Connect with us

Published

on

Taking place in Topeka, Kansas, from June 27 through July 2 at Heartland Motorsports Park, this year’s Electrek Formula Sun Gran Prix puts an international group of 22+ school’s solar vehicle teams against each other in an on-track race.

The solar cars will be on the track June 30, 10 am to 6 pm, and July 1-2, 9 am to 5 pm, completing as many laps as possible on solar power. Admission is free, and we will be there. Join us!

EVs, solar, batteries, engineering, college teams, racing… This is what we’re about at Electrek. That’s why we’re sponsoring the event along with Blue Origin, Heartland Motor Sports, and more to come.

But it isn’t just us that keeps a close eye on these solar racers. It is important to note that EV, battery, and solar companies, including Tesla, carefully watch these events as well.

In fact, Tesla’s cofounder and former CTO (and possible future board member) JB Straubel participated in Stanford’s Solar Car team and noted (starting at about 11 minutes in the video below):

“Solar car team’s technologies are often ahead of their time in term of looking at next best generation of batteries, best solar panels, best motors and converters, things like that…Most of my involvement with the solar car team was toward the end of my stay at Stanford. I had many friends that were part of that team throughout my time there and I recruited most of the people from the team, and we started Tesla. It was a key thing at the beginning of Tesla.”

Of course, Tesla and other EV automakers and solar/battery firms are still recruiting from these teams:

“I think it matters more than most classes you can take. I mean it’s one of things that even today at Tesla we look at resumes and we consider higher than GPAs and perhaps even higher than what classes they decided here and there.”

We’ll have more information as race time nears. Keep an eye on the website as well.

Starting June 27, the solar cars will begin scrutineering – a series of inspections – including mechanical and electrical systems, body & sizing, dynamic testing, and more. Teams that pass ‘scrutineering’ will then put their solar cars to the test in the 3-day track event, running June 30-July 2 with 24 total hours of drive time (three 8-hour days) on solar power. Teams are given defined morning and evening charging hours to recharge the solar car’s batteries with the car’s solar array. The Formula Sun Grand Prix is much more about reliability, adjusting for weather conditions, and strategic energy management than raw speed, though that doesn’t mean teams won’t also go for the bragging rights of fastest lap!

Innovators Educational Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit that organizes solar car events in the United States, including the American Solar Challenge (road event) and the Formula Sun Grand Prix (track event), to provide hands-on, multi-disciplined learning opportunities for college students. The Formula Sun Grand Prix is not in any way associated or affiliated with the Formula 1 companies, FORMULA 1 racing, or the FIA Formula One World Championship.

If you or your company would like to chip in on this event or get more info, contact Gail Lueck, event director, at [email protected]

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Wheel-E Podcast: 65 MPH ONYX moped, lightweight Dahon e-bikes, more

Published

on

By

Wheel-E Podcast: 65 MPH ONYX moped, lightweight Dahon e-bikes, more

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 a new ONYX RCR 80V electric moped, new lightweight e-bike motors, Aventon’s powerful update, California cops catching illegal e-bike riders with drones, a super lightweight new e-bike from Dahon, and more.

Today’s episode is sponsored by CYCROWN, an e-Bike company born from a passion for cycling. Its lineup now includes the new CYCROWN Dremax – a high-performance urban commuter e-bike now on sale in the US and Canada. Use Electrek50 to save $50 off your new eBike when you order.

The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

After the show ends, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Overcast

Pocket Casts

Castro

RSS

We also have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:00 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:00 a.m. ET):

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

China’s nationwide ‘cash for clunkers’ trade-in program causing huge e-bike boom

Published

on

By

China's nationwide 'cash for clunkers' trade-in program causing huge e-bike boom

While much of the Western world is still figuring out how to get more people on electric bikes, China just flipped a switch, and the results are staggering. Thanks to a generous nationwide trade-in program rolled out around six months ago, China has seen an explosive surge in electric bicycle sales, with over 8.47 million new e-bikes hitting the road in the first half of 2025 alone.

The program, which offers subsidies to riders who trade in their old, often outdated electric bikes for newer, safer, and more efficient models, has sparked a new e-bike sale boom in a country already dominated by e-bike travel. In major provinces like Jiangsu, Hebei, and Zhejiang, over one million new e-bikes were sold in each region in just six months. That’s a tidal wave of e-bike sales.

The incentives vary depending on location and the model being traded in, but for many consumers, the subsidies cover a substantial portion of a new e-bike’s price – enough to turn a “maybe next year” purchase into a “right now” upgrade. And these aren’t just budget bikes either. The program has driven demand for higher-quality models with better batteries, safer braking systems, and more reliable electronics, accelerating both adoption and innovation across the industry.

The move has proven successful in replacing the millions of older models with lower-quality lithium-ion batteries that had posed safety risks around the country. Instead, China has pushed for higher-quality lithium-ion batteries, a return to a newer generation of higher-performance AGM batteries, and even interesting new sodium-ion battery options.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Most e-bikes in China look more like what we’d consider seated scooters

According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, more than 8.4 million consumers have participated in the e-bike trade-in program so far, contributing to a sales increase of 643.5% year-over-year and more than doubling sales month-over-month. Meanwhile, production of new electric bicycles rose by nearly 28%, as manufacturers scrambled to meet demand. The sales boosts have already been seen in the financial reports of major industry players like NIU.

And it’s not just the big players benefiting – over 82,000 small independent e-bike dealers reported average sales increases of ¥302,000 (around US $42,000), giving a serious boost to local economies.

What’s particularly striking here is how fast this happened. The program was officially launched late last year as part of a broader effort to stimulate domestic consumption and phase out outdated vehicles and appliances. But while most analysts expected gradual growth, the e-bike sector responded much more quickly. In less than a year, the trade-in subsidies have reshaped the electric bicycle market, creating a consumer-driven boom that shows no signs of slowing.

For those of us watching from outside China, it’s hard not to wonder what might happen if other countries tried something similar. While most families in Chinese cities already own an electric bike and thus see this as an opportunity to trade it in for a newer model, Western countries like the US are still figuring out how to stimulate commuters into buying their first e-bike.

It’s too soon to know exactly how long the boom will last or whether the momentum will carry into 2026 and beyond. We’ve seen bicycle industry bubbles grow and burst before. But one thing’s clear: with the right incentives, even modest ones, it’s possible to ignite real, large-scale change. China just proved it with nearly 8.5 million new e-bikes to show for it.

And if you’re wondering what it looks like when a country takes electric micromobility seriously, this is it.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]

Published

on

By

Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]

Today was the official start of racing at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! There was a tremendous energy (and heat) on the ground at NCM Motorsports Park as nearly a dozen teams took to the track. Currently, as of writing, Stanford is ranked #1 in the SOV (Single-Occupant Vehicle) class with 68 registered laps. However, the fastest lap so far belongs to UC Berkeley, which clocked a 4:45 on the 3.15-mile track. That’s an average speed of just under 40 mph on nothing but solar energy. Not bad!

In the MOV (Multi-Occupant Vehicle) class, Polytechnique Montréal is narrowly ahead of Appalachian State by just 4 laps. At last year’s formula sun race, Polytechnique Montréal took first place overall in this class, and the team hopes to repeat that success. It’s still too early for prediction though, and anything can happen between now and the final day of racing on Saturday.

Congrats to the teams that made it on track today. We look forward to seeing even more out there tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some shots from today via the event’s wonderful photographer Cora Kennedy.

Stay tuned for more!

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News.

You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Continue Reading

Trending