Weird Alibaba: Operate your own electric towing business with this tiny tow truck
It would give a whole new meaning to the term “small business” if you became the owner and operator of a towing company using this electric tow truck. That’s because despite getting with the times and swapping in an electric drivetrain, this tow truck is a bit on the diminutive side. Though there’s a good reason for that — mostly because it’s built for children.
But it’s just too awesome for me to pass up wanting to take my own ride in it! So fortunately for all of us, this little electric tow truck has won a highly coveted prize that it didn’t even know it was in the running for: a spot as this week’s Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week.
First of all, I love the fact that this product even exists.
Like, with all the little ride-on sports cars and off-road Jeeps and other wild or aggressive Powerwheels on the market, there would be kids out there that would rather clock in at 9 AM for a union job towing the other kids around when they break down.
Imagine if as the other neighborhood children were dressing up as Superman or Batman, your kid wanted to be a municipal waste worker for halloween. “Yea, those other kids in my class may think they’re heroes. But it’s the hard working men and women that keep this city’s waste moving orderly and systematically away from our curbs that are the real keepers of the peace.”
So good for you, kids that give up the flashy ride-on Corvette or Barbie’s Dream Car and instead have their hearts set on double clutching that four axle beast down to the rich part of town to pick up a stranded little Timmy when his ride-on Ferrari his parents got him Christmas throws a belt and can’t get service from the exotic powerwheels importer until Monday.
What? I’m not bitter.
And look, I’m not just drooling over this thing because it looks like it’d be fun to drive. I also love the features!
One of the coolest parts about it is that it’s not just a knock-off Powerwheels for your kids to drive around (or for you to “test out” first to make sure it’s safe). It’s also a giant RC car. It comes with a remote control and you can actually drive it around remotely!
Think about how funny it would be to leave that little detail out when you give it to your kids and then surprise them by taking over the controls while they’re behind the wheel. You could have your fun and teach them a valuable lesson about giving in to the convenience of connected technology despite the inherent hacking vulnerabilities that creates.
The real kicker here though is the price! At just $200, how can you not buy one of these? A dumb ride-on Silverado on Amazon costs more than this and can’t even tow anybody!
To be fair, the weak 12V system in this electric tow truck probably doesn’t have the most oomph either. It’s a far cry from a half ton truck. Hopefully it’s a half dozen pound truck, at least.
Oh, and can we all just appreciate that the little electric motorcycle on back is not only functional, but it’s also a rip-off of a BMW CE-04 electric scooter?
Let’s just hope that if one of my ill-guided readers does decide to get one of these things, that they share the details (and video) with us soon! Me? I’ll keep working on that electric boat I have on the way from Alibaba.
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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.
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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Environment
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.
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.
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.”
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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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:
We also have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
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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