Could these tiny, low-cost electric cars help save America’s cities from massive vehicles?
As the cars on US roads grow larger and heavier every year, perhaps going electric simply isn’t enough. To take back our cities from massive trucks and SUVs while simultaneously promoting affordable and efficient electric vehicles, New York-based startup Wink Motors thinks it has the answer.
Wink has just unveiled four new neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) designed for American roads.
They are engineered to conform to federal regulations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and thus are street-legal under low-speed vehicle (LSV) regulations.
Phew, that’s a lot of acronyms!
Basically, LSVs are small electric vehicles that meet a specific set of abbreviated safety regulations and operate at maximum speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h). They’re permitted on US roads with speed limits posted up to 35 mph (56 km/h).
And Wink Motors tells us it has some of the few street-legal options available in the country.
As Wink’s founder and CEO Mark Dweck explained:
We designed these vehicles to be the perfect small-format urban vehicle. They are small and easy to park in tight spaces like an electric bike or motorcycle, yet have fully enclosed seating for four adults and can be driven in rain, snow, or other inclement weather like full-size cars. Since they’re electric, you never have to pay for gas or contribute to harmful emissions. And you can even charge them from the sun with the rooftop solar panels.
I’ve actually had the pleasure of watching Wink Motors grow in stealth mode over the last year and a half while providing technical consulting on the vehicle designs.
The Winks may not be fast, but they max out the legal limit of 25 mph (40 km/h) permitted for LSVs.
That lower speed also makes them safer and more efficient – perfect for city driving in crowded urban areas where speeds rarely exceed LSV limits. In Manhattan, you may never even get up to 25 mph!
Wink offers four models of vehicles, two of which have roof-mounted solar panels to add between 10-15 miles (16-25 km) of extra range per day when parked outside.
All of the vehicles include four seats, AC and heaters, backup cameras, a parking distance sensor, three-point seat belts, dual-circuit hydraulic disc brakes, 7 kW peak-rated motors, safer LiFePO4-chemistry batteries, electric windows and door locks, key fob for remote locking, windshield wipers, and many of the other features we generally associate with cars.
But these aren’t actually “cars,” at least not in a legal sense. They’re motor vehicles, but LSVs are their own classification separate from traditional cars.
Most states still require a driver’s license and insurance, but they usually have relaxed inspection requirements and may even qualify for state tax incentives.
LSVs may not be very common yet, but several companies are already producing interesting models. We’ve seen them built for commercial applications like parcel delivery as well as for both commercial and private use, like the Polaris GEM that was recently spun off into its own company. Unlike the GEM, which is designed as an open-air vehicle similar to a golf cart, Wink’s vehicles are enclosed like conventional cars. And they happen to come in at less than half the price.
Wink expects to begin delivering its first vehicles before the end of the year. The promotional pricing during the current launch starts at $8,995 for the 40-mile-range (64 km) Sprout model and increases up to $11,995 for the 60-mile-range (96 km) Mark 2 Solar model. Considering a new golf cart can easily cost $9K-$10K, that sounds quite reasonable. And I don’t know of any golf carts that come with air conditioning or power windows.
Among the four new Wink NEVs, the Sprout line is the entry-level model. The Sprout and Sprout Solar are both two-door models that are largely identical, save for a larger battery and a solar panel in the Sprout Solar model.
Upgrading to the Mark 1 gets a different body style, also with two doors, but with an included hatchback and a folding rear bench that turns the four-seater vehicle into a two-seater with extra cargo space.
The Mark 2 Solar has a similar body to the Mark 1, yet with four doors and an added solar panel. The Mark 2 Solar has an onboard charger, though the Sprout models come with off-board chargers like an electric bicycle.
Compared to full-size cars, these NEVs lack the higher speed necessary for inter-city travel. No one is going to be hopping on the highway in a Wink. But as a second car for staying in the city or cruising around the suburbs, these might just fit the bill. Considering a new electric car can easily cost $30,000-$40,000, a low-cost electric vehicle like these can offer many of the same benefits without the added expense.
The vehicles get between 40-60 miles (64-96 km) of range, depending on the model.
The solar versions are said to add around a quarter to a third of the battery’s charge per day, depending on available sunlight.
For city residents living in an apartment and parking on the street, the car may never need to be plugged into a wall outlet as long as they only drive on average around 10-15 miles (16-25 km) per day. Considering that my city is about 6 miles (10 km) wide, I can see that being a real possibillity.
As opposed to many electric vehicles today that can weigh between 3,500 to 8,000 pounds (1,500 to 3,600 kg), Wink’s vehicles weigh in the range of 760 to 1,150 pounds (340 to 520 kg), depending on the model. The lightweight vehicles are thus much more efficient, easier to drive, and easier to park.
A 25 mph vehicle may not fit the lives of every American, but it certainly could for some.
LSVs may represent a tiny fraction of the larger electric vehicle market, but their numbers are growing everywhere from cities to beach towns and even retirement communities.
I recently bought an LSV pickup truck, although mine isn’t street legal as I did a private import from China. What was originally marketed as a $2,000 electric mini-truck in China ended up costing me closer to $8,000 after I factored in the larger batteries, upgrades like AC and hydraulic dumping bed, freight (over $3,000 by itself, door to door), and tariffs/customs fees.
Dweck explained that while Wink’s vehicles are also produced in China, Wink had to set up an NHTSA-registered factory and worked with the USDOT throughout the process to ensure full regulatory compliance. They also employ multiple stages of redundant inspections to ensure manufacturing quality and have even exceeded the federal safety requirements for LSVs.
Personally, I’m more of a two-wheeled kind of guy, and you can usually find me commuting on an electric bicycle or e-motorcycle.
But if I was going to need a car for the city, these Winks would definitely have my eye.
They may not hold quite the same charm as some of the European offerings like the Microlino. But you can’t say they aren’t adorable!
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![This electric excavator has battery swap tech that lets it recharge in minutes [update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/electric-excavator.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
UPDATE: telematics announcement.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
Telematics announcement at bauma
Earlier today, XCMG launched its next-generation Xrea Global Telematics Platform, integrating IoT, big data, cloud computing, and AI to enable what it’s caling, “seamless cross-border fleet management.”
The new telematics platform supports a dozen languages via PC and mobile interfaces, and offers real-time diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and data-driven optimization of both the vehicle and the vehicle’s batteries, empowering equipment managers and fleet operators to track fleets across town, or across time zones.
“XCMG remains committed to advancing engineering technology to empower a sustainable future. Our mission is to deliver efficient, intelligent, and eco-friendly lifecycle solutions for global clients,” said Mr. Yang Dongsheng, Chairman of XCMG Group and XCMG Machinery. “Today, 19% of our product portfolio comprises green innovations under our ‘Green Mountain’ new energy line, with full electrification across all series underway.”
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG; via PR Newswire.
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![A vast 600 MW Texas solar farm just hit a major milestone [update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/Hornet-Solar-Texas-2.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Renewable developer Vesper Energy has cut the ribbon on Hornet Solar in Swisher County, Texas, one of the largest single-phase solar farms in the US.
As Electrek reported in January, the 600-megawatt (MW) Hornet Solar includes over 1.36 million modules covering more than 6 square miles. The project will contribute more than $100 million in new tax revenue to Swisher County and deliver 600 MWac of energy–enough to power 160,000 homes annually.
January 30, 2025: “The seamless coordination between our team and our EPC partner, Blattner, has enabled us to remain ahead of schedule and on budget while ensuring quality throughout the process,” said Juan Suarez, co-CEO of Irving-based Vesper Energy.
Hornet Solar uses bifacial solar panels mounted on a single-axis tracking system to maximize efficiency. The solar farm is connected to Oncor Electric’s transmission system within ERCOT and is contracted to provide power to four off-take partners through individual Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs).
The Hornet Solar project in the Texas Panhandle is on track to be fully online by spring 2025.
Texas is a utility-scale solar leader in the US, with a ranking of No. 2 and 37,713 MW currently installed. It’s projected to install 51,144 MW over the next five years and move into the No. 1 spot, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The total solar investment in the state is $45.2 billion.
On January 21, the SEIA, Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation (CTEI), Advanced Power Alliance (APA), and the Texas Solar + Storage Association (TSSA) reported that existing and expected utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects will contribute over $20 billion in total tax revenue – and pay Texas landowners $29.5 billion – over the projects’ lifetimes.
Read more: Texas just became No 1 in the US for most utility-scale solar
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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