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I’ve had plenty of fun dumpster-diving through Alibaba’s online electric car catalog over the last few years, finding odd and futuristic EV gems for this weekly column. But never before have we seen something quite so elegant looking as this early automotive era replica, complete with all the bells and whistles you could possibly ask for in a Chinese knock-off. And that makes it a perfect selection for this week’s Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week!

This vintage-looking electric car rolled straight out of a 100-year-old time capsule and directly into my heart.

For a reasonable $10,000 (at least compared to most electric car prices these days), it could be rolling into your heart and driveway too!

It won’t be getting there very quickly, at least not with its top speed of 30 km/h (18 mph).

But when you have a car like this, you’re going to want to be driving by slowly to make sure everyone gets a good look. This is a car for cruising Sunday morning parades, not picking up pink slips on Saturday night.

alibaba roadster car
alibaba roadster car

You also might want to make those few miles you get count, since the old-fashioned lead acid battery bank takes a claimed 8 hours to recharge fully after its 80 km (50 mile) range is depleted.

Hey, the options are fast, pretty and cheap. Pick two.

Speaking of options, I’m not sure it comes with many in the traditional sense, but it does still seem to arrive nicely outfitted. This five-seater Monopoly-car-come-to-life is fully-stocked for an awesome joyride, even if its a slower joy ride.

Your $10,000 wire transfer gets you white wall tires on wire wheels, hydraulic brakes, enough head lights to permanently blind a deer, old-school trumpet horn, fenders for days, leather-ish interior that looks fairly comfortable (but also looks like it might fuse to your legs on a hot summer day), a fold up Bimini convertible top, and more! The paint option is even listed as “car painting”, so you know it’s good.

I just don’t think you can find a classier set of wheels in all of China for this price!

I often poke a bit of fun at the design choices and build quality of many of these Alibaba electric vehicles, but this one actually has me pleasantly surprised.

They seem to have outdone themselves with the attention to detail of this fun little classically-styled EV.

It may not be very fast or powerful, but it sure looks like a million bucks despite only costing ten thousand of them.

That being said, you shouldn’t expect to get this debonair runabout into your driveway for just ten g’s. When I bought my electric mini-truck from China last year, it came with several thousand dollars in extra import fees, taxes, and shipping charges.

Speaking of shipping though, it looks like the Alibaba vendor has that pretty well thought out, based on the freight images shared on the product page. They’re ready to slightly disassemble, crate up and then ship this awesome little electric roadster.

And lest you think for a minute that the vendor isn’t serious about this little electric Alibaba Roadster, they put those concerns to bed.

Just check out the video of the car in action below! Unless they filmed the video going downhill, then it looks functional to me!

What do you think? Could a classic Alibaba EV be in your future? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Loren McDonald stops by Quick Charge to discuss EV charging, Paren, and more

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Loren McDonald stops by Quick Charge to discuss EV charging, Paren, and more

Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.

Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.

Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!

Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.

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Chevy EV owners in Texas now get free overnight home charging with Reliant

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Chevy EV owners in Texas now get free overnight home charging with Reliant

Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.

Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).

Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”

This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”

Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.

Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.

Read more: Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes


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Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes

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Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes

Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.

NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.

The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.

NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.

Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.

This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.

In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.

Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:

NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.

This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.

Read: Chinese solar giant Trina sells its Texas factory a week after it opens


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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