Liam Denning

It is heartening that both Republicans and Democrats in Washington agree on supporting nuclear power, which can deliver carbon-free electricity at huge scale. The latest effort by the Trump administration to make new nuclear power happen looks unlikely to do the job, though — think of it more as a down payment on doing more.

Slate Auto, the electric vehicle start-up backed by Jeff Bezos, is a grand experiment in whether austerity sells — and a warning for the US auto sector.

Slate Auto, the electric vehicle start-up backed by Jeff Bezos, is a grand experiment in whether austerity sells — and a warning for the U.S. auto sector.

Now that Ford Motor Co. is an artificial intelligence-enabler, its vehicle sales figures are irrelevant. I’m joking, obviously. With Tesla Inc., I’m only half-joking.

Slate Auto, the electric vehicle start-up backed by Jeff Bezos, is a grand experiment in whether austerity sells — and a warning for the US auto sector.

Slate Auto, the electric vehicle start-up backed by Jeff Bezos, is a grand experiment in whether austerity sells — and a warning for the U.S. auto sector.

Slate recently unveiled its flagship: A barebones, two-seater, battery-powered pickup starting at just under $25,000.

Americans like their electric vehicles to come with a side of gasoline. Sales of conventional hybrid vehicles, which combine internal combustion and electric drivetrains but don’t plug in to recharge, jumped by almost a fifth in the first half of 2026, year over year, while pure battery EVs slumped by a quarter. The most obvious catalysts were the Iran war’s impact on pump prices and the removal of EV subsidies, respectively.

Americans like their electric vehicles to come with a side of gasoline. Sales of conventional hybrid vehicles, which combine internal combustion