U.S-based professional automotive journalists, editors, analysts, and pundits constitute The Watt Car’s writers. Have something to tell us? Email hello@thewattcar.com.
All in opinion
Faulty windows, massive batteries, manual transmission EVs — this week, we discover how to reset the windows on a Tesla Model 3, we learn that there’s about to be a new heavyweight king in the EV pickup…
BY PHIL ROYLE
First World problems strike one of our podcast hosts, with Level 2 charging suddenly proving problematic. Still, the show must go on — and this week, that involves a discussion about the freshly-released…
BY PHIL ROYLE
Volkswagen unveils its tiny ID. 2all that could be a perfect hot hatch for America if the company brought it here, but then we get distracted by what is unquestionably one of the coolest uses of an EV’s gauge cluster…
BY PHIL ROYLE
The Law of Unintended Consequences, Murphy’s Law, S*** Hits the Fan, Black Swan, whatever you want to call it, unforeseen events can wreak havoc on even the best-intended plans. I recently experienced…
BY EDWARD A. SANCHEZ
Is the unveiling of the three-row Kia EV9 SUV super exciting or kinda boring? The answer is yes, in all the best ways, and we tell you why on this week’s podcast. We also discuss the VW ID. Buzz that’s slated to make its…
BY PHIL ROYLE
Between road trips and Investor Day, this week’s podcast is a “Tesla-sode,” packing wall-to-wall Tesla news into a 40 minute podcast. We discuss attempting to rent a Tesla from Hertz, the Supercharger Magic Dock…
BY PHIL ROYLE
Are EVs killing the automotive aftermarket culture? Is the hot rodding chapter coming to a final close? Are driving enthusiasts just modern dinosaurs, with EV mandates being the destructive meteor…
BY PHIL ROYLE
If there’s an icon of modern-era affordable performance and the distilled essence of fun-to-drive, there’s probably no better poster child than the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Since its introduction in 1989, the tossable…
BY EDWARD A. SANCHEZ
This week, we discuss Ram halting $100 preorders for its 1500 REV just five days after starting, Hyundai directly addresses Tesla in a commercial, Elon Musk pushes back against one U.S. government entity…
BY PHIL ROYLE
When is the EU 2035 zero tailpipe emissions mandate actually official? Apparently not yet — but it’s getting closer. What is official is that the Ram 1500 EV will be called the REV, and according to the latest commercial…
BY PHIL ROYLE
As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Although there are still some hardcore internal-combustion partisans, there are getting to be more and more enthusiasts that are at least…
BY EDWARD A. SANCHEZ
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter will boast a large battery and potentially close to a 300 mile range, making it an ideal van for living down by the river — oh, and probably a solid choice for trade workers, too…
BY PHIL ROYLE
Whether by cruel fate, sovereign stubbornness, or bureaucratic incompetence, the winter storms of 2023 have struck Texas, particularly the Austin area, with a vengeance. I’ve heard from friends and family members…
BY EDWARD A. SANCHEZ
There are a plethora of reasons to purchase an EV. From environmental to maintenance and operational cost advantages, a logical evaluation of the pros and cons of ICE and EV ownership has led to…
BY PHIL ROYLE
From its initial tease to production unveiling, the Ioniq 6 has consistently impressed, and now with its curvy sedan’s range revealed, Hyundai reinforces the notion that it’s the current model of the modern EV…
BY PHIL ROYLE
Is the Tesla Supercharger CCS compatibility connector actually inspired by the movie Aliens? Should Mazda go all-in on EVs? Did Aptera make a horrible mistake? We cover all of this, plus EV safety concerns in…
BY PHIL ROYLE
Mazda, you’ve meant so much to automotive enthusiasts like me, so watching you languish during the world’s march toward electrification is paining us. We’re all rooting for you, but your bungled ICE-to-EV transition…
BY PHIL ROYLE
Before you think I’m coming out as a ringer apologist for big oil, I think some context is important. The recent winter storms in California put me in a bit of a “prepper” mode, purchasing a battery power station…
BY EDWARD A. SANCHEZ
We go full prepper this week sorting through the good, the bad, and the ugly of gasoline vs. electricity when the power goes out for an extended period of time. That leads to the next logical conversation…
BY PHIL ROYLE
It was a green comet that passed near Earth creating sentient death machines in the 1986 movie Maximum Overdrive. With the real life, once-every-50,000-years green comet named C/2022 E3…
BY PHIL ROYLE
