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Here’s what we’ve got for you today: 

• Tesla Starts a (Price) War

• Lucid Air Embraces the Future with CarPlay & Android Auto

• Tesla Roadster Batteries Hit EOL

TESLA STARTS A (PRICE) WAR

So, Tesla decided to light a fire under China's car market and it's turning into a full-blown price war. It's like a scene from Mad Max, but with electric cars and tons of discounts.

Elon Musk, aka the real-life Tony Stark, unleashed this chaos back in October by slashing Tesla's prices. Then he hit 'em again in January, making Chinese Teslas up to 14% cheaper than last year and nearly 50% less pricey than those in the US and Europe.

You can imagine the panic among the other carmakers. They had no choice but to match Tesla's moves. Even big players like Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford had to join the party, offering discounts up to $10,000.

According to Jochen Siebert, managing director of JSC Automotive, "Tesla created havoc for the rest of the market." Yessir, Jochen. Yessir.

China's auto industry is desperately trying to wave a white flag, calling for an end to this madness. But with 155 new electric models hitting the market this year, it's not looking good for the little guys. It's like watching a bunch of electric car gladiators fighting to the death while Musk sits on his throne, eating popcorn.

As Tesla and other big players like Warren Buffett-backed BYD keep cutting prices, weaker competitors might be looking at "survival challenges" in the next two years, according to Fitch Ratings Ltd. Even the strong ones like Nio, Xpeng, and Li Auto are gonna need deep pockets to stay afloat.

But let's face it, Tesla's price cuts have made electric vehicles a much sweeter deal compared to their gas-guzzling counterparts. So, while this price war is brutal, it's also kind of a win for the environment and anyone in the market for an EV.

In the words of Tu Le, managing director of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, "It's going to stay brutal through mid-2024." Buckle up, folks. It's going to be a wild ride.

LUCID AIR EMBRACES CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO

Ladies and gents, Lucid Air, the luxury EV playing catch-up, has finally decided to get with the times. They've now got wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, which should've been standard in their connectivity suite like, ages ago. But hey, better late than never, right?

Lucid blasted the news on Twitter, teasing us with a short video, and updated their website, proudly declaring their wireless CarPlay is now "standard." Good for you, Lucid.

Trying to figure out the CarPlay portion of the screen is like playing "Where's Waldo" with a 34-inch, 5K floating screen, which they say "sweeps around the driver, curving like the cockpit of a jet." Fancy. But it looks like the CarPlay bit is pretty tiny. At least they're finally on board, unlike Tesla, who's still ghosting CarPlay and Android Auto (Rivian's doing the cold shoulder too).

Lucid's been all "look at me, I've got wireless Apple CarPlay" on Twitter. Their website says, "Air is even compatible with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and countless other apps." Nice.

So, with a luxury EV priced between $88k and $250k, you'd think CarPlay and Android Auto would be no-brainers. But Tesla's been stubborn since 2014, and Rivian's not budging either. Meanwhile, Ford's Mach-E, VW's ID.4, and Chevy's Bolt have been chilling with Apple and Google's in-car experiences from day one.

Anyway, props to Lucid for making it happen. Can't wait to hear how it works in the real world from actual owners.

TESLA ROADSTER BATTERIES HIT EOL

Gruber Motor Co., the Tesla servicing team who's all lovey-dovey for the original Roadster, dished the dirt on these bad boys' battery packs biting the dust. Gruber's scoop might be a sneak peek at what's in store for multi-cell battery packs in other long-range EVs when they start giving up the ghost.

On Gruber's YouTube channel, they dropped a vid dishing the deets on Roadsters with batteries on their last legs. Think serious power loss—60 mph tops, merging on highways? Nah. Hills? Forget it. It starts with a "squishy pedal feel" and then goes downhill, turning your Roadster into a lawn ornament.

Shockingly, Gruber discovered that original 200-mile-range battery packs are still cruisin', but those swanky 2016 upgraded 400-mile-range packs? Yeah, they're the ones cashing in their chips.

The first Tesla Roadsters hit the streets in 2008, making 'em 15-year-old relics. Tesla's original CTO, JB Straubel, predicted a 10-year lifespan for first-gen packs, but his own Roadster proved him wrong, bumping the estimate to 15 years. Gruber's data confirms it—most original 200-mile-range Roadsters are alive and kicking.

In 2016, Tesla tempted Roadster owners with a beefed-up battery pack for a wallet-emptying $32,000, claiming to double range to 400 miles and boost lifespan. Upgraded packs got snazzy 3.2 amp-hour 18650 cells, unlike the original 2.2 amp-hour cells. But instead of living large, these fancy packs are now packing it in.

Gruber got nosy when two upgraded-pack Roadsters rolled in with identical mysterious symptoms. After some detective work, they blamed a "cell quality issue" for the packs' downfall. Their hunch? The 2016-2019 upgraded packs came from the same run, and they're all gonna flop—driven or parked. And forget 400 miles—these packs maxed out at a sad 200.

Gruber's dirt goes beyond Roadsters—Tesla Model S uses the same 18650 cells. So, EV owners, get ready to spot your battery pack's final curtain call.

Gruber's been chattin' with Tesla and even shipped an affected Roadster to Tesla's service peeps for more testing. Now, Tesla's Roadster Engineering squad is teaming up with Gruber to find a fix. Fingers crossed, folks!

PLUGGED IN WEEKLY MEME

That's a wrap for today. Charge your batteries & see ya tomorrow! If you want more, be sure to follow our Twitter (@PluggedInEmail)

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