Weird Alibaba: Cruise all day on this cheap electric… flatbed cart?
When it comes to four-wheeled electric vehicles, Alibaba is known to have some doozies in the low price department. But this model might take the cake for cheapest electric vehicle yet. I’m not sure what I’d use it for, but at least the $600 price tag wouldn’t be nearly as hard to justify to my wife as my $2,000 truck was.
And as some nice bonus points, it works perfectly for this week’s edition of the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week!
They call this an electric hand truck, but it seems more like a whole body truck. I’ve never seen a hand truck that I could ride to work!
The beauty of this thing is that it isn’t just a rolling cart. And it’s not even just an electrified rolling cart. It’s an entire ride-on vehicle.
It’s got a quasi-bicycle seat included so that you can ride it around instead of walking behind it. There are handlebars, a throttle, brakes, and, well… I guess that’s it. But that’s all you need to turn this into the coolest little work buggy at the job site.
The bright yellow cart will blend in with all the massive Cat diggers and other real equipment at your local construction site. Or perhaps something like this is better suited for warehouse work, where it can ferry around pallets or loose goods through endless aisles, no back strain necessary.
It even has a reconfigurable design, with the seat mount either bolting on in front of or behind the handlebar stem. That means you can sit way out behind it, steering like a Venetian gondola (see video below), or you can sit right on top and pretend you’re in the world’s flattest electric car.
There’s a foot stand too in case you want to leave the seat off and just stand up while driving, though that doesn’t sound nearly as comfortable as sitting.
For those that carry more odds and ends than big flat sheets of plywood, there’s a pickup truck-style bed option with what look like fold-down tail and side gates. That can make it easier to toss smaller items in without worrying about them shaking off somewhere along the journey.
At just 25 km/h (15 mph), it’s not like it would be too hard to come to a stop and pick up something you lost off the side. But with a measly 800W motor, you’ll probably want to keep your momentum up since the off-the-line acceleration likely isn’t much to write home about.
The 60V 20Ah lead acid battery pack doesn’t seem very large at just 1.2 kWh, but they claim it offers 50 km (30 mile) of range, which is probably farther than anyone will realistically drive this thing.
Let’s put it this way: There are worse ways you can waste your money than on buying a fun little ’round the parking lot work cart like this.
If it were me, I’d use it as an awesome blank canvas for building the coolest parade float you can imagine. Or save it for halloween and rack up more candy than anyone else with your own little mini e-truck for carrying it all back home.
The sky is the limit when you have your electric Chinese hand truck, that’s for sure!
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On today’s informative episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Honda engineers Jason Hwang and Emilio Sanchez to talk us through some of the things that make the GM Ultium-based Honda Prologue EV feel like a real Honda, and why that matters.
Jason and Emilio talk about some of the choices they made to make the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX feel different from its GM-branded cousins, and explain why this was much more than a case of badge-engineering. Give it a listen, then let us know what you think of the Prologue and ZDX in the comments.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more by clicking here.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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The first EV charging hub funded by the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Program in the Eastern US is now online in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The town installed the region’s first DC fast chargers (four ports), along with four Level 2 chargers, at 59 North Main Street in South Deerfield.
These new charging stations, funded with $2.46 million from the CFI program, are conveniently located near Interstate 91 in Franklin County, the most rural county in Massachusetts, which serves drivers from Connecticut up to the Canadian border.
The hub also features local and regional bus stops and designated bike lanes with secure onsite bike racks. The chargers are meant to cater to everyone: from local residents and visitors to municipal EVs and commercial vehicles that service the region’s businesses, like those in food and beverage manufacturing.
Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, sees this as a model for future projects:
Multi-modal charging hubs in communities are key to giving more people the choice to ride and drive electric. The Town of Deerfield is showing leadership in building out convenient charging infrastructure that brings new transportation choices to rural and disadvantaged communities while supporting local commerce.
In recent years, Deerfield has experienced increased climate change-driven flooding from nearby rivers, including the Deerfield River, the Connecticut River, and the Bloody Brook. The project incorporates environmental engineering designed to mitigate and adapt to the effects of flooding and climate, including the installation of permeable asphalt and rain gardens, planting of native trees, grasses, and shrubs, and the creation of new greenspace in the center of Deerfield.
The Biden-Harris administration’s CFI Grant Program is expanding EV infrastructure nationwide. It offers grants for projects that complement and expand upon the initiatives of the NEVI program in urban, rural, and disadvantaged and low-income communities. So far, the CFI Grant Program has allocated over $1 billion to nearly 100 projects across the US, encouraging private investments and expanding the EV charging network to make EV ownership more practical and convenient.
Read more: The US reaches milestone of 200,000+ public EV charging ports
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Kia’s upcoming EV4 electric sedan was just spotted testing in the US for the first time. The low-cost EV is expected to make its big debut by the end of the year. Here’s a look at the new model.
The EV4 will round out Kia’s new “EVs for all” master plan launched last year. Kia showcased three new models, the EV3, EV4, and EV5, during its first annual EV Day in October 2023.
During the event, Kia outlined its new global strategy to “lead and accelerate the EV revolution” with a wide range of models priced from $30,000 to $80,000.
Kia plans to rapidly expand its lineup with a series of smaller, lower-priced models. It launched the EV9, its first three-row electric SUV, which is already proving to be a hot seller in the US. Starting at under $55,000, the EV9 is still a great deal compared to others in its class, but Kia plans to go even lower.
The EV3 and EV4 are expected to be among the most affordable electric vehicles when they arrive in the US.
Kia’s new EV4 is now testing in the US
Ahead of its official debut, Kia’s new EV4 sedan was recently caught driving on US streets for the first time.
The latest image from KindelAuto doesn’t reveal much more than what’s been shown in the past, but the fact that it’s now testing in the US is significant.
Kia’s EV3 is already on sale in Korea, starting at around $30,000 (42.08 million won). Earlier this week, the company said its new compact SUV is now available across Europe, starting at around $38,000 (36,000 euros) with a “segment-leading range” of up to 375 miles (WLTP).
Next up will be the EV4. Kia is expected to officially reveal the new EV by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in 2025. It could be as soon as next week at the 2024 LA Auto Show.
The interior will feature Kia’s advanced new ccNC infotainment system with dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens. An otherwise minalimalistic design is expected inside.
Kia’s EV4 will also be available in a hatchback variant. Although the hatch is likely aimed at European buyers, it was also recently spotted testing in the US for the first time.
We will learn official prices closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Kia is teasing five new vehicles for the US, at least one being a new EV, that will debut at the LA Auto Show next week. Will it be the EV3? EV4?
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