5. So between those two utilities, it makes up the bulk of BMW sales. Yeah. So when you when you think about it, you know, and also this is in all electric vehicle. That's kind of why it's it's a little bit

spk_0 funny that we're talking about it during this time. But yeah, it's it's sort of debuting BMW's six generation electric systems, right? You know, they've been doing P.A.G.Vs and EVs for a

spk_0 long time. A few years at this point, certainly veterans of it. Yes. And so now they're moving away from initially where they had started at least here in the US where they were taking combustion chassis and sort of making it work for both ice and for

spk_0 the BMW or or P.A.G.V powertrains. So they were doing that for a long time, which we all applauded. But now they've they've put

spk_0 pretty much put that in the rear view mirror. Yeah. This time this really truly is their all new all electric exclusively electric platform and it's debuting a new design language for them as well. The new a

spk_0 class which is close as I can get. So which which you probably know more about the importance of the historic aspect of new a class that was it's inspired by the 60s and 70s design language from BMW.

spk_0 I that's what they say all and I think you can look back say it the 2002 and and see a little bit in the grill.

spk_0 The first thing I see is the 2002, but the rest of it seems to be like that's where the inspiration stopped. Yeah, I mean it's definitely modern. I think you can see where the they've sort of taken another step forward from the I X.

spk_0 This kind of homes in a very specific modular futuristic design like I thought you were going to talk about how ugly it is. Well I didn't want to say that quite I know styling is in the eye of the beholders, but the I X was certainly not the didn't win any Bell of the ball awards.

spk_0 I think for parents and this actually I think is this makes the I X look good. Yeah, yes. Now again, this is you know, taste is is quite subjective. So there's that, but I do think you know without looking on the exterior of this of this model.

spk_0 It's really important to actually dive into the details what's underneath its skin, which is truly impressive. We've been talking but you know I'm so superficial.

spk_0 So now we've been talking. I know you're trying to give details all us.

spk_0 Good stuff, John. You know, we've been talking probably if you listen to our podcast, we've we've talked a lot about architectures for electric vehicles.

spk_0 Specifically, we've talked about 800 volt architectures. And so a lot of times some of these models will have an 800 volt architecture, but maybe they can't charge quite as quick as that.

spk_0 Architecture could peak at for example. And so that's where this new I X three kind of moves us into the next generation of EVs. It's an 800 volt architecture. And it's also supported a max charging rate of 400 kilowatts.

spk_0 So that's actually more technically than what you could get right now at a DC fast charger because right now you can't they only go up to 350.

spk_0 So this is what we would refer to as future proof because the future is coming. We're going to be able to charge faster.

spk_0 And so that's impressive because they're saying that that you could get 175 miles of recuperation in about 10 minutes.

spk_0 So with a total range that they're saying to 400 miles. So we're kind of reaching.

spk_0 So the things you know the specs on this are kind of reaching to points that are grasping at what the standard should be right within the next five years.

spk_0 These are what were the numbers that were kind of expected or what you can get on a Tesla now.

spk_0 I mean, you know, that's the one thing it gets me about all this is they still accept for very few vehicles.

spk_0 You know, when it comes to something near mainstream, they still are the mileage arranged champs.

spk_0 So well, I guess for I guess technically for vehicles under $100,000.

spk_0 Right. Yeah.

spk_0 Obviously we know the lucid air is the has can go much further over 500 miles. But yes, you are correct. BMW previously did not have a vehicle that could hit range numbers quite like this.

spk_0 I want to say the I X probably wasn't seeing much more than 300 miles of range 320 something like that.

spk_0 Now what I do think too is really interesting is that it looks like at home you can pull 19.2 kilowatts on a level one or level two level two charger, which that's impressive because I guess I think right now most vehicles are looking at about 11 kilowatts.

spk_0 So I don't believe the battery pack on this is very big either. I don't think they said exactly what it is. They didn't say what it is yet.

spk_0 Okay, so we don't actually know what the what the battery pack sizes.

spk_0 But standard next port. I will say we should also mention the interior of this, which is funky for sure.

spk_0 Kind of matches the exterior.

spk_0 The central screen is like diagonal. It's at like an angle.

spk_0 Do you like your infotainment and italics because this screen is in italics and you know they're they're running counter to what.

spk_0 You know, instead of blending it into the instrument panel like so many brands are doing it. They've got just another big in this case.

spk_0 Weirdly angled horizontal tablet in the middle of the dash.

spk_0 Yeah, and and it does have this and we've seen it in concepts to before but like some other brands are doing it has this panoramic screen that goes across the bottom of the dashboard that's sort of like inlaid back there like right here.

spk_0 And which clearly is like where your speedometer is and other information.

spk_0 It's there looks to be like next to no buttons here.

spk_0 So yeah, I don't know. I don't know.

spk_0 It's in line with what they told the press. So I think it was two years ago that eventually they think all the information that you normally need like speedo and climate and so forth.

spk_0 Well, actually end up being projected up onto the windshield. So this is just below it. So they're moving in that direction to basically get all this information ahead of you and maybe even above in your

spk_0 drive line. Basically what Lincoln's doing with. Yeah, very much. Very much.

spk_0 I think it's interesting because I thought like I don't know a year ago or so many months ago. Europe was going to de-set or incentivize.

spk_0 What was it? Something about bringing buttons back into infotainments.

spk_0 Well, the public is speaking and basically saying that they'd like to well they're getting probably getting concerned that so many aspects of a car that are used to be routine.

spk_0 You now have to look away from the road into some kind of a screen and take your hands off the wheel to touch it.

spk_0 Yeah, the controls are on the steering wheel, but you know, I have the time people don't master those.

spk_0 Yeah, anyway, so when are we going to get more info because this is such a critical vehicle that you would think that they would be pretty anxious to spell it out?

spk_0 I don't I'm not 100% sure. I think it's still a little bit up in the air because I.

spk_0 This is a 26 model. So yeah, probably got to be soon. Probably soon. Oh, probably next year, early next year is going to be in production.

spk_0 Right. So it will should arrive next summer. So what do you think? You know, I've had my say Alex, you've been very quiet.

spk_0 Yeah, the article on it. You that bold of you to assume I remember what I wrote like a month ago or three weeks ago or whatever it was.

spk_0 Yeah, like you said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think with modern BMW, they could stand to go into an optometrist, but I think they've done a little bit.

spk_0 They have a history of doing that though of getting people sort of churned up by their exterior. It does it take away from their the great driving aspect.

spk_0 Sure. Yeah. And obviously we haven't driven this so we can't really comment on that.

spk_0 I actually when I saw the pictures of it, I actually did not hate the way it looked. I thought it was it's quirky. It's interesting. It's a little different.

spk_0 The steering wheel. If you didn't like having three spokes, you now you got four. So that's cool. It's in a cross and actually have a funny story about this car because about two weeks ago, I was on 95 regretting my decision to get on 95.

spk_0 And in my rear view, I saw a camouflaged vehicle and it's coming up. It's rolling up. And I can tell it to BMW and it pulls up next to me. And I see that spoke in the steering wheel.

spk_0 It's going straight up and it's got the Jersey tags and I'm thinking, well, there you go. This is this is a prototype here. I'm seeing it live in action. Of course, like a good driver. I did not take a picture of it, but I've got the dash cam footage somewhere.

spk_0 So I don't recall are they talking about building this in South Carolina?

spk_0 Or they said anything about that because that is where the bulk of X three production is.

spk_0 Yeah, and it's we reported that it's going to be made in Hungary. Right. Okay.

spk_0 Probably not. Given the situation with EVs in this country that makes sense. Greg, any comments?

spk_0 Yeah, nothing to add any actual information. I just think it's I think it's funny that for so long, people were just hammering BMW about this big kidney grill. Like it got big.

spk_0 Now we found the other direction. It was starting to be like, yeah, it is what it is. That's what it looks like.

spk_0 They go back to the small. Now people are hating on the smaller like this is the original side like it is like 2002 BMW is sticks in my mind.

spk_0 Like, you know, like it's cemented there. We go back to what everybody's been clamoring for for years. And now we're all like, yeah, that doesn't look right.

spk_0 So I think the small grill works. I think what I have problems with is just what's around it. It's, you know, it's it's the only thing that's really familiar up there and and granted, you know, stylist always like to do something new.

spk_0 But the combination of the.

spk_0 What would you call it almost arrow like a receding headlamp and and the side grills next to the twin kidney.

spk_0 They're trying to get a smiley face on it. I'll give them that. I'm just I'm curious to see it drives. So I remember the I X.

spk_0 I was we did for the first time. I'm like this doesn't really drive like a beam right. You didn't. Yeah.

spk_0 But you get into like an eye for and you're like, wow, this might be the best for series sort of an M4.

spk_0 And I think that's important for us to know they have they they have gone very quickly from providing a luxury EV that was.

spk_0 I hate to say fairly solace but certainly didn't feel like a BMW to cars that we think exemplify the history of the brand.

spk_0 And we're looking forward to see if they've rolled all that into this.

spk_0 I we're going to go right quickly to the second car on our list today. And if you think we've been talking about the past this next one up is a real blast from the past that being the return of the Honda Prelude.

spk_0 The first Prelude arrived here way back in 1979 as a sporty two door coupe.

spk_0 It was lightweight, nimble and vastly underpowered gaining the nickname Quailude.

spk_0 But it was still a great grand touring car and it stuck around through five generations and brought with it a lot of innovations, including rear wheel steering, active rear wheel steering and variable valve timing until it disappeared after the 2001 model year.

spk_0 And here we are 25 years later the 2026 Prelude is back same long hood short rear deck GT profile Alex.

spk_0 You think it's going to be anything more than just a blast from the past.

spk_0 Is they looking to make this has to be because it doesn't have pop up headlights.

spk_0 Oh, there you go.

spk_0 Yeah. So I should mention very quickly that we're just talking about it.

spk_0 We have not driven it yet.

spk_0 Right. We will be driving it soon. So consider this the Prelude to the Prelude.

spk_0 I thought about that one.

spk_0 I knew the dollars were going to be all over the world.

spk_0 Oh, Lorden.

spk_0 But yeah.

spk_0 Well, all right. Sweet.

spk_0 All right. That's where I peak on this podcast.

spk_0 Yeah. So I guess we'll start with the powertrain because that's probably the most interesting thing here.

spk_0 So it's a hybrid and we've kind of known it was going to be a hybrid.

spk_0 We've been talking about this car for like two years now.

spk_0 But they've kind of given us the deets.

spk_0 It's a two liter in line for 200 horsepower, 232 pound feet of torque uses both that engine with electric motors.

spk_0 And that may sound very familiar to some of Honda's other portfolio or items in their portfolio.

spk_0 And that would be like the civic hybrid.

spk_0 Now you may be wondering about the transmission.

spk_0 And this is the part that I knew I was going to have to talk about this.

spk_0 There's no manual transmission option.

spk_0 No three pedals.

spk_0 Only two pedals.

spk_0 Which right there is a disappointment.

spk_0 And that is a disappointment.

spk_0 I assume it has something to do with the hybrid powertrain.

spk_0 Right.

spk_0 And instead we're getting an ECVT.

spk_0 Why?

spk_0 Are we?

spk_0 Well, say that.

spk_0 Well, that's Honda has.

spk_0 Honda has not labeled it.

spk_0 There's no transmitters.

spk_0 They simply say,

spk_0 OK, we know it's an automatic.

spk_0 Let's put it that way,

spk_0 but they haven't put any labels on it even though, as you just said,

spk_0 it has the hybrid powertrain listed out of a civic hybrid,

spk_0 which does have an ECVT.

spk_0

spk_0 But they're not referring to it as such.

spk_0 They're actually not referring to it at all.

spk_0 It doesn't mean they're being made.

spk_0 If they're getting into it,

spk_0 they can say whatever they want.

spk_0 It's all marketing.

spk_0 It really is kind of amusing.

spk_0 It's kind of amusing that they're being so coy about something

spk_0 that's where they obviously are.

spk_0 We don't really believe in labels.

spk_0 As soon as I saw I was on the run down to talk about this car,

spk_0 I was like, I'm going to avoid it.

spk_0 And then I got there and said, oh, I'm going to bring it up.

spk_0 Stir the pile.

spk_0 I'm going to stir the pile.

spk_0 All right.

spk_0 The people want to know.

spk_0 It will have an automatic transmission of some.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 And so what they're doing is they're adding this s plus shift,

spk_0 which is, so there's paddle shifters on the steering column.

spk_0 Or maybe on the wheel.

spk_0 They're up there, regardless.

spk_0 And this feature kind of like simulates gear shifts and blips.

spk_0 Which is not new for the transmission.

spk_0 But it's not a transmission.

spk_0 Right.

spk_0 No.

spk_0 It's all electric.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 And it's a front wheel drive.

spk_0 So it's kind of retaining that aspect of the, you know,

spk_0 historically.

spk_0 You can go look at it and see and listen to it and see it.

spk_0 Oh, yeah.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 They sent us the actual Honda video.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 They sent us the B-roll package.

spk_0 So that's the powertrain, which, you know,

spk_0 you can take that or leave it if you will.

spk_0 I have my, maybe that'll be my rant later, but I'll.

spk_0 You know, it's, it's a good looking vehicle.

spk_0 Again, I'm back on the styling.

spk_0 It favors the previous pray ludes.

spk_0 I think it looks like a modern rendition of the last one they made.

spk_0 So I give them a good marks for that.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 They didn't try and create something that has no reference to the name

spk_0 at all, which we've seen lots of automakers do.

spk_0 Right.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 So, and to talk about the styling a bit, when this car was first kind of being,

spk_0 not like it was just beyond the rumor phase, like we knew it was going to be a thing,

spk_0 but we didn't really know anything about it.

spk_0 And we have seen this in person already at like auto shows, I should mention.

spk_0 There was kind of the initial thought of like, oh, this will be a competitor for some of the other

spk_0 Japanese sports coupes right now.

spk_0 So the GR86 from Toyota and Subaru's BRZ.

spk_0 That's not really going to be the case.

spk_0 This is more going to be our, at least they're pivoting it to be more of a touring car.

spk_0 Which was what the original pray ludes was.

spk_0 But size wise, it's not far off.

spk_0 If you want to, you know, if you're trying to visualize how big this thing is,

spk_0 compared to the GR86, I actually brought up to compare the measurements really quick.

spk_0 The wheelbase on the pray ludes is about 103 inches, and on the GR86, about 101 give or take.

spk_0 So right there, you know, wheelbase is about the same length as where there's a little bit more of a substantial change here.

spk_0 And that's because of the pray ludes kind of more GT proportions.

spk_0 It's going to be just shy of 180 inches, whereas the GR86 is 168.

spk_0 So there is a difference there.

spk_0 So it is going to be a little bit bigger.

spk_0 It's going to be a little bit wider.

spk_0 And as for the actual seating inside of it, like with that greater length,

spk_0 you're also going to get more room, more volume inside.

spk_0 It does have rear seats.

spk_0 Not sure who's going to use them, but it is a two plus two.

spk_0 Yeah, Jessica will use them.

spk_0 I can fit back there.

spk_0 And you'll, well, if you're back there, you'll have 32 inches of rear leg room.

spk_0 Something they confirmed about a month or two ago, maybe a little longer than that,

spk_0 is that the pray ludes also going to use the Civic Type R's suspension and its Brembo brakes.

spk_0 So you get the dual axis front suspension, you get the bigger Brembo.

spk_0 So that should make it a bit sportier.

spk_0 But again, this is a touring car.

spk_0 And as such, actually, they haven't confirmed pricing for us yet.

spk_0 We're still waiting on those details, but they did say this is going to be sold as one trim.

spk_0 There will be different colors and interior options, but it will be a one trim car.

spk_0 You know, it's pretty bold of them that most everybody else is abandoning the two door coupe market.

spk_0 And to get back into it, they must know something that we don't.

spk_0 It's the four door coupe market with this.

spk_0 Yeah, not a four, not a coupe at all.

spk_0 So any other comments about it?

spk_0 I mean, I'm kind of, I like the look of it.

spk_0 I'm intrigued.

spk_0 It'll have a proven power train.

spk_0 It'll be probably lightweight and nimble, like the old ones.

spk_0 I mean, there definitely has been a little bit of a void in their lineup

spk_0 when it comes to like when the civic coupe left.

spk_0 You know, while I understand why it left their lineup,

spk_0 just because of just not as many people want them.

spk_0 But there are a lot of people out there who that's all they want.

spk_0 That is all they want.

spk_0 And the civic being the one of the best selling sports coupes, like affordable ones,

spk_0 in, you know, that you can buy, I think that this, if priced correctly,

spk_0 will be a really great point to add back into the lineup.

spk_0 Any thoughts, Greg?

spk_0 Yeah, I want to go back to this whole transmission, non-transmission thing.

spk_0 I know everybody loves to talk about that.

spk_0 I'm willing to give it a try.

spk_0 I know a lot of people have certainly had their thoughts on it,

spk_0 most of them negative.

spk_0 But I'm going to equate it to the Aionic 5N.

spk_0 Yeah, that's a good part.

spk_0 And which obviously has no transmission.

spk_0 And it's simul, everything is simulated.

spk_0 So I'm like, everything they actually have paddle shifters that can act as paddle shifters.

spk_0 It blips the throttle and it actually produces fake engine noise.

spk_0 Again, there is no engine in this electric car.

spk_0 And I bought into it totally.

spk_0 Well, we outed it.

spk_0 I thought it was pretty cool.

spk_0 And then I drove it and I thought it was awesome.

spk_0 So I'm going to give Honda the benefit of the doubt on this.

spk_0 And I did, like I said, there's a video out on it.

spk_0 And I watched it.

spk_0 Sounded every bit as good as like the Aionic 5N did.

spk_0 So I'm willing to give it a chance.

spk_0 And it's just where we are.

spk_0 I mean, we bemoan the loss of manual transmissions.

spk_0 And now, they're trying.

spk_0 Most people don't care.

spk_0 I get it.

spk_0 You know, most people do not care about these things that we care about.

spk_0 So the fact that they're still trying to make some people care a little bit about it.

spk_0 They're trying to keep, I'm just recently kind of got hung up on this.

spk_0 They're trying to keep put back maybe even the soul of a car.

spk_0 The essence of what made one vehicle different from another.

spk_0 And I think you could argue that EVs and hybrids and even internal components

spk_0 and combustion engine cars, we've made them so smooth they've lost that soul.

spk_0 So any attempt to put it back, I think is to be a part of it.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 And I do think like we made the comment like it's bold of them to kind of enter this coupe market.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 And I have to wonder if part of it was they did want to wait for this hybrid powertrain they were working on.

spk_0 They knew they wanted that.

spk_0 That being said, and I alluded to this earlier, and you brought up like how this is kind of like the Civic Coop people have waited for.

spk_0 We recently drove the Civic Si, the refreshed Si.

spk_0 And it makes me wish that this was a two trim car where maybe the base offering had the 1.5 turbo.

spk_0 Yes, I with that 6B manual.

spk_0 And I think that would just be like best of both worlds.

spk_0 You have the hybrid tour for people that want it.

spk_0 And then you've got the kind of like, you know, just the fun little Civic.

spk_0 And you'd sell about a thousand.

spk_0 Yeah, I mean, it would.

spk_0 I get that.

spk_0 I mean, I think I like, you know, the idea that here you have, you're starting off with the hybrid powertrain,

spk_0 which gives you a boost of power, the same amount of power that you would have in a Civic Si.

spk_0 And, but better fuel economy, obviously.

spk_0 So this would be a good daily commuter.

spk_0 And then you're adding in this S plus shift feature so that if you want to have a little fun with it.

spk_0 And decent suspension and brakes.

spk_0 Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think it's, I think it's a really a, I think people have to shift their thinking around it a little bit.

spk_0 But this could be a much cooler car than I think a lot of people think.

spk_0 Okay, let's move there.

spk_0 I mean, I can't wait to get behind the wheel of it.

spk_0 By the way, we want everybody to know.

spk_0 Stay tuned.

spk_0 Just a few minutes.

spk_0 We're going to take a look at the latest iteration of really the EV that took battery electrics from concept to mainstream in this country.

spk_0 We're talking about the Nissan Leaf.

spk_0 But first, we're going to do our lightning round right after I thank our sponsors for this podcast.

spk_0 And for everything motor week auto value and bumper to bumper.

spk_0 And also the folks over at tire rack.com.

spk_0 We know our viewers and listeners appreciate your dedication to all things motor week.

spk_0 To refresh your memory in our lightning round, we give everybody used to be 30 seconds.

spk_0 But now it's basically until I get tired of listening to them.

spk_0 A time to talk about a topic that is trending.

spk_0 And here it is.

spk_0 Porsche, like other brands, has decided to pull back on its plans to make its lineup fully electric, mostly because of what's going on here in the US.

spk_0 But also some rejection in Europe of pure EVs.

spk_0 The news is the next generation 718 cars will have gas powered version.

spk_0 718 was slated to become an EV only model as production of the gas models was supposed to end very soon.

spk_0 This is a familiar story to the Macon, which now produces both gas and EV models.

spk_0 What do we make of these changes at Porsche?

spk_0 And is this something we're going to see at other brands, i.e. maybe even BMW?

spk_0 Yeah. Greg?

spk_0 Okay.

spk_0 I'll go.

spk_0 I think what we have to remember first and foremost, as much as we love in this case, like Porsche, right?

spk_0 And they make these great cars. We have fun driving them and all that.

spk_0 At the end of the day, they are a business.

spk_0 Porsche exists to sell cars and to make money.

spk_0 They are going to do what behooves them.

spk_0 And I'm not blaming them for that.

spk_0 So I'm just saying that when the world changes, when there is, like you mentioned, rejection, or a little bit more of a change in industry trends and what consumers are buying, they're going to adjust with that so they can keep making money.

spk_0 So I just see this as a way of them doing that.

spk_0 Volkswagen has already said that the ID buzz is going to end up being having an internal combustion engine version of it.

spk_0 At least that's what I recall.

spk_0 So I think this is not necessarily new.

spk_0 It's going to become more of a trend.

spk_0 When you've only got 10 or 20% of your customers eagerly awaiting an EV of a model, then you've got to do something.

spk_0 You've spent all this money on development.

spk_0 Yeah, my takeaway is just as much as we think of business and specifically automakers, it's like these big machines that it's like a cruise ship.

spk_0 You can't just slow it down and stop it.

spk_0 Right.

spk_0 You think it takes time.

spk_0 But things like this happen.

spk_0 And like all this money, excuse me, that they spent on EV technology.

spk_0 And how quickly they're just like, yeah, okay, no, we're just going to throw that money away or at least put that in the back.

spk_0 Like that's kind of what I'm taking from this is like is we think of these decisions as long term decisions when they're really not like they really can just like, you know, they call the CEO calls a meeting.

spk_0 It says, hey, we're not doing this anymore.

spk_0 That's it.

spk_0 Here's the thing.

spk_0 We're going to put a gas engine back in this thing.

spk_0 We said it's only going to be EV.

spk_0 You've got huge factories with tens of thousands of employees around the world.

spk_0 You've got to build vehicles.

spk_0 You can't just lay people off.

spk_0 Your contracts keep making it so in many cases, you must pay workers even if they're not working.

spk_0 You've got to move the metal, as they used to say.

spk_0 And if the public, I think what I marvel at it is, is we actually can see these decisions made in fairly short amount of times.

spk_0 It used to be when a car maker gets wrong, they had to wait five to seven years to get the right model into design work and get it out.

spk_0 Now, obviously they can do it much quicker.

spk_0 And so I actually applaud where we are that they maybe not turn on a dime, but they can turn on a quarter anyway.

spk_0 Nice. So that one.

spk_0 I mean, I think we're skeptical when we heard that the 718 was going completely electric from the beginning.

spk_0 I certainly was.

spk_0 Especially knowing the history of that vehicle, right?

spk_0 This is the vehicle that was supposed to help save the brand, right?

spk_0 That they could sell more of them that they necessarily would a 9-11.

spk_0 And then here you are making it all electric and maybe less appealing than you would initially.

spk_0 I'm the only one in this room that around these mics that remembers the first box turn.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 And it was the car that was like you said, was supposed to save the brand less expensive than the 9-11.

spk_0 Get back to that real genuine sports car feel.

spk_0 Now of course it's very expensive model like everything else.

spk_0 But, you know, the between the boxster.

spk_0 And it is really the essence of what the Porsche sports car is because it doesn't have a back seat.

spk_0 It's, you know, it's, to me, it's like I think of the boxster more than I think of a 9-11 when I think about pure Porsche driving experience.

spk_0 And when I heard it was going to go fully V, I thought, oh well, really.

spk_0 Okay, that's not up my tailpipe anyway.

spk_0 So anybody else have another comment on it?

spk_0 I'm glad to see them being forthright about the decision.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 It's a more Porsche engine.

spk_0 I mean, the one thing I will say is I believe that the gas models are going to be on higher trims, which is an interesting thing to do.

spk_0 But you have to look at the use market.

spk_0 The use market for Porsche's is not on the lower trims.

spk_0 When someone went a Porsche fan and Porsche fans even for a 718, they've got some wear it with all.

spk_0 Sure.

spk_0 When they buy, if they are thinking about resale, they look at used Porsche's.

spk_0 It's hard to sell one, say without the chrono package.

spk_0 You just can't sell it.

spk_0 And so they're going for that.

spk_0 Yeah, you'll buy it and I buy it.

spk_0 But we're not typical.

spk_0 I know what you're saying.

spk_0 Okay.

spk_0 We have a viewer question.

spk_0 And this is an email they came in from Jay.

spk_0 And he's talking about our road test.

spk_0 He says, I really like your road test for comparing vehicles, especially body roll.

spk_0 He said he's in a far stere and he's looking for improvement.

spk_0 Are all of our tests through the cones at the same speed?

spk_0 And are the cones always the same distance apart?

spk_0 Greg, would you like to address that?

spk_0 They started the same speed.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 So the entry speed is always the same.

spk_0 35.

spk_0 35 miles in and four.

spk_0 Sometimes I'll like if I'm getting a little bit bored, like if I like we're barely even putting the car through its paces, we got all the shooting done.

spk_0 It's like I'll pick it up a little bit.

spk_0 Well, I think that's the concept.

spk_0 You go in at 35.

spk_0 Correct.

spk_0 If that was effortless, then you maybe kick it up to 40 next time.

spk_0 To test the car and have a baseline, I always start at 35.

spk_0 And then I start picking it up and then show off a little bit for camera.

spk_0 It starts to, you know, then assess, you know, how it compares to the next level of vehicle.

spk_0 So yeah, 35 is a start.

spk_0 Sometimes they'll end at 38.

spk_0 Sometimes they'll end at 40.

spk_0 So I've gone as high as 50 and 52.

spk_0 And the cones, yes, they are all exactly the same.

spk_0 So 100 feet.

spk_0 100 feet apart.

spk_0 And just to give you a little background, Jay, when we were at our former test facility, 7580 Dragway in Manrovia before it closed down,

spk_0 we didn't have enough space to do 100 foot slalom.

spk_0 So we did an 80 foot slalom.

spk_0 But the 100 foot slalom is pretty much a standard of all people through all people that test cars in the media today.

spk_0 This kind of brings the whole body roll concept.

spk_0 It brings up something that I've been noticing in our test.

spk_0 I might have brought this up before, but like cars just don't roll anywhere.

spk_0 They don't take the cars.

spk_0 Specifically the cars we take to roadling.

spk_0 I'm watching this footage, man, and like we're driving as fast as we ever have.

spk_0 And then I go back into to log the footage or watch the test.

spk_0 I'm like, man, why do we look so slow?

spk_0 It's not because we're driving slow.

spk_0 It's because cars just don't react.

spk_0 Like they don't look like they're going fast.

spk_0 You're not leaning into the corner anymore.

spk_0 Do not roll like they used to.

spk_0 And I'm not just talking about the highest end stuff.

spk_0 I mean, it's just like even like GR, like we were talking with the Prelude and GR86.

spk_0 What do we call it now?

spk_0 Yeah, GR86.

spk_0 Yeah, sorry.

spk_0 But even like the GR.

spk_0 The last year we had a WRX and a GR Corolla.

spk_0

spk_0 I mean, you look at our old retro.

spk_0 They look so fast, but they're actually not that fast because they just are like rolling.

spk_0 They look like they're being driven fast.

spk_0 So yeah, I mean, it's.

spk_0 Nothing makes you lift your foot off the pedal quicker than a car that really rolls a line.

spk_0 Yep.

spk_0 Because if it starts rolling, you know that something's going to lose traction pretty soon after that.

spk_0 We can empathize with Jay though.

spk_0 And he's in a in a forest or and yeah, there's there's some body roll.

spk_0 And it's a tall vehicle made for cargo handling.

spk_0

spk_0 So Jay, when you do your solemn test at home, stick it to 35.

spk_0 No more.

spk_0 And maybe push the cones out a little bit.

spk_0 All right.

spk_0 Thank you, Jay, for that.

spk_0 I want to remind everybody listening that all of our motor week information, including our road test and just about everything else we do.

spk_0 It's available on our motor week app.

spk_0 Go to your app store and download it.

spk_0 It's a free download and gives you free access to everything motor week.

spk_0 By the way, it also has a very special tab on it labeled power.

spk_0 So you get the specs on every clean fuel vehicle that is out there for sale, both new and used.

spk_0 That's every hybrid, every EV, every E85, natural gas doesn't matter what you put in it.

spk_0 So download the motor week app today, take it with you and take it from us.

spk_0 You'll never miss a mile of motor week.

spk_0 Now it's time to move on to our last vehicle of interest this week.

spk_0 The Nissan Leaf.

spk_0 As I mentioned, it really showed how practical EVs could be when it arrived here.

spk_0 In December of 2010, I remember because I went to Washington, D.C.

spk_0 where USA Today reporter Jim Helian, I got our first chance to drive it around a TICENSE corner.

spk_0 It was a very big deal.

spk_0 It had a range of 75 miles.

spk_0 That has steadily improved and made the Leaf the best selling EV of all times.

spk_0 It's not a Tesla, it's a Nissan Leaf.

spk_0 And now we fast forward to the new 2026 Leaf, which has a lot more than new to just a longer range.

spk_0 Greg, you actually drove it. Why don't you tell us more about the new Leafs?

spk_0 I actually did drive it.

spk_0 And I resisted saying turnover.

spk_0 They knew it.

spk_0 I was never able to do that.

spk_0 I'm sorry.

spk_0 Yes, I know. He doesn't better than I did.

spk_0 I was going to say, it's timing is better.

spk_0 Because we were sure if you were going to host a Surnodon, I think I was going to say the Leaf heads into a new season.

spk_0 Slonzy didn't say it.

spk_0 Slonzy didn't say it didn't fall like a Leafs.

spk_0 I guess, good thing I'm not hosting today.

spk_0 All right.

spk_0 Okay. My own Leaf story is there was the first car I ever did drive buys on here.

spk_0 Wow.

spk_0 As a motor we can turn.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 So yeah, I kind of like that original Leaf.

spk_0 And like it's quirky and specifically that little shifter, the joystick shifter.

spk_0 That was my first time ever using something like an EV.

spk_0 I think it was the first time we'd really seen something like that.

spk_0 Yeah, like Prius had.

spk_0 Was it before Prius that had, which did the Prius have that before the Leaf did?

spk_0 I want to say yes.

spk_0 So yes, yes, of course it is.

spk_0 Not the same.

spk_0 But the same concept.

spk_0 It was similar concept.

spk_0

spk_0 Anyway, pretty cool.

spk_0 So the I drove the new one.

spk_0 We were in San Diego a few weeks ago.

spk_0 And Jess, you went on the first look.

spk_0 Yes.

spk_0 Right.

spk_0 So you got to see the styling and.

spk_0 Did not get to drive it.

spk_0 So speaking of Prius to me, it kind of looks like it's got the same like profile shape.

spk_0 Very aerodynamic.

spk_0 Very much like we come to something we went back in time to where what we thought like.

spk_0 Like aerodynamic look like in the 80s.

spk_0 I'm not saying that's a bad thing.

spk_0 It just has like a very smooth, clean look from front to back.

spk_0 And unlike other cars now, it seems like every car we test that's new.

spk_0 It's like bigger, longer, wider.

spk_0 You know, this, this.

spk_0 The Leaf is actually shorter than it was in the Prius generation.

spk_0 And it is, I think, a little bit wider, but shorter in both length and height.

spk_0 And it's now according to Nissan utility.

spk_0 I don't know why it's smaller.

spk_0 It doesn't have all-wheel drive.

spk_0 That's so that it's it's it's right now.

spk_0 Right now.

spk_0 There actually are a lot of two-wheel drive utilities around.

spk_0 Yeah, I remember the CHR.

spk_0 That's I on the Toyota.

spk_0 Right.

spk_0 Yeah, so.

spk_0 So it's got a hatch.

spk_0 Somebody has a hatch.

spk_0 Somebody asked in the press briefing like what makes this a utility?

spk_0 What are the criteria?

spk_0 And it was kind of an awkward like moment.

spk_0 Nissan was basically their answer wasn't I'm paraphrasing is because we say so.

spk_0 That's we just decided it's a utility.

spk_0 Chances are you're sitting a little bit higher, which is popularly you know one of the priorities.

spk_0 I don't feel anything like I feel like you're a tall guy.

spk_0 Did you feel like you were right on the ground?

spk_0 I felt like close enough to the ground like, okay, I'll tell you this.

spk_0 I know what a utility is.

spk_0 I do that professionally like that.

spk_0 I'm a professional utility driver.

spk_0 I can you can even talk me in to say in the Subaru cross track is a utility, which of course they call us utility.

spk_0 I would argue no, but I say it's closer than leaf is I digress.

spk_0 75 kilowatt hour battery pack.

spk_0 So it's a bigger battery pack and it can get up to 300 miles of range, 303 miles specifically on the S plus grade.

spk_0 That's kind of the benchmark we've talked about for years.

spk_0 And that is that is for right now all leaves come with that 75 kilowatt hour battery.

spk_0 They are going to come out with one with like a 52 kilowatt hour battery.

spk_0 They said in the spring time of 2026 and that'll have like around 200 miles of range and you would assume be even cheaper.

spk_0 But this this this S plus grade is right now is the base at just over $31,000, which is refreshing.

spk_0 Is that the least expensive?

spk_0 It's the least expensive EV.

spk_0 Yeah, bye.

spk_0 And you're getting 300 miles of range and that is pretty legitimate.

spk_0 I mean like this is what I think we all like throw out like the lucids in the Tesla.

spk_0 This is what we want to be like this is what we want it like that's what I love about the leaf.

spk_0 And I always have loved about the leaf is like let's have a cheap EV.

spk_0 Let's have an EV for the mass.

spk_0 It's like the Volkswagen approach of like the bug right?

spk_0 Like that's the people's vehicle.

spk_0 So that on you know from that aspect, you know, I've always loved the leaf.

spk_0 It's it's not a perfect vehicle.

spk_0 It's really small for me like I don't think I could live with one with two kids.

spk_0 And even just by myself, it's a little bit small like now the second row is even smaller than it was before.

spk_0 Like I sat in the back seat and I couldn't even get my feet with my shoes on like under the front driver's seat.

spk_0 And there's absolutely no legroom and granted yeah, I'm taller than average.

spk_0 But even somebody who's like six foot five ten, it's going to be cramped back there.

spk_0 But if you had two kids, what do you mean?

spk_0 You could, yeah, what do you think about car seats?

spk_0 This is really just what I'm saying.

spk_0 You know, growing family think of it is like the third row in a lot of SUVs.

spk_0 It's like really it's only going to help you.

spk_0 That's a good way to do it.

spk_0 This is a commuter car.

spk_0 Excuse me. It's a utility.

spk_0 It's for you to go to from work.

spk_0 So the thing that Nissan does really well is they pack a ton of premium features into a car that doesn't cost a lot of money.

spk_0 Granted, we drove around in the $40,000, $40 plus thousand dollar platinum plus grade.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 Which has only like 200 and hold on.

spk_0 Let me check my notes here.

spk_0 Two seventy eight.

spk_0 Two eight.

spk_0 I have it right here. Hold on.

spk_0 Just let me check my notes.

spk_0 It's two fifty nine two hundred fifty nine miles of range and the platinum plus that is the top grade.

spk_0 The reason you need it's the same battery.

spk_0 The reason you don't get as much range is because it has 19 inch wheels bigger wheels and more features more weight equals less range.

spk_0 So, you know, if you if you really want max range, you're going to have to stick with the base.

spk_0 But if you want the most features, go to the platinum plus.

spk_0 Nissan thinks they're going to sell the most of the mid grade, which is SV plus.

spk_0 That gets you two hundred eighty eight miles of range again.

spk_0 Just it's just more features.

spk_0 So it's more weight than that base level.

spk_0 And I tend to agree with them.

spk_0 It's really well equipped.

spk_0 You have a 14 inch screens rather than the 12 inch base screens.

spk_0 And that's I say screens because it's it's the gauge screen in front of the driver.

spk_0 And then it extends to the infotainment screen.

spk_0 It looks kind of like one seamless screen, but it's it's two.

spk_0 It's just it's a really tidy high tech looking package.

spk_0 And I think a lot of people will at that price range are going to be really impressed with it.

spk_0 You know, again, we were in platinum plus.

spk_0 You got some really the cooler features like a panoramic sunroof, which has the I forget the technology, but basically you push it push a button and it frosts over.

spk_0 Oh, and you can probably help me with whatever that's called.

spk_0 I think electro luminescent.

spk_0 There you go.

spk_0 It's the term you're looking for, but it doesn't do it all at once.

spk_0 It actually kind of make it a design element, which is pretty cool.

spk_0 So you know, it's kind of like a looking, I don't know, like a show off feature.

spk_0 It's like you push this button and it it it frosts over in steps.

spk_0 So like instead of just going from clear to frost it, it goes like one section, two sections, three sections, four sections.

spk_0 But it's like a design element because like halfway through like there's like the leaf that is scripted.

spk_0 Oh, no kidding.

spk_0 So like you can see it and then the when the sun comes through it actually creates a design element of its own.

spk_0 Yeah, like we will be like on the seat.

spk_0 Oh, that's some some style aesthetic, but great time with that.

spk_0 Oh, I mean, yeah, I mean, Jessica probably speak more to the styling and stuff.

spk_0 I actually drove it.

spk_0 It's fine.

spk_0 And I don't mean that.

spk_0 Like just like we said, the latest Prius had turned it turned from sort of a, I won't say ugly, duckling, but into an attractive vehicle.

spk_0 This is now the most attractive leaf they've ever made.

spk_0 Don't expect like Tesla EV speeds.

spk_0 It's the when you take off, it's like a gradual acceleration.

spk_0 So for if somebody's coming from a gas engine, it's going to feel more natural.

spk_0 There's plenty of power to pass around town.

spk_0 Like we were zipping around like everything felt great.

spk_0 Exceptionaly quiet at low speeds, which I think is a big deal.

spk_0 Like I think that's what makes people feel like they're in a premium cars when they are isolated from the outside noise.

spk_0 Now you get up to 50, 60 miles an hour.

spk_0 It's going to get a little windy in terms of like you actually hear wind hitting the side mirrors and starting to start to creep in.

spk_0 But around town really exceptionally quiet.

spk_0 Regen breaking what again, it's something I could rant about this, but paddles on the steering wheel control regen breaking.

spk_0 But only I think in like SV plus and above.

spk_0 Not really sure what they do in S plus.

spk_0 Again, we only drove the platinum plus.

spk_0 It's one of those weird things like they save money by not having paddles on all of them.

spk_0 Anyway, so that in my platinum plus, I was able to control regen breaking.

spk_0 And that is important because the brake pedal itself like doesn't feel nearly as good as if you just rely on the regen breaking.

spk_0 So I mean like not even touching the brake pedal at all.

spk_0 There's like nothing really happens the first two inches, which is like really disconcerting to me.

spk_0 So I just kind of pumped up all the regen breaking and just used one foot.

spk_0 And it doesn't have one pedal driving.

spk_0 It can't stop itself, but it's pretty darn close.

spk_0 It's close to it.

spk_0 Yeah, and it's like there's a like EV or regen step mode.

spk_0 There's a there's a you can control like three levels of regen.

spk_0 And then there's an extra one that you have to push a button on the dash.

spk_0 Like Subaru, like so Tara.

spk_0 So that gets you as close to one pedal driving as possible.

spk_0 But again, it's not one pedal driving, but the disconcerting thing.

spk_0 I'm making this so complicated.

spk_0 I know, I know, I know.

spk_0 So the wood like and I was like, okay, cool.

spk_0 That makes sense.

spk_0 But I'm a left foot breaker.

spk_0 So my foot is like always hovering around the brake pedal.

spk_0 And I noticed with that mode engaged, that pedal actually moves.

spk_0 Huh.

spk_0 Like so when it's breaking, it moves away from my foot.

spk_0 And I hate that.

spk_0 Like, wow, such a terrible.

spk_0 So I ended up not using that mode at all because I took the purpose of what?

spk_0 Why?

spk_0 That's why in that moment.

spk_0 Maybe it was pre-production.

spk_0 So I will say that we were driving pre-production vehicles.

spk_0 And that's important.

spk_0 It was quirks.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 So I do, I will answer that.

spk_0 Sometimes the feel and all.

spk_0 And it's not the same.

spk_0 Yeah, but like I, I don't want to bash a cheap car because I love cheap cars.

spk_0 And I think we need more of them.

spk_0 And for $31,000 and even to the SV plus grade at about $35,000,

spk_0 like a lot of really cool, useful safety features are all standard.

spk_0 And all that good safety stuff that everybody wants blind spot, cross-traffic alert.

spk_0 Like that standard.

spk_0 That's what we want in $35,000 vehicles.

spk_0 It's fast-naming.

spk_0 We've all sit around talking about EVs really need a low-cost, high-content vehicle to be

spk_0 compopiery even as a second car.

spk_0 And the leaf has continued to offer that and has sold okay.

spk_0 But this one really takes that almost above what anybody expected.

spk_0 So Nissan kind of, let's face it right now, is not the greatest time for Nissan's company.

spk_0 And the price of it.

spk_0 But they've got a winner here.

spk_0 They just need to really do some targeted marketing to get all those people out there

spk_0 that still want an EV or willing to give it a chance.

spk_0 Don't need necessarily the government incentives to be able to afford it.

spk_0 And make it that standard commuter.

spk_0 I've got everything I need car that would translate it into a lot of sales.

spk_0 I'll close with two final things.

spk_0 One is a housekeeping thing that I forgot.

spk_0 Charging.

spk_0 So, it has two ports.

spk_0 It has two ports now.

spk_0 Kind of explain that for a lot of people.

spk_0 It's got both types plugs.

spk_0 Correct.

spk_0 So, passenger side port is the NACS port, North American charging standard.

spk_0 Which is the Tesla port.

spk_0 For Tesla one that everybody's eventually going to switch to.

spk_0 That is DC fast charging only.

spk_0 So you can't, if you say you had a Tesla, got rid of it, bought a leaf, you had an add home.

spk_0 Level two AC charging charger.

spk_0 You cannot use that Tesla NACS port to AC charge the vehicle.

spk_0 You can only do DC fast charging.

spk_0 You can only do DC fast charging on that passenger side one.

spk_0 Now on the driver side, there is a J1772 plug which is only for AC charging.

spk_0 So you can do level one.

spk_0 That's like plugging into your 110 outlet or your level two which is that 200 or sorry.

spk_0 240 volt charging.

spk_0 You can get an adapter though, I suspect.

spk_0 Correct.

spk_0 Yeah, but I'm just saying you so you can most most cars now you can do AC and DC on the same port.

spk_0 You just have to extend, if it's a CC as you have to extend that little.

spk_0 This is again very getting complicated, but if you stop in a motel overnight and it has the Tesla level two chargers, not the fast chargers, you would actually.

spk_0 Adaptor.

spk_0 We need an adapter to plug into the other to the right.

spk_0 Because if you plug that Tesla level two adapter into the DC fast charger, it will not work.

spk_0 Yeah, yeah.

spk_0 But it does also say it on the charger itself.

spk_0 Can you see only?

spk_0 My final point is, I've already said that I love the leaf.

spk_0 I think it's a charming vehicle.

spk_0 I was worried it was not going to be charming anymore because it kind of grew up with styling more mature.

spk_0 But it's still that fun, kind of quirky little thing.

spk_0 Some really cool colors.

spk_0 There was like one like maroon color that I just thought looked awesome on the road.

spk_0 So I think it doesn't try to be anything that it's not.

spk_0 And I think we need more of these cars.

spk_0 But I'm pumped.

spk_0 Very good.

spk_0 Thanks.

spk_0 I'm again, can't wait to drive it because I remember driving the first one.

spk_0 Our last topic before we wind up this podcast are Rants and Raves.

spk_0 Anybody got anything they want to throw out there?

spk_0 Because you don't I do.

spk_0 Well, I was just going to be back off of what I already said.

spk_0 Like a whole packaging of options like with Nissan and these prattles for the regen breaking.

spk_0 Like the auto windows.

spk_0 A lot of times like the base models will have just the drive inside where you just push your wants and he's down or up.

spk_0 Come on man, like put them all.

spk_0 I mean, it's a programming thing, right?

spk_0 When you sell like tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of vehicles, yeah, well, we got here.

spk_0 Come on, dude, like give me.

spk_0 Well, you know what's funny about that.

spk_0 So like I have obviously only have two windows in my Jeep because I run a soft top and I have a two door.

spk_0 And so my windows are automatic both up and down.

spk_0 Like so I can just click and it's fine.

spk_0 When I got my Maverick, the only one that was automatic was the driver side and it was only automatic down.

spk_0 And I was like, there are 15 years between these vehicles.

spk_0 And you're telling me that you couldn't put the automatic like it's is not just a convenience feature ever in cars.

spk_0 Yeah, no, I asked.

spk_0 I asked, I've forgotten what the oil was a Hyundai Sonata.

spk_0 I went to the preview and I was talking to the public affairs guy.

spk_0 And I said, why don't you have some feature?

spk_0 I think it was a power passenger seat.

spk_0 In their top trim, they didn't have a power passenger seat.

spk_0 And I said, why not?

spk_0 This is supposedly your near luxury model that tries to be kind of crazy.

spk_0 And they said, we look at the market and we see what our rivals have for different trims and that's how we pick it up.

spk_0 So in other words, they looked at whatever they thought was competitive and said, we don't need that.

spk_0 That's what they do.

spk_0 Yeah, so we're going to do it.

spk_0 Yeah, that's right.

spk_0 Thanks guys.

spk_0 Okay, my rave is based on something I read just today in automotive news.

spk_0 And that is for your information, we're actually recording this podcast on September 30th.

spk_0 So this is the last day, technically, that the federal tax incentives for EVs will be in effect.

spk_0 And that means $7,500 for a new EV.

spk_0 We all know that most people out there are not actually buying EVs outright.

spk_0 They're leasing them because that's where the real deals are.

spk_0 I read today that both General Motors and Ford, according to automotive news, have a plan to extend the $7,500 federal incentive on electric vehicles at their US dealers.

spk_0 And this is for vehicles that are on their lots right now.

spk_0 And they want to extend this incentive for the fourth quarter.

spk_0 And the way they're doing that is they're using their finance arms to offer to go to the dealers and say,

spk_0 if you want to keep that incentive on that vehicle, you need to put money down on that vehicle right now as a lease.

spk_0 So you have prepared that vehicle legally to be leased any time between now and the end of the year, because you've essentially already started the process.

spk_0 And this is because the IRS said that if you start the process before the end of September, you can complete it after that and still get the $7,500 tax incentive.

spk_0 So they're going to their dealers and saying, go ahead and do that.

spk_0 Put money down. Start the lease process on any EVs still on your lot that you want to get rid of.

spk_0 And then when people come in interested on them, interested in them, you can offer them a lease because it's already started with the tax incentive, which is my thinking incredibly clever way to kind of protect yourself and to make sure that if you've got EVs left on the lot that they will still be competitively priced at least for the end of the year.

spk_0 So that makes sense the way I described it. Yeah, they've essentially started the lease process before they even have a customer.

spk_0 Basically, they got the paperwork going before and before customer even comes in the door so they can take advantage of it pre October 2025.

spk_0 Now the caveat on this, it's possible, of course, that the federal government can change its mind and make this so it doesn't apply, but right now as of us recording this.

spk_0 So if you are interested in an EV, particularly from GM or for you did not make it to the dealership before the September 30 deadline, go anyway and ask them if they have any of these vehicles to lease like a ma-ma-ma-ma-key, for example, or an equinox.

spk_0 That they have already started the leasing process on that they can give you a special deal on. It's a good chance they will say yes.

spk_0 Wow. And pretty interesting stuff. Very interesting.

spk_0 Okay, for over the edge reporter Greg Carlos, digital digital producer Jessica Ray and Alex Kellom, our staff writer.

spk_0 Thank you very much for joining us today and thanks everybody out there for listening to our podcast.

spk_0 If you're wondering what time motor week the TV show can be seen on your local public television stations, go to our website motorweek.org, click on the tab, watch motor week and your zip code for days and times in your area or hop over to our cable partner, racer network at racer.com for their schedule.

spk_0 You can also watch current episodes of motorweek and other fine PBS programming anywhere anytime with the free PBS app.

spk_0 Download the app now on your smartphone tablet or even your smart TV. And we're happy to announce that recent seasons of motorweek are now available on the free streaming service to be.

spk_0 One more thing all of the individual road test and feature segments are also available 24 seven at youtube.com slash motorweek, including all of our retro review marathons.

spk_0 If you've got a screen, you can watch motorweek podcast producer Jessica Ray sitting right here. Thanks very much, Jessica audio engineer Nicole Phillips, nailer. Thank you, Nicole podcast creator Bob Mixter.

spk_0 Hey, one more thing. Remember for the fastest way to find new car reviews, be sure to include motorweek in your search engine.

spk_0 I'm John Davis. Thanks everyone for being a part of motorweek.

spk_0 You've been listening to the podcast of motorweek television's original automotive magazine motorweek is made possible by auto value and bumper to bumper and

spk_0 tire rack.com visit our website at motorweek.org for more car reviews and the latest automotive news and watch motorweek television's longest running automotive magazine series each week on your local PBS station or the motorweek app.

Nissan LEAF First Drive, Plus Honda Prelude &#038; BMW iX3 Reveals

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Nissan LEAF First Drive, Plus Honda Prelude & BMW iX3 Reveals