This guy bought a Chinese electric food truck from Alibaba. Here’s what showed up
What happens when you plunk down a pile of cash on Alibaba for an electric food truck from China, then have it shipped half way around the world to the US? That’s exactly what one of my readers decided to find out, and fortunately he shared his experience with us.
While I never intended for this to happen, I’ve somehow become something of a de facto expert on buying the weirdest electric vehicles from China. I’ve got a bit of a collection myself, plus I write a weekly column where I window shop for the weirdest electric vehicles I can find on Alibaba.
Buying wacky vehicles from China can be risky, and I always advise my readers against foolheartedly doing the same. Basically a “do what I say and not what I do” situation. That means not risking your hard-earned cash on an Alibaba pipe dream.
And yet, time and time again, you guys are as foolish as I am and go for it anyway.
This time the result was pretty darn awesome, though not without its own rollercoaster of an import adventure. An enterprising entrepreneur named Doug reached out to me after reading one of my articles about Chinese electric food trucks. We chatted about the ups and downs of these funky little things, and a few months later he had a pretty awesome looking electric food truck — or perhaps electric food tuktuk — custom built by a Chinese factory. It sported his own coffee brand’s paint job with Nitro Walnut Coffee on the side and featured a hydraulic lifting rear that could hold all the equipment needed for a mobile coffee shop while providing enough head room for baristas to stand inside while working.
As Doug explained, he’s quite tall and so a hydraulic pop top was going to be important.
As a three-wheeler, it is technically a motorcycle class vehicle and Doug was prepared to register it that way.
But upon arrival in the US, it became obvious that it was going to need some serious work.
Doug explained that he had to completely tear it down and rebuild it to make it safe to drive and also pass electrical and plumbing inspections. “All electrical and plumbing specs that came with the truck where not acceptable by the standards of WA State LNI,” he explained. “So I replaced all of it.”
He eventually got the hydraulic lift working to raise the roof and finally got the interior outfitted with all the proper equipment he needed for a mobile coffee shop.
That include a portable battery generator instead of a combustion generator to ensure both the vehicle and the coffee were emissions-free.
A year after the vehicle first arrived in the US, he had his final inspection and passed. That finally allowed “Wallie” as he named it to take to the road as fully licensed street-legal vehicle.
The performance specs on Wallie are fairly abysmal, but that seems to be just fine for a vehicle that spends most of its time parked while serving coffee. Doug described the top speed as “20 mph downhill” and the range as “4 to 6 miles.” Though he is quick to point out that the hilly Washington State terrain and extra weight from lugging around kegs of brewed coffee and water don’t do the range any favors.
Doug also had some words of wisdom regarding shopping on Alibaba that I completely agree with:
I did a lot of research into what I would need but still not enough. I would say that the process with the manufacturer is swift and if you don’t ask for it and explain yourself more than you think you need to, you will not get what you want. Being patient, slow, and respectful is the best way to go, if you are in too big of a hurry you will not get all that you need. I have done a lot of shipping and corresponding with Chinese manufacturers in the past, and I can tell you that you get what you pay for. If you want an Italian level tiny food truck for 1/5th the price, you will be very upset with what you receive.
I have spoken to many other buyers of this same product and those who think they will get a perfect vehicle for a cheap price are always upset. China has a unique culture and a unique idea of how business is done, not in a bad way but you need to understand that or you will not get what you want/need. In the end what you get is a product that functions and is simple enough to repair and/or customize.
Just as a reminder, it’s fun to live vicariously through stories like these, but I never recommend jumping in feet first on a big purchase from China like this. Doug has been around the block a few times on Alibaba, and even he had his fair share of hurdles with this food truck, including largely rebuilding the vehicle and swapping out many parts.
Other readers of mine have found that the list of required tools to get their vehicle assembled and working including things like a welder, so keep in mind that these imported vehicles can be quite an undertaking. It’s not a simple matter of clicking “buy” and then screwing on some sideview mirrors when it arrives.
There are also safety concerns. I bought a massive lithium-ion battery on Alibaba that literally shot sparks and smelled like a barbecue the first and last time I plugged it in.
So yeah, this isn’t a game for the faint of heart.
But if you’re going to ignore all of my warnings and make bad decisions like us, definitely reach out to me and let me know how it goes.
In the meantime, now I have a serious hankering for coffee. I wonder if Nitro Walnut Coffee ships?
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Tesla has quietly expanded its new MultiPass feature to more regions across Europe, allowing owners to charge at third-party stations directly through their Tesla account — no separate app, card, or registration required.
The feature, which first launched in the Netherlands earlier this year, is now rolling out to additional countries, including Germany and France, according to Tesla’s own support page. The update builds on Tesla’s push to make charging as frictionless as possible — not just at Superchargers, but across an entire network of compatible public chargers.
What is Tesla MultiPass?
Tesla describes MultiPass as a “seamless charging option” that lets drivers find and charge at third-party charging stations using their existing Tesla Account. By partnering with a network aggregator, Tesla now connects to over 1,000 charging networks and thousands of stations across Europe.
In practice, MultiPass aims to make the charging experience at third-party stations as close to a Tesla Supercharger as possible — you can simply tap your Tesla key card or select the stall in your Tesla app at a supported charger, and the cost of the session is automatically billed to your Tesla account. The same payment method used for Supercharging applies, and sessions appear right in your Tesla app’s charging history, unified with your Supercharger activity.
Tesla’s goal is to reduce the number of sign-ups and third-party accounts you need to charge outside of Tesla’s own network. MultiPass turns the Tesla key card into a universal charging credential.
Tesla owners simply need to activate MultiPass through the Tesla app:
- Open the Tesla app and check “Messages” for the MultiPass invitation
- Tap Learn More → Next
- Follow on-screen steps to activate your key card via NFC
Once activated, you can start charging sessions in two ways:
- Tap your key card directly on the supported third-party charger
- Or, start the session in the Tesla app, selecting the stall remotely
Your session appears instantly in the app, complete with cost and time details, just like any Tesla Supercharger session.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla already operates the world’s most reliable and extensive DC fast-charging network. Supercharger is probably the best thing Tesla has ever done.
But outside of the Supercharger footprint, especially in Europe’s dense urban areas, third-party chargers fill critical gaps.
MultiPass eliminates one of the last friction points for Tesla drivers to use these third-party charging stations.
It looks like after a short testing phase in the Netherlands, Tesla is now ready to expand access throughout Europe.
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Environment
It seems like Elon Musk stoking a civil war in England isn’t good for Tesla’s sales there
Tesla’s EV registrations in the UK, its biggest market in Europe, took a dramatic hit in October 2025 — just 511 units — marking one of the brand’s weakest showings in recent memory. That’s a steep drop from 971 in October 2024 and 2,677 in October 2023. The tone of the market is shifting.
Maybe Tesla’s CEO stoking a civil war in England isn’t helping the automaker’s demand in the important market.
Tesla’s sales have been struggling in Europe over the past two years, and the decline has been accelerating in 2025.
While some believed that things were stabilizing for the American automaker in Europe, the October data tells a different story. Tesla had its worst month of deliveries of the year in 12 of its 15 biggest European markets.
As Tesla sales in Germany crashed over the last year, partly because Tesla CEO Elon Musk supported the far-right AfD party, the UK became Tesla’s biggest market in Europe.
But now it looks like the UK is going in the same direction.
According to registration data, Tesla delivered only 511 vehicles in the UK in October 2025. Tesla has over 50 stores in the country – that’s an average of roughly 10 vehicles per location for the whole month.
It’s the worst monthly performance since October 2022.
Much as Tesla’s demand crashed in Germany, Elon Musk’s politics might be behind the lower demand in the UK.
The CEO regularly comments on UK politics and often shares inflammatory reports about crimes perpetrated by immigrants. He also shares misleading crime and immigration statistics aimed at spreading hatred.
After he tweeted that “Civil war is inevitable. Just a question of when.”, he was accused of stoking a civil war in the country.
Musk’s public commentary on UK topics has sparked backlash and resulted in his “unfavorability rating” reaching 80% in the country.
Electrek’s Take
Meanwhile, Tesla’s demand cliff is opening the door to competitors. BYD is now expected to outsell Tesla in the whole year of 2025 in the UK despite Tesla having a presence in the market for much longer.
Not many industry watchers thought it would happen this fast.
Tesla appears to be completely missing out on the surge of EV sales in Europe due to a mix of having a stagnant EV lineup, brand problems brought on by a controversial CEO, and increased competition.
In the US, Musk is believed to have cost Tesla about 1 million sales over the last 3 years.
I think it will soon be approaching this number in Europe.
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Rondo Energy and energy producer EDP are installing a massive 100 MWh renewable-powered heat battery at HEINEKEN’s brewery in Lisbon, Portugal. The project will deliver round-the-clock renewable steam and reduce emissions without altering the facility’s beer brewing process.
Brewing HEINEKEN with zero-carbon steam
The Rondo Heat Battery (RHB) will be the biggest deployed in the beverage industry worldwide. It can store electricity as high-temperature heat using refractory bricks, then convert that heat into 24/7 steam, all without burning fossil fuels.
At HEINEKEN’s Central de Cervejas e Bebidas Brewery and Malting Plant, the heat battery system will supply 7 MW of steam, powered by renewable electricity from onsite solar and the grid. That steam is identical to steam created by gas-fired boilers, but without the carbon pollution.
EDP is providing the renewable electricity and will deliver the steam directly to HEINEKEN via a Heat-as-a-Service model. Rondo is supplying the battery, and HEINEKEN gets to ditch fossil fuels without retooling its brewing process.
Why this matters
This project is a big win for industrial decarbonization. High-temperature steam is one of the most complex parts of manufacturing to electrify, and the beer industry runs on it. HEINEKEN’s Lisbon site already uses solar panels for electricity and electric heat pumps for hot water, and this move helps it go even further.
It’s part of HEINEKEN’s “Brew a Better World” plan to hit net zero emissions by 2040 and decarbonize all of its global production sites by 2030.
Additionally, the deployment aligns with Portugal’s national target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
The bigger picture
With the European Investment Bank and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst backing this and other Rondo projects with €75 million in funding, this Lisbon installation is just the beginning. Rondo’s technology enables energy-hungry industries to switch from fossil fuels to renewable electricity without compromising 24/7 operations.
Rondo CEO Eric Trusiewicz sums it up: “We are thrilled to be installing our first Rondo Heat Battery in Iberia, and to support HEINEKEN to reach its goals. We look forward to helping industries across Iberia cut costs and carbon, and help Iberia capitalize on the opportunity.”
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