Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from Electrek. Quick Charge is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Today
Auto industry analysts are predicting that sales of electric vehicles will suffer badly due to the pandemic. But it’s not the first time that legacy industry sources have written off EVs. However, a new UK survey suggests that the coronavirus is making consumers more aware of the environment — and therefore more inclined to buy an electric car.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk referred to the top version of the Cybertruck as ‘Plaid’ and he said that he will be driving the new electric pickup. expand full story
The Greenworks 20-inch 40V Pole Saw is $69, more in today’s Green Deals
Amazon offers the Greenworks 20-inch 40V Pole Saw and Hedge Trimmer for $69.37 shipped. Be sure to note this model does not come with a battery. That’s down $20 from the regular going rate. Notable specs here include a 40-inch saw that’s backed by a 40V motor, plus three different cutting positions. Rated 4.2/5 stars by over 1,000 Amazon customers.
Head below for more deals on Segway electric scooters, and of course Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals.
Two years ago, Ford outlined its plans for 40 so-called electrified vehicles in its global lineup by 2022. The company said 16 would be purely electric, and the rest would be plug-in hybrids – with a focus on its most iconic, mainstream vehicles. News is starting to trickle out about the plug-in hybrid version of the ultra-iconic F-150 pickup, with Car and Driver reporting that it will only offer around 10 miles of all-electric range.
Tesla’s sales in China hit a record high in March despite the coronavirus pandemic, and it represented 25% of the country’s electric vehicle sales during the period. expand full story
In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):
- Equinor offshore oil and gas platforms will be first to be powered by a floating offshore wind farm.
- Air pollution really does increase coronavirus deaths. Here’s why.
- Poll: US voters of both parties strongly favor wind energy.
Elon Musk commented on something Tesla has hinted before: the Model Y coming to Europe only when it can be produced locally at Gigafactory Berlin. expand full story
Even though electric bicycle prices in the West are dropping, with many decent e-bikes found in the sub-$1,000 range, China is still king of the inexpensive e-bikes. So I wanted to see how one of these ultra-affordable e-bikes stood up to the types of e-bikes in the US and Europe.
My goal: Find one of these e-bikes and bring it to the US for testing.
Tesla has been preparing for a “battery and powertrain investor day,” which had been planned for this month. But with the world shut down due to coronavirus, company plans have changed.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said tonight that battery day is “most likely postponed to mid May” — though it’s also “hard to predict dates right now.”
