Taiga Motors introduces more affordable version of its Orca electric watercraft
Over three years of sharing intentions to bring a more affordable version of its flagship electric personal watercraft to market, Taiga Motors has officially launched the Orca Performance. This redesigned new model features the same specs as its predecessor, but at a more consumer-friendly price. Have a look.
Taiga Motors is a Quebec-based manufacturer that we’ve been following for years as it continues to reimagine the powersports segment for an all-electric future. This includes 100% electric snowmobiles and a zero-emission personal watercraft called the Orca.
In fact, Electrek‘s own Fred Lambert has been fortunate enough to out test out the all-electric Orca on the waters on Canada. The company currently sells the Orca Carbon for starting for over $26,000 – but back in 2020, Taiga vowed to deliver a lower priced model called the Orca Performance.
Now, three years later, Taiga Motors has made good on its promise and begun taking orders for the new Orca model.
Taiga Motors launches Orca Performance watercraft
Taiga Motors shared that the recent launch of the Orca Performance is the result of six years of research and development, resulting in a new electric watercraft that features differences you can and cannot see when you look at it.
For example, The Orca Performance features a hull made of Sheet Molded Compound (SMC), resulting in softer dampening properties that offer a smoother, quieter ride than the Orca Carbon whose hull is made of… wait for it… carbon fiber. A representative for Taiga told Electrek that the revamped hull design is also on the the main drivers of the Orca Performance’s lower price.
A factor you won’t visibly see on the Orca performance that is still vital to its price is Taiga’s re-thought manufacturing strategy that improves efficiencies and enables a model for mass production at scale. Taiga co-founder and CEO Sam Bruneau elaborated:
Orca Performance stands as a true game-changer. This groundbreaking model represents a leap forward in mass-market boating electrification, showcasing our commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering exceptional performance at competitive prices. Our design and engineering teams have pushed themselves, enabling us to optimize designs for high volume manufacturing without compromising the Orca’s distinctive character lines, agile hydrodynamics or exhilarating acceleration.
Other than the redesigned hull and manufacturing techniques, the Orca Performance delivers the same performance specs (seen above) as its carbon fiber sibling, but at a more affordable price Taiga hopes will entice even more consumers. How much you ask?
The new Orca Performance starts at $19,490 – $7,000 less than the Orca Carbon, making good on the price cut promised three years ago. Bruneau spoke again:
No more trips to the gas station, no more hauling fuel down to the dock or spills into the lake, and no more engine maintenance; Orca Performance truly redefines the experience of owning a personal watercraft. Spend an afternoon on the water with up to 2 hours of riding, charge, unplug and repeat. Orca Performance will keep delivering year after year with minimal maintenance so users can focus on what matters- exploring the great outdoors with friends, family, and conserving waterways for future generations.
Check out the new Orca Performance electric watercraft in action through Taiga’s video below:
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New EVs got a little more expensive in April, and consumers saw fewer deals than before, according to new estimates from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.
In April, the average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed to $59,255. That’s up 3.7% from the same time last year, and slightly higher, by 0.2%, than in March. Kelley Blue Book even revised March’s average price downward to $59,132.
Erin Keating, executive analyst at Cox Automotive, noted that “Ever since President Trump announced auto tariffs 47 days ago, the cost of new cars has been steadily climbing.”
At the same time, incentives took another dip. They made up just 11.6% of the average EV transaction price in April, down from 13.9% when they peaked in November 2024. This marks the second month in a row that EV incentives have declined.
Tesla led the way in May, selling more than 45,000 EVs – its best performance of the year so far. Most of those sales came from the updated Model Y, which continues to dominate the US EV market. Tesla’s average transaction price rose in April to $56,120, up both month over month and year over year.
Meanwhile, the Cybertruck, once the top-selling EV priced over $100,000, had an average sales price of $89,247 last month. But sales dropped below 2,000 units for the first time in a year, signaling a potential cool-off for the controversial pickup.
Overall, new EV sales in April were down nearly 6% from March, based on Kelley Blue Book’s early estimates. But year-to-date EV sales in 2025 are still up 5.4% compared to the same period in 2024.
Read more: Tesla Model 3 and Model Y prices rose higher in March as sales fell
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The EV3 is already one of the top-selling EVs in Europe and Korea, but when will Kia bring it to the US? After it was recently spotted testing on US streets, the Kia EV3 could finally make its North American debut soon. Here’s what we know.
When will the Kia EV3 make its North American debut?
Kia’s compact electric SUV was again the top-selling EV in Korea last month. It’s also currently among the best-selling electric cars in Europe.
Kia sold 27,761 EVs in Europe in the first quarter, up 17% from the previous record set in Q3 2023. The EV3 led the surge with 17,878 models sold, or 64% of Kia’s total electric vehicle sales in the region.
In March, the EV3 was also the best-selling retail electric car in the UK, driving Kia’s EVs to a record 21% share of its total sales. With the EV3 rolling out in other global markets, like Australia and New Zealand, when will it finally arrive in the US?
After the Kia EV3 was recently spotted testing on US streets, its North American debut could finally be coming up soon.
The new video from KindelAuto shows the 2026 Kia EV6 GT-Line trim, but with what appears to be the US-spec model. Despite the camo, you can see the EV3 has minor design changes, like added orange side reflectors, which are likely to meet regulations.
Although Kia has yet to confirm it, the EV3 could make its North American debut as early as later this year and launch in early 2026. Prices will be revealed closer to its debut, but the EV3 will likely start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Kia’s smaller electric SUV starts at around 36,000 euros ($40,000) in Europe and roughly $30,700 in Korea (KRW 42.08 million).
In the meantime, those in North America will see Kia’s first electric sedan, the EV4, arrive next year. Kia confirmed the 2026 EV4 will have a built-in NACS port to access Tesla Superchargers and an estimated driving range of up to 330 miles. Prices are also expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Source: KindelAuto, TheKoreanCarBlog
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Less than a year after officially launching in the US, the 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron has received its safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). According to the German automaker, its compact luxury crossover has been awarded Top Safety Pick+ status—the highest possible rating from the IIHS.
The Q6 e-tron remains the newest edition to Audi’s long-running all-electric segment of sedans, GTs, and SUVs. We first caught wind of it back in March 2024 when Audi teased a shadowy image while promising the Q6 e-tron would “overtake expectations.”
The 2025 Q6 e-tron made its official debut last September. The lineup includes an RWD version that delivers the longest range (321 miles) of any Audi BEV. At that point, the Q6 e-tron had received a five-star safety rating from the Euro NCAP, but until today, we were still awaiting its rating from the IIHS.
Today, Audi confirmed that the 2025 Q6 e-tron is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ – the best you can get.
Audi Q6 e-tron wins Top Safety Pick+ amidst higher criteria
When announcing the award status from the IIHS, Audi pointed out that the US institute altered its Top Safety Pick+ criteria for 2025 models, making the top-tier award harder to achieve. This included a new focus on rear-passenger safety and a moderate overlap front collision test, which simulates a head-on collision, whereas the test vehicle strikes a vehicle of equal size and weight at 40 mph with 40% of the front widths of those vehicles overlapping.
The compact crossover achieved a “good” (the highest IIHS) rating on all tests, warranting the Top Safety Pick+ status. As such, the IIHS has deemed the Q6 e-tron one of the safest all-electric models on the road.
The 2025 Q6 e-tron starts at $63,800 in the US and is currently available in three trimlines and a Premium quattro powertrain configuration.
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