Daily EV news · US · 5 November 2026
Electric Vehicles
Wisconsin startup Hoffman unveils the Badger, a minibus built from donor Tesla Model 3 and Model Y parts
Hoffman, a small Wisconsin startup, debuted the Badger at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. It reuses the seats, dashboard, steering wheel, motors and door handles from a donor Model 3 or Model Y, fitted to a new chassis that raises the high-voltage battery pack by one and a half inches and gives eight inches of ground clearance. The vehicle drove to the show on its own wheels using Superchargers, with sales expected to start next year at prices between the Slate Truck and Tesla Cybertruck, and the startup says it can build around 100 units per year.
Why it matters
A vehicle that keeps Tesla hardware and software can use the Supercharger network, which points to charging demand from niche conversions that sit outside mainstream OEM supply. At around 100 units per year the volumes are small, so fleet and CPO planners should treat it as a watch item rather than a near term demand driver.
2027 Chevrolet Silverado EV gets more power in Trail Boss form and a factory NACS charging port across the range
The 2027 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss with the Max Range battery pack now produces 750 horsepower and 775 pound-feet of torque, 25 hp more than the outgoing model, as reported by GM Authority. The maximum output is only available in Wide Open Watts mode, and Chevrolet has not said what the truck makes with it disabled. All 2027 Silverado EV trims now ship with a native Tesla-style NACS port, allowing access to Tesla Superchargers and other NACS-equipped chargers without an adapter, and pricing has also risen.
Why it matters
Factory NACS ports on all 2027 GM EVs, including this high-volume pickup, widen the share of vehicles that expect NACS connectors, which bears on connector mix and retrofit decisions for site planning and tenders. Operators should also note that drivers will no longer need adapters to use NACS-equipped chargers.
High fuel prices and new car affordability push used EV buyers, with the Audi Q4 Sportback selling in under 30 days
A new car affordability crisis and high gas prices are driving more used car buyers to consider electric, and demand is outpacing supply, according to the article. Automotive News and Cox Automotive report the average new car spent 82 days on the lot in October against an industry benchmark of 75 days. The Audi Q4 Sportback e tron Quattro, with 258 miles of EPA estimated range, averaged just 29.8 days.
Why it matters
Used EVs moving faster than the wider market points to a growing pool of second hand EV owners, many of them new to electric driving, who will need reliable public and destination charging. For CPOs and procurement teams, that supports the case for planning around broader driver demand rather than early adopters alone.
Grid & Energy
F-150 Lightning owner gets home backup power through a $1,458 GenerLink kit, but utility approval varies
A Ford F-150 Lightning owner posted on Reddit's r/F150Lightning that they bought a Gresco GenerLink bundle for $1,458, including an adapter and a 40-foot cable, to connect their truck to their home for backup power. Equipment took a couple of weeks to arrive, followed by another week to coordinate with Jackson EMC, which then installed the meter-mounted transfer switch for free. Other commenters said their utilities, including Entergy Texas, would not permit the device, and the report (published by The Cool Down) advises owners to confirm utility approval and electrical service compatibility before buying.
Why it matters
Vehicle-to-home demand is running into inconsistent utility policy, with approval and installation terms differing between providers. For CPOs and installers, this points to a role in navigating utility interconnection rules and to the risk of customers buying hardware their utility will not accept.
US school solar capacity more than triples in a decade, but battery storage lags behind
Generation180's sixth Brighter Future report, using data through April, counts more than 10,800 US K to 12 schools with solar, up from 5,450 in 2016, with combined capacity above 2.4 gigawatts. One in seven students, more than 7 million, now attends a school with solar, and California leads with 2,921 schools. Relatively few schools have batteries for backup power, according to coverage by The Cool Down citing Electrek, though Roanoke City Public Schools in Virginia is adding almost 9.4 megawatts at 29 locations, projecting $46.5 million in energy savings over 35 years.
Why it matters
The gap between school solar and school batteries points to a large base of sites where storage could be added to support resilience goals. For CPOs and contractors, that suggests a pipeline of public sector sites where storage and on site charging could potentially be bundled, though the report does not address EV charging directly.
Policy & Market
Analysis finds US federal energy rollbacks could add over 9 billion tons of emissions by 2040
An analysis by Energy Innovation projects that federal energy policy rollbacks could produce over 9 billion additional tons of heat-trapping pollution through 2040, alongside higher household energy costs and tens of thousands of additional early deaths from poorer air quality. The coverage, published by The Cool Down, draws on a YouTube video by Dave Borlace of Just Have a Think, citing research from Energy Innovation, Rhodium Group and Wood Mackenzie. It notes that on 12 February 2026 the administration rescinded the EPA's 2009 endangerment finding, the legal basis for federal greenhouse gas rules on new vehicles, and also eliminated those vehicle standards.
Why it matters
Removing federal vehicle emissions standards and shrinking clean-energy incentives weakens one of the policy drivers behind EV adoption, which feeds directly into charging demand forecasts and site business cases. Procurement teams and CPOs should stress test project pipelines against slower federal support, while recognising that the source describes the underlying technology economics as still compelling.
Carmakers urge US Congress to pass permanent ban on Chinese vehicles before session ends
Reuters reports that the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and other major automakers, has again asked US lawmakers to pass a permanent ban on Chinese vehicles when they return next week for a short session after the midterm elections. Senate sponsors of the bipartisan effort agreed in September to delay expediting the bill until November despite overwhelming support. Chinese automakers already face a 100% tariff on electric vehicles and are barred from selling in the US over data and security concerns, measures introduced under the Biden administration, alongside a law removing federal tax credit eligibility for EVs with battery components or critical minerals from China-linked companies.
Why it matters
A permanent statutory ban would give long term certainty on vehicle supply to the US market, which affects the mix of EVs that charging networks can expect to serve. Procurement teams and CPOs should watch the outcome of the short session for any knock-on effects on vehicle availability and pricing.