Electrek

The new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV drove nearly 300 miles on a single charge during real-world testing, or about 30 miles more than its official EPA-rated range. For under $30,000, the new Bolt hits the sweet spot.

Perhaps you’ve heard the news – automakers across the industry are canceling EV investments, taking tens of billions in losses in response to a claimed lack in customer demand for EVs (even as EV sales in fact continue to rise globally and gas car sales have peaked).

A new analysis by InfluenceMap shows how automakers actually made their own bed, by flip-flopping on their own lobbying efforts and contributing to the regulatory instability that currently plagues an industry with long planning timelines and global competitors that have not hamstrung themselves with such uncertainty.

Nuro has received a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test its Lucid Gravity SUVs without a human safety driver on public roads — a critical milestone before the company can launch Uber’s planned robotaxi service later this year.

The updated permit covers testing in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties at speeds up to 45 mph, day or night, clearing the way for fully driverless testing of the vehicles that Uber plans to deploy in a fleet of at least 35,000 robotaxis.

This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new e-bikes from Juiced, Ride1Up and Jackrabbit, e-moto news from Segway and Honda, new e-bike laws, and more.

On this really quick episode of Quick Charge, we got the chance to sit down with The Mobility House North America’s director of marketing communications, Dylan Gasperik, who talks ACT, V2G integration with Kia, utility programs, and how EVs strengthen – not weaken – the nation’s straining energy grid.

Engineering startups Astroport Space Technologies and Astrolab have successfully completed a real-world demonstration for their UTIPA Excavator – an all-electric machine designed to become the cornerstone of lunar construction solutions and pave the way for autonomous construction projects on the Moon.

UPDATE 08MAY26: Oh, we’re really doing this.

Ride1Up is expanding one of its most popular lightweight commuter e-bikes with a new version aimed at riders looking for a bit more comfort on rougher roads and longer rides. The company has now officially begun shipping the new Ride1Up Roadster V3 Suspension model, adding front suspension to the sleek urban e-bike while keeping much of what made the original such a hit.

NHTSA announced today that the 2026 Tesla Model Y is the first vehicle to pass its new advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) benchmark tests under the updated New Car Assessment Program. The agency framed it as a milestone for vehicle safety.

The announcement is real progress, and credit where credit is due — Tesla passed all eight ADAS evaluations. But the context around this news is important, and it paints a more nuanced picture than the press release suggests.

Blink and Emobi are teaming up to make EV charging work more seamlessly across apps, networks, and vehicles.

The bZ3X, Toyota’s fully electric SUV, is a hit in China. After delivering over 80,000 units in its first year on the market, the bZ3X has now remained the best-selling EV from a joint venture in China for seven consecutive months.

Hyundai is preparing to launch its first body-on-frame vehicle, a midsize pickup truck. The rugged Boulder Concept SUV is a preview, but a new patent offers a sneak peek at the battery and chassis setup.

Headlining today’s Green Deals is Bluetti’s Hurricane Prep Sale with tons of exclusive power station lows, like the 2,764Wh Apex 300 Portable Power Station down at $1,425 and others. We’ve shone a spotlight on Segway’s e-bike deals to their all-time lowest prices, with the Xafari All-Terrain Cruiser e-bike at $1,800 while the Xyber e-bike is back down at $2,900. There’s also the ECOVACS Goat RTK and newest LiDAR PRO Robotic Lawn Mowers getting up to $900 savings to lows starting from $700, as well as Hiboy’s Mother’s Day EV Sale with up to 50% discounts on e-scooters and e-bikes, an advanced EGO self-propelled cordless electric mower with 2x batteries, the first discount on ECOVACS’ new robot pool cleaner, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s EcoFlow Mother’s Day power station sale with up to 64% discounts, the current sale on Segway e-scooters, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

After launching the first mass-produced EV with a semi-solid-state battery last year, SAIC Motor is following it up with the new MG 4X electric SUV. The new EV will go on sale in less than a week.

Tenways has been steadily growing its reputation in the commuter e-bike world, especially in Europe, where the company has become known for sleek urban bikes that feel a bit more refined than their price tags might suggest. But even humble Americans have been able to enjoy Tenway’s e-bikes for years, plus with the added bonus of accessing higher speeds and power levels that bump models up into Class 3 territory.

The new Tenways Wayfarer continues that trend, while adding something the company hasn’t leaned as heavily into before: more comfort, more utility, and a more approachable ride for everyday riders.

Five years after Tesla (TSLA) unveiled its 4680 battery cell at Battery Day with promises of 5x the energy, 6x the power, and 16% more range, the data tells a very different story. Tesla’s homemade cells consistently deliver worse energy density, worse charging performance, and less range than the supplier cells they are meant to replace.

The problem is getting harder to ignore now that Tesla is quietly swapping supplier batteries for its own 4680 cells in European Model Y vehicles — and owners are noticing the downgrade.

The stunning three-row electric SUV can drive up to 590 miles (950 km) on a single charge and features BYD’s new 5-minute Flash Charging.

Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, introduced its first all-electric three-row SUV, set to go head-to-head with the Hyundai IONIQ 9, Volvo EX90, and Rivian R1S. The new 2027 Lexus TZ looks nice, but it’s missing one thing.

Porsche has set a new Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record for “production” electric vehicles. A Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package equipped with the new Manthey Kit lapped the 12.94-mile circuit in 6:55.553 minutes.

The time, set by Porsche development driver Lars Kern, is 12 seconds faster than his own previous record in the standard Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package set in October 2023 — and more than nine seconds faster than the previous record in the “Electric Executive Cars” category.

One of the biggest advantages of electric motorcycles has always been their simplicity. No clutch, no gears, no stalling – just twist the throttle and go. They’re basically big, fun scooters, at least in terms of operation. But Honda appears to think there’s still something worth preserving from the old-school riding experience, especially for off-road riders.

A newly revealed Honda patent shows the company developing a simulated electronic clutch system for electric motorcycles, complete with torque-boost launches and even haptic feedback designed to mimic the feel of a combustion engine.

And surprisingly, it might not be as gimmicky as it first sounds.

The startup that dares to ask, “Why does the Macbook driving my freight around need a whole cab?” just showed off a fully driverless, cab-less, and truck-less battery-electric freight platform designed to handle containerized cargo more efficiently than ever.

On this really quick episode of Quick Charge, Slate Auto’s Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy Snyder believes his new truck is the right size and price to drive fleet adoption AND fandom. We only had a few minutes with Jeremy, and Slate is nearly ready for prime time!

ESS is moving beyond its long-duration energy storage roots into the crowded short- and medium-duration battery storage market – but not with lithium.

Tesla has filed two new trademark applications for the Roadster with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, revealing a stylized wordmark and a distinctive triangular badge that departs from the automaker’s standard branding approach.

The filings are the clearest signal yet that Tesla is preparing to bring the long-delayed electric supercar to market — nearly nine years after the prototype was first unveiled.

Three major Chinese automakers — BYD, Chery, and Geely — are actively hiring staff, scouting dealership locations, and registering trademarks in Canada following the country’s landmark decision to slash tariffs on Chinese-built EVs from 100% to 6.1%. But none of them have actually started selling cars yet.

The biggest beneficiaries of the new quota system so far are Tesla and, to a lesser extent, Polestar — companies that already have established brands and existing sales infrastructure in Canada.