Sup. This is Plugged In. We’re your EV Multivitamin. Get your weekly dose of EV, charging, sustainability news, AND jokes in one 3-minute horse pill.

Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• ZEEKR Builds Robotaxi for Waymo 🚕

• Where Does Cruise Go From Here? 🧭 

• Why Norway - The Poster Child of EVs - is having second thoughts 💭

ZEEKR BUILDS ROBOTAXI FOR WAYMO 🚕

Let's dive in. The world of tomorrow.

Where cars drive themselves and the Chinese have decided to play LEGO with actual cars.

Enter the Zeekr CM1e.

A contraption that looks like a minivan got a bit too friendly with a spaceship.

It’s supposed to be the new hotness for Waymo's robotaxi fleet. And if there's anything we've learned from the internet, it's that robots are super trustworthy and never malfunction.

This future chariot has decided that steering wheels are so 2020 and ditched it.

I guess Zeekr saw people flailing with those pesky wheels and thought... "Let's save them from themselves."

Plus, it's got no B-pillar, which is either an engineering marvel or they forgot it at the factory. But hey, it has cool sliding doors that open like you're entering a saloon in a sci-fi western. 

Top speed of 87 mph. Cute. Intended for anyone who likes to imagine they're in a high-speed chase - when they're actually just stuck in traffic.

And it can zoom from zero to "oh, we’re moving now" in 8 seconds. All with a single rear motor that probably took some inspiration from that one enthusiastic treadmill at the gym. 

Now, let's talk about the parentage because the CM1e doesn’t fall far from the tree. Zeekr is part of Geely, and they collect car brands like some people collect exes.

They own Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, and something called Lynk & Co., which sounds less like a car brand and more like a failed social media platform.

The CM1e is designed in Sweden, because if it’s Swedish, it has to be good, right? (Looking at you, IKEA meatballs)

The Swede's are being minimalism to your car ride, with the added bonus of the seats being made out of ocean waste. Nothing says luxury like sitting on recycled fishing nets.

Now, if Waymo gives this thing the thumbs up, they'll be the proud parents of a fleet of these self-driving, steering wheel-less wonders.

If this car does make it to the streets, Americans would most likely find themselves in a Zeekr.

Not because they went out to buy one. But because they needed a ride home at 2 AM after a questionable series of life choices.

Zeekr is going to slide those prototypes over to Waymo faster than a DM on Friday night... but when they’ll actually hit the road is anyone's guess. 

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WHERE DOES CRUISE GO FROM HERE? 🧭

Oh boy, General Motors' Cruise is having a bit of a moment.

Turns out that getting kicked off the streets is a lot.

So, what happened?

Imagine your typical robot. You know, the robot things that robots do. Following the rules. Perfectly obedient. Doing fine and normal robot things.

Then somehow it didn't. It's not the robot's fault; it hasn't mastered the art of human chaos yet.

Now, if robotaxi companies were kids, Waymo is the one acing every test without even trying.

And Cruise?

Well... Cruise is the kid who says, "Tests? What tests?" and then is genuinely surprised when there's a pop quiz.

They chose San Francisco as their playground because... why start with walking when you could with running? It's like learning how to swim by jumping into the Pacific Ocean during a storm.

Now everyone is side-eyeing Cruise... Including Kyle Vogt.

Cruise’s own CEO who feels like a parent watching their child throw a tantrum in a grocery store aisle. And trust me, when billions of dollars are at stake, that's one expensive tantrum.

So what should Cruise do to fix this mess?

Well. When you're on a first date, and you have something in your teeth, you acknowledge it, deal with it, move on.

a.k.a. Stop pretending everything is fine, Cruise.

They need to start spilling the beans on what goes wrong.

Let's face it, robot cars are going to get into scrapes. But so do human drivers, and we still let them on the road, don't we?

Cruise needs to be that oversharing friend who tells you everything. Even the stuff you didn't want to know. Show us the good, the bad, and the buggy.

Instead of treating their mistakes like dirty little secrets, and instead treating them as learning experiences... they can regain trust.

Baby steps, Cruise. Baby steps.

WHY NORWAY - THE POSTER CHILD OF EVS - IS HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS 💭

Ah, Norway, land of the midnight sun, majestic fjords, and electric cars.

Most countries are still trying to make fetch happen with their old-school gas-guzzlers.

But Norway? Norway went full Tesla before it was cool.

With close to 90% of new car sales being electric, they're the high school overachiever of EV adoption. But hold on to your Viking helmets, because they're now having second thoughts.

Norway is that guy at the party bragging about his new vegan diet... while conveniently forgetting to mention his new leather jacket.

They've been dishing out more subsidies for electric vehicles than Oprah gives away cars.

Which is cool and all... until you realize it’s the well-off folks getting most of the candy. It's like adding bacon to a salad. Kinda defeats the purpose.

The government, playing the role of a parent realizing their kid is not a genius, is now scaling back those generous EV benefits.

Norway Govt: “Maybe we shouldn't have let little Johnny have free rein over the candy store.”

Because, guess what?

Giving rich folks a discount on their fifth electric SUV isn't exactly the move.

Here’s the kicker: all this electric car jazz might not even do much for the big global thermostat.

Studies are coming out saying that even if every car on the planet went electric, we'd still be sweating bullets over a potential global warming fiesta.

Now, don't get me wrong, Norway did a lot of things right.

They've got cities where cars, bikes, and people coexist like a modern-day "Friends" episode.

But even with those bike lanes that could host their own Tour de Norway, they're finding out the hard way that there's no magic bullet.

So what's the moral of the story?

If you’re going to jump on the EV bandwagon, don’t throw everything else under the bus.

THE JUICE 🔋

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.