Power storage and solar experts Growatt have just debuted the VITA 550 Portable Power Station after the success of its INFINITY 1500 and optional solar panel arrays. The compact model is being sold at a special introductory price until January 31. Get $130 off for a limited time with coupon code “GroVita550”.
Read on to learn more about this small device that offers big possibilities for charging a wide array of appliances.
VITA 550 Portable Power Station
Easy-to-carry battery-powered portable power stations are typically lighter than traditional generators, and they’re safe to operate indoors, unlike gas-powered generators. They’re ideal for camping and road trips and provide home backup during power outages. They can also be used for DIY and off-grid living.
All Growatt portable power stations, which are equipped with AC outlets, DC ports, and USB ports, have handles so that you can take them wherever and whenever you want.
Growatt debuted the VITA 550 Portable Power Station on January 5 at the US CES. The Growatt VITA 550 is a portable power station that can supply all your small device needs, and much more. The station houses 11 output modes:
3x 110v AC Ports
2x USB-A 2.4a Ports
1x USB-A 18w Max Port
1x USB-C 100w Max Port
1x 12v DC Port (Cigarette Lighter)
2x DC Barrel Jack Ports
1x Wireless Power for Compatible Devices
Weighing in at just 18.5lbs this small power bank incorporates a bi-directional inverter and 538wh of LiFePO4 capacity. The bi-directional inverter increases the charging speed and save the users from bringing the bulky adapter. The recharge speed of the VITA 550 is spectacular, as it’s able to fully recharge in 1.6 hours. To give you a comparison, it’s common for electric bike batteries of this size to recharge in 4 hours.
If it’s hooked up to 100W or 200W Growatt solar panels, then the VITA 500 can charge in 2.5 hours under full sunlight with a 240W solar input. At 2.5H, Growatt’s solar panels are some of the best in the industry: They have 99% MPPT efficiency and almost no energy loss occurs. Pairing solar panels with your battery is a must, as that ensures you can always get power from the outdoors and don’t have to rely on the grid.
Easy to read, and use
The display on the VITA 550 is incredibly easy to read and understand. The charge level is front and center, and the output levels are shown both in watts, but also in time remaining. This offers easy to read answers for those of us who don’t want to face off against math class every-time we plug in a phone.
Actually using the device is pretty much plug and play. With the press of a button the ports will instantly provide power to whatever is plugged in, and the display will show how much time you can continue until the battery needs to be recharged. Super simple. With a total of 600W of output, you can use a much wider array of power needs all at once. There are limitations. For example, I plugged in a space heater that was over 600W, and the VITA 550 simply shut down for safety. While it doesn’t offer much in terms of burst power or heavy needs, it’s a great way to put a toe into the water, and even expand into a high-efficiency solar array (100W or 200W) from Growatt.
A wealth of features
On top of the device is a wireless power transfer platform, allowing for seamless charging for compatible phones and devices. If that wasn’t enough, it also includes a steady and SOS flashing LED light. In a tight spot or emergency, it’s good to know the light can be flashing for help. Controlling the device is incredibly easy, but with the My-Gro app, it’s even easier. The VITA 550 has both bluetooth and wifi connectivity, allowing the unit to be monitored and even controlled directly from your phone.
About Growatt
Growatt is a top global power storage manufacturer with 11 years of experience in residential energy storage and solar energy solutions. Its battery storage products feature built-in bidirectional inverters, super-fast AC and solar charging speeds, and 99% MPPT efficiency.
The company, which is an expert in the clean energy solar and storage field, is recognized across Europe and the United States for its top-quality solar and battery storage product performance. It’s provided quality products to more than 3 million families and individuals.
Buy a VITA 550 Portable Power Station now with a $100 off and an extra $30 off with coupon code “GroVita550” during the early-bird pre-sale to bring the price down to $399.
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After canceling the upcoming Airflow electric crossover and killing its popular 300 sedan, Chrysler only has one nameplate left in its lineup – but it doesn’t have to be this way. Stellantis already builds a full-size electric sedan that could prove to be a badge-engineered winner.
And, yes – it really should have been the new Chrysler 300. Meet the DS No. 8.
Stellantis’ US brands have had a tough go of the last few years, with Jeep trying and failing to bait luxury buyers willing to part with six-figure sums for a new Grand Wagoneer orgenerate excitement for the new electric Wagoneer S. The Dodge brand is doing to better with the Charger, a confusing electric muscle car that has, so far, failed to appeal to enthusiasts of any kind. Meanwhile, the lone Chrysler left standing, the Pacifica minivan, made its debut back in 2016. Nearly ten long model years ago.
Spec-wise, the DS meets the bill, as well. With a 92.7 kWh battery and the standard 230 hp electric motors on board, the electric crossover is good for 750 km (466 miles) of range on the WLTP cycle. With the same battery and a 350 hp dual-motor setup that sacrifices about 40 miles of range for a more sure-footed AWD layout and a 5.4 second 0-60 time that compares nicely to the outgoing Chrysler 300 V8.
The DS offers reasonably rapid 150 kW charging, too, enabling a 10-80% charge (over 300 miles of additional driving range) in less than thirty minutes.
Why it would work
DS Automobiles No. 8; via Stellantis.
Think of all the reasons the Wagoneer S and Charger Daytona EVs have failed to reach an audience. From the confusing Wagoneer “sub-branding” to the fact that no one was really asking for either an eco-conscious muscle car or a loud EV. On the flip side of that, the 300 is something different.
With the DS No. 8, Chrysler could do it again. It could revive its classic American nameplate on a European-designed platform that wasn’t designed to be a Chrysler, doesn’t look like a Chrysler, and shouldn’t work as a Chrysler, but somehow does. The fact that it could also be the brand’s first successful electric offering in the US would just be a bonus.
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Powered by tech giant Huawei 5G-Advanced network, a fleet of over 100 Huaneng Ruichi all-electric autonomous haul trucks and heavy equipment assets have been deployed at the Yimin open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia.
With more than 100 units on site, China’s state-backed Huaneng Group officially deployed the world’s largest fleet of unmanned electric mining trucks at the Yimin coal plant in Inner Mongolia this past week. The autonomous trucks use the same Huawei Commercial Vehicle Autonomous Driving Cloud Service (CVADCS) powered by the ame 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network that powers its self-driving car efforts. Huawei says it’s the key to enabling the Yimin mine’s large-scale vehicle-cloud-network synergy.
Huawei is calling the achievement a “world’s first,” saying the new system has improved operator safety at Yimin while setting new benchmarks for AI and autonomous mining.
For their part, Huaneng Ruichi claims its cabin-less electric offer an industry-leading 90 metric ton rating (that’s about 100 imperial tons) and the ability operate continually in extreme cold temperatures as low as -40° (it’s the same, C or F), while delivering 20% more operational efficiency than a human-driven truck.
The Huawei-issued press release is a bit light on truck specs, but similar 90 tonne electric units claim 350 or 422 kWh LFP battery packs and up to 565 hp from their electric drive motors and some 2,300 Nm (1,700 lb-ft) of tq from 0 rpm.
Huawei executives said the Ruichi trucks reflect the company’s vision for smarter mining operations, with the potential to introduce similar technologies in markets like Africa and Latin America. The 100 asset electric fleet marks the first phase of a plan to deploy 300 autonomous trucks at the Yimin mine by 2028.
Electrek’s Take
Electric haul trucks; via Huawei.
From drilling and rigging to heavy haul solutions, companies like Huaneng Group are proving that electric equipment is more than up to the task of moving dirt and pulling stuff out of the ground. At the same time, rising demand for nickel, lithium, and phosphates combined with the natural benefits of electrification are driving the adoption of electric mining machines while a persistent operator shortage is boosting demand for autonomous tech in those machines.
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Tesla has started accepting Cybertruck trade-ins, something that wasn’t the case more than a year after deliveries of the electric pickup truck started.
We are starting to see why Tesla didn’t accept its own vehicle as a trade-in: the depreciation is insane.
The Cybertruck has been a commercial flop.
When Tesla started production and deliveries in late 2023, the vehicle was significantly more expensive and had less performance than initially announced.
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At one point, Tesla boasted having over 1 million reservations for the electric pickup truck, but only about 40,000 people ended up converting their reservations into orders.
Tesla didn’t share an explanation at the time, but we assumed that the automaker knew the Cybertruck was depreciating at an incredible rate and didn’t want to be stuck with more trucks than it was already dealing with.
Now, Tesla has started taking Cybertruck trade-ins, at least for the Foundation Series, and it is now providing estimates to Cybertruck owners (via Cybertruck Owners Club):
Tesla sold a brand-new 2024 Cybertruck AWD Foundation Series for $100,000. Now, with only 6,000 miles on the odometer, Tesla is offering $65,400 for it – 34.6% depreciation in just a year.
Pickup trucks generally lose about 20% of their value after a year and 34% after about 3-4 years.
It’s also wroth nothing that Tesla’s online “trade-in estimates” are often higher than the final offer as noted in the footnote o fhte screenshot above.
Electrek’s Take
This is already extremely high depreciation, but Tesla is actually trying to save face with estimates like this one.
As Tesla wouldn’t even accept Cybertruck trade-ins, used car dealers also slowed down their purchases as they also didn’t want to be caught with the trucks sitting on their lots for too long.
On Car Guru, the Cybertruck’s depreciation is actually closer to 45% after a year and that’s more representative of the offers owners should expect from dealers.
That’s entirely Tesla’s fault. The company created no scarcity with the Foundation Series. They built as many as people wanted. In fact, they built too many and ended having to “buff out” the Foundation Series badges on some units to sell them as regular Cybertrucks and as of last month, Tesla still had some Cybertruck Foundations Series in inventory – meaning they have been sitting around for up to 6 months.
Now, Tesla is stuck with thousands of Cybertrucks, early owners are already getting rid of their vehicles at an impressive rate, and the automaker had to slow production to a crawl.
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