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A 240-tonne mining haul truck is about to be fitted with a 1.4 megawatt-hour (MWh) prototype battery system that global green energy company Fortescue has developed with equipment maker Liebherr.

UK-based engineering company WAE Technologies, which was acquired by Fortescue in March 2022, completed and delivered the battery system to Fortescue’s workshop in Perth, Australia. The battery will be assembled and installed in the mining haul truck before it’s transported to the Pilbara in Western Australia for onsite testing this year. 

The battery system marks several firsts for an electric mining haul truck battery: In addition to having energy storage of 1.4 MWh, it also has the ability to fast-charge in 30 minutes, and it can regenerate power as it drives downhill. 

A team of 50 engineers and technicians developed the power system, which weighs 15 tonnes and measures 3.6m (11.8 feet) long, 1.6m (5.2 feet) wide, and 2.4m (7.9 feet) high. It’s made up of eight sub-packs, each with 36 modules, all individually cooled and each with its own battery management system.

Fortescue says the battery system will ultimately be integral to its US $6.2 billion strategy to eliminate fossil fuels from its terrestrial iron ore operations. That includes replacing its diesel fleet with battery electric and green hydrogen-powered haul trucks.

WAE Technologies CEO Craig Wilson said:

Today marks the latest milestone in the rapid development of state-of-the-art zero emission technology for Fortescue’s mining trucks.

This high-performance power system not only boasts the highest energy storage of its kind, but will also be the first to offer 30-minute fast charging.

Read more: What does sustainable lithium mining look like?


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No one knows how NYC’s 15 mph e-bike speed limit will even work

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No one knows how NYC's 15 mph e-bike speed limit will even work

In his latest crackdown on e-bike riders, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pushing for a new citywide e-bike speed limit of 15 mph (25 km/h), despite the fact that no one seems to know how it would actually be enforced.

The proposal, introduced last month as part of a broader package aimed at improving safety on city streets, would make it illegal to ride an e-bike over 15 mph. But experts, advocates, and even city officials are scratching their heads about how the rule would work in practice.

Most consumer e-bikes are already sold with speed limits in place: 20 mph (32 km/h) for throttle assist and 28 mph (45 km/) for pedal assist, per classifications used in the majority of states in the US. Yet those limits are controlled by the bike’s electronics, not by any city infrastructure.

According to reporting by Hell Gate NYC, even the Mayor’s own office couldn’t explain what the enforcement mechanism would look like, and no single agency has so far been put in charge of enforcing the speed limit. Will the city mandate software modifications such as those that limit Class 3 e-bikes to 25 mph (40 km/h) in NYC? Would they rely on radar guns like traditional speeding enforcement for cars? Install speed cameras that can identify bikes? So far, there are no answers.

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Citi Bike has already reduced its electric bicycle fleet’s speed limits to 15 mph, but that only impacts shared e-bikes used in the city. Complicating matters further is the fact that most delivery riders – who are clearly the unspoken target of this policy – don’t use mainstream e-bikes from the major manufacturers, or even those that can accept firmware updates to adjust speed and power. Many of them ride inexpensive, sometimes heavily modified throttle bikes purchased online or from bike shops like FLY that cater to these types of riders. Such e-bikes often lack more sophisticated software speed-limiting features, and few, if any, have any form of digital connectivity that could allow for remote speed capping.

City transportation experts note that enforcement of speed limits on e-bikes is nearly impossible without clocking and stopping each rider. Unlike cars, bikes don’t have license plates. And even if a bike is capable of going faster than 15 mph, it doesn’t mean the rider is actually breaking the law – unless caught in the act. Nearly every car in NYC can likely push close to or past 100 mph (160 km/h), despite the city wide’s vehicular speed limit of just 25 mph. Advocates have also questioned the wisdom of focusing on e-bike speed while car crashes continue to injure and kill far more people.

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Range Rover’s electric SUV won’t launch this year after a surprise delay, but there’s more

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Range Rover's electric SUV won't launch this year after a surprise delay, but there's more

Range Rover’s first EV was initially scheduled to arrive later this year, but that won’t be the case. JLR has delayed the launch of the Range Rover Electric after telling customers they will have to wait a little longer. However, that may not be the only EV JLR is delaying.

Range Rover Electric and Jaguar EVs are being delayed

Although the electric SUV was originally due to hit showrooms in late 2025, it’s now being pushed back until next year.

The British automaker claimed it needed more time for testing while it waited for stronger demand. However, there’s more to the story. According to The Guardian, Jaguar Land Rover wrote to clients waiting for the Range Rover Electric, telling them deliveries will not start until 2026.

Sources close to the matter said the delay could also impact two Jaguar EV models, including the radical blue-and-pink Type 00 Concept. Jaguar’s electric vehicles are expected to be delayed by several months.

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The news comes after JLR announced plans to cut up to 500 management positions in the UK this week. Britain’s largest carmaker was hit hard by the Trump Administration’s new auto tariffs.

Range-Rover-Electric-delayed
Range Rover Electric SUV prototype testing (Source: JLR)

JLR’s sales plunged over 15% in the previous quarter after the company was forced to temporarily halt shipments to the US.

A company spokesperson confirmed that “By 2030 JLR will sell electric versions of all its luxury brands,” adding “we will launch our new models at the right time for our clients, our business and individual markets.”

Jaguar's-controversial-EV-debut
Jaguar Type 00 first public debut in Paris (Source: Jaguar)

Range Rover’s first electric SUV has secured over 61,000 customers on the waiting list. JLR claims it’s currently undergoing “the most intensive testing any Range Rover vehicle has ever endured.”

An electric version of the Velar is due for a radical new look. It’s scheduled for production in April 2026, but that could also be delayed. An electric Defender is due out in early 2027.

Meanwhile, production on Jaguar’s new EV, its first since the I-PACE, is set to begin in August 2026. Jaguar’s electric GT is expected to cost over £100,000 ($135,000) as part of its brand revamp. Its second EV may not launch until December 2027 now.

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Wheel-E Podcast: Lectric XP Trike2, Amish e-bikes, little Honda, more

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Wheel-E Podcast: Lectric XP Trike2, Amish e-bikes, little Honda, more

This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new e-bikes from Aventon and Lectric, a surge in Amish riding e-bikes, a wireless charging kickstand, cheaper electric motorcycles coming from Honda and LiveWire and more.

The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:00 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:00 a.m. ET):

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