According to news from Polestar this morning, North American 2 owners can now access a performance software update that permanently bolsters the horsepower and torque of their EV. The automaker also says those who purchase the upgrade should see increases to the EV’s mid-range acceleration.
Until the Polestar 3 SUV officially makes it way to customers in 2023, the Polestar 2 remains the Swedish/Chinese automaker’s first and only all-electric vehicle. Since its original debut in 2020, the Polestar 2 has expanded to three variants with single- and dual-motor powertrains, not to mention the limited edition BST 270 we recently got to test out.
2023 model year versions of the 2 ordered today are expected to arrive as early as January, but as we pointed out in our previous review, Polestar didn’t deliver many updates in the performance department compared to its 2022 predecessor.
That being said, Polestar is now rolling out a new over-the-air (OTA) update to the Long Range Dual Motor version in particular that, when combined with the included Performance Pack, delivers some decent spec upgrades – all for a one-time fee.
Source: Polestar
Polestar 2 sees one time update fee rather than subscription
According to the details outlined by Polestar ($PSNY) this morning, the latest OTA software update applies to the Long Range Dual Motor Polestar 2 only and is accessible to owners in the United States and Canada for a one time charge of $1,195.
Unlike other EV automakers like Tesla and Mercedes-Benz, for instance, Polestar has decided to forego the subscription-based, pay-to-play performance model, stating that the single fee for permanent access delivers “exceptional value without the hassle of a subscription.” Many would agree that a single hit to the wallet is better than the monthly charge you inevitably forget about, alongside those Audible credits you never used and that Shudder trial you started in October of 2021 and forgot about.
The software update, which is now available on the Polestar Shop website, is the automaker’s first over-the-air software tuning to improve vehicle performance – an update capability many other automakers don’t even offer yet.
Those who purchase the update will see 68 horsepower added to their Long Range Dual Motor Polestar 2, as well as 15 extra lb-ft of torque. That totals to 476 hp and 502 lb-ft respectively. While the added specs do not contribute to a faster 0-60 mph acceleration in the Polestar 2, the automaker does state the upgrades can be felt at higher speeds between 44 and 80 mph, offering improved mid-range acceleration. Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath commented on the 2 update as well:
This upgrade highlights how connected technologies can transform the relationship a car company has with its customers. The driving experience in Polestar 2 is something we are really proud of. It is such a fun car to drive already, but with this upgrade we can offer even more to our customers who might be after a little extra excitement
Any Dual Motor Polestar 2 owners out there? Do you think you’ll spring for this add-on? Is it worth the money to you for added horsepower? Let us know what you think, especially if you buy the upgrade!
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The eBike space is crowded in 2025, but the Kingbull Jumper Go stands out with a rare combination of features: a compact 20” frame, full suspension, a step-through design, and a powerful Class 3 motor capable of hitting high speeds. Whether you’re commuting through the city, riding off-road trails, or just looking for a versatile, approachable ride, the Jumper Go delivers serious performance, especially for the price.
Key specs
On paper, the Kingbull Jumper Go has all the hardware you would want and need for its size and price. It blends commuter-friendly features with the components you’d expect from more premium off-road eBikes. These specs on paper translate to real-world use amazingly. Here’s a quick rundown of the key specs:
Motor: 750W Bafang rear hub motor
Top Speed: 28 MPH with pedal assist (up to 40 MPH unlocked; check local laws)
Battery: 48V 20Ah Samsung removable battery
Max Range: Up to 80 miles per charge
Gearing: Shimano 8-speed drivetrain
Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc brakes
Suspension: Front 80mm fork + rear mid-frame air shock
Tires: 20” x 4.0” Kenda fat tires (puncture-resistant)
Frame: Step-through aluminum frame with internal cable routing
Display: Integrated LED display with speed, assist level, and battery status
Lighting: Integrated 48V headlight and rear brake light
Included Accessories: Rear cargo rack, full fenders, mini tool kit, zip ties, tire pump
Together, these features make the Kingbull Jumper Go a rare all-in-one package: powerful, approachable, and ready to handle daily commutes and adventures without compromise.
Real-world experience
I have been living with the Kingbull Jumper Go for two weeks now and have been using it as my daily driver. I have used it for pretty much everything, from small grocery runs, to running a quick errand, to just taking me from place to place. Here is what you need to know.
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The setup
The setup was surprisingly simple. The bike has everything needed for assembly, including a mini tool kit, zip ties, and even a tire pump. The Kingbull Jumper Go comes about 80% pre-assembled, with the rear tire and monitor intact. I had to install the front tire, front fender, handlebar, headlight, and seat. Assembly took roughly 20 minutes, and I am someone who does not do this often. It was great that I did not need any of my own tools to get the bike ready. The final thing I did was ensure it was fully charged before getting on it.
The ride
On the road, the 750W motor gives you quick acceleration and plenty of torque, easily handling hills and the urban terrain I live in. The five levels of pedal assist and throttle control give you full flexibility in how much effort you want to put in. I got the bike to almost 30mph with the pedal assist and to 22mph using the throttle. The suspension system, which features an 80mm front fork and a rear mid-air shock, makes city potholes and light off-road trails smooth and manageable.
I live in New Jersey, and if you know anything about our roads, they are terribly maintained and have potholes everywhere. The Kingbull Jumper Go kept the ride very smooth and managed those potholes perfectly. I also took it through some gravel roads, trails, and through some wet terrain, and it was great. The fat tires gives you a strong sense of confidence both on road and when you are dealing with a more challenging terrain.
The design
The step-through frame is especially helpful for beginners and for riders who are sharing this bike with someone who is a different height. The step-through frame also makes it easy to dismount or quickly react by easily putting your feet down without feeling like you are going to tip over.
The 20” Kenda fat tires provide great traction and comfort on surfaces ranging from pavement to grass and gravel. The Tektro hydraulic brakes are responsive and reliable, offering solid control even at higher speeds. You also get a fantastic LED display with real-time speed, distance traveled, and battery life. It is also plenty bright, so the display is easily visible even in the brightest conditions.
After riding this for two weeks in both urban and off-road settings, the Kingbull Jumper Go proved to be equally capable as a commuter eBike, urban cruiser, and all-terrain bike. Its compact frame makes it easier to handle and store compared to larger full-size fat-tire bikes, but without compromising on performance.
Kingbull Jumper Go Pricing and availability
The Kingbull Jumper Go is currently available through Kingbull’s official website for just under $1,699. However, they have a limited-time summer promotion offering $100 OFF with code Electrek, bringing the price down to $1,599. That discount makes it one of the best values on the market for a full-suspension, Class 3 fat-tire eBike. Kingbull’s 2-year warranty also backs it and offers local test ride availability in California, giving potential buyers added peace of mind and confidence in the brand.
Yep, I did it again. I bought something weird and crazy from China. It’s a mini electric jet boat. “What’s a mini electric jet boat?” you might be asking. Think: comically small one-seater boat with an electrically powered jet ski drivetrain.
Basically, I plopped down a not insignificant amount of money online and then crossed my fingers. Here’s what happened next.
Firstly, this is kind of par for the course for me. If you’ve been following my writing for any significant period of time, you’ll have learned two things about me. I like e-bikes and I like buying weird electric vehicles from China that I don’t need. It’s a problem, I know. I’m going to get help one day. But that day is not today.
Because today I’ve got a new electric jet boat. You can see my unboxing and testing video of this aquatic miracle here, or keep reading below for the full story of how this happened.
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I hate that I have to clarify this, but the trolls can see these are all adults building these boats
So here’s how it went. I’ve spent years writing a mostly-weekly column on the fun and weird Alibaba electric vehicles I find in my time-wasting window-shopping searches. A couple of years ago, one of them was a mini electric jet boat. And I’ve wanted one ever since.
So I started researching factories in China that build these things and talked to a number of them. Some seemed fairly new. Others seemed like fronts or merely trading companies. And they all seemed pretty shady. But this isn’t my first rodeo and so I chose the one that seemed the least risky and started talking details. I use a Chinese messaging service similar to WhatsApp that makes it a lot easier to communicate with the factories, and the lovely girl who works their sales office showed me several models and features. Together, we worked through the details and specs until I had planned out basically what I wanted.
Then it came time to pay.
This is always the scariest part and so I wired to China more money than a bad idea should cost. Over there, it’s common to do a 30% down payment and 70% balance payment upon completion, so that’s what I offered. I’m glad I did because production took several months longer than I expected, and I was starting to get worried, but fortunately, the factory was sending me fairly regular pictures and video updates of progress, which was comforting. After a few months, my order was finally ready, and so they packaged it up and shipped it off to me.
I’m not sure what Christmas morning feels like, but I bet it’s something like this
I should also mention that while I normally use FOB (free on board) or CIF (cost, insurance, freight) terms for these kinds of deals where I get some new toy in from China, this particular case was a bit riskier, and so I went with DDP (delivered duty paid) terms. The two former options leave most of the work on me to ship and import the thing, while the last option means the seller basically handles everything until there’s a janky wooden crate dropped in my driveway. DDP terms are always more expensive, and many factories don’t want to mess with it since it leaves most of the work of shipping and importing on the seller or their freight forwarder, which I preferred in this case.
This was also before all the new Trump tariffs this year, and so duties were much lower (somewhere around 27-28% total, I believe. Now they are probably 2-3x that much).
But with all of the work of actually dealing with getting the thing now finished, it was time to crack open the box. Inside was my shiny blue electric jet boat! I had it shipped to my parents’ place in Florida because they have a decently large pond where I could test it. There I got it open and hauled it back to the pond in what else but my electric mini truck that I bought from China nearly four years ago. It has since lived a loving but not easy life as a farm truck, and this isn’t even one of the weirdest things that has graced its bed in the last few years.
Technically, there’s that second hump on the seat for a (brave) second rider
The little boat is so small that it actually fits nicely in the little bed of my mini-truck, and it was a great example of why I even wanted this thing to begin with: it’s small enough to fit in a car, so you can take it to the lake or ocean without needing a boat trailer.
Even a jet-ski needs a trailer, but you could take this little vessel to the shore with a kayak rack on your Tesla, or even on a decent car! Just kidding, I don’t even own a car… unless you count that mini-truck that I gave to my parents.
At the pond I dropped the boat down onto the grass, dragged it the last bit of the way down the bank and splashed it right into the drink. From there, I just needed to plop the 5 kWh LiFePO4 battery into the underseat compartment and I was ready to go.
There were no instructions, so it took me a couple of minutes to figure out the right combination of buttons to push and key turns to actually start it up, but from the first push of the accelerator, I knew this thing was wild!
Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world…
It was supposed to be just over 30 mph capable (50 km/h or 27 knots), but the pond is only around 300 feet long and so the opposite bank comes at you mighty fast. I think I only got it up to around half its top speed because 1) I didn’t want to run aground, and 2) I was legitimately scared to go faster.
The boat comes with these weird stainless steel mounts on the side, and it turns out they are for this ridiculous looking inflatable bumper thing that reminds me of a big toilet seat. I didn’t install it because I hate how it ruins the sleek look of the boat. But I instantly discovered why they designed it, since the jet boat feels horribly unstable at slow speeds. As soon as you turn sharply and let off the throttle at slow speeds, you start heeling over significantly. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling since you’re sitting at the water line and feel like you’re going to be thrown out of the boat. The ballast of the huge battery sitting so low, plus whatever actual ballast they build into these things, probably means you won’t really capsize. But it sure feels like you’re going for a swim soon.
Turning at speed is much nicer, but if you’re not yet planing (going fast enough to rise out of the water and glide over the surface instead of just floating due to water displacement), it just feels like you’re going to rock yourself right out in a turn. The boat was obviously designed to handle at high speeds, not low speeds. It doesn’t have the wide beam of a jet ski for stability, so that inflatable toilet seat gives it low-speed stability.
But alas, I just couldn’t bring myself to install the nautical version of training wheels on that beautiful thing, so I pushed through it and just kept it at fairly high speeds in the pond. It was a blast, and with my dad there watching me, I was excited to give him a turn too.
Oh, I forgot to mention, I actually bought two of them.
Yeah, so… I didn’t just get one
With my dad’s boat unboxed, we both got in our own mini jet boats and had a blast ripping high-speed loops around his backyard pond.
These things are insanely powerful for what feels like a stubby kayak when you sit inside it, and the performance gives you an ear to grin.
Just be prepared for your face to turn to terror the first time you let off the throttle too abruptly and take a sharp turn.
As fun as they were though, we still weren’t even past half way down on the accelerator pedal, and so I knew that a larger body of water was going to be in our future.
Dad and I acting like a couple of kids in our mini jet boats!
These are motorized vessels and so they require registration to use them in public waterways in most states. It’s not like a kayak or canoe where you can just put in anywhere and pretty much be alright with the law. And in Florida, where the state makes a lot of its money from its waterways, they actually enforce this stuff.
I imagine I can get the boats properly registered with hull numbers for use in public waterways, but for expediency’s sake, I set my sights on a big private lake in a local eco-friendly planned community. The cool thing is that these huge lakes are off-limits to combustion engine watercraft, which means they’re basically only for kayakers and canoers, or the rare person who has an electric boat.
I’m a rare person.
So with the entire lake empty, I brought my jet boat over in the back of my family’s car and put in at the kayak dock.
If you watched my video above, you’ll already know how that went (complete with Beach Boys-style song montage). But for those who prefer to read instead of watching an awesome little jet boat rocket around a big lake, just know that it was an absolute riot. The mini electric jet boat is insanely fast and skipped the glassy surface of the pond like a pebble with a rocket engine on it.
Of course, the surface didn’t stay glassy long with the massive wake I was sending out, and that meant soon I was getting airborne, hopping my own wake while pulling tight figure eights.
With around 25 minutes of boating and filming, I had dropped the battery from 100% to 70%. Despite the high power, that big battery was impressively lasting!
That little spec is my boat!
The whole experience proved to me how right I was about the convenience of this boat format. This whole exploit was simple, a word that is almost never used when discussing boat ownership. To get to the water, I simply loaded the boat in the back of the car and then used a cheap Amazon kayak trailer to waddle it the 100 feet or so from the parking lot to the dock. The boat is still quite heavy – I’d guess at least 150 lb (70 kg) or so. But lifting one side at a time is doable by one dude, and the kayak trailer made it easy enough to move on my own across land.
There was no boat trailer necessary. No searching for a boat ramp. No hoping to stay off of Miami Boat Ramp YouTube channels lampooning people who don’t know what they’re doing with a trailer, etc. It was the boating experience of a jet-ski meets the ownership experience of a kayak.
For anyone who lives along the water, this would be an amazing toy to own. There are so many people with lakefront property who could have their own mini electric boat to tool around on whenever they want. Or if you live close to the coast, you could keep the boat in the garage with a kayak hoist and just drive it on down to the coast for fun. These things practically sell themselves. Cheaper than an electric surfboard and nearly as portable.
Yes, this one is photoshopped. It’s a real shot, but I swapped out the brown tannin lake water for nice blue sea water
Which brings me to cost. I ended up paying around $5,500 for each boat, which is a lot to risk on this stuff, with only a hope that it would work out and that I could make some of the money back on my video and writing. And if you’re thinking, “Wow, this guy plopped down $11k on this stuff,” then I have two things to tell you. First, a Jet Ski would have cost more and been a huge hassle. And two, I didn’t spend $11k; I spent a lot more.
In fact, I couldn’t stop myself at the time (and considered it something of a business expense – hey, I’m working right now, people!), so it turns out that I actually bought three of these things. I know this sounds like an excuse, but it just made sense with how much shipping was already costing me! I mean, c’mon – I couldn’t afford not to.
Though I still have the third one in the crate and I’ll probably end up selling it new in box, if someone wants to find my email and make me an offer.
That also means I have two boats that I plan to keep, and I need names for them. Please hit me with your suggestions in the comment section. One of my subscribers suggested an absolute banger of a name with Sunny Side Up for my yellow and white solar-powered Chinese electric pleasure boat, and that’s what I went with.
Well, I did already say that I know I have a problem
Now I will say that as fun as these things are, they aren’t perfect. One of the boats arrived with its bilge pump motor always running due to a faulty float switch (oh yeah, they even have a bilge pump!). The factory also told me that they couldn’t install real cleats through the hull, though at least they did give me a bow eye that helps with tying it up.
I’ve technically been sitting on this story for a year, and I can tell you that after a year of living out in the Florida elements, one of the boat’s paint is a bit cracked near the hinges of the seat where it gets stressed from lifting the seat up to remove the battery.
The boats are also surprisingly loud. These are the loudest EVs I’ve ever seen, and I thought the F-150 Lightning was loud! A neighbor has one and I once remarked that it sounded like a jet turbine in the summer because of all its fans running, but now I know what an EV with an actual jet turbine sounds like, or at least a water jet turbine. To be more accurate, it’s not the boat that’s loud, but rather the cavitating water inside the jet turbine that is constantly screaming as its vacuum cavities repeatedly expand and collapse as they shoot out the back of the boat’s vectored thrust nozzle. It sounds like a wet, angry bat out of hell. A guy watching me from the shore of the lake actually asked if it was a two-stroke! So don’t think this is going to be a silent boat. The motor is silent, but the shooting water is loud.
Then there’s the battery. It weighs nearly 80 pounds and you have to pull the battery out to charge it – you can’t leave it in the boat and charge it since the charge and discharge port are one and the same.
I also burned out one of the chargers when I accidentally let the charger tip fall on some wet grass while it was plugged in. Poof. The magic smoke was out of the charger, and it wasn’t going back in. I’ll have to find another 84V charger and solder this massive and unique charging connector onto its output wire.
Speaking of the chargers, they are 2,500-watt chargers. They’ll impressively fill the batteries in just over two hours, but they are so powerful that they won’t run on any normal household 120V outlet. I got lucky that my dad’s garage had an RV outlet with a 30A breaker; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to use the charger.
But downsides aside, the rest of the experience was incredible! I love these things! They’re just so much fun, and they bring a smile to everyone’s face. Since I bought them a year ago, I’m seeing many more options on Alibaba for other factories starting to make and sell mini jet boats. I can all but guarantee you that within a year or two, there will be people re-selling mini jet boats in the US. Just make sure you go with a reputable company that has done its homework and can stand behind these things. A couple of years ago, I started an electric tractor company based on making a long list of improvements to what was originally a German-designed and Chinese-produced electric loader. We developed it (and subsequent models) into our own new design, offer full warranties, and keep a US warehouse stocked with replacement parts. That’s the only way to do business right, so don’t get hosed a few months from now by some fly-by-night company that read this article and then thought it would be a good idea to start hawking Chinese mini jet boats in the US. These things are quite rough around the edges (literally and figuratively) and would take some significant work to make them safe and reliable for a Western market.
And in the same vein, I don’t actually recommend anyone try and buy one of these from China, either. There’s just too much risk and too big a chance that you’ll get ripped off in the end, or you’ll get bent over a shipping container by customs and end up paying several times the purchase price in shipping and import fees.
I don’t have any plans to import and sell these, largely because of the liability (imagine how much I pay in business liability insurance just to run a tractor company) and the fact that there are too many design changes I’d need to make to turn it into something I’d be proud to stand behind and put my name on. I mostly go on these real-life Alibaba escapades because 1) I enjoy testing the weird and fun things you can find in a country that has certain product safety and manufacturing advantages compared to the West (i.e. less of the first and more of the second), and 2) so that I can share these experiences with my audience, most of whom will never have the ability to try these things themselves.
But hey, as a neat toy for my parents’ pond and the local lakes or Gulf of Mexico fun days, these are going to be perfect for us!
Because the lake deserves better than oil slicks and exhaust fumes…
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With just under two months until the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles expires, automakers are pushing the savings. We’ve put together a list of all the EVs you can still lease for under $300 a month in August.
Which EVs can you lease for under $300 in August?
Over 607,000 electric vehicles were sold in the US in the first half of 2025, but sales are expected to pick up over the next month or so.
With the EV tax credit set to expire, auto brands are offering generous discounts to lure buyers. According to Cox Automotive, average EV incentives reached an all-time high of 14.8% of the ATP (average transaction price), or nearly $8,500.
The discounts are boosting sales with several brands announcing record EV sales over the past two months. GM and Honda are leading the growth, with the Chevy Equinox EV and Prologue at the forefront.
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Who would’ve thought two affordable, long-range electric SUVs would sell? Both EVs are still available to lease for under $300 a month this August.
Chevy is offering Equinox EV leases as low as $249 for 24 months with $6,149 due at signing. You can also opt for 0% APR for 60 months in addition to the $7,500 EV tax credit, which Chevy is offering across its entire EV lineup.
2025 Chevy Equinox EV LT (Source: GM)
Chevy Equinox EV, Honda Prologue, and Acura ZDX
Lease From
Term (months)
Due at Signing
2025 Chevy Equinox EV
$249
24
$6,149
2025 Honda Prologue
$159
24
$1,099
2024 Acura ZDX
$299
24
$2,999
The Honda Prologue is listed for lease as low as $159 per month in California and other ZEV states. The offer is for a 24-month lease with $1,099 due at signing. In other states, leases still start as low as $229 per month.
You can even snag Acura’s luxury ZDX electric SUV for $299 a month right now in California and other ZEV states.
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai and Kia August EV lease deals
Lease From
Term (months)
Due at Signing
2025 Kia Niro EV
$129
24
$3,999
2025 Kia EV6
$179
24
$3,999
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5
$209
24
$3,999
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6
$169
24
$3,999
2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9
$299
36
$4,999
Hyundai’s new 2025 IONIQ 5 may take the cake with leases starting at just $129 per month in California. In other states, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is available to lease starting at $179 per month for 24 months. That’s with $3,999 due at signing.
The 2025 IONIQ 6 is listed at $169 per month for 24 months with $3,999 due at signing with up to $11,750 in lease cash.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai’s new three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9, is one of the best EV lease deals available right now, starting at just $299 per month for 36 months with a $4,999 due at signing.
Hyundai’s sister company, Kia, is offering deals on the 2025 EV6, with leases starting from $269 per month. The offer is for a 24-month lease with $3,999 due at signing.
Volkswagen ID.4 (Source: Volkswagen)
VW ID.4, Tesla Model 3, and Ford Mustang Mach-E
Lease From
Term (months)
Due at Signing
Ford Mustang Mach-E
$269
36
$4,369
Volkswagen ID.4
$129
24
$2,499
Tesla Model 3
$299
24
$3,000
2025 Toyota bZ4X
$189
36
$3,999
2025 Subaru Solterra
$279
36
$279
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a pretty good deal right now, with leases starting at $269 per month for 36 months and $4,369 due at signing.
Volkswagen is offering 2025 ID.4 leases starting at just $129 per month for 24 months. However, the offer is limited to California, Arizona, and Nevada. In other states, the ID.4 is available from $209 per month.
After cutting lease prices earlier this year, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD is now listed at $299 per month. That’s for a 24-month lease with $3,000 down.
Other EVs you can still lease for under $300 a month in August include the 2025 Toyota bZ4X and 2025 Subaru Solterra. The bZ4X starts at $189 per month, while the Subaru Solterra has leases starting from $279 for 36 months.
Looking to snag the savings while they are still available? You can use our links below to find deals on top-selling EVs in your area.
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