When it comes to fun and wacky electric vehicles, the undisputed titans of the industry are those wild EV engineers that must surely be keeping Alibaba in business. Despite a global supply chain crunch, there’s no shortage of fun and fascinating options in the endlessly scrolling EV pages on the site. This week’s entry in the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week is no exception. I want to call this gem a flatbed truck, but it’s not just the bed that is flat. This is a flat everything electric truck.

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Swedish commercial vehicle maker Scania has debuted its regional long-haul electric truck that will be available in Europe as both a rigid truck and a tractor-trailer.

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Reading, Pennsylvania-headquartered Penske Truck Leasing and Los Angeles-headquartered Shell Recharge Solutions North America today announced a new light-duty electric vehicle charging joint initiative.

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As new, larger, and more powerful EVs make their way into consumer driveways, their deliveries still remain quite small in number compared to the other electric vehicle types. That being said, the demand for electric trucks has exploded with many manufacturer models reserved into the next couple years. As a result, some early customers of these EV trucks are taking advantage of this demand and reselling them for a profit, some more than double what they paid.

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It’s no secret that I love me a fun little electric pickup truck from China. Yes, I’m that guy that floated one over from halfway around the world to use as a farm truck in the US. But just like my four-year-old nephew after a run through a candy store, time does not stand still. And neither does the pace of development in Chinese electric mini truck factories. Because less than half a year after my own mini electric pickup truck rolled into my garage and heart, more advancements are popping up in the industry. And that means that we all get to enjoy the latest that the Chinese mini electric pickup truck market has to offer in this week’s rendition of the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week!

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The governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak (D-NV), signed a multi-state agreement yesterday that pledges at least 30% of all new trucks and buses sold will be zero emission by 2030, and 100% will be zero emission by 2050.

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The US Department of Energy today released a study showing that by 2035, electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks will cost the same as or less than diesel trucks.

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For all those folks out there that “don’t see color,” do I have an awesome electric pickup truck for you?! The fact that it only comes in pink could be a turn-off for some, but not for you! And the sub-$2,000 price might just help push another few converts towards the coolest electric truck reveal since Chevy threw its name in the ring last month.

The only difference is, you can actually buy this one and it will arrive in less than two years. Though buying an electric pickup truck on Alibaba isn’t quite as simple as that, as I found out last summer. But for now, let’s just take a look at what makes this mini electric pickup truck so awesome, and how it landed a coveted spot as my Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week.

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BYD has announced that Swedish freight technology company, Einride, has purchased 200 of its 8TT battery-electric trucks – the company’s largest heavy-duty BEV sale outside of Asia. The BYD electric trucks will be built in the US and delivered to Einride over the next 12 months to support its fleet customers stateside.

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Devon, UK-based EV startup Emotive recently surpassed its crowdfunding goals and now plans to develop its heavy-duty electric 6×6 to meet the growing electric demands of the UK’s fire rescue, farm, forestry, and adventure tourism markets.

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Vehicle manufacturers are ramping up electric vehicle production, so big companies like Amazon, AT&T, and IKEA are telling vehicle manufacturers what kinds of EVs they want. Here’s the “blueprint” that members of the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance are today presenting to makers like Volvo, GM, and Daimler explaining which EVs they want to purchase in the United States over the next five years.

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EV technology company Proterra continues to expand its rolodex of commercial EV customers, as Nikola Corporation has recently joined the fold. As part of a new multi-year supply agreement, Proterra will provide its proprietary battery technology to power Nikola’s Tre BEVs and FCEVs.

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In a response to the AdBlue shortage that’s sidelined scores of diesel delivery trucks, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has joined up with the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) to urge rapid policy reforms that would accelerate the nation’s transition to a zero-emissions trucking future.

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Volvo Trucks Corporation has announced the next generation of its all-electric, Class 8 VNR trucks for the North American market, including upgrades to battery size, range, and charging speeds. Furthermore, Volvo Trucks has introduced two additional configurations for its commercial fleets customers to choose from.

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Kenworth Truck Co. recently shared news of tremendous growing interest in its lineup of all-electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks, noting that orders have tripled the last 90 days as fleets look to take advantage of sweet incentives for zero-emission vehicles.

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Automotive manufacturing powerhouse Magna International is kicking off 2022 by highlighting its EtelligentForce technology, a 4WD EV powertrain system designed specifically for pickup trucks and light commercial vehicles. Magna’s EtelligentForce was designed to maintain a pickup’s full capabilities without compromising payload or towing capacities.

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Ford Motor Company has maintained a steady flow of $100 reservation holders for its upcoming electric F-150 Lightning pickup, and that has now surpassed 160,000 in total. Every indication is that these reservation numbers will continue to grow as the F-150 Lightning goes on sale next spring.

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Some readers may recall that a few months ago I bought a cheap electric mini-truck on Alibaba. I know this because I’ve gotten emails almost daily ever since, asking if my Chinese electric pickup truck has arrived (with some humorously calling it my F-50). Well, now I can finally answer, “Yes!” and share with you exactly what I received.

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Reading, Pennsylvania-based truck-rental giant Penske Truck Leasing is taking delivery of five of Navistar’s International eMV Series medium-duty full battery-electric trucks. This is Navistar’s first US delivery of the series’ trucks.

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In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Tevva debuts an electric truck that’s ready for production at its new UK factory.
• The world’s longest subsea power cable, between the UK and Norway, goes live.
• ChargeUp Europe announces its 18th member.
• 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.

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More than 70 large companies and investors representing $30 billion in assets sent a letter today to governors across the US urging the acceleration of the switch to zero-emission trucks, vans, and other large commercial vehicles. Will their letter make an impact?

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In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Two Arizona-based companies team up to produce batteries and convert truck fleets to electric.
• US hydropower generation is forecast to decline 14% in 2021 as a result of drought.
• 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.

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In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• The California State Legislature passed a bill that will accelerate offshore wind farm deployment.
• As electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles increase, the grid must be updated at the same time – study.
• 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.

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Commercial EV manufacturer Lion Electric has announced that Vermont energy provider Green Mountain Power will purchase two of its all-electric heavy duty trucks. The purchase includes a Lion8 bucket truck for line crews and a Lion6 truck for electrical maintenance crews in the field.

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To enable a future transition to electric, it’s vital that we look beyond electric cars and focus on electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes.

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If you’re anything like me, you watched the unveiling of the Tesla Cybertruck and the electric Ford F-150 Lightning truck and thought, “Damn, those are pretty cool, but I probably shouldn’t drop $40,000-$50,000 on an electric truck that I don’t really need.”

However, despite realizing I couldn’t justify an expensive electric truck, I never gave up the dream of joyriding in one and tossing all sorts of weird stuff in the back, which is probably why when the chance finally arose, I made the impulse buy of a much, MUCH more affordable (albeit smaller) electric pickup truck straight from China.

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Roughly 10 billion tons of freight move through supply chains in the US each year, almost all of which pass through distribution yards – the area of the supply chain between the warehouse and the open road. Andrew Smith, Outrider founder and CEO, has dedicated his career to the commercialization of environmental technologies. He spoke with Electrek about how the automation of electric yard trucks is not only dramatically increasing the sustainability of this often-overlooked area of the supply chain, but also the agility and reliability of its movement of goods.  

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Daimler and Portland General Electric (PGE) have unveiled today a new ‘first of its kind’ electric truck charging station in Portland, Oregon.

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In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• IKEA partners with Fluid Truck to use only e-delivery trucks in NYC’s 5 boroughs by May 2021.
• IEEFA’s 2021 report reflects the US’s clean energy surge, and Texas is a good case study.
• 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.

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In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• C40 mayors, transport workers, and unions call for stimulus funding for public transport.
• The EDF releases two sets of policy recommendations on heavy-duty truck electrification and infrastructure.
• 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.

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Merchants Fleet, the US’ fastest-growing fleet management company, is working with BrightDrop, the new business started by General Motors (GM), to procure a hefty 12,600 EV600s.

The all-new EV600 is lightweight and purpose-built for the efficient delivery of goods and services over long ranges.

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Alibaba is one of the best places around to find the coolest and sometimes weirdest electric vehicles in the world. As part of a new series known as Awesomely weird Alibaba electric vehicle of the week, we’re taking a look at some of our favorites.

This week’s feature is a small-yet-mighty electric pickup truck designed for utility and off-road usage, though it may even be street legal as an NEV in the US.

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Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) and Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) today announced that they are co-developing a large public charging site for medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks. Known as “Electric Island,” it is expected to be the first of its kind in the US.

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Kenworth, one of the biggest American truck manufacturers, is launching today two new electric trucks with up to 200 miles of range.

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With several new major players like Tesla Semi and eCascadia coming to electrify trucks, US electric truck sales are now expected to increase to over 54,000 units by 2025, according to Wood Mackenzie.

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California has adopted its new zero-emission truck program, which should help accelerate electric truck production and deployment. expand full story

Oatly, the Swedish premier oat-based food producer, announced today that it will become one of the world’s first companies to electrify its fleet of heavy trucks. Its first electric trucks will roll out in October, covering about 125 zero-emission miles per day. Plans are under way for those deliveries to use remote-operated, self-driving EVs such as the Einride Pod.

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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) yesterday released the final draft of the Advanced Clean Trucks standard. The proposal will put roughly 100,000 and 300,000 electric trucks on California’s roads in 2030 and 2035, respectively, out of approximately 1.8 million and 1.9 million total trucks expected in those years. The Union of Concerned Scientists believes the state should go further.

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The electrification of trucks and buses needs to be accelerated, says a new report released yesterday by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

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Gas generators still own the portable, emergency home-backup power space. Ten years ago there was a lot of hope and hype for using all the energy stored inside EVs’ batteries to power your entire house, but it hasn’t come to pass. No EV maker will sell you a bidirectional charger, outside of Japan and a handful of small utility pilots.

Meanwhile, the 2020 Ford F-150 will come with the option for its own built-in, onboard gas generator. And aftermarket companies, like Indiana’s Real AC power, offer sleek, chassis-integrated generator systems (pictured above) for internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks. EV makers ceded this space for unknown reasons. But now Tesla CEO Elon Musk has teased a 240V AC power outlet on the Cybertruck, something neither Rivian nor Bollinger have announced. We don’t know how many watts we can expect, though. So will the Tesla Cybertruck finally offer EV enthusiasts a path to navigate societal collapse? Or are we stuck with settling for “head’s up, you’re going to lose power” messages?

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Mack Trucks has introduced its Mack LR all-electric refuse truck, which it plans to test on the streets of New York City in 2020.

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Your favorite food truck is most likely powered by gas or diesel, but they will now have the option to go all-electric with Lightning Systems launching its electric powertrain for the Ford F-59, a model used for food trucks. expand full story

Daimler will convert its existing factory in Portland to manufacture the company’s all-electric Freightliner trucks, Daimler Trucks North America CEO Roger Nielsen said today.

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A settlement the New York Attorney General’s Office reached with American Electric Power is funding the use of nine all-electric delivery trucks for New York City nonprofit organizations.

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At just $5,000, the Pickman is one of the cheapest electric utility vehicles on the market.

But before you start planning to tow your RV with it, make sure you check the specs. This little guy’s 1,100 lb capacity and low top speed make it more of a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV). Even so, the Pickman is poised to fill an interesting niche in the US, and that could be the secret to its success.

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The race to bring all-electric trucks to market and electrify the transport industry has culminated into several firsts in 2018 and we have one more before the end of the year.

DAF has delivered its first all-electric truck to a customer as part of their test program. expand full story