Skip to main content
All Stories By:

Umar Shakir

Umar Shakir

News Reporter

Umar Shakir is a news reporter for The Verge, covering electric cars and more. He's spent over 15 years in IT support beforehand, including managing Macs for a University and also fixing them at the Genius Bar. Umar likes collecting video game cartridges, watching football, and hanging in shopping center parking lots waiting for his EV to charge.

U
Youtube
Mercedes-Benz will deploy new 400kW DC fast chargers built in North America.

After opening its first charging hub in Atlanta, which features 400kW chargers by ChargePoint, the automaker will now install Alphitronic HYC400 models at new locations later this year. It has two plugs, supports CCS and Tesla’s NACS, and features dynamic load sharing, i.e. one car can charge at 150kW while the other at 250kW. It’s part of Mercedez-Benz’s $1 billion investment to build 400 EV charging hubs.


U
External Link
The shareholders are givers.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk got his big compensation package approved yesterday, but how many really voted in favor? Well, it seems 1.78 billion shares voted in favor of Musk’s payday, while 529 million voted against — a 72 percent margin, excluding shares held by Musk and his brother Kimbal, as The New York Times reports. Musk took a victory lap on the mic at the shareholder meeting in Austin, Texas.


Cybertruck, US-only for now.

Musk is asked when the Cybertruck will go international. He responds saying it was designed with American specs in mind, and a new and redesigned version would be needed for the European and Chinese markets. There won’t be an international model this year, he confirms.


“Rumors of the death of the Supercharger are greatly exaggerated.”

Musk quipped in response to the recent layoff of the Supercharger team, which left many charging station projects stalled. Musk says there will be more Superchargers this year than the rest of the industry combined and promises to give other manufacturers adapters to use Tesla stations (which are still in limited supply).


Image: Tesla
Porsche is Macan friends with ChargePoint.

Porsche EV and PHEV owners can soon use the My Porsche app to pay and charge at ChargePoint stations in North America. Unfortunately, it’s not a plug and charge system, but soon the Porsche Charging Service will include “more than 100,000” stations when the collaboration goes live in Q4 2024 — after the launch of the new 2025 Porsche Taycan and Macan Electric SUV.


blue suv in front of orange charging stall
New Porsche Macan EV at a ChargePoint station.
Image: Porsche Cars North America