Scooter Doll

EV startup WM Motor has teased a first image of its upcoming M7 sedan ahead of its official unveiling in China later this week. The M7 is based on a concept EV previously shared by WM Motor and will be the first sedan in its fleet. Furthermore, it’s reported to come equipped with three separate LiDAR sensors.

Following the release of its Q3 delivery numbers, Volkswagen Group continues to grow its presence in the BEV market, up 109% compared to Q3 last year. Nine months into 2021, Volkswagen has more than doubled its worldwide deliveries, nipping at the heels of Tesla – the current undisputed EV market leader.

Tesla continues to grow as well, and could (maybe) surpass one million deliveries in 2021, but at the rate Volkswagen is moving (up 138% this year), it could be following the trend in 2022.

I’m admittedly only a couple years into the world of electric skateboards, immersing myself in the technology after seeing people zoom by me on the strand in the South Bay of Los Angeles. One name that continually came up has been Backfire Skateboards, which just recently unveiled its Hammer all-terrain electric board, and I got the opportunity to test it out for you.

While I was a bit timid (and truthfully terrified) by the near 30 mph top speed of this skateboard, I quickly fell in love with the Hammer’s performance and smooth ride through everything I threw at it… and I mean everything. You’re going to want to check the Backfire Hammer out ASAP, because this thing cooks.

As electric vehicles look to gain an even larger portion of the automobile market in 2021, consumers will look at a number of factors as they choose to go electric. One major specification on any EV data sheet is the estimated range i.e. the amount of miles your new vehicle can travel on a single charge. Naturally, you’re going to want the most battery for your buck. Below is a list of the current EV options for 2021 sorted by longest range.

EV manufacturer ElectraMeccanica has officially begun customer deliveries of its flagship SOLO EV. The three-wheeled one-seat electric vehicle has been on our radar for quite some time, and ElectraMeccanica has worked for years to reach this point of scaled production and deliveries.

Honda has shared details of a comprehensive electrification strategy that includes two production vehicles and three concepts donning a new “e:N Series” electric branding. The Japanese automaker plans to introduce 10 Honda-brand EV models in the next five years, but only in China. That being said, Honda stated that it “envisions exporting these models from China” as well… someday. 

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So you’re thinking of getting a Tesla and wonder, “how much is a lease?” Smart choice. Have you considered the Tesla’s cheapest EV, the Model 3? Or perhaps you have the money to splurge on the Model S Plaid? What color? What added features? Should you buy instead of lease? These are all questions you’ll need to consider before your first zero-emission joy ride.

Fear not prospective leasee, below is a comprehensive guide outlining what a new Tesla lease entails, and what options to consider before you put the pedal to the floor.

Fresh off the heels of delivering its flagship R1T electric pickup to first customers, Rivian has shared details of its first hub, centered in Venice, California. Rather than existing as solely a retail space, Rivian hopes this first of several hub locations will offer a space for public gatherings and encourages its community to visit and connect. If you happen to order a $70,000 EV while you’re there… well that’s a welcomed option as well.

Commercial EV manufacturer Electric Last Mile Solutions (ELMS) has announced plans to offer a bundled commercial EV option that features Ample’s modular battery swap capabilities on ELMS’ commercial EVs. With different service options planned, customers will soon be able to choose the best option to support their fleet efficiency.

Following the start of production of its Air sedan, Lucid Motors has now shared new details of DreamDrive, its Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) with over 30 features. Additionally, the American automaker shared details of a DreamDrive Pro option, which includes LiDAR, and even hinted at a future Highway Pilot upgrade that may deliver conditional hands-free driving capability.

CATL, the leading battery manufacturer in China, has shared new plans to create a $5 billion facility to recycle used batteries for their earth materials such as cobalt and lithium. The facility will be erected as a joint venture at a time when EVs are becoming more and more in demand globally.

There are several game-changing elements the EV world has patiently but attentively kept tabs on in recent years – solid state batteries, fully-autonomous driving, whether some of these SPAC mergers will actually produce a series production vehicle. As one of the largest names in electric vehicles, Tesla has promised several products over the years. – some of which it has delivered, but many it has yet to (ahem, Cybertruck and 2nd Gen. Roadster). Another fabled prospect promised by Tesla is a $25,000 model. While the automaker has only caught a quick whiff of EV pricing within $10K of that figure, it’s apparently still imminent. Here’s everything we know to date.

I recently got the opportunity to experience the upcoming GT versions of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E electric crossover. This included extensive rides with the Mach-E GT and GT Performance, as well as a couple of laps around an autocross track – plenty of time to test out the performance and unique features the new GT has to offer, as showcased in a video below.

EV manufacturer BYD has announced a strategic collaboration with Levo – a joint venture between Fleet as a Service (FaaS) provider Nuvve, and capital investors Stonepeak, and Evolve. As part of the collaboration, BYD will implement Levo’s technology and capital to offer fully financed medium and heavy-duty BYD commercial EVs.

Volkswagen’s all-electric ID.3 has found much success during its first year in the European market. Volkswagen has recently reported over 144,000 orders for the ID.3 the past year in Europe, and is now working around the clock to deliver them in a timely manner.

As part of my journey through Arizona for Lucid Motor’s “Production Preview Week,” I was able to catch a glimpse behind the scenes of the automaker’s facilities where the Air sedan is being produced. Even better, Lucid gave me the opportunity to be one of the first non-employees to test-drive the Air Dream Edition – I went for the 1,111 horsepower on the Performance version. Here’s how it went.

During its “Production Preview Week” in Arizona, EV automaker Lucid Motors opened the doors of its AMP-1 production facility to the media, investors, and Air Dream Edition reservation holders to showcase the first customer-quality Air EVs rolling off the assembly line. Lucid shared that it will deliver in late October.

Following a progress update of its upcoming EV600 electric Light Commercial Vehicle (eLCV), BrightDrop has unveiled a second EV to follow. General Motors’ newly dedicated commercial EV and logistics company has now shared a glimpse of the BrightDrop’s EV410, a smaller version of its flagship eLCV, and announced that Verizon is locked in as the vehicle’s first customer.

Workhorse Group has announced an immediate halt to all sales and deliveries of its C-1000 electric truck, citing that it found a previous report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) unreliable. In addition to frozen sales, Workhorse announced it will recall 41 electric vans that have already been delivered to customers.

Following a recent report outlining the future of sustainable luxury materials, Volvo Cars has committed to outfitting all of its upcoming electric vehicles with leather-free materials. This ethical stance by the legacy automaker comes from an aspiration to promote animal welfare and sustainability, by using recycled materials that remain high-quality.

Spanish bus builder Beulas has teamed up with electric powertrain manufacturer Equipmake to create the Jewel E, an electric double-decker bus that will begin service in London. The Jewel E can be equipped with a battery pack up to 543 kWh, the largest battery of any single axle double-decker electric bus, providing a max range of 250 miles on a single charge.

Chinese automaker XPeng Motors has shared beta testing footage of its City Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP), one of the upcoming features of its advanced driver assistance system. The footage shows XPeng’s upcoming P5 EV weaving its way through congested traffic in Guangzhou, China where the automaker is headquartered. We have footage of the beta testing video below.

Following a pilot program in Southern California lasting nearly a year, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) publicly showcased the capabilities and quietness of its battery electric construction equipment. The results of the pilot were announced live in Los Angeles today alongside a streaming event that featured a live demonstration of Volvo CE’s ECR25 Electric compact excavator.

Volta Trucks and Sibros have partnered up to integrate the latter’s holistic data platform system for fleets into the upcoming 16-ton Volta Zero electric truck. By utilizing Sibros’ proprietary system complete with Over-The-Air (OTA) capabilities, Volta Trucks plans to optimize it fleet asset health, reduce EV downtime, and lower overall service costs.