Daimler’s new RIZON electric truck feels like driving a car
Daimler recently launched a new class 4-5 medium-duty electric truck brand, RIZON, and we got a chance to kick the tires and drive one around.
We came away impressed at how well it drives (for an 18k GVWR vehicle) and how comfortable it feels like it would be on long shifts.
Rizon is a new brand from Daimler Trucks focusing entirely on zero-emissions in the class 4-5 space. Trucks of this size don’t require commercial driver’s licenses, and you’re more likely to see them around your neighborhood, doing local delivery tasks, equipment rentals, moving businesses, and the like. So it’s nice to have clean, quiet operation instead of noisy and stinky diesel vehicles.
Daimler has been in the electric truck game for a few years now, with its Freightliner eCascadia, eM2 and other vehicles, which we’ve driven before. But Freightliner as a brand is only partially electric, whereas Rizon plans to only ever make zero-emission trucks.
So far, Rizon has four models available – two sizes, designated e16 and e18 (16k and 18k pound GVWR), with two battery configurations, designated as M and L. The “M” batteries have two 41kWh LFP battery modules, while the “L” batteries have three. The range will depend heavily on application, configuration, and load, so it’s hard to put a single number on it, but the “M” versions should be good for 70-110 miles and the “L” ones for 110-160 miles or so.
One thing to note is that the smaller “M” battery is 1,100 pounds lighter than the “L” battery, leaving more of your total 16k or 18k GVWR to be dedicated to payload, rather than dragging around extra batteries. So going with that one can be beneficial if the payload is more important than the range for vehicles with shorter fixed routes.
We got to take a short drive in the e18L version at an event hosted by Velocity Truck Centers at Irwindale Speedway, where we also drove Battle Motors’ electric garbage truck and the first-ever electric street sweeper. Events like these help fleet managers get a sense of how these EVs will work.
We only had a partial load though, in the form of an old 12-cylinder diesel engine strapped to the bed. So our experience wasn’t exactly what it would feel like fully loaded, but there was at least something chunky in the back.
The driving experience was smooth and nimble, nothing like what you’d expect from a truck. Even though the vehicle has a relatively low 175 peak horsepower (which is in the ballpark of other class 4-5 trucks – they typically aren’t meant to sustain high speeds), it has plenty of torque at 317lb-ft. And a flat EV torque curve means you don’t need to go gear-hunting through a clunky transmission.
Acceleration feels quicker than you’d get from a diesel truck, smoother due to the lack of gears, and quieter due to the lack of a loud diesel engine. And smooth and quiet is important – a rumbling diesel engine can add a lot of stress to the body over a long workday.
Regenerative braking is adjustable, and on the highest setting is strong enough, though we’d have liked it to be a little stronger (especially if the truck was fully laden). The turning radius was also impressive, especially on such a large vehicle.
Rizon has put a premium on driver comfort in its trucks, with features that are more often seen on consumer vehicles than commercial ones. The trucks have heated seats and steering wheels, three relatively comfortable seats with lumbar support for the driver, and keyless start. A touchscreen display covers infotainment functions.
Plenty of safety features come standard, like blind spot warnings, emergency brake assist, and lane departure warnings.
Rizon uses J1772 and CCS for charging, with 19.2kW AC charging support and 104kW DC. On a class 4 or 5 truck, 19.2kW AC charging can be enough for an overnight charge for most applications.
These choices make installation easier than having to install big, expensive DC chargers and pull the high levels of amperage required to feed them (and commensurate demand charges from some utilities). Currently, lots of fleets are trying to figure out how to incorporate EVs, especially with big new truck regulations at the California state and US federal level, and charging has been in focus as a potential point of resistance.
One quirk here is that Rizon has not yet committed to NACS. We’ve seen a huge wave of support for NACS in the light-duty world, but medium- and heavy-duty vehicles haven’t been quick to hop on board the NACS bandwagon, mostly because many of them are waiting for the upcoming Megawatt Charge System (MCS), which Daimler, Tesla and many others are involved in developing.
But Rizon doesn’t plan to use MCS, so they could make the switch to NACS. And it could be a helpful move for commercial customers because one nice thing about NACS over J1772 is that it supports 277V input, which is one phase of a 480V three-phase commercial power supply. This means cheaper/easier charging installation for buildings that work off 480V supply. (Our Rizon rep hadn’t heard of this potential benefit when we asked them about whether the company might switch to NACS.)
It’s not that big a deal so far, and J1772 and NACS are interoperable via adapters anyway, but we’re wondering if future Rizon trucks might make the shift to NACS.
It’s often hard to get specific prices in the medium- and heavy-duty world, but Rizon says that the trucks will “usually spec out in the $150k range.” This is more expensive than the diesel trucks they replace, but government incentives are available to get that price down by quite a bit – with up to $40,000 in incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act and additional incentives available in some states like California. And of course, you save money on fuel and maintenance over the duty period.
Overall, the Rizon truck represents a nice step forward for medium-duty commercial vehicles, with smooth and quiet operation and significant focus on driver comfort which should make this an easy sell for drivers and fleet operators.
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Environment
Toyota’s new EV is getting an off-road upgrade: Here’s our first look at the bZ Woodland
It’s bigger, more powerful, and built for on and off-road adventures. Toyota’s new electric SUV is getting an upgraded Woodland edition with 375 hp, added ground clearance, and a host of other outdoor-ready features. Here’s our first look at the Toyota bZ Woodland EV.
Check out the new 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland EV
Toyota is finally stepping it up. After introducing its new bZ electric SUV earlier this week, the refreshed version of the “bZ4X,” Toyota unveiled a more powerful, off-road Woodland model on Thursday.
Unlike the bZ, the Woodland model has standard all-wheel drive (AWD). Powered by dual electric motors, Toyota’s rugged new EV packs 375 hp, or 37 hp more than the AWD version of the bZ electric SUV (338 hp).
It also offers added capability, with up to 3,500 lb towing capacity, 8.3″ of ground clearance, and available All-Terrain tires.
Although the bZ Woodland features Toyota’s new “hammerhead front end” with a full-length LED light bar, it adds a twist with black overfenders and a wide, powerful stance.
The outdoor-focused electric SUV is nearly 6″ longer, opening up an extra 30 cubic feet of cargo space. It also gains a standard roof rack and 18″ aluminum wheels.
Powered by a 74.7 kWh battery, Toyota expects the bZ Woodland to have a driving range of up to 260 miles. Like the bZ, it will also have a native NACS charging port to access Tesla Superchargers. Using DC fast charging, the electric SUV can recharge from 10% to 80% in roughly 30 minutes.
Other added features, including battery pre-conditioning and Plug & Charge capabilities, improve charging performance while making it easy to find and navigate to stations.
The interior looks about the same as Toyota’s other EV models, with a 14-inch infotainment and driver display screens. Toyota’s Audio Multimedia system powers the infotainment and supports standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities.
All bZ Woodland models will have heated SofTex®-trimmed seats for the driver and front passenger and a choice of Stone Brown or Black coloring.
Upgrading to the bZ Woodland Premium package gains a premium JBL Audio System, panoramic roof, ventilated front seats, and a front radiant heater.
The bZ Woodland is Toyota’s third EV to launch in the US, joining the new 2026 C-HR and bZ electric SUVs. It’s expected to arrive at dealerships in early 2026. Toyota will reveal prices closer to launch, but the upgraded off-road Woodland model is expected to start a bit higher at around $50,000. Check back soon for official prices.
Would you buy Toyota’s rugged new electric SUV for around $50,000? You’ll have the chance soon. Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
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Arc, the company behind the powerful Arc One and Arc Sport electric boats, announced its next model today: the Arc Coast, a center console boat with many of the capabilities of its predecessors at a significantly lower price.
As a reminder, Arc is a relatively new company, founded in 2021 in Los Angeles, targeting the luxury boat market with high-powered electric boats. Its cofounders, Mitch Lee and Ryan Cook, are engineers who met while working at Boeing.
The company has since grown to over 170 employees, and boasts that many of them are former SpaceX, Tesla, and Rivian workers (like, well, every other electric startup).
It started with the Arc One, a $300,000 limited-edition 500hp electric speedboat, of which only 20 were made. Then Arc moved onto the Sport, a powerful wake boat made for lake activities (which we drove and it literally knocked us off our seat), starting at $258k. It’s also working on an electric tugboat for the Port of LA.
Sales are going well with a substantial backlog and the Sport is sold out through the summer. It’s currently hoping to ramp up production of the Sport “into the hundreds of boats a year,” but it isn’t there yet.
But even while it ramps Sport production, it’s looking to address other markets, and its new Arc Coast announced today is an impressive stab at that.
The Arc Coast is a “center console” model. For those of us in the car world, it might sound confusing to name a vehicle after one of its parts, but the term makes for a meaningful distinction on a boat: the helm (or “console”), where the pilot operates the boat, is smack in the middle, offering mobility all around the edges of the deck.
This mobility is helpful for certain applications, for example fishing. Being able to move around all sides of the boat means that your rod won’t get caught up on rigging or a canopy.
It also just makes it easier to hang out and get around the boat. Instead of having to squeeze between seats or flip open a door to get towards the bow, you can just walk all around the boat without much obstruction.
However, these types of boats tend to have less luxuriant upholstery, less protection from the elements (sun shades, windshields, etc), less sitting space than other boat formats.
Because of this, Arc has been able to save a good amount of money on materials, and it allows them to offer the Coast model with similar performance and many of the same features as its others, but at a lower price.
- Length: 24ft
- Battery: 226kWh (the same as the Sport’s battery, which was good for 4-5 hours of use there)
- Horsepower: 400hp
- Top speed: 50mph (~43 knots)
- Hull Material: Fiberglass
- Seating: 10 people
- Pricing: Starting at $168,000
The Arc Coast maintains the benefits of its electric powertrain, which Arc highlights that it designed and built from the ground up. By starting from scratch and designing a boat around its own powertrain, instead of just building a fiberglass hull and attaching an off-the-shelf outboard (like the vast majority of other center console boats) and console gauges from random suppliers, Arc is able to offer a more consistent experience.
It’s the same thing we at Electrek notice and comment on in automobiles – cars that were built from the ground up to be electric generally do a better job of it than cars which are retrofitted from gas models or share platforms with them.
Arc thinks that the difference is even starker in boats, as outboard motors are notoriously unreliable and offering a properly-sealed electric powertrain will make maintenance much easier, even in harsher saltwater environments (as compared to the Sport model, which was more freshwater-focused).
It also offers usability benefits. By moving to inboard motors, the rear of the boat can be utilized for a low swim step, making ingress and egress easier, and a sunpad for lounging. It also takes away the fumes and noise that normally plague the back end of a fossil-powered boat, giving you more usable space and making it much more pleasant to hang out back there.
That usability carries over into the boat’s software, which Arc has also designed from the ground up in a modern, consistent interface. When we saw this ourselves on the Sport we were impressed, though the software wasn’t done yet (and will surely be in a constant state of getting updates for some time to come).
This interface includes connectivity and over-the-air updates, which offer big benefits for a boat owner as it’s a lot easier to check your boat’s charge, or perhaps see a feed from the boat’s cameras, through an app rather than having to head down to the marina and take a look yourself.
We haven’t yet had a chance to try out the Arc Coast – and in fact, you’ll notice that the photos and videos on this page are backlit renders, as Arc is still working on some of the specifics. Nevertheless, preorders are open today over at Arc’s website, and Arc says the boat is “coming in 2026.”
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eVTOL developer Archer Aviation has signed on as the official air taxi partner of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. As a partner to the event and Team USA, Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft will transport VIPs, fans, and athletes around event venues in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Archer Aviation ($ACHR) appears poised to be the first eVTOL developer to bring commercial air taxi rides to the skies above the US. Leading up to today’s news, Archer had announced partnerships to establish zero-emission air taxi networks in several global regions, including Japan and the UAE, and flights in its native US.
For example, Archer unveiled an initial route map for air taxi operations in New York City last month alongside details of an ongoing partnership with United Airlines. The pending air taxi network includes vertiports at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark Airports around NYC and a presence at regional airports and three helipads in the city itself.
The NYC air taxi network was preceded by plans for an eVTOL air mobility network coming to Los Angeles, announced in August 2024. At the time, the company said it is targeting initial eVTOL operations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area by 2026, long before the influx of global visitors for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Today, Archer announced that it has become the official air taxi provider for visitors to the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Archer to take air taxis to the skies above the 2028 Olympic Games
According to an update from Archer Aviation, it has signed a partnership to be the exclusive air taxi provider for the LA28 Olympic Games. In this partnership, Archer Aviation will integrate its flagship Midnight eVTOL aircraft into transport operations and support Team USA
The Archer eVTOL is expected to transport Olympic VIPs, fans, and company stakeholders around the 2028 games’ locations, utilizing vertiport hubs at key venues. The eVTOL developer said its sustainable aerial technology will also support emergency services and security. Per Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein:
We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games. I can’t wait to see Midnight flying passengers over Los Angeles, emblazoned with the Team USA logo and the Olympic Rings and Paralympic Agitos.
eVTOL vertiports are planned for SoFi stadium in Inglewood and the Memorial Coliseum on the USC campus. Other locations include visitor hubs at LAX Airport, Hollywood, Orange County, and Santa Monica. The 2028 Olympic Games are expected to welcome over 15 million visitors from around the world, some of whom will have an opportunity to experience some of the first-ever air taxi rides in the US.
Archer’s Midnight eVTOL can transport up to four passengers at a time and is significantly quieter than other traditional forms of aerial transportation, such as helicopters. The Midnight aircraft will be assembled at Archer’s manufacturing facilities in San Jose, California, and its newly erected facility in Covington, Georgia.
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