Electrek

EVs are advancing at a record pace. The median EV range reached 270 miles for 2023 models. That’s 13 miles more than 2022MY vehicles and more than enough to cover the average weekly commute for US drivers.

This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new e-bike launches from Segway, a new e-motorcycle launch from Horwin, swappable batteries from Yamaha, snow-bike tips, and more.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Upway, a leading online e-bike provider carrying the broadest selection of brand-new and certified pre-owned models.

On the heels of unveiling the long-awaited all-electric Porsche Macan SUV, the company’s chief financial officer Lutz Meschke delivered what could be some dreary news, if it happens: He said that Europe’s plan to ban ICE vehicles by 2035 may get pushed back due to a slowing EV demand, reports Automotive News Europe. 

Fliteboard, a leading manufacturer of electric hydrofoil surfboards, announced the launch of its new sub-brand FLITElab* (there’s no more info below, that asterisk is frustratingly part of the name). The announcement coincides with the launch of FLITElab*’s first product, the AMP board, which can help surfers catch a wave, both assisted and electricity-free.

For the first time in the company’s 40-year history, Liebherr have converted one of their R 9400 excavators from a conventional diesel to an electric powertrain.

Ørsted dealt New Jersey a massive blow by canceling 2.2 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind last year, but the state just added 3.7 GW of new projects to its pipeline.

Kia’s sporty EV6 GT is getting a facelift. The new EV6 GT was spotted for the first time, boasting an aggressive design update and new Active Air Skirt technology.

Italian automaker Maserati is doubling down on its roots and letting the world know that its vehicles will continue to be 100% designed, developed, and manufactured in Italy. That said, some of those Maserati vehicles in the pipeline, particularly the 100% electric ones, continue to face development hurdles. Meanwhile, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is in a battle with the Italian government over EV sales support.

The 2024 Subaru Solterra is an upgrade over last year’s model with faster charging and more for the same starting price.

Over the past few months, a new type of washer-dryer combo has emerged on the scene in North America (Yes, Europe and Asia have had great, tiny heat pump tech for decades). These new big combo units from GE Profile UltraFast PFQ97HSPVDS and now LG WashCombo WM6998HBA (introduced at CES) are now on the market.

I’ve had the GE Profile for 2 weeks, and the LG is on the way for testing head-to-head, but for now, I want to tell you about all of the ways both of these things are amazing, and energy savings is just the tip of the iceberg…

This week, Caterpillar successfully demonstrated a prototype of an all-new battery electric underground mining truck at its Australian proving grounds, making it the latest addition to a rapidly-growing portfolio of battery electric and semi-autonomous mining machines.

Headlining today’s best deals is a 15-day home backup sale for disaster preparedness from EF EcoFlow that is taking up to 50% off three select power stations as well as some solar panels, smart extra batteries, and a dual fuel smart generator. Its joined by Worx’s three Landroid robotic lawn mowers that can cover 1/8 acre, 1/4 acre, and 1/2 acre yards starting from $700. Several models of Hover-1 EVs are still seeing discounts as well, with the Night Owl Electric Folding Scooter leading the charge this time at $780. Plus, all of today’s other best new Green Deals.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Hyundai sold 268,785 EVs last year as demand for the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 picked up. The South Korean automaker plans to strengthen its leadership in the EV market, with new models gaining momentum.

This week, Lucid Motors invited Electrek to an exclusive ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of Phase 2 of its AMP-1 facility in Casa Grande, Arizona. Part of the festivities included a factory tour, an interview with CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson, and our best look at Lucid’s upcoming Gravity SUV to date. Senior Vice President of Design and Brand Derek Jenkins walked me around Gravity and shared some insights into what went into this unique electric SUV.

After 6 months of intensive engineering work and evaluations, a pioneering collaboration between Kenworth, Dana Incorporated, and WAVE Charging has resulted in the first OEM-approved high-power wireless charging integration of its kind.

Honda’s first all-electric SUV, the 2024 Prologue, will begin hitting US dealerships in March. The electric SUV features best-in-class EPA range with up to nearly 300 miles on a single charge.

The US’s largest solar + battery storage project, Edwards & Sanborn, has come online in Kern County, California.

Elon Musk tried to explain his strange ask for more control over Tesla, which seemingly came with a threat to divert AI products from the automaker to his new startup, during his earnings conference call.

It doesn’t look like Tesla shareholders are buying it as the stock crashed by as much as 10% this morning.

The all-electric Porsche Macan EV is finally here. Porsche unveiled the sporty electric SUV Thursday with up to 381 miles (613 km) WLTP range, sports car performance, and more interior space.

S&P Global Mobility released its latest round of US data on new EV registrations for November 2023, and some surprising new trends are popping up – with very modest gains by Tesla and Ford, compared to bigger moves from smaller EV players Rivian and Kia, as well as luxury EVs from Mercedes and BMW.

Elon Musk says that other automakers don’t believe Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) is “real” as Tesla tries to sell FSD licenses.

As electric fat tire e-bikes become increasingly popular, more designers are getting creative with their suspension setups to differentiate themselves from the sea of other e-bikes out there. Now, the Fucare Scorpio takes a classic dual rear suspension design and applies it in a unique way to electric bicycles.

And it raises the question: Can you have too much suspension?

Republicans, and a couple of Democrats, have been pushing back on President Biden’s $7.5 billion plan to extensively build out EV infrastructure in the US by focusing on a short-term waiver that allows federally subsidized EV chargers to include materials from China. Republicans aiming to block the waiver don’t like this – but Biden exercised his veto power, for now at least.

Lovers of sleek, luxurious, and insanely expensive cars, you’ve now got an American-made EV equivalent in the form of Cadillac Celestiq. General Motors just announced that it has finally started production at its factory in Michigan, but only in very limited numbers, of course. Here’s what that eye-watering starting price of $340,000 will buy you.