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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The BYD “Shenzhen” set sail on its first voyage overseas this week. With 9,200 parking spots, or about enough to fill 20 football fields, BYD’s new car transport ship is now the world’s largest.
BYD’s largest car carrier sets sail for Brazil
BYD’s Shenzhen is on its maiden voyage to Brazil after setting sail on April 27. The vessel is carrying over 7,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), including electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It’s the largest single batch of NEVs exported from China so far.
The new vessel is BYD’s fourth car transport ship and the world’s largest, capable of carrying 9,000 vehicles. According to the company, that’s enough to fill about 20 football fields.
BYD launched its first car carrier, the Explorer No 1, in January 2024. It has already completed several trips to Germany, Spain, and Brazil.
Its second, the BYD Changzhou, set sail in December 2024, followed by the Hefei earlier this year. All three vessels can carry up to 7,000 vehicles, making the Shenzhen the largest so far.
The Shenzhen is named after the automaker’s hometown and demonstrates “BYD’s firm determination to promote sustainable development in Brazil.”
BYD is preparing to launch two more vessels, the Changsha and Xi’an. The Changsha is expected to launch soon, while the Xi’an was introduced on April 2.
The new car carriers will help accelerate BYD’s aggressive overseas expansion. In the first three months of 2025, the company sold over 206,000 NEVs overseas, more than double the number it sold last year.
BYD sells a wide range of vehicles in Brazil, including the low-cost Dolphin Mini, starting at around $20,000 (99,800 BRL). In October, it launched its first hybrid pickup truck, the Shark, starting at 379,800 BTL ($66,900).
Brazil is only one overseas market that BYD is targeting. BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe in 2025, with significant growth in other key regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea, to name a few.
Source: BYD
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‘Tesla homes’ in a Houston neighborhood where all the homes have Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls went for sale.
7 out of the 11 homes have reportedly already sold.
Tesla neighborhood is a term that is being used for new developments where all the homes integrate all or part of Tesla’s power ecosystem, including the Powerwall home battery pack.
The best example is a giant new development project in Austin, Texas, by Brookfield Asset Management and Dacra in which up to 12,000 new homes are to be built and offering Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls.
However, since the announcement, it looks like only some of the homes in the new neighborhood have Tesla energy systems.
In 2022, Tesla also announced a similar project in Las Vegas.
A year later, the company claimed to have deployed “over 600 solar neighborhoods” worldwide, with a total capacity exceeding 100 MW.
One such ‘Tesla neighborhood’ is a small block of 11 townhouse homes featuring Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls in Houston, Texas.
The homes were recently completed and went on sale, starting at $544,900.
Here are some pictures from the listings:
Utopia Homes, the developer behind the project, described the properties (via Chron):
Step into modern elegance expertly crafted by Utopia Homes. This property showcases groundbreaking Tesla Solar Roof Shingles and Power Wall technology, ensuring 100% energy security and eliminating electric bills for a truly sustainable lifestyle.
The house has proved popular according to the real estate agents, with 7 out of 11 homes already sold.
As we recently reported, Tesla’s solar roofs have proven to be a more expensive and niche product than the company previously presented.
Tesla has largely stopped discussing it, but it is still being deployed through some third-party installers, such as in this case, on new homes.
However, its Powerwall product remains a very popular solution for homeowners seeking greater energy independence and protection against outages, which have been a frequent problem in Texas.
More homeowners are turning to generators, and alternatives like home battery packs are gaining popularity.
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Canadian electric propulsion specialist Vision Marine continues to graduate beyond advanced outboard motors into a provider of all-electric boats. This month, Vision introduced two new electric pontoon boats – the 12-passenger V24 and 15-passenger V30, each capable of a range up to 90 nautical miles.
Vision Marine Technologies ($VMAR) is a Canadian technology company with over 25 years of experience in the marine industry. The company made waves (literally) by introducing its E-Motion turnkey powertrain system, which it has since integrated into a catamaran speedboat, which set a speed record of 109 mph in 2022.
Since then, Vision has introduced six hp two-cruiser vessels – the Fantail 217 and Volt 180, each capable of transporting 10 passengers via its E-Motion technology. Most recently, Vision Marine has integrated the full power of its 180 hp electric powertrain technology into two additional vessels, both electric pontoon boats.
Earlier this month, the company officially began sales of the Vision V24 and V30, which you can view below.
Vision Marine brings power and range to electric pontoons
According to Vision Marine Technologies, orders for its two new electric pontoon boats are now open, and they are touting the same E-Motion technology that put the company on the map a few years ago.
The first model is the V24, a 12-passenger electric pontoon that is 24′ 8″ in length and has 180 hp. The ultra-quiet E-Motion powertrain is powered by a standard 43 kWh marine battery pack, offering 40 nautical miles (46 miles) of all-electric range on a single charge. For added range, Vision sells a version of the electric pontoon with a second battery pack, totaling 86 kWh and delivering up to 90 nautical miles (104 miles) of range.
While the V24 offers more of a classic attempt at the pontoon boat, Vision’s additional new vessel, the all-electric V30, is a tad sportier and provides room for more passengers aboard (15). This 30′ vessel features the same E-Motion powertrain options, complete with the same two battery configurations to offer the same ranges as the V24.
However, the V30 has additional features such as 4 x 6.5″ interior speakers and cool-touch seats. Both models feature an integrated onboard charger that supports both 120- 240V (30 to 50 amps) for seamless charging, no matter the dock plug while moored.
The Vision V24 starts at $99,995 for the standard battery pack version, while the V30 starts at a higher price of $139,995. As previously mentioned, both electric pontoon boats are available to order today.
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