Weird Alibaba: This $300 kit turns a SUP into an electric surfboard
For anyone who thinks the worst part of stand up paddleboards is the paddling, you’re going to love this week’s Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week entry. Apparently all it takes to ditch the paddle is a $300 SUP conversion kit that turns a paddleboard into an electric surfboard.
Electric conversions are all the rage these days. We’ve seen plenty of electric bike conversion kits, and there are even kits to turn an old car into a snazzy new electric vehicle.
But converting a stand up paddleboard into an electric surfboard sounds like a whole new level of fun.
Putting aside the fact that this kind of kills the exercise benefits of SUPs, it still sounds like a fun way to spend an afternoon out on the water.
And for just $300, it seems like this Alibaba special can help you and nine of your friends make it happen. Oh yea, that’s the other thing. There’s kind of a minimum order quantity of 10 units. But no worries, once your friends see how awesome this thing is, I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to move those other nine fins pretty quickly.
From what I can gather from the super bare-bones Alibaba sales page, the conversion kit seems to have a carbon fiber fin that houses a small electric motor and a propellor complete with prop guard.
A cynical part of me wonders if that’s the real fin that you get, since $300 already sounds like a pretty killer price, not even considering the carbon fiber.
But taking them at their word, it looks like a pretty nice kit.
The batteries and controller are housed in a nuclear football/Tupperware/Otterbox style case that appears to be strapped onto the board in a less than elegant style. But I guess you’ll be buzzing the coast so fast that no one will get a good look at how janky the attachment appears to be.
Or at least I assume you’ll be flying along at a good speed. There’s no tech specs to tell me just how fast this thing can go, though they did at least describe the motor as “high power”, which sounds like a good sign to me!
The concept is actually pretty cool, and it’s something we’ve occasionally heard of before: a swappable fin on a typical stand up paddleboard that adds a little motor and propellor to let you lazily cruise your local waterways.
It’s definitely not going to give you the thrill of a faster and more powerful electric surfboard. Based on the size in the images, I’d guess that it’s no more powerful than 250 watts.
Compared to the ultra-fast 35 mph (56 km/h) electric surfboards I’m used to playing around on, I’m not sure it’s going to offer the same wind in your hair and spray in your face experience.
But then again, it’s also considerably less expensive than most $10,000 electric surfboards out there, so perhaps there’s something to be said for taking it slow and easy.
If I had to choose though, I think I’d still prefer something a bit more powerful. Check out my last ride on a high power electric surfboard below. As soon as an Alibaba kit can do this, I might considering actually buying one.
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Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner with Superchargers and giant movie screens is ready to open, and I have to admit, it looks pretty sick.
This project has been in the works for a long time.
In 2018, Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to open an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles.” It was yet another “Is he joking?” kind of Elon Musk idea, but he wasn’t kidding.
A few months later, Tesla applied for building permits for “a restaurant and Supercharger station” at a location in Santa Monica. However, the project stalled for a long time, apparently due to local regulations.
Nevertheless, Tesla still moved forward with a Supercharger at the location, but it had to move the diner project to Hollywood. In 2022, Tesla filed the construction plans with the city, giving us the first look at what the automaker intends to build.
In 2023, the automaker broke ground on the site of the diner.
7 years after being originally announced, the project appears now ready to open:
Musk said that he ate at the diner last night and claimed that it is “one of the coolest spots in LA.” He didn’t say when it will open, but Tesla vehicles have been spotted at Supercharger and people appear to be testing the dinning experience inside.
A Tesla Optimus Robot can be seen inside the diner on a test rack. It looks like Tesla might use one for some tasks inside the diner.
Earlier this year, Tesla integrated the diner into its mobile app – hinting at some interaction through the app – possibly ordering from it.
Electrek’s Take
I think it looks pretty cool. I am a fan of the design and concept.
However, considering the state of the Tesla community, I don’t think I’d like the vibes. That said, it looks like Tesla isn’t prominently pushing its branding on the diner.
You can come and charge there, but it looks like Tesla is also aiming to get a wider clientele just for dining.
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Hyundai’s electric minivan is finally out in the open. The Staria EV was caught without camo near Hyundai’s R&D center in Korea, giving us a closer look at the electric minivan undisguised.
Hyundai’s electric minivan drops camo ahead of debut
The Staria arrived in 2021 as the successor to the Starex, Hyundai’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). Although the Staria has received several updates throughout the years, 2026 will be its biggest by far.
Hyundai will launch the Staria EV, its first electric minivan. Like the current model, the 2026 Staria will be available in several different configurations, including cargo, passenger, and even a camper version.
We’ve seen the Staria EV out in public a few times already. Last month, we got a glimpse of it while driving on public roads in Korea.
Despite the camouflage, new EV-like design elements were visible, including updated LED headlights and a full-length light bar. Although it’s still unclear, the electric version appears to be roughly the same size as the current Staria from the side, but slightly wider from the front.
New images posted on the South Korean forum Clien reveal a test car, expected to be Hyundai’s Staria electric minivan, without camo.
Like most Hyundai test cars, the prototype has a black front and a grey body. It still features a similar look to other prototypes we’ve seen, but you can clearly see the new facelift.
Earlier this year, a Staria EV was spotted in a parking lot in Korea, featuring a similar look. The electric version is nearly identical to the Staria Lounge, but with an added charge port and closed-off grille.
The Hyundai Staria EV is expected to make its global debut later this year. Technical details have yet to be revealed, but it’s expected to feature either a 76 kWh or 84 kWh battery, providing a range of around 350 km (217 miles) to 400 km (249 miles).
Hyundai’s electric SUV arrives after Kia introduced its first electric van, the PV5, which launched in Europe and Korea earlier this year.
In Europe, the Kia Passenger PV5 model is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo version has a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.
Source: TheKoreanCarBlog, Clien
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