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.
Yesterday
American EV automaker Rivian released test footage of its R1T pickup in temperatures below freezing on the frigid Minnesota – Ontario border. Rivian explains that its engineers bundled up and headed north to test and refine R1T vehicle dynamics and battery performance. Unfortunately for them, the tests were in a place where temperatures regularly drop below -30°F.
It’s the classic American road trip: loading up the family in an RV and hitting the open road. Driving from sunrise to sunset as the miles and the sights pass by your window, your travel partner smiling in the passenger seat.
But imagine if you could trade those gas fill-ups along the way for the satisfaction of power from clean and silent electrons. It’s no dream, my friend! You might actually be able to make it a reality with the electric RV I found for this week’s entry in the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week series. However, there’s a catch: You’ll probably have to leave extra travel companions at home in order to fit in this two seater, three-wheeled electric RV.
As electric bicycle sales have soared to record numbers lately, fewer people are needing much convincing to get out of a car and onto a fun, energy efficient e-bike. But for the few left scratching their heads and wondering what all the fuss is about, this video is for you.
February 26
This week on the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy, including the current situation at Tesla Fremont factory, Hyundai Ioniq 5, WD ID.4, and more.
After declaring entry into the San Felipe 250 race, Lordstown Motors revealed images of its Endurance truck. The beta race version of the automaker’s first electric pickup truck will hit the 290-mile loop this April. Full-fledged production of the consumer Endurance truck begins in fall.
Green Deals: Illuminate your patio with four solar LED lights at $15 (50% off), more
KBP TOPSTORE (99% positive lifetime feedback) via Amazon is offering a 4-pack of its Solar Outdoor Fence/Deck LED Lights for $14.99 Prime shipped with the code 50KBPLIGHT at checkout. This is down 50% from its list price and is the best available. you’ll find that these compact LED lights are perfect for placing along your deck, fence, or stairs to add a bit of illumination for walking around at night. Being solar-powered, there are no wires to run or batteries to change here, making install simple. Around six hours in the sun will yield between six to eight hours of light at night. Rated 4.2/5 stars.
Head below for more deals on HomeKit-enabled smart thermostats, solar-powered home security cameras, and of course Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best Tesla accessories.
During last week’s power crisis in Texas, prices surged to the market price cap of $9,000 per megawatt-hour for several days, resulting in some huge bills for a lot of homeowners. (To put that in perspective, the state’s seasonal average is $50 per megawatt-hour.) The entire US, not just Texas, has a lot of infrastructure work to do in order to avoid more power crises like this. But in the meantime, how can consumers protect themselves from exorbitant surprise power bills when extreme weather increasingly occurs?
The specs of the Rivian Adventure Network, the electric pickup truck startup’s upcoming charging network, have been revealed with a higher capacity than expected.
- Toyota breaks ground on a green prototype city to foster innovation at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan.
- Jennifer Granholm is confirmed by the US Senate as secretary of energy.
- UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.
