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Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle brand LiveWire has a new e-motorcycle coming out this year, but the S2 Del Mar’s early 2023 launch has now been delayed to later this year.

The new LiveWire S2 Del Mar electric motorcycle was expected to ship as many as 7,000 units in 2023, but that estimate has been revised down to somewhere between 750 to 2,000 due to the delayed “second half of 2023” release.

LiveWire S2 Del Mar delayed

The LiveWire S2 is still expected to sell in much higher volume than the company’s existing LiveWire One electric motorcycle. The bike’s higher estimated demand is due to a lower selling price than the LiveWire One ($16,999 vs $22,700) and a larger appeal to younger, more urban riders.

The LiveWire One has proven to be a successful halo vehicle for LiveWire based on its rave reviews and high performance. However, it hasn’t reached the same level of commercial success due to its lower sales volume. The bike sold just 597 units in 2022, though that figure actually exceeded management’s predictions of 500 units, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Those 597 LiveWire One motorcycles brought in around $14M in revenue last year. Interesting, Harley-Davidson’s StaCyc electric balance bikes for kids accounts for more than twice the revenue from the LiveWire One, with a reported $33M in sales last year. Even so, LiveWire is still operating at a significant net loss while the company invests heavily in R&D of its upcoming models as well as brings in new industry talent to the young brand.

Electric motorcycles have yet to near a critical mass rate of adoption similar to electric cars, despite the many advantages of the high performance, low maintenance electric drivetrains used in e-motos.

Notwithstanding the low initial sales volume, Harley-Davidson isn’t discounting electric motorcycles. To the contrary, the company’s CEO Jochen Zeitz recently confirmed that he sees Harley’s future becoming all-electric at some point, though indicated that such a transformation will of course take many years.

The LiveWire S2 Del Mar is expected to be the first step in that transition, despite its delayed roll-out to later this year.

The new model is targeting a power rating of around 80 horsepower (60 kW) and a city range of approximately 100 miles (160 km). The bike’s 0-60 mph time of around 3.1 seconds shows just how potent an electric drivetrain can be, offering urban riders a high performance bike that can handle commuting or pleasure rides – though just not too far on the latter.

Level 2 recharging is said to top up the battery from 20-80% in 75 minutes, though that is a far cry from the nearly 30-minute charge with the LiveWire One’s DC Fast Charging.

Electrek’s Take

So here’s the thing: At this point I figure I’m one of the few people outside of Harley’s own team that has actually ridden both a LiveWire One and a LiveWire S2 Del Mar. Having tested both (see video below), I can tell you that the Del Mar is exactly what most people who liked the LiveWire One in theory truly wanted – keep the awesome performance, but drop the price.

The LiveWire S2 Del Mar offers the same type of thrilling ride as the LiveWire One, but in a slightly smaller and more approachable package. It’s also even more comfortable (in my opinion) since the reach is shorter thanks to the shorter battery pack.

The Achilles’ heel is the somewhat lower capacity battery. LiveWire hasn’t released details yet, but based on my experience with the bike and some back of the envelope math, I’m guessing the Del Mar’s battery lands in the 9.5 to 10 kWh range. Compared to the LiveWire One’s 15.5 kWh battery, that’s going to rain on a few people’s canyon carving parades. But considering that the target market is more focused on people like me – 33-year-old dudes that live in cities and just want a fun, aggressive-looking (and feeling) ride – I still think that 100 miles of range is plenty.

Consider that electric scooters with 40-60 miles of range sell like hotcakes, so that range is perfectly fine for many people. But for those that want something that looks and feels like more than just a scooter, the LiveWire S2 Del Mar does it. The price is still a bit high for a lot of new riders, but $16,999 is starting to get dangerously close to the range that can tempt many people into electric. Certainly more so than the original Harley-Davidson LiveWire’s launch price of $29,799.

This is progress, and we’re all watching it happen in real time. Imagine where we’ll be in another 24 months.

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Tesla quietly removes range extender battery option on Cybertruck

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Tesla quietly removes range extender battery option on Cybertruck

Tesla has quietly removed the Cybertruck’s range extender from the options in its online configurator.

Does Tesla still plan to bring the product to market?

When Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck in late 2023, there were two main disappointments: the price and the range.

The tri-motor version, which was the most popular in reservation tallies, was supposed to have over 500 miles of range and start at $70,000.

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Tesla now sells the tri-motor Cybertruck for $100,000 and only has a range of 320 miles.

As for the dual-motor Cybertruck, it was supposed to cost $50,000 and have over 300 miles of range. The reality is that it starts at $80,000, and it has 325 miles of range.

However, Tesla had devised a solution to bring the range closer to what it originally announced: a separate battery pack that sits in the truck’s bed. Tesla called it a “range extender.” It costs $16,000 and takes up a third of the Cybertruck’s bed.

Even though the Cybertruck has been in production for a year and a half at this point, the range extender has yet to launch.

Initially, Tesla said that it would come “early 2025”, but we reported that it was pushed to “mid-2025” late last year.

At the time, Tesla also reduced the range that the removable battery pack adds to the Cybertruck to “445+ miles” rather than “470+ miles” for the dual motor – a ~25-mile reduction in range.

Now, Tesla has removed the option from its online Cybertruck configurator. It used to take reservations for the range extender with a “$2,000 non-refundable deposit”, as seen on the image above, but now it’s not in the configurator at all at the time of writing.

It’s unclear if Tesla is not planning to launch the product anymore or if it is just pausing reservations.

In its specs page, Tesla still lists the achievable range of both versions of the Cybertruck with and without the range extender battery:

Electrek’s Take

I’m curious. Is it dead, or does Tesla just want to stop taking reservations for it?

At first, I was curious about the product even though I didn’t think it would make up for Tesla’s significant miss on Cybertruck specs.

However, after it was confirmed that it takes up 30% of your bed and that it needs to be installed and removed by Tesla at a service center, I think it’s pretty much dead on arrival at $16,000.

It’s going to be a product limited to only a few people at best. And now that’s if it makes it to market.

With the option being removed from the configurator, there’s no production timeline available. Again, the last one was “mid-2025”, which is soon.

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EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member’s Festival

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EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member's Festival

Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.

EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:

Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.

To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.

EcoFlow Member
Source: EcoFlow

EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”

Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.

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This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:

In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.

In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.

To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.

Source: EcoFlow

Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival

As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.

As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.

Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!

Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.

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Tesla loses another top talent: its long-time head of software

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Tesla loses another top talent: its long-time head of software

Tesla is losing another top talent: its long-time head of software, David Lau, has reportedly told co-workers that he is exiting the automaker.

Tesla changed how the entire auto industry looks at software.

Before Tesla, it was an afterthought; user interfaces were rudimentary, and you had to go to a dealership to get a software update on your systems.

When Tesla launched the Model S in 2012, it all changed. Your car would get better through software updates like your phone, the large center display was responsive with a UI that actually made sense and was closer to an iPad experience than a car.

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Tesla also integrated its software into its retail experience, service, and manufacturing.

David Lau deserves a lot of the credit for that.

He joined Tesla in 2012 as a senior manager of firmware engineering and quickly rose through the ranks. By 2014, he was promoted to director of firmware engineering and system integration, and in 2017, he became Vice President of software.

Lau listed the responsibilities of his team on his LinkedIn:

  • Vehicle Software:
    • Firmware for the powertrain, traction/stability control, HV electronics, battery management, and body control systems
    • UI software and underlying Embedded Linux platforms
    • Navigation and routing
    • iOS and Android Mobile apps
  • Distributed Systems:
    • Server-side software and infrastructure that provides telemetry, diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and configuration/lifecycle management
    • Data engineering and analytics platforms that power technical and business insights for an increasingly diverse set of customers across the company
    • Diagnostic tools and fleet management, Manufacturing and Automation:
  • Automation controls (PLC, robot)
    • Server-side manufacturing execution systems that power all of Tesla’s production operations
  • Product Security and Red Team for software, services, and systems across Tesla

Bloomberg reported today that Lau told his team he is leaving Tesla. The report didn’t include reasons for his stepping down.

Electrek’s Take

Twelve years at any company is a great run. At Tesla, it’s heroic. Congrats, David, on a great run. You undoubtedly had a significant impact on Tesla and software advancements in the broader auto industry.

He is another significant loss for Tesla, which has been losing a lot of top talent following a big wave of layoffs around this time last year.

I wonder who will take over. Michael Rizkalla, senior director of software engineering and vehicle firmware, is one of the most senior software engineers after Lau. He has been at Tesla for 7 years, and Tesla likes to promote within rather than hire outsiders.

There are also a lot of senior software execs working on AI at Tesla. Musk has been favoring them lately and he could fold Lau’s responsibilities under them.

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