First look at electric Kawasaki Ninja and Kawasaki Z electric motorcycle, coming out in 2023
Kawasaki took to the EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show to unveil a trio of electric motorcycles, with Electrek front and center to see the action live. The Kawasaki Ninja EV and Kawasaki Z EV were revealed as traditional battery electric motorcycles, while the company also unveiled an HEV hydrogen-powered concept motorcycle.
I’ll spare you the uninspired cliché about “Team Green going green,” and we’ll just get to the bikes.
Electric Kawasaki Ninja unveiled
While the electric Ninja and Z models are both still in prototype form, Kawasaki Motors president Hiroshi Ito announced to the audience that the two models would be available for purchase next year.
As Ito explained:
This is the Z Battery Electric Vehicle shown briefly at Intermot and now the very first Ninja BEV. These BEV versions represent two of Kawasaki’s leading brands, Ninja and the Z. Soon these pre- production machines will become actual production machines available to our customers in 2023.
As has been common with electric motorbike unveilings at EICMA this year, hard and fast tech specs are nearly non-existent on the models.
However, Ito did provide two key pieces of info, explaining:
European A1 license compliant, they will bring exciting ‘good times’ to daily commuting. They each have a large battery capacity of up to 3.0 kWh with two 12 kg battery packs that are easily removable.
Those two nuggets point to extremely muted performance from the bikes. Ito wasn’t kidding when he described them as fulfilling a daily commuting role. A1-compliant motorcycles in Europe have a maximum motor power of just 11 kW. That’s not particularly powerful, and puts the bikes in a 125cc-equivalent class.
Perhaps more striking is the limited battery capacity. 3 kWh of battery is diminutive compared to most electric motorcycles today. Batteries from Zero Motorcycles range from around 7 to 17 kWh, while Energica offers over 21 kWh of battery.
Even small, low-cost electric motorcycles like the SONDORS Metacycle and Ryvid Anthem, both of which are designed for commuter roles, offer at least 4 kWh of capacity.
Thus, it is unlikely for the Ninja EV to boast a range much higher than 75 km (47 miles) at city speeds, and likely around half of that range at highway speeds.
The removable batteries are surely designed to compensate for the low capacity, offering an easy way for riders to charge their batteries at home or in an apartment. But with today’s flagship electric motorcycles offering 5-7x as much battery as Kawasaki’s new entries, it is hard to imagine the brand will be competitive in the space when the motorcycles launch next year.
Of course, these figures shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. We’ve known that Kawasaki was planning a low-performance electric motorcycle for some time.
At the same show three years ago, Kawasaki rolled out a prototype electric Ninja that rocked a 10 kW motor (20 kW peak rating) and claimed a range of 100 km (62 miles).
At the time we assumed that the bike would undergo significant development to improve its performance, but that hasn’t seemed to be the case.
The bikes look impressive, no doubt. But under those panels rest a small and underpowered motor coupled to a pair of batteries smaller than the ones in the my electric scooter.
Why use such small batteries?
The only reason I can think of for Kawasaki to outfit their electric sport bikes with batteries sized for a scooter is because that might be exactly what they are: scooter batteries.
Kawasaki has spent years as part of a battery development consortium in Japan, originally created among the Big Four of Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki.
The consortium’s original goal was to develop a standard for swappable electric motorcycle batteries. In actuality, it is starting to look like the growing consortium is simply defaulting to Honda’s Mobile Power Pack design, which is essentially a Gogoro-style scooter battery.
Honda’s MPP batteries are the right size and capacity to fit into Kawasaki’s spec sheet, and so the company could be planning to incorporate those batteries into its motorcycles. Looking through the vents in the display prototypes shows a lack of batteries at all, so it is still anyone’s guess how Kawasaki ultimately plans to power its electric motorcycles.
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The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 got a major glow up with extra driving range, a sleek interior and exterior facelift, and even Tesla Supercharger access with an added NACS port. With leases starting at just $179 per month, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 might be your best bet to get into an EV right now.
How much does the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 cost to lease?
Hyundai upgraded its best-selling electric SUV in every way possible for the 2025 model year. The 2025 IONIQ 5 can drive up to 318 miles on a single charge, recharge from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes, and is available starting at just $42,500.
After cutting lease prices last month, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 was available to lease for as low as $179 per month.
The offer was set to end on July 7, but Hyundai extended it through its new “Hyundai Getaway Sales Event.” The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE Standard Range model is still available for lease, starting at just $179 per month.
That’s for the base version, which has a range of up to 245 miles. The offer is for a 24-month lease with $3,999 due at signing.
The long-range SE RWD variant, with a driving range of up to 318 miles, can be leased for as little as $199 per month. Upgrading to the AWD model will cost $249 per month. You can even snag the off-road XRT variant for $299 a month right now.
Hyundai upgraded the IONIQ 5 with a sleek facelift, adding to its already bold design. Inside, the 2025 IONIQ 5 features a redesigned center console, steering wheel, and HVAC control system based on driver feedback.
It also features a more powerful, next-gen infotainment system. The setup includes dual 12.3″ driver display and infotainment screens with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice-recognition, and more.
If you’re looking for something a little bigger, Hyundai’s three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9 (Check out our review), is listed for lease starting at just $419 per month.
| 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Trim | EV Powertrain | Driving Range (miles) | Starting Price* | Monthly lease price July 2025 |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range | 168-horsepower rear motor | 245 | $42,500 | $179 |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $46,550 | $199 |
| IONIQ 5 SEL RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $49,500 | $209 |
| IONIQ 5 Limited RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $54,200 | $309 |
| IONIQ 5 SE Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 290 | $50,050 | $249 |
| IONIQ 5 SEL Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 290 | $53,000 | $259 |
| IONIQ 5 XRT Dual Motor AWD | 320 horsepower dual motor | 259 | $55,400 | $359 |
| IONIQ 5 Limited Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 269 | $58,100 | $299 |
To sweeten the deal, Hyundai is throwing in a free ChargePoint Level 2 home charger with the purchase or lease of a new 2025 IONIQ 5 or 2026 IONIQ 9.
Both the 2025 IONIQ 5 and 2026 IONIQ 9 are built at Hyundai’s new EV plant in Georgia. The current lease offers include the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which is set to expire at the end of September. Hyundai’s new deals are available through September 2, 2025.
Ready to test one out for yourself? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to find deals on the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9 near you.
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Environment
Tesla Semi efficiency improves in real-world trucking test covering 4,494 miles over 3 weeks
The Tesla Semi, Tesla’s electric Class 8 semi-truck, saw its efficiency improve in a new real-world trucking test covering 4,494 miles over three weeks.
The Tesla Semi underwent significant changes over the years of delays.
Tesla officially unveiled the “production version” in 2022, but the vehicle never entered volume production. It is expected to finally happen at the end of the year at a new factory in Nevada.
When unveiling the “production version”, which turned out not to be the final production version, Elon Musk said that the Tesla Semi has an efficiency of 1.7 kWh per mile.
In September 2024, Tesla reported improvements in its own fleet after covering 250,000 miles. It claimed to be achieving 1.6 kWh per mile.
Last year, two Tesla Semi customers got closer to what Musk claimed in 2022. DHL got 1.72 kWh per mile in their own test, and Saia got 1.73 kWh per mile.
Now, Tesla Semi appears to have improved quite a bit in a new real-world test by logistics company ArcBest.
The company claims to have put Tesla Semi through regular operations, varying from lane dispatch to regional runs over three weeks:
Over a three-week period, ABF operated a Tesla Semi across typical dispatch lanes, including over-the-road routes between service centers in Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California. The pilot also included regional runs in the Bay Area and rail shuttle operations.
ArcBest claims that Tesla Semi averaged 1.55 kWh per mile during the three weeks:
The electric Semi logged 4,494 miles, averaging 321 miles per day with an overall energy efficiency of 1.55 kWh per mile.
Efficiency in the trucking business varies considerably based on several factors, including the load, but it is nonetheless an impressive performance.
Dennis Anderson, ArcBest chief innovation officer, commented on the test program:
“Freight transportation is a vital part of the global economy, and we know it also plays a significant role in overall greenhouse gas emissions. While the path to decarbonization presents complex challenges — such as infrastructure needs and alternative fuel development — it also opens the door to innovation. Vehicles like the Tesla Semi highlight the progress being made and expand the boundaries of what’s possible as we work toward a more sustainable future for freight.”
Tesla says that the truck should enter volume production toward the end of the year and customer deliveries are expected to start next year.
While the efficiency of the electric truck has improved, we previously reported that its price has increased significantly.
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Range Rover now has its own logo for the first time. The luxury automaker is unveiling a sleek new look as it gears up to launch its first electric SUV later this year.
Range Rover introduces its first logo
Since it launched its first vehicle in 1970, the Range Rover badge has become an iconic status symbol. You can’t miss the classic Range Rover look.
With its first EV due out later this year, the luxury automaker is preparing for a new era. JLR revealed the new Range Rover logo, a first for the luxury automaker, during an investor presentation.
The new logo is a stark contrast to the “Range Rover” badge we are accustomed to seeing, featuring a minimalist design similar to the Rolls-Royce emblem.
JLR told Autocar that the new logo won’t replace the signature Range Rover badge at the front or rear. Instead, it will be used to complement it.
“The Range Rover Motif has been developed as a smaller symbol for where our familiar Range Rover device mark does not fit, such as on a label or as part of a repeating pattern, and within event spaces where an emblem is more appropriate,” the company said.
With Range Rover’s first electric SUV set to hit showrooms later this year, will we see it featured on the new EV? JLR confirmed in May that the Range Rover Electric now has over 61,000 clients on the waitlist.
The company claims the new EV is undergoing “the most intensive testing any Range Rover vehicle has ever endured” ahead of its big debut later this year.
According to Thomas Müller, Range Rover’s executive director of product engineering, the electric SUV is already outperforming some of its top gas-powered models.
JLR has already begun testing new EV production lines at its Solihull, UK, plant in preparation for the new Range Rover model. Next year, the luxury brand is expected to introduce the smaller Sport and Velar EV models.
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