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From the land of lifted trucks comes something a bit more reserved, the AYRO Vanish electric mini-truck. The sub-13 ft. (3.9) mini-truck with a bigger bed than many full-size pickup trucks hails from AYRO’s factory in Round Rock, Texas. And now the small electric utility truck is embarking on a statewide tour to prove its mettle.

The design looks like a modern twist on a classic kei truck, using a cab-over design with a long and modular flatbed in the rear.

And while the Vanish may be smaller than a typical pickup truck, its hauling performance of 1,200 lb. (544 kg) is still quite impressive. In fact, it’s nearly identical to the hauling capacity of a new Ford F-150 High-output 3.5L EcoBoost V6. And believe it or not, the bed on the Vanish is actually longer than the F-150’s.

The Vanish is currently undergoing street-legal homologation as an LSV (low-speed vehicle) in the US, which limits its speed to 25 mph (40 km/h). However, a non-street-legal version designed for private land use is also available, and it actually offers a 50% higher hauling capacity.

AYRO recently began taking pre-orders for the Vanish, which is priced at $33,990. While that price is more expensive than several other imported electric mini-trucks, the Vanish’s modular design (and soon-to-be-street-legal status) is a key differentiator. The company also says that the Vanish should result in 50% lower operating costs when compared to a gasoline-powered counterpart.

AYRO expects the Vanish to be popular with commercial operators who are seeking an electric truck with more cargo space than a typical electric pickup, yet that can be easily operated around cramped venues, indoors at warehouses and factories, and for those that need more modular cargo options.

With the rear bed coming in three setups of flatbed, pickup-style bed (with three fold-down gates), and box truck configuration, the Vanish is more versatile than a typical pickup truck. Its lower deck height also makes it easier to load and unload.

The 25 mph (40 km/h) limit may be limiting for higher speed roads, but the vehicle isn’t intended for that kind of use. Instead, it’s meant for urban and utility work where a smaller vehicle that can carry more will excel. Potential applications include utility roles in medical, corporate, and education campuses; hotels and resorts; stadiums and arenas; governments and municipalities; airports; industrial parks and more.

Now the company is taking the truck on the road, touring across Texas to demonstrate its abilities.

Starting August 2, AYRO will be traveling to cities across Texas to offer potential and current partners, dealers, and customers the chance to experience the electric mini-truck in person with hands-on demos.

As AYRO CEO Tom Wittenschlaeger explained:

AYRO’s design of the award-winning Vanish has been hailed for its functionality, creativity, and innovation, all without sacrificing sustainability. This roadshow is an opportunity for current and potential partners and select customers to meet our team, ask questions, and experience our cutting-edge design first-hand.

If you’re in Texas and want to see the Vanish in action, you can meet the team at the following stops. Check AYRO’s site for exact event locations.

Wednesday, August 2 San Antonio, Texas
Wednesday, August 9 Houston, Texas
Tuesday, August 15 Dallas, Texas
Wednesday, August 16 Fort Worth, Texas
Tuesday, August 22 Waco, Texas
Wednesday, August 23 College Station, Texas
Thursday, August 24 Austin, Texas

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Kia’s EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK right now

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Kia's EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK right now

Kia’s electric SUVs are taking over. The EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK this year, giving Kia its strongest sales start since it arrived 34 years ago. And it’s not just in the UK. Kia just had its best first quarter globally since it started selling cars in 1962.

Kia EV3 is the best-selling EV in the UK through March

In March, Kia sold a record nearly 20,000 vehicles in the UK, making it the fourth best-selling brand. It was also the second top-seller of electrified vehicles (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs), accounting for over 55% of sales.

The EV3 remained the best-selling retail EV in the UK last month. Including the EV6, three-row EV9, and Niro EV, electric vehicles represented 21% of Kia’s UK sales in March.

Kia said the EV3 “started with a bang” in January, darting out as the UK’s most popular EV in retail sales. Through March, Kia’s electric SUV has held on to the crown. With the EV3 rolling out, Kia sold over 7,000 electric cars through March, nearly 50% more than in Q1 2024.

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The EV3 was the best-selling retail EV in the UK in the first quarter and the fourth best-selling EV overall, including commercial vehicles.

Kia-EV3-best-selling-EV
Kia EV3 Air 91.48 kWh in Frost Blue (Source: Kia UK)

Starting at £33,005 ($42,500), Kia said it’s the “brand’s most affordable EV yet.” It’s available with two battery packs, 58.3 kWh or 81.48 kWh, good for 430 km (270 miles) and 599 km (375 miles) of WLTP range, respectively.

Kia-EV3-best-selling-EV
From left to right: Kia EV6, EV3, and EV9 (Source: Kia UK)

With new EVs on the way, this could be just the start. Kia is launching several new EVs in the UK this year, including the EV4 sedan (and hatchback) and EV5 SUV. It also confirmed that the first PV5 electric vans will be delivered to customers by the end of the year.

Electrek’s Take

Globally, Kia sold a record 772,351 vehicles in the first quarter, its best since it started selling cars in 1962. With the new EV4, the brand’s first electric sedan and hatchback, launching this year, Kia looks to build on its momentum in 2025.

Kia has also made it very clear that it wants to be a global leader in the electric van market with its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business, starting with the PV5 later this year.

Earlier today, we learned Kia’s midsize electric SUV, the EV5, is the fourth best-selling EV in Australia through March, outselling every BYD vehicle (at least for now). The EV5 is rolling out to new markets this year, including Canada, the UK, South Korea, and Mexico. However, it will not arrive in the US.

For those in the US, there are still a few Kia EVs to look forward to. Kia is launching the EV4 globally, including in the US, later this year. Although no date has been set, Kia confirmed the EV3 is also coming. It’s expected to arrive in mid-2026.

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Podcast: Tesla’s disastrous deliveries, more Trump tariffs, EV delivery numbers, and more

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Podcast: Tesla's disastrous deliveries, more Trump tariffs, EV delivery numbers, and more

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s disastrous deliveries, more Trump tariffs, EV delivery numbers, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

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.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

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We now have a Patreon if you want to help us 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 podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

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University of Michigan cracks rapid EV charging in freezing temps

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University of Michigan cracks rapid EV charging in freezing temps

Charging your EV in freezing weather could soon become dramatically faster, thanks to a big breakthrough from the University of Michigan engineers.

Neil Dasgupta, U-M associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering and corresponding author of a study published in Joule, and his team have developed an innovative battery structure and coating that can boost lithium-ion EV battery charging speeds by a whopping 500%, even at frigid temperatures as low as 14F (-10C). “Charging an EV battery takes 30 to 40 minutes even for aggressive fast charging, and that time increases to over an hour in the winter,” Dasgupta explained. “This is the pain point we want to address.”

Freezing weather has traditionally been harsh on EV batteries because it slows down the movement of lithium ions, resulting in slower charging speeds and reduced battery life. Automakers have tried thickening battery electrodes to extend driving range, but this makes some of the lithium hard to access, making charging even slower.

Previously, Dasgupta’s group sped up battery charging using lasers to carve pathways around 40 microns in size into the graphite anode. This allowed lithium ions to reach deeper into the battery more quickly. However, cold-weather performance still lagged because a chemical layer formed on the electrodes, blocking the ions. Dasgupta compares this barrier to “trying to cut cold butter,” making charging inefficient.

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To solve this, the team coated the battery with a thin, glassy material made of lithium borate-carbonate—only 20 nanometers thick—which prevented the problematic chemical layer from forming. Combined with the microscopic channels, the results were groundbreaking: the modified batteries retained 97% of their capacity even after 100 fast-charging cycles in freezing temperatures.

“We envision this approach as something that EV battery manufacturers could adopt without major changes to existing factories,” Dasgupta noted. “For the first time, we’ve shown a pathway to simultaneously achieve extreme fast charging at low temperatures, without sacrificing the energy density of the lithium-ion battery.”

This innovation could tackle one of the biggest concerns holding potential EV buyers back.

The new battery tech is moving closer to commercialization, supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub. The research devices were built at U-M’s Battery Lab and studied with help from the Michigan Center for Materials Characterization.

U-M Innovation Partnerships assisted the team in applying for patents, and Arbor Battery Innovations has licensed the technology for market deployment. Dasgupta and the University of Michigan hold financial stakes in Arbor Battery Innovations.

Read more: California now has nearly 50% more EV chargers than gas nozzles


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