Awesome Alibaba: Low-cost backyard construction equipment, batteries included

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2023

admin

Regularly readers of my Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column will know that I usually dig around Chinese shopping sites to find the wackiest and coolest little EVs in the world. That’s resulted in finding everything from electric submarines to mini electric Jeeps. But this time I’d say that today’s vehicles are less weird and more awesome, especially if you’ve been looking for your own electrically-powered construction equipment for your property or work site. These little electric mini loaders could be the perfect size for hobby farms and small ranches. And they’re pretty darn affordable, too!

I’ve looked into electric loaders before, and even covered another one over a year ago. But electric mini loaders from China have come a long way, as you can see by the latest models.

I stumbled upon this company Aolite, which manufacturers a pile of construction equipment from pint-sized to massive. They’ve expanded into electrically-powered construction equipment lately and two of their loaders have caught my eye.

Their first model, which seems to be produced by a number of sources, is the Aolite 604. It’s a 1,120 kg (2,470 lb) mini loader that can lift up to 400 kg (880 lb) in its front bucket. It zips around at between 10-18 km/h (6-11 mph) depending on what gear you keep it in, and gets powered by a pair of 1800W motors for the four-wheel-drive system. A third 3,000W motor runs the hydraulic system, which includes a third circuit (in addition to the lifting and dumping circuit) to create a quick hitch system or power hydraulic accessories like gripper buckets, digger attachments, etc.

The lead acid batteries aren’t fancy, but they help add to the ballast weight and give the electric loader a run time of 6-7 hours. And of course the lack of a diesel engine has a long list of advantages. You don’t spend hours on end breathing in a toxic cloud of carcinogens, you don’t have to wear ear protection to avoid slowly going deaf, the entire vehicle isn’t vibrating the entire time, and it can even be used indoors for interior demolitions and reconstruction!

For those that want something even bigger, the Aolite 606 loader is nearly twice the size, weighing in at 2,050 kg (4,520 lb). It has a more powerful lifting capacity of up to 700 kg (1,540 lb) from a larger bucket. The two drive motors are each 3,500W, with a larger 5,000W motor powering the hydraulic system.

And check out how affordable these little loaders are. The smaller electric mini loader model is priced at US $4,900 for a single unit, though the price drops to US $4,500 if you buy ten of them.

The 606 loader is a bit pricer, coming in at US $8,300 for a single unit. Just like the 604 model, the price drops as you buy more. Pick up eight of these bad boys and they’re a modest US $7,500 a piece. For comparison, a similarly spec’d diesel-powered Bobcat L23 articulated loader is priced at around US $40,000.

Both of these loaders come with a ton of optional accessories (that each cost several hundred dollars) and that can be swapped in place of the traditional loader bucket. Unfortunately they are’t compatible with each other due to the 606’s larger size.

They’ve got grass forks, pallet forks, grapple buckets, snow sweepers/plows/blowers, concrete mixing buckets, grain buckets, augers, hammers, 4-in-1 buckets, barrel clamps, and more!

The company even has an articulating electric fork lift built on a similar chassis, though I’m not sure I can find as many uses for a fork lift.

Since the loaders can come with a pallet fork for an extra couple hundred bucks, you can easily turn them into small fork lifts, even if they don’t have the same lifting height as the real fork lift offered by Aolite.

Now here’s the thing: as my regular readings will again already know, most of the time I just enjoy finding fun EVs on Alibaba by window shopping, but I’ve been known to actually buy the ones that really strike my fancy. That how I would up with an electric mini truck and a 5-seater electric boat, among other odd purchases.

And now I’m seriously considering getting an electric mini loader. For context: my parents own a small ranch with 10 acres of land, which is where my mini-truck lives out its days as a work truck (which is good since it’s not technically street-legal). An electric loader that does overtime as a small tractor would be useful to have on the property, and these might fit the bill.

So I’ve inquired about what goes into buying one of these, which led me down a road to realize I’m probably getting in over my head — but that’s fine, I’ll just buy a snorkel too.

The company’s sales rep “Alison” has been helping me, and she’s a peach. I didn’t even tell her I’m internet famous for buying questionable stuff on Alibaba or that I write this column, but she’s been helping me figure out all the options for models, accessories, packing and shipping to the US.

You see, you can’t just buy one of these since most freight companies won’t let you do LCL (less than container load) shipping, which is where the cargo is just tossed in a shared container and you only pay for the space you take up. That’s how I shipped my boat from China, but that only weighed 400-something-pounds.

So basically, I’d need to import an entire container of these electric mini loaders if I wanted one. A full 40ft container would fit 10 of the smaller loaders or 8 of the bigger loaders. That’s a bit much for me, but it turns out you can get a half-sized 20ft container that will fit four of either model.

The only problem is I don’t need four. I need one. Or maybe two, if I want one of the big ones and one of the little ones. I don’t know what I’d do with four electric mini loaders. Maybe buy a 6-ft beach ball and play 2-on-2 loader soccer with them?

That’s a bridge I’m still trying to figure out how to cross. If anyone lives within trucking range of South Florida and wants to buy a mini loader, talk to me.

I’m not sure how far I plan to go down this rabbit hole, but the more I look at these things, and the more I watch videos like the one below, the more I start to wonder how I’ve made it this far in life without my own backyard electric mini loader. There’s a decent chance you’ll see me in another month or so with a follow up article: Oops, I bought a container load of Chinese construction equipment.

[embedded content]

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

Ford F-150 Lightning sales have been falling for months: What’s going on with the EV pickup?

Published

2 hours ago

March 3, 2025

admin

Ford F-150 Lightning sales have been falling for months: What's going on with the EV pickup?

Is Ford’s electric pickup in trouble? Sales have been down for months, and February showed no relief. What’s going on with the Ford F-150 Lightning?

Ford F-150 Lightning sales drop again in February 2025

Ford’s US sales dropped by 9% last month. Although electrified vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, both notched double-digit growth, sales of Ford’s gas-powered (ICE) models, which accounted for over 85% of deliveries, fell nearly 13%.

Hybrids saw higher demand with sales up 27.5% to 15,357, while EV sales increased 15% to 7,326. The Mustang Mach-E was a bright spot with 3,312 models sold in February, up 13% from the prior year.

With 6,841 Mach-Es sold through the first three months of 2025, Ford’s electric crossover SUV remains a top-selling EV in the US.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Ford’s electric pickup didn’t fare as well. F-150 Lightning Sales were down nearly 15% last month with only 2,199 units sold. Through March, Ford has sold 15% fewer Lightning models than it did at this time last year.

Sales of the electric pickup have been slipping for months now. In the final three months of 2024, F-150 Lightning sales were down 10%.

The Lightning, alongside Rivian’s R1T, are no longer the only electric pickups on the market. Ford is facing new competition with the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado EV, and GMC Sierra EV, arriving.

According to Cox Automotive, the Tesla Cybertruck slipped past the Lightning to become the fifth best-selling EV in the US last year with nearly 39,000 units sold. Ford’s Lightning was sixth with just over 33,500 models sold.

Ford extended its “Power Promise” promo earlier this year to boost demand, giving EV buyers a Level 2 home charger and other benefits, but Lightning sales are still down.

The American automaker cut Lightning production at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center last year, citing slower-than-expected demand. A new report from Automotive News claims Ford is now ending a pilot program to stock and distribute EVs through regional hubs after it failed to catch on. It was designed to speed up deliveries.

Although Ford plans to launch a smaller midsize electric pickup, it won’t arrive until at least two more years. With new competition, like the Ram 1500 REV and Volkswagen Scout pickup, hitting the market over the next few years, Ford may find it even harder to attract buyers.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

Costco members can get up to $10,000 off the 2025 Volvo EX90

Published

2 hours ago

March 3, 2025

admin

Costco members can get up to ,000 off the 2025 Volvo EX90

Volvo-EX90 Costco — Volvo EX90 electric SUV (Source: Volvo)

Costco’s Auto Program recently introduced some new member-only incentives, and the 2025 Volvo EX90 BEV is now on its list.

Volvo is offering Costco Executive Members $2,000 off the 2025 EX90. Costco Gold Star and Business members are eligible for $1,500 off. The incentives are available on all versions of the Volvo EX90 for members who purchase or lease from February 24 to April 30, 2025. It’s the only non-GM EV that’s that’s eligible for an incentive through the EV program.

The offer is compatible with A-Plan pricing for employees, as well as Affinity Pricing for teachers and first responders. Costco members will have had to have been members as of February 23 and be the primary members on the Costco account to qualify.

Volvo-EX90-interior — Volvo EX90 interior (Source: Volvo)

However, CarsDirect gave the heads up on how buyers can get up to $10,000 off the EX90’s MSRP. As we stated, if you’re a Costco Executive Member, that’s $2,000 off. Then, add the $7,500 EV Lease Allowance and a $500 loyalty discount on leases if you currently own or lease a Volvo or have owned or leased a Volvo within the past six months.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

With the destination fee included, the base EX90 MSRP starts at $81,290, so that brings it down to $71,290, a more than 12% discount, a pretty good deal.

The 2025 AWD Volvo EX90, which can seat seven passengers comfortably, has a range of up to 310 miles and is NACS-compatible. It has a 510 hp engine, 110 kWh battery capacity, and can go from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds.

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the 2025 Volvo EX90 in stock. – trusted affiliate partner

To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Environment

Tesla chairwoman sells $33 million worth of TSLA as she lets Elon Musk destroy the brand

Published

3 hours ago

March 3, 2025

admin

Tesla chairwoman Robyn Denholm has sold another $33 million worth of Tesla stocks (TSLA) as she lets Elon Musk destroy the company’s brand.

As the head of Tesla’s board of directors, Denholm is amongst the few people who actually have oversight over Elon Musk at Tesla.

While Musk is CEO, he owns only about 13% of Tesla’s shares. Still, he is seen as having complete control over the company and the board, which is actually what led to a judge rescinding his compensation package last year.

That’s partly because when he “negotiated” himself a $55 billion compensation package with the board, the board also gave itself exorbitant compensation, which it eventually had to partly give back to the company after shareholders sued it for excessive compensation.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Despite Musk making threats to shareholders to get more control over Tesla and resorting to resource tunneling, the board, including Denholm, has remained silent.

Meanwhile, Denholm has been pocketing generational wealth through Tesla.

The chairwoman has received hundreds of thousands of Tesla shares at a discount through stock options as part of the previously mentioned “excessive board compensation,” and she has been selling them as son as she is allowed.

Last month, she sold $43 million worth of Tesla stocks, and today, Tesla revealed through a required SEC filing that Denholm is another 112,390 Tesla shares worth over $33 million through Merill Lynch:

With this sale, she has now sold over $100 million worth of Tesla stocks over the last 3 months.

Kimball Musk, Elon’s brother, and Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Taneja Vaibhav also recently sold ahead of a recent drop in the company’s stock price.

Electrek’s Take

Over $100 million in the last three months—that’s apparently the going rate for a chairperson to let Elon Musk destroy years of work building the Tesla brand.

That’s a hard deal to pass on, especially if you have low morals, which is Tesla’s main problem right now. Musk has surrounded himself with yes people with low morals.

He has distanced Tesla from its mission and no one is saying anything because they are let go or getting compensated to shut up about it.

If you are looking to install solar on your own home, to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar – whether you’re a homeowner or renter. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Some installers even offer Tesla products as shown above. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.