UK-based specialist Lanzante is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the McLaren F1 GTR’s Le Mans victory with a special, limited-edition supercar. Earlier this month, the company put out a teaser showing a sketch of what appeared to be a re-bodied McLaren Speedtail with a 3-seat layout.
Lanzante has been tight-lipped about its latest creation, which is internally known as Project 95-59. The car will make its public debut at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and we’ve been told that it’s called ‘LM30 Edition.’
The LM30 Edition is expected to be powered by the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 hybrid as the Speedtail. It will be paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. That being said, it will be lighter than the standard car. Lanzante has reportedly set a target of 1250 kg and a power-to-weight ratio of 700 hp per tonne. That’s almost 250 kg less than the Speedtail.
To achieve this, the LM30 Edition will receive several upgrades, including Inconel exhaust headers, titanium tailpipes, door hinges, and body fixings. The car will ride on forged magnesium wheels, which further help reduce unsprung mass.
The special edition supercar from Lanzante will also get gold heat shielding in the engine bay and for the exhaust system. Other details include LM30 logos, Le Mans circuit map embroidered on the headrests, and a scrutineer-style chassis plaque.
Lanzante is said to be building 59 examples of the LM30 Edition. Each car will be shipped with a fitted luggage set that includes a large bag, a small bag, a weekender bag, and a two-hanger garment cover.
Editor’s note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on how developers, 3D practitioners and enterprises can transform their workflows using the latest advances in OpenUSD and NVIDIA Omniverse.
Humanoid robots are rapidly becoming a reality. Those built on NVIDIA Isaac GR00T are already learning to walk, manipulate objects and otherwise interact with the real world.
Gathering diverse and large datasets to train these sophisticated machines can be time-consuming and costly. Using synthetic data (SDG), generated from physically-accurate digital twins, researchers and developers can train and validate their AI models in simulation before deployment in the real world.
Universal Scene Description, aka OpenUSD, is a powerful framework that makes it easy to build these physically accurate virtual environments. Once 3D environments are built, OpenUSD allows teams to develop detailed, scalable simulations along with lifelike scenarios where robots can practice, learn and improve their skills.
This synthetic data is essential for humanoid robots to learn humanlike behaviors such as walking, grasping objects and navigating complex environments. OpenUSD is enhancing the development of humanoid robots and paving the way for a future where these machines can seamlessly integrate into people’s daily lives.
The NVIDIA Omniverse platform, powered by OpenUSD, provides developers a way to unify 3D assets from disparate sources such as 3DCAD and digital content creation (DCC) tools. This allows them to build large-scale 3D virtual environments and run complex simulations to train their robots, streamlining the entire process and delivering faster, more cost-effective ways to collaborate and develop physical AI.
Advancing Robot Training With Synthetic Motion Data
At CES last month, NVIDIA announced the Isaac GR00T Blueprint for synthetic motion generation to help developers generate exponentially larger synthetic motion datasets to train humanoids using imitation learning.
Highlights of the release include:
Large-Scale Motion Data Generation: Uses simulation as well generative AI techniques to generate exponentially large and diverse datasets of humanlike movements, speeding up the data collection process.
Faster Data Augmentation: NVIDIA Cosmos world foundation models generate photorealistic videos at scale using the ground-truth simulation from Omniverse. This equips developers to augment synthetic datasets faster, for training physical AI models, reducing the simulation-to-real gap.
Simulation-First Training: Instead of relying solely on real-world testing, developers can train robots in virtual environments, making the process faster and more cost-effective.
Bridging Virtual to Reality: The combination of real and synthetic data along with simulation-based training and testing allows developers to transfer the robots skills learned in the virtual world to the real-world seamlessly.
Simulating the Future of Robotics
Humanoid robots are enhancing efficiency, safety and adaptability across industries like manufacturing, warehouse and logistics, and healthcare by automating complex tasks and increasing safety conditions for human workers.
Major robotics companies including Boston Dynamics and Figure have already started adopting and demonstrating results with Isaac GR00T.
Scaled Foundations is lowering the barrier to robotics development across all form factors, from robotics ARMs to humanoids. The company’s Open GRID Platform, which has NVIDIA Isaac Sim integrations, provides developers a simplified way to simulate robots through an easy-to-use, browser-based development environment.
Get Plugged Into the World of OpenUSD
Learn more about OpenUSD, humanoid robots and the latest AI advancements at NVIDIA GTC, a global AI conference running March 17-21 in San Jose, California.
Don’t miss NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang’s GTC keynote on Tuesday, March 18 — in person at the SAP Center or online. He’ll share the latest technologies driving the next wave in AI, digital twins, cloud technologies and sustainable computing.
The inaugural GTC Humanoid Developer Day will take place on Wednesday, March 18. Following the sessions, join the Physical AI Developer Meetup to network with developers and researchers at NVIDIA GTC. Discuss the latest breakthroughs in OpenUSD and generative AI-powered simulation and digital twins, as well as innovations in generalist robotics for the next frontier of industries.
Learn how to use USD and continue to optimize 3D workflows with the new self-paced “Learn OpenUSD” curriculum for 3D developers and practitioners, available for free through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute. For more resources on OpenUSD, explore the Alliance for OpenUSD forum and the AOUSD website.
Stay up to date by subscribing toNVIDIA news, joining the community and following NVIDIA Omniverse on Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium and X.
Blurring the line between fashion and art, Loewe’s sculptural crinoline dresses for Spring/Summer 2025 are made to seem like they are floating.
Tracey Emin is an artist. Vincent Van Gogh was an artist. Édouard Manet was also an artist. Jonathan Anderson might fancy himself an artist, too, going by the showpieces he created for Loewe’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection.
The collection was presented in a spacious white room, the kind where one usually holds an art exhibition. In fact, there was a single artwork on display, perched upon a towering pole: a delicate bronze sculpture of a bird made by Emin. In her sculptures, the British artist often uses the bird as a symbol of our vulnerability as humans; looking up at the small creature in its solitude should invite introspection. But when placed in the middle of a fashion show — a hub of distraction, especially with the presence of celebrity guests — Emin’s bird fades into the background.
Anderson set out to achieve the opposite — that is, to cut through the noise — with Loewe’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection. The show’s press notes ask, “Is it possible to fill an empty white room, commanding attention, without shouting for space?”
Anderson’s answer came in the form of the crinoline dresses that opened the show. The stiff ensembles do not resemble clothing so much as they do sculptures: through the sheer, floral silk, you can see that dresses are shaped with hoops and weighted with fine chains along the hem. As the models walked, the dresses bobbed with each step, their airy fabric fluttering about.
The collection plays with textures, as seen on this trapeze mini dress embellished in mother-of-pearl shells.
Anderson appreciates the visual effect. The designer told WWD, “The fabric is like floating off the garment. So you have the structure, but then you have this idea that something is in movement. So you get this body moving, or the body looking like it’s hovering somehow.”
Outside of spectacle, what do those crinoline dresses offer to the women who will wear them off the runway? It’s hard to say, although the dresses do come with pockets. In fact, the pockets were the most practical thing about those opening looks, aside from the accessories they were styled with: oversized, mirrored aviators; oxford shoes with freakishly elongated tips; boat shoes with character, and high-top versions of Loewe’s cult Ballet Runner sneakers.
The shoes in Loewe’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection include high-top Ballet Runner sneakers… (left) … and boat shoes with character (right)
So far, Loewe’s crinoline dresses have been worn in real life a couple of times—if one counts red carpet events as real life. Ayo Edibiri graced a gala and an after-party wearing a dress, mere days after Loewe’s show at Paris Fashion Week. Ambika Mod also opted for a dress when she attended the 2024 British Fashion Awards. The actress had “a lovely evening walking sideways through doors”, as she wrote in an Instagram post. The hoop of Mod’s dress was pressed against her when she posed for pictures with friends, and later bent awkwardly about her when she sat down for dinner.
Jonathan Anderson reinvents the ordinary T-shirt with layers of feathers printed with artworks.
Maybe the dresses aren’t meant to be worn in real life, where women have to do things like navigate streets, board crowded trains, climb into cabs, go up or down the stairs, or simply walk through doors. In Loewe’s Spring/Summer 2025 campaign, the dresses were not worn but hung on poles in the middle of a forest. Spectral.
Thankfully there are more substantial pieces in the collection. Those who like the whimsy and liberating waistlines of Loewe’s crinoline dresses can try the mini trapeze dresses instead, whose proportions recall those seen in Marc Jacobs’s doll-inspired Spring/Summer 2024 collection. Loewe’s trapeze dresses are perfect for parties, with their dangerously high hemlines and high shine achieved with layers of sequins or mother-of-pearl shells. There are also trapeze jackets cut from supple leather to consider in the outerwear department, if the comically flared coats in the collection are not to your liking. And there is a new trapeze bag, which has been named after Loewe’s home, Madrid.
Elsewhere, Anderson offered his twist to the band tee by covering it with feathers and printing it with the faces of famous classical composers, like Bach, Mozart and Chopin. One feathered shirt was printed with a painting by Manet. Others reproduced Van Gogh’s flower paintings — a new kind of floral print.
Those lightweight pieces featuring great artists remind us of what Anderson really is: a great fashion designer, with an ability to construct wearable clothing with inventive forms, all while staying true to the artisanal craftsmanship that lies at the heart of Loewe. It’s impressive that Anderson has created yet another spectacle on the runway. But more impressive is his feat of turning something we see everyday, like the T-shirt, into something spectacular.
Mercedes-Benz last week confirmed plans for an electric E-Class arriving in 2027, possibly as a replacement for the EQE, the automaker’s current electric midsize sedan.
The EQE, which arrived only two years ago, has struggled to gain traction, managing just 11,660 sales in the U.S. last year, while the larger EQS fared even worse, with only 6,963 units sold.
The confirmation of the electric E-Class was part of a wide-ranging strategy announcement Mercedes made on Feb. 20 while presenting its financial results for the past year.
The automaker also revealed that the S-Class will receive a major update in 2026, incorporating the latest technology being introduced with its next-generation electric and hybrid vehicles—such as the upcoming 2026 CLA-Class, set to debut later this year in electric and hybrid guises.
Teaser for Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class with EQ Technology
Additionally, an electric GLC-Class, developed alongside an electric C-Class, will be unveiled in September at the 2025 Munich auto show. Both EVs, due for release in 2026, will be built on the MB.EA platform, which will also underpin the electric E-Class.
Mercedes will phase out the EQ designation as part of its main model names. Instead, EQ Technology will be used as a powertrain descriptor for EVs, while EQ Hybrid Technology will apply to hybrids. This new naming strategy debuted with the electric G-Class, officially named the G 580 with EQ Technology.
Furthermore, Mercedes announced that styling differences between EVs and gas-powered models will diminish, ending the jelly bean aesthetics of the current EQ lineup. The electric G-Class has already demonstrated this shift, meaning the planned electric E-Class will likely resemble the current E-Class, which may receive a mid-cycle update alongside the EV’s launch.
For performance enthusiasts, Mercedes confirmed it will keep its V-8 and V-12 engines alive for the foreseeable future, though the V-12 will be limited to select markets. The V-8 is being newly developed as part of a hybrid powertrain, expected to appear in AMG models as early as 2026.
Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide’s impressions of the entire model lineup.
Big & Tall Comfort
Big Guy
B+
Tall Guy
A-
Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. “Big” rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, “Tall” rating based on 6’6″-tall male tester.
Base price: $33,100 (not including $1295 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Avenir Technology Package ($1395), Avenir Convenience Package ($1195)
Price as tested: $37,085
Pros and Cons
The great: Comfortable and refined
The good: Fuel efficient, upscale feel
The not so good: Engine coarse at low speed
Review
While Buick’s compact Envision and midsize Enclave crossovers remain true to the brand’s mainstream luxury mission, a couple of new models are shaking things up at the bottom end of the lineup. New for the 2024 model year, the subcompact Envista has surprised consumers, melding strong dollar value with surprisingly uplevel comfort, style, and practicality. And, though no larger, the Encore GX crossover—updated for 2024–takes things up a notch, adding features and equipment to the menu, though at a still reasonable price.
2025 Buick Encore GX Avenir
Buick Sales
For 2024, the two entry-level Buicks combined for more than 100,000 sales, suggesting that the American consumer is looking more for affordable comfort and luxury, than for power and sportiness. The Buick brand, enjoying a renaissance of sorts, saw sales improve nearly ten percent for 2024. An all-new Enclave should keep the momentum rolling in 2025.
Envista versus Encore GX
While the Envista is designed to hit a lower starting price point, it is actually the larger of the two small Buicks—though not by much. The Envista rides on a longer wheelbase than the Encore, affording a little more rear-seat legroom. However, the Encore GX sits higher, and provides somewhat more rear-seat headroom, and more cargo space aft of the rear seat. The most-significant difference between the two models comes down to the powertrain options. The Envista is offered only with a 1.2-liter turbocharged engine and front-wheel drive, while the Encore can be had with a punchier 1.3-liter engine and AWD.
2025 Buick Encore GX Avenir
Prices and Trim Levels
Both are otherwise very much Buicks, featuring quiet and classy cabins, and impressive-for-the-class ride quality. And, we’ll say this now, if one of these rides is on your test-drive list, be sure and check out the other as well.
Base prices for the Envista range from $23,995 to $29,695, and for the Encore GX the run from $27,295 to $34,395.
Trim levels for both models ascend through the entry Preferred, midlevel Sport Touring, and luxury-oriented Avenir.
2025 Buick Encore GX Avenir
Having recently spent time with an Envista, Consumer Guide turned its attention to the Encore GX. We recently spent a week behind the wheel of an Ocean Blue Encore GX Avenir with both the Avenir Convenience Package and the Avenir Technology Package. Including destination, our loaded Encore came to $37,085.
Cabin
Getting into and out of the Encore GX is simple enough. Class-typical ride height means sliding into the Buick is easy enough, and the large door openings—front and rear—simplify the process. And though the Encore cabin is a little tighter than that of the Envista, there is still plenty of 4-adult space, providing front-row occupants don’t adjust their seats fully aft.
The dash/console design is simple and modern, with a single, contiguous panel serving as both the infotainment touchscreen and the instrument panel. Screen icons are large and easy to identify at a glance, and touch inputs are responded to instantly. We are surprised to find a classic, old-school, mechanical gear selector in a recently redesigned vehicle, but have no complaints regarding its operation.
Quietness
And, in classic Buick tradition, the Encore GX is among the quietest vehicles in its size class, mainstream or luxury. Listening to music, or having a conversation, at elevated highway speeds is no problem. The engine isn’t especially quiet, though. More on that below.
Engines
Buick seems reluctant to identify the engines offered in the Encore GX as 3-cylinder mills, preferring to make note of the displacement, instead. In reality, both available powerplants serve up sufficient power, and even a little extra. Front-wheel-drive versions of the Preferred trim level are powered by turbocharged 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine rated at 137 horsepower. This is the only engine offered in the Envista. All other Encore variants are fitted a 1.3-liter turbocharged 3-cyinder engine mated to either a CVT-style automatic transmission, or a 9-speed auto. Front-drive models (1.2 or 1.3) come with the CVT, AWD models the 9-speed.
Power and Performance
Apart from some course noise during low-speed acceleration, and some throb at idle, the 1.3-liter engine does a nice job of propelling the Encore around in traffic, and even has a sufficient reserve of power for reasonably spirited highway passing and merging activity.
Ride and Handling
Where the Encore truly shines, however, is in ride quality. The little Buick is nicely isolated from the road, and is rarely upset by even larger surface imperfections. Indeed, the Encore GX is among the best riding small crossovers at any price point. Handling is decent, too, though we’d stop just shy of suggesting that the Encore is truly sporty. Sporty enough, perhaps.
2025 Buick Encore GX Avenir
Value
We found regular commuting in the Encore GX Avenir to be a pleasant experience. The available 7-speaker Bose-brand audio setup sounds better than most audio systems in this class, and the overall refinement helps make the daily slog easier. With AWD and a larger engine, we didn’t match our test Envista’s thrifty 30+ mpg performance, but our observed 28 mpg still feels frugal to us.
We’re quite impressed by both of Buicks little crossovers, and expect we’ll soon see more of them on the road. For consumers looking more for comfort than performance from a subcompact crossover, Buick’s foray downmarket is good news. As we appreciate the extra power and foul-weather traction afforded by the Encore GX, we lean slightly toward that model. But, again, be sure and test drive both, there’s a lot here to like.
2025 Buick Encore GX AvenirListen to the Car Stuff Podcast
But what about the age-old question of when is the best time to visit Iceland? Well, we’ve got you covered you with the pros and cons of travelling to Iceland at specific times of the year. This way, you can make the most out of your time exploring this incredible country and make the most informed decision that’s right for you.
If you’re anything like me, and I’m guessing you are, you’ll want to plan your trip to Iceland well ahead of time. This way, you can book the best Icelandic tours and scout the key spots you love most. We do this for every trip to Iceland, and it’s honestly so essential, mainly because you’ll likely be covering a fair distance once you arrive in Iceland.
Winter: December to March
Let’s start with the winter months. Travelling to Iceland in Winter can be icy, to say the least! It’s typically the time of year when some of the coldest weather and larger storms tend to make landfall in Iceland. This means that there can be seasonal road closures that may impact any Icelandic road trip you’re on.
If you decide to travel to Iceland in winter, always make sure you consider the extreme weather you might get.
We’ve visited in Winter twice. The first time, we had severe snow storms, when we sometimes couldn’t even make out the road we were driving on. Although precarious, weather warnings are usually in place, and road closures tend to be opened as soon as possible. So, never take any risks in driving during a storm, especially if the local weather service issues warnings. You can always watch these on the Icelandic Met Office website, which is updated hourly.
Another thing to consider when travelling to Iceland in winter is the longer nights you’ll have. Winter nights can be extended as you’re in the far north of the Northern Hemisphere. For instance, the shortest daylight hours in Iceland in December is around 4.5 hours. This is great if your sole goal is to catch the Northern Lights in the dark, but it’s less so if you want to explore the natural sights of Iceland in daylight hours.
Pros of travelling to Iceland in Winter:
– There’s more opportunity to spot the northern lights, especially during the 18-20 hours of darkness.
– It’s a quieter season to visit Iceland, so some hotel and flight prices will be cheaper.
– It’s an amazing time to visit cities like Reykjavik, as so many of the city’s activities are naturally indoors.
Cons of travelling to Iceland in Winter:
– Road conditions can be precarious.
– More minor, lesser-used roads and tracks are typically closed in the winter months, which makes some sights, like Haifoss Waterfall, inaccessible.
– Some tours only operate in the Summer months. This is especially true for ice cave explorations like the one we did here.
Spring: March to June
Spring is one of my favourite times to visit Iceland. Not just because it’s a little quieter than the summer months but because it has a good mix of light and dark hours, which is perfect for exploring and hopefully spotting the Northern Lights.
Pros of travelling to Iceland in Spring:
– You’ll have around 17 hours, if not more, of daylight hours in Spring. This means it’s perfect if you’ve only got a short trip to Iceland and want to cram in as many of the country’s stunning sights as possible. You can easily wander around waterfalls and hikes in the evening. It’s so special.
– Driving conditions are significantly easier, and there’s less chance of extreme snow storms during this time, though it’s never impossible.
– Many of the country’s seasonal tours tend to start again in later spring. However, as the weather can change, always be ready for last-minute cancellations.
Cons of travelling to Iceland in Spring:
– It can be a wet time of the year to visit Iceland. Although this is the case in Winter, the freezing temperatures have somewhat thawed, which can lead to weather that we Brits call ‘miserable’.
– Prices for hotels and flights tend to rise, especially around the Easter Holidays or during school holidays.
Summer: June to September
It is still one of my favourite times of the year to visit Iceland; the summer months are truly spectacular. The country is awash with daylight, with the sun shining throughout the summer. You get between 21-23 hours of sunlight in the height of summer – which is phenomenal.
Pros of travelling to Iceland in the Summer:
– You get a tremendous amount of daylight hours to explore Iceland. This means you can easily spend 18 hours outside and even head out on some of the country’s stunning hikes at midnight. We did this, and we were bathed in glorious sunshine.
– It’s much easier to travel the length and breadth of Iceland. This means the summer months are a great time to visit Iceland if you plan to drive around the whole country or visit the north of Iceland to places like Akureyri and beyond.
– Road conditions are perfect, except for the occasional day or rain.
– Talking of rain, the driest month in Iceland is June.
Cons of travelling to Iceland in Summer:
– Prices can rise for flights as demand increases.
– You must plan your accommodation before your trip, especially if travelling beyond Reykjavik. There are limited hotels and lodgings in some areas, and their availability can change significantly in Summer.
– Due to the longer daylight hours, there is a smaller chance of seeing the Northern Lights. It’s not impossible by any means, but it’s worth remembering.
Autumn: September to December
Like Spring, Autumn (especially the start of autumn) is one of my favourite times to visit Iceland. You see, it’s technically a shoulder season of Summer, which means you get all the benefits of summer travel with a heap of the benefits of winter travel. For this reason, if it’s your first trip to Iceland, we always advise you to travel in spring or autumn.
Pros of travelling to Iceland in the Autumn:
– You get a good mix of daylight and darkness hours, which is perfect for exploring and seeing the Northern Lights during clear skies and higher solar activity.
– Roads are still pretty easy to drive at this time of year, with only some periods of closures, especially for main artery roads.
– Most activities still run at the very start of Autumn.
Cons of travelling to Iceland in the Autumn:
– It can be a busy time to visit Iceland, especially during the School holidays in October.
– Just like spring, it can get a little wet.
– Temperatures are pretty pleasant. It’s still cold but not freezing. However, always be aware that the wind in Iceland can be intense and can easily change the temperature you feel whilst exploring.
Mercedes-Benz has finally confirmed it’s working on a downsized version of the G-Class off-road SUV, with rumours of an electric powertrain.
The German manufacturer ended years of speculation by announcing the news at a recent shareholder meeting, although details on the new model are hard to come by.
Pricing, specifications and release timing remain a mystery, fuelling rumours surrounding the makeup of the upcoming junior G-Wagen.
Mercedes-Benz already sells an electric version of the G-Class overseas, supporting the theory that the shrunken G-Class will be an EV.
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Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology
The Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology features four electric motors – one for each wheel – producing up to 432kW of power and 1164Nm of torque combined.
A smaller G-Wagen is also set to offer a cheaper entry point into the G-Class range, which currently starts from $368,400 before on-road costs in Australia, where only the range-topping Mercedes-AMG G 63 flagship is available.
It would make sense for the smaller new model to take on off-roaders such as the Jeep Wrangler, or cheaper versions of the Land Rover Defender.
We’ve seen teasers for the ‘Little G‘ (spelt g-Class, with a lower-case g) in the past, including a preview of its boxy silhouette back in 2023, which showed off a squared-off Suzuki Jimny-style profile and a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, in keeping with its bigger brother.
In addition to the G-Class announcement, Mercedes-Benz also used the investor presentation to share that it will re-align the design of its internal combustion and electric models going forwards.
The current generation of Mercedes-Benz EVs look completely different to their ICE counterparts, but that’s set to change with both powertrains coming together under a shared nameplate.
MORE: Little G coming to join Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen MORE: Everything Mercedes-Benz G-Class
Report suggests GSA may be forced to pull the plug on thousands of EVs and chargers
GSA’s biggest fleets are USPS, Dept. of Defense; 20% of its 2024 light-vehicle orders were EVs
Could affect chargers at national parks, VA hospitals, other venues
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which manages all federal government buildings and has been nicknamed by some as the largest landlord in the world, is reportedly planning to shut down its EV chargers and offload some or all of its EVs.
The move would take about 8,000 charging connectors and thousands of EVs out of service, according to a report from The Verge, citing a GSA email and a source familiar with the plans.
If so, it might amount to an exceptionally strange juxtaposition for Elon Musk. The Tesla CEO has spent years admirably facing down Tesla short-sellers on the viability of EVs and selling the public on how EVs cost less to own and use over the long run—even claiming, perhaps optimistically, at various points that Tesla’s EVs would be appreciating assets. Musk is now managing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which according to the Trump administration seeks “to modernize federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”
If running an EV and keeping electricity flowing to its Level 2 charger isn’t the technology that maximizes cost savings for the fleet over the long run, as Musk has argued for years, the Tesla CEO might need to update some of its core selling points for EVs—or have a conversation with shareholders.
The news of the charger shutdown and EV purge was first reported by Colorado Public Radio on Thursday, which reported that chargers at the Denver Federal Center were due to be shut down. The Verge then reported Friday that it had obtained the GSA email telling federal workers to begin the process of shutting down all EV chargers overseen by the agency, which is reportedly due to be formally announced internally next week.
Volkswagen, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and UT Knoxville test wireless charging
The GSA currently operates or hosts various Level 2 AC chargers across the country, totaling about 8,000 connectors. They’re mostly there to charge government-owned EVs, but they also charge personal vehicles of federal employees, according to The Verge. Examples of charger locations seen by Green Car Reports as under GSA control that might affect public accessibility might include publicly accessible locations at national parks and VA hospitals.
If true, it will be the second significant impact by the Trump administration on EV chargers that were essentially already paid for. It froze EV charger funding earlier this month, pending new rules not yet released, something automakers have already rallied against. California plans to move ahead with its own EV charger buildout despite the funding freeze; it’s also promised to offer purchase incentives for most EVs (likely not including Teslas), equivalent to the current federal tax credit, should the administration eliminate that.
“As GSA has worked to align with the current administration, we have received direction that all GSA owned charging stations are not mission critical,” the email reads.
There’s nothing to directly indicate that the decision to shut down chargers comes from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But the term “not mission critical” echoes language often used by Musk, who has been arbitrarily cutting federal spending and jobs in his role as an advisor to the Trump Administration. And, if this is overseen by Musk, it directly conflicts with the CEO’s longtime efforts suggesting that Teslas would make good public-service vehicles with lower operating costs.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggesting Tesla EVs cost less for patrols
Some regional federal offices have already been instructed to take their chargers offline, according to The Verge, which adds that the GSA is looking to cancel current network contracts that keep chargers operational. Once those contracts are canceled, chargers will be “turned off at the breaker,” the email reads.
The federal fleet overseen by the GSA currently includes approximately 650,000 vehicles, more than half of which were due to be replaced with EVs under a Biden administration plan. Although a fleet summary hub page has been removed, a November 2024 release from the GSA notes that it’s ordered a cumulative 82,000 EVs and installed more than 10,500 individual charging ports, with an additional 52,535 charge ports in progress. It also reported that EVs made up 20% of its light-duty vehicle orders in 2024.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
The report, citing the same source with knowledge of the plan, notes that GSA-controlled facilities will stop using EVs and start offloading them, although it’s not clear whether these will be sold or stored.
Of course, chargers at facilities are essential for keeping government EVs in service. “You can’t have an electric vehicle if you can’t plug it in,” said Mark Dowd, who was the Biden administration’s director of zero emission vehicles and on the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in a 2023 podcast from the administration.
Independent of any vehicle spending, the previous administration also allocated $975 million to the GSA to upgrade federal buildings with “emerging and sustainable technologies”—including EV charging—so it’s unclear how much of that outlay it would be abandoning in doing so.
USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV) – Oshkosh Defense
Fraught USPS EV order in question, again?
U.S. Postal Service vehicles comprise more than a third of the GSA fleet, and non-tactical Department of Defense vehicles make up another third. All the other federal agencies make up the other third.
Of course, this begs the question of whether the United States Postal Service (USPS) will take delivery of as many EVs as anticipated, after a debacle that led to a plan to purchase mainly gasoline vehicles. The federal government currently has tens of thousands of EVs in use, and it planned to replace more than half of its approximately 650,000 vehicles with EVs.
GSA either helps buy vehicles for agencies or leases them to agencies, depending on the situation. Under a Biden executive order, GSA was transitioning to all-electric vehicle purchases by 2027. GSA replaces a small percentage of its vehicles annually; vehicles haven’t been pre-emptively replaced with EVs, rather as gasoline models reach the end of their service life. Examples include a push to switch National Park Service vehicles from gasoline F-150 trucks to Ford F-150 Lightning models on an ongoing basis.
GSA keeps vehicles in use a long time, according to federal data, and in many cases well into high mileage, which seems like an ideal use case for EVs. According to its own current standards, the minimum life cycle for replacement of electric trucks, for instance, is seven years or 90,000 miles. Many vehicles in the GSA fleet are much older.
Tesla website promoting savings over gasoline vehicles – Feb. 2025
Musk has spent much bandwidth on EVs as smart money
As Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasized over a span of more than a decade, and as Tesla’s very own site has aggressively pushed this as a built-in part of its pricing, EVs cost less to run—not just to fuel, but to own and maintain. According to Tesla the Model 3, for instance, has a five-year gas savings of $5,000 based on 10,000 miles a year or $7,500 based on 15,000 miles a year (with Los Angeles as the location). Longer maintenance intervals on EVs, including items like brake pads and fluids, mean preventative maintenance costs are far lower.
If Musk is at all behind this, it leads to a bigger question: If the chief cost-cutter and efficiency master doesn’t actually believe that EVs are cheaper and more efficient for the government to be running daily—or can’t convince President Trump that they are—will Tesla continue to sell its own vehicles on that premise?
–with reporting by Stephen Edelstein and Bengt Halvorson
Galeon has revealed CGIs and details of its upcoming 620 Fly, which is scheduled to debut in the latter half of 2025, potentially at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September.
Featuring an overall length of 65ft 7in and a 20ft-plus beam, the model is part of the builder’s Flybridge series. It sits between the 560 Fly that debuted at the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival and the 640 Fly, which was unveiled in its updated version at the Boot Dusseldorf indoor show this January.
The 620 Fly includes large beach platforms on both sides
However, the 620 Fly design by Tony Castro – who has worked with Galeon since 2001 – has given the brand’s iconic ‘beach mode’ a new twist. Instead of two balconies on both sides of the main deck, the new model includes three drop-down terraces: one on the starboard side of the main deck and two flanking the hydraulic swim platform.
The large port beach platform can even be accessed by a door from the full-beam master suite, which enjoys an open view of the water and direct sea access. The starboard beach platform is slightly thinner, but still completes a three-sided beach area by the water.
The flybridge has three separate social zones
The swim platform and beach platforms are accessed by steps from the cockpit’s starboard side, where further stairs lead up to an impressively large flybridge.
The top deck is backed by a large, three-sided lounging area that sits aft of a C-shaped dinette to port and a U-shaped wet bar to starboard. Forward is another C-shaped sofa, which accompanies the bench-seat helm station to port.
The main deck has only one side deck and balcony, to starboard
The main deck has an asymmetrical layout, with only a full side deck to starboard, where the drop-down balcony can create a bar over the water once stools are installed.
For the interior, Galeon is working for the first time with In Situ & Partners, a Hong Kong-based studio founded in 2011 by Yacine Bensalem. Design traits include rounded cabinetry, ambient lighting and integrated air-conditioning vents, while owners can choose from five décor themes – Ocean, Amber, Terra, Pearl and Ivory – each inspired by natural materials and colours.
The interior is by Hong Kong-based In Situ & Partners
The spacious saloon has a widebody design to port, featuring a C-shaped sofa and an adjustable table that can be lowered and covered with cushions to create a large lounging area. The sofa faces a long bar counter to starboard, where there’s also a retractable TV and an opening window that creates an open connection to the waterside bar.
Forward to port is an open galley with a central island, while to starboard are the lower-deck staircase and twin-seat helm station. Pantograph doors in the galley and by the helm both offer side access to the flexible foredeck, while the central windscreen can be moved to the side to create an indoor flow of air from bow to stern.
The full-beam master suite includes a door to the port beach platform
The lower deck can be configured with three or four guest cabins, including a full-beam master suite and a forward VIP. Aft, the crew cabin includes two berths, a kitchenette and a bathroom.
Asiamarine has represented Galeon since 2016 and covers Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand, while also managing a network of dealers in the rest of the region.
galeon.pl asiamarine.com
This article was first seen on yachtstyle.co.
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The transport ministry has revealed that the government collected RM45.9 million from the sale of special vehicle registration plate series in 2024, which includes the ‘GOLD’, ‘FFF’, ‘EV’, ‘PETRA’ and ‘MADANI’ series.
The ministry was responding Jerantut MP Khairil Nizam Khirudin, who asked about the total revenue generated from special number plate sales last year and for a breakdown of related expenditure, reports Malay Mail.
“All proceeds from these sales were channelled into the Consolidated Fund under the finance ministry, and subsequently, 50% was allocated to the transport ministry for initiatives benefiting underprivileged groups,” the reply read.
These initiatives include the MyLesen programme, which was introduced at a national level in May 2023 to aid persons from the B40 income group and youths in obtaining motorcycle licences (Class B2, below 250 cc engine capacity), public service vehicle (PSV) licences for e-hailing and buses, as well as goods driving licences (GDL) for lorries.
Funds were also allocated to providing free helmets for both adults and children, as well as the FLYsiswa initiative that provides flight ticket subsidies for students at public universities, polytechnics, matriculation colleges and teacher training institutes travelling between Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
Additionally, the ministry used a portion of the funds for Socso contributions under the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme for taxi, rental car, and school bus drivers. Revenue from the sale of the ‘GOLD’ series was used to sponsor the remaining 10% of the insurance contribution, ensuring they are adequately protected under the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017.
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