electric trucks

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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