Connect with us

Published

on

Kia’s new EV5 electric SUV is not due for its official release until later this month. However, new leaked images show the compact SUV in full.

Kia EV5 electric SUV shown in full in leaked images

We got our first look at the Kia EV5 in concept form in March, a week after releasing its flagship EV9 SUV.

While the EV9 is Kia’s largest electric SUV so far, the EV5 will be smaller than the current EV6, Kia’s first dedicated electric car.

Like the EV9, the EV5 is also influenced by Kia’s new “opposites united” design philosophy, emerging throughout its lineup. New style features include a Digital Tiger Face up front, replacing its signature “Tiger Nose” grille.

Kia’s new electric SUV is slated to ride on The Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, used to power EVs such as the IONIQ 5 and EV6. However, rather than using the 800V architecture, it’s expected to utilize a 400V system to accommodate a lower price point.

The base version will have more battery capacity than the EV6 (77.4 kWh), reaching upward of 82 kWh. A longer-range model is expected to feature over 600 kilometers (372 miles) of range.

Kia-EV5-electric-SUV
Kia EV5 electric SUV concept (Source: Kia)

Last month The Korean Car Blog reported that the EV5 will be revealed at the Chengdu Motor Show in China, which starts on August 25. The report also noted the electric SUV would begin “within the standard 50 million won range,” or around $40,000. The long-range variant will start at around 57 million won (around $42,600).

Meanwhile, leaked images from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology show the Kia EV5 in production form.

As Electrek suggested, like several of Kia’s concept models, the mass-produced EV5 looks very similar to what the prototype indicated. The production EV includes the same unique front and rear headlights, basic shape, and design curves.

The EV5 will be produced in China and exported to international markets. It’s expected to include a 214 hp electric motor with 310 Nm peak torque and an LFP battery. Meanwhile, overseas models will consist of NCM batteries.

Electrek’s Take

At 4,615 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,715 mm tall, the EV5 will compete directly with the Tesla Model Y (4,750 mm L, 1,921 mm W, 1,624 mm H). The Model Y starts at just under $49,000 (263,900 yuan) with a CLTC range of 545 kilometers (338 miles).

Kia will also square off against domestic EV makers like BYD with the Yuan Plus (4,455 mm length, 1,875 mm width, 1,615 mm height), starting at $18,500 (134,000 yuan).

At $40,000, the Kia EV5 may be a good deal in the US. But, in China, it will face stiff competition. Furthermore, recent price cuts from top EV makers in the region are putting pressure on foreign automakers to keep pace.

For example, in June, Volkswagen slashed prices on its ID.3 by up to 16% to 119,900 yuan ($16.6L). As a result, ID.3 sales soared 300% this past month, with 7,378 units sold compared to just 1,819 in June.

Although Kia has yet to confirm or deny that the EV5 will make its way to the US, it may make sense. The Model Y cracked the top five in US sales through June as it gains momentum, outpacing the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Toyota Camry, GMC Sierra, Nissan Rogue, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. It also became the first EV to become the world’s bestselling car in the first quarter of the year.

Source: Autohome, The Korean Car Blog

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

Continue Reading

Environment

Save $1,098 on the EGO Power+ Z6 riding mower with extra batteries, Aventon’s pink Level.2 e-bike, VEVOR EV charger, more

Published

on

By

Save ,098 on the EGO Power+ Z6 riding mower with extra batteries, Aventon's pink Level.2 e-bike, VEVOR EV charger, more

Memorial Day is here, which means all the amazing deals we’ve covered over the last one to two weeks will be ending soon. Kicking off this week’s Green Deals (and leading the end of our Memorial Day sales coverage) is the EGO Power+ 56V 42-inch Z6 Zero-Turn Riding Mower with four 10.0Ah batteries and an extra two 5.0Ah batteries for $4,999. It is joined by the Himalayan Pink Aventon Level.2 Commuter Step-Through e-bike at $1,499, as well as the VEVOR 40A Level 2 Portable EV Charger for $128. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals that are still alive and well.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

With its Memorial Day sale on its final day, Amazon is now preparing for Father’s Day needs by offering the EGO POWER+ 56V 42-inch Z6 Zero Turn Riding Mower with four 10.0Ah batteries and an extra two 5.0Ah batteries for $4,999 shipped. With this bundle usually going for $6,097, this is the lowest price we have seen to date, with only two previous discounts to speak of. You can find the mower with its normal battery amount currently discounted to the same rate, meaning you’re getting two extra batteries for no added cost while already saving you $1,098. You can also find a similar bundle on the Z6 riding mower with four 12.0Ah batteries and an e-steer wheel at $5,499, down from $6,597.

The Z6 riding mower comes stocked with four 10.0Ah batteries that allows it to cover up to 2 acres of land on a single charge (which can be slightly extended with the extra two batteries). Its four independent brushless motors are housed within the 42-inch weather-resistant steel cutting deck, equivalent to a 22-horsepower engine, allowing it to move at up to 8 MPH. You’ll have 10 cutting heights to choose from here, ranging from 1.5 inches to 4.5 inches, three different driving modes, as well as 3-in-1 functionality for mulching, bagging, or side-discharges. It also sports some premium features like the 32 LED lights laid out on its front, sides, and rear for those early morning or late evening jobs – and even Bluetooth connectivity and a USB charging port for devices.

More EGO Power+ discounts:

Himalayan Pink Aventon Level.2 commuter step-through e-bike within post for EGO Power+ Z6 zero-turn riding mower

Aventon’s Himalayan Pink Level.2 Commuter Step-Through e-bike now $1,499

As part of its Memorial Day sale, Best Buy is offering the Aventon Himalayan Pink Level.2 Commuter Step-Through e-bike for $1,499 shipped. Regularly fetching $1,949, in 2023 we saw this particular model drop farthest during Black Friday sales, where it was brought down to $1,499. With this colorway no longer being offered from Aventon directly, we’ve mainly seen it included in Best Buy flash sales since the start of the new year, with today’s deal coming in as a $450 markdown that returns costs to the third-lowest price we have tracked – not only matching Black Friday rates, but also matching Aventon’s current Memorial Day rate.  It’s also among some of the Electrek favorites, which you can read about in our launch review or by heading below.

This flagship commuter e-bike comes ready to carry you wherever needed around town with its 500W rear-hub motor (750W peak) paired alongside a fully-integrated 14.0Ah battery that provides a 60-mile travel range on a single charge. Using only its throttle you’ll top off at 20 MPH, but when utilizing the five different levels of pedal assistance, that limit is bumped up to 28 MPH.

It also comes with a rear-mounted rack for carrying along cargo as well as front and rear fenders to protect the bike from any adverse elements during your journey. It features integrated head and taillights, with the rear lights offering a brake light function, and you’ll find a handy backlit LCD display attached to the handlebars that gives you real-time status of all the important metrics: speed, travel distance, pedal assistance settings, and battery levels.

As I stated before, this lowered price currently matches Aventon’s Memorial Day sale rate, albeit there is one tradeoff worth noting – by sacrificing the colorway, you’ll receive a free extra battery from Aventon’s direct sale that doubles the e-bike’s mileage from 60 miles to 120 miles!

VEVOR’s 40A Level 2 Portable EV Charger with NEMA 14-50 plug at new $128 low

Alongside its Memorial Day sales, Amazon is offering the VEVOR Level 2 Portable EV Charger with NEMA 14-50 Plug for $128.24 shippedafter clipping the on-page 10% off coupon. Already down from its $200 price tag, it entered the new year at $150 before steadily rising at small rates until April, when we finally started seeing some short-lived price cuts before once more rising back up. Today’s deal comes in to shake up the stagnation as a combined 36% markdown off the going rate that gives you $72 in savings and drops costs to a new all-time low.

This portable 40A level 2 EV charger can be stowed away in your vehicle (or kept out for regular use thanks to the included accessory parts) for quick and effortless charging solutions whenever you find yourself far from any official charging stations. It features an LED display that conveys in-time information, as well as a smart chip that provides protection against lightning, leakage, grounding, over voltage, under voltage, over charge, over current, and overheating. You’ll also be able to fully monitor and control the device through your smartphone, letting you even schedule charging for 1 to 12 hours, with options to take advantage of off-peak hours. It is compatible with vehicles and plug-in hybrids that comply with the J1772 standard, requiring only a NEMA 14-50 outlet to plug the charger into.

Spring e-bike deals!

Aventon Pace 500.3 e-bikes being sat on by three women, within post for EGO Power+ Z6 zero-turn riding mower

Other new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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

Continue Reading

Environment

The Invanti Tornado is the Swiss Army knife of e-bikes [Video]

Published

on

By

The Invanti Tornado is the Swiss Army knife of e-bikes [Video]

Want your electric bike to have utility as well as comfort and style? Then, the Invanti Tornado, with its impressive array of optional accessories, could be your ideal ride.

Invanti is developing multi-functional e-bikes to reinvent the e-bike industry. It will launch an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign on May 22 for its first product, the versatile Tornado e-bike series. Early backers can purchase the Tornado for a super early bird price of $1,299, significant savings vs. gas bikes.

Invanti makes it easy to protect your e-bike from theft with its “invantimobility” app. The smart version Tornado Pro has a smart front hub lock feature that, once activated, can only be unlocked using the app.

This zippy and efficient utility e-bike has a 750W rear hub motor, 1,000 peak power, and a 48V 14.7Ah battery with Samsung cells that give a top speed of up to 25 mph. The Shimano 7-speed transmission, 80 mm travel suspension, 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes, and torque sensor means riding is smooth. It also sports a pair of 20-by-3-inch puncture-resistant tires.

The Tornado provides a range of 60 miles on pedal assist and 25 miles on throttle only. You can additionally install an extra 48V, 10.4Ah battery that you take with you, giving a cumulative total of 100 miles on pedal assist and 43.5 miles on throttle only. Plus, you can use the extra battery as a portable powerbank for your phone.

What makes the Invanti Tornado stand out is the cool accessories it comes with. Your e-bike arrives with a front rack, a rear cargo rack, a rear fork storage bag with lockout, and rear wheel mudguards. It also features front and rear lights with integrated turn signals.

Plus, it offers a choice of nine upgrade accessories, which give this bike an almost modular feel. This means you can make your e-bike bespoke:

If you want to cart around passengers, you can make it happen with the Invanti Tornado’s optional rear seat pad and passenger foot rest, and there’s also a child safety handrail. Its dual-tube aluminum alloy frame can handle payloads of up to 440 pounds.

Invanti’s super early bird price on the Tornado is $1,299, and the official crowdfunding price is $1,499.

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

Continue Reading

Environment

This startup is about to install bladeless rooftop wind turbines on box buildings

Published

on

By

This startup is about to install bladeless rooftop wind turbines on box buildings

Aeromine Technologies just closed a $9 million funding round, and it’s ready to scale up production of its bladeless rooftop wind turbines.

Energy research, investing, and strategy firm Veriten is the lead investor in Aeromine Technologies’ Series A funding round.

Aeromine, launched in 2022, makes compact 50 kW or larger “wind harvesting platforms” that it mounts on the edge of a building’s roof. The rooftop wind units, which have no external moving parts or blades, capture wind flowing up and over the building and convert it into onsite electricity. Its generator system is a rotor-stator system with a highly efficient 5 kW permanent magnet generator. (Specs are here.)

The noiseless technology leverages aerodynamics like airfoils on a race car to capture and amplify each building’s airflow to generate energy. Aeromine says its systems typically consist of 20-40 units installed on the edge of a building facing the predominant wind direction.

Each 1,000-pound unit can withstand winds of between 120 and 158 mph depending on specification.

Aeromine’s units can operate independently or be integrated with existing rooftop solar arrays. Onsite power generation eliminates grid supply disruptions.

Maynard Holt, founder & CEO of Veriten, said:

We believe that distributed power innovation will play a vital role in helping companies fulfill their need for reliable, reasonably priced electricity and desire for low-impact power. We’re excited to partner with Aeromine, as its ability to quickly and affordably help a wide variety of companies meet their energy needs with wind resources is unique among distributed energy solutions.

The bladeless wind turbines are designed to power apartment buildings, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, offices, hospitals, retail centers – basically any big box building with a flat, unobstructed roof.

The company says it has 400 qualified projects in its pipeline and expects to roll out commercially in Europe and North America in 2025. 

Read more: How renewables could beat natural gas in US generating capacity within 3 years – in numbers


If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –ad*

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

Continue Reading

Trending