Swedish heat pump maker Qvantum has debuted an award-winning apartment heat pump that’s so compact, it can fit under a kitchen sink.
Limhamn, Sweden-based Qvantum’s new QG apartment heat pump, which offers integrated heating, cooling, and hot water in one system, was awarded the German ISH Design Plus 2023 award this month. The Design Plus award is given to “future-proof products” that demonstrate “sustainability, aesthetic appeal, and functionality.”
The 6 kW heat pump is modular, so it’s easy to install and service. Its dimensions are 230 mm x 430 mm x 410 mm (9 in x 17 in x 16 in), and it weighs 30 kg (66 lbs).
The pre-plumbed indoor water tank unit can be hung on a wall anywhere in the apartment. Its dimensions are 500 mm x 500 mm x 1,050 mm (19.7 in x 19.7 in x 41 in) and weighs 95 kg (209 lbs). It has a capacity of 145 liters (38 gallons).
Qvantum’s apartment heat pump is based on local low-temperature district heating networks with centrally placed heat pumps. The networks have a water temperature of around 10-20C (50-68F). The energy in that grid is used by the apartment heat pumps to provide heating and cooling. The company says its apartment heat pump can produce hot water up to 70C (158F).
Excess heat and cold is harvested along the circuit, and the energy is recycled to the grid. The concept is known as fifth-generation district heating, and it saves around 80% of energy compared to gas heating. It’s also net zero if renewable electricity is used.
The majority of all apartments in Europe are heated by small gas burners that are installed in each apartment.
We replace the gas burners with low-temperature local district heating networks that are then combined with these compact heat pumps. Our solution makes it possible for European building owners to rapidly switch to fossil-free heating, both in new and old developments.
Qvantum is building a new factory to meet demand, and it will have a production capacity of around 50,000 heat pumps per year, but the company doesn’t indicate when its factory will be up and running.
In 2023, the 30-year-old company raised €42 million from investors in a B-round. Besides the apartment heat pump, Qvantum also sells exhaust air, geothermal, and air-to-water heat pumps that range from 4 to 192 kilowatts.
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With new models rolling out from General Motors, Porsche, Honda, and several others, US EV sales increased by over 10% in the first three months of 2025. Nearly 300,000 EVs were sold in the first quarter of 2025. These were the top-selling models.
New EVs drive US sales growth in Q1 2025
Electric vehicle sales showed mixed results in the first quarter. Although Tesla is the center of attention as it continues to lose market share, several new EV models made an impressive debut.
With over 30,000 EVs sold in the first quarter, more than double the number sold last year, GM surpassed Ford and Hyundai Motor, placing second behind Tesla. GM’s Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US, with the new electric Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado arriving.
GM sold 10,329 Chevy Equinox, 6,187 Blazer, and another 2,383 Silverado EVs in Q1. Thanks to its partnership with GM, Honda had an impressive sales quarter, selling over 14,000 EVs, including its luxury Acura brand.
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The Prologue SUV remained one of the top-sellers with 9,561 units sold in the first quarter, while the Acura ZDX added another 4,813.
New Entries: EV sales volume in Q1 2025 (Source: Cox Automotive)
According to Cox Automotive, Honda led EV sales growth for new entrants in Q1, followed by Acura, Jeep, and Dodge.
Jeep sold 2,595 Wagoneer S models during the quarter, its first electric SUV sold in the US. Dodge, another Stellantis-owned brand, sold 1,947 Charger EVs, or what it calls the world’s first electric muscle car.
Although Chevy’s Equinox EV made a statement in Q1, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E remained the top-selling non-Tesla with 11,607 models sold.
Rank
EV model
Q1 2025 sales
1
Tesla Model Y
64,051
2
Tesla Model 3
52,520
3
Ford Mustang Mach-E
11,607
4
Chevrolet Equinox EV
10,329
5
Honda Prologue
9,561
6
Hyundai IONIQ 5
8,611
7
Volkswagen ID.4
7,663
8
Ford F-150 Lightning
7,187
9
BMW i4
7,125
10
Tesla Cybertruck
6,406
Top 10 best-selling EVs in the US in Q1 2025 (Source: Cox Automotive)
After introducing the upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5 (which now has even more range and an NACS charging port), Hyundai sold 8,611 electric SUVs in Q1, an increase of 26% from last year.
Porsche had the highest EV sales volume growth after launching the electric Macan. With 3,339 units added, the Macan EV made up for Porsche Taycan sales falling 18% to just 1,019.
EV sales volume change by brand Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024 (Source: Cox Automotive)
As Cox Automotive Analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty noted, “The year certainly started strong, but the road ahead will be anything but smooth.”
Trump ending federal incentives and introducing new tariffs will “pose a monumental challenge for many automakers,” according to Valdez Streaty. Despite several new models arriving and significant incentives being offered (at least for now), the rest of 2025 “will likely be a volatile one for EV sales in the US.”
Ready to score some savings while they are still here? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to find deals on the top-selling EVs in your area.
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Based on a capable Volvo FM Electric 8×4 chassis, Putzmeister revealed one of the world’s largest all electric concrete pump trucks at the bauma equipment expo in Munich, Germany this week. The zero-emission concrete pumper can up to 50 km and pump approximately 50 cubic meters of concrete on a single charge.
50 km (a little over 30 miles) and 50 cubic meters (about 65 cubic yards) may not seem like impressive numbers, but consider this: a single cubic yard of concrete weighs a little over 4,000 lbs. (2 tons). A bit of simple math later, and you’ve got a quiet, vibration-free machine blasting (65 cu. yds ×4,100 lbs./yd = 266,500 lbs.) of construction material nearly 140 feet (42 meters) in the air.
That’s over 130 tons of construction material moved a really long way, and that’s (of course) without the use of diesel or gas.
“Volvo Trucks is the innovator when it comes to new technologies in combination with electric trucks. After presenting electric concrete mixers and heavy applications for mining, we are proud to show yet another world-class innovation for the construction segment here at bauma,” says Christoph Fitz, Head of Sales at Volvo Trucks in Germany. “With this electric pump truck, customers can have a zero-exhaust emission solution, low-noise operation and an efficient process thanks to the work-while-charging capacity.”
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The Volvo FM Electric-based concrete pump is motivated by a pair of electric motors developing a continuous 330 kW (442 hp) of output through the company’s proprietary I-Shift gearbox. The truck’s four battery packs add up to 360 kWh of capacity, which can DC fast charge at speeds up to 250 kW or operate continuously (pumping even more material) with grid power or PU500 remote power connection.
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 an analysis of how the Trump tariffs will affect e-bike pricing in the US, USB-C chargeable e-bikes launched by Ampler, Specialized e-bike recall, Juiced Bikes revived as a brand, kayak camping with the JackRabbit XG Pro, Walkcar’s new device that does the walking for you, and more.
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