There’s an affordable EV out there displacing twice as much oil as electric cars
In the growing electric vehicle industry, it is electric cars that are given center stage when it comes to environmentally-conscious solutions to transportation. But what if I told you there was an electric vehicle that was displacing twice as much oil as those electric cars? And if that wasn’t impressive enough, consider this: It does it with half as many wheels.
Yep, that’s right. I’m talking about electric bikes.
Check out the Bloomberg New Energy Finance chart below, which was recently featured in Anthropocene Magazine.
When you actually break down the numbers, it’s easy to see just how big of an environmental impact e-bikes are making.
Compared to electric passenger cars, e-buses, and e-trucks, it’s electric bikes and trikes that are displacing the most oil usage – more than twice all of those larger EVs combined.
Impressively, those e-bikes are doing so with significantly less battery demand.
Shortages in the materials used to make lithium-ion batteries are affecting the entire EV industry and beyond, which puts an even larger emphasis on efficiency.
Electric bikes are more than 10x more efficient than electric passenger cars, meaning the same amount of battery needed for a 20-mile commute in an electric car could power an e-bike for over 200 miles. And that’s compared to normal electric cars. Vehicles like the new electric Hummer have enough battery on-board to produce 400 e-bike batteries!
Of course e-bikes and other micromobility vehicles aren’t a complete solution to our transportation problems, but they provide a potent alternative to many daily trips.
The US Department of Energy confirms that around 50% of all car trips in the US measure less than three miles, meaning electric bikes could replace a serious amount of vehicular traffic. And sure, some people don’t want to ride a bike in inclement weather (usually Americans, since somehow people with other passports have figured out how to ride in the cold or rain via the invention of… an additional layer of clothing). But even if an e-bike spends a few months in the garage, it still makes a huge impact during the rest of the year when it replaces many car trips.
A 2022 Swedish study found that the vast amount of biking was done at the expense of car usage, not just for recreational or fitness riding. And a 2019 Belgian study found that a mere 10% shift in car drivers to bike riders resulted in a 40% reduction in road traffic.
All of this goes to show just what a dramatic effect e-bikes can have on the world’s transportation paradigm.
E-bikes aren’t a panacea, but they’re a major part of the solution. And as more studies are showing, their effects could be significantly larger than those of electric cars.
With more and more affordable e-bike options coming everyday, the future is looking bright for EVs of every size.
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It’s probably nothing. Just a playful post on social media from a random Volvo account celebrating an obscure concept car from the early aughts. It couldn’t possibly mean that Volvo is actually going to build the thing … right?
The post in question went live on the Volvo Cars Heritage Facebook feed last week, and it was simple enough. You can check it out for yourself, below.
See? Just a few pictures of the 3CC, a concept that Volvo designers at the time intended to be “future proof” and developed with an eye towards sustainability. It was an early hybrid, with regenerative braking and slick aerodynamics along with gullwing doors and a 1+2 seating arrangement to ease entry and egress.
Nothing to get that excited about, right? Except – why the (wink wink, nudge nudge) at the end? Could Volvo really be dropping wild hints about new product on their museum site? Is that wild speculation, wishful thinking, or just sloppy reporting?
Well, as the newly-minted “Weekend Editor” here at Electrek (thanks, Fred!), there’s no one to rein me in until Monday morning, at the earliest – so we’re gonna run with it, whatever it is.
It sure looks like a Robotaxi
I’m not going to accuse Elon of stealing design ideas from Volvo any more than I’m going to accuse Volvo of stealing the 3CC concept’s design from the OG Honda CRX HF. That said, they really do seem to share some conceptual DNA, don’t they?
OK, so we’ve got some convergent evolution here – safe to say. But on the automation side of things? On the real, “the stock is worth basically zero if true self driving isn’t achieved” side of the equation?
There’s some convergent evolution there, too, because while Tesla’s been developing its highly publicized FSD software, Volvo’s parent company, Geely, has been working hand in hand with Alphabet (read: Google) to develop their own fully autonomous taxi for Waymo through the ZEEKR brand.
Is it really that crazy to imagine an updated 3CC concept fitted with the same Waymo sensor array they’re putting on Hyundais (read about that here) being shown off just in time to steal Tesla’s thunder from October 10th? Especially on the heels of the EX30’s growing success in Europe?
It’s not – and think that’s exactly what’s going to happen. That’s my take, anyway. What’s yours? Head on down to the comments and let us know if you think Volvo has what it takes to launch a Robotaxi rival in the comments.
ORIGINAL CONTENT FROM ELECTREK.
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Designed for both all-terrain and off-road use, the all-electric E313 telehandler from JLG is a new, low-noise solution for moving materials around indoor construction, urban, residential, and municipal projects.
With a 3,500-pound maximum lift capacity and 13-foot maximum lift height with a five foot forward reach, the new JLG E313 is a first-of-its-kind all electric telehandler designed to silently load and unload trucks and flatbeds, moving materials around, or accessing work at-height in single-story work environments.
Oh, and it can do all those things indoors.
“As job sites evolve, machines need to evolve with them,” says John Boehme, JLG’s senior product manager for telehandlers. “Our new E313 electric-powered telehandler transforms how work is done in emission-free spaces and noise-sensitive environments by delivering a quieter, more efficient working experience.”
Based on the AUSA 4 meter/1,600 kg T164E battery powered electric telehandler, the JLG version ships with JLG’s universal skid-steer coupler system. That allows the E313 to attach to various existing JLG telehandler and skid-steer loader attachments, including carriages, forks, and buckets. The E313 also features an integrated hitch for hauling tools and trailers around the job site, increasing job efficiency by reducing the need for additional tractors on-site.
Charged up
The E313 uses six 48V lithium ion batteries sending power to an electric motor mated to a two speed transmission with two wheel drive and steer. The 18.6 kWh battery pack (6 x 3.1 kWh batteries) is good for up to four hours of continuous run time, and can be recharged in two to three hours on a L2 AC charger, or overnight on standard 100V.
JLG’s ClearSky Smart Fleet telematics management system is standard.
SOURCE | IMAGES: JLG, via Heavy Equipment Guide.
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It’s got a long way to go, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – and the first delivery of Bollinger B4 electric trucks to Nacarato Truck Centers is now in the history books!
With the delivery of the first five 2025 Bollinger B4 Chassis Cabs to Nacarato Truck Centers earlier this week, Bollinger Motors is officially generating revenue as an OEM. The MSRP of these first-ever customer B4s totaled fully $800,000.
The delivery comes just a few days after the official start of Bollinger production began at the company’s Livonia, Michigan production center.
The newly delivered B4 Chassis Cabs feature 158-kwh battery packs sending power to an energy efficient, 323 hp electric motor that produces 675 lb-ft of torque at 0 rpm, giving the big trucks surprising off-the-line performance and all the power they need to get the job done.
Nacarato Truck Centers will sell four vehicles to commercial fleet customers and use one vehicle for its own internal parts deliveries between across its 13 locations.
Dealers make the difference
“Our nationwide dealership network is one of our core strengths, and with partners like Nacarato Truck Centers, our customers’ sales and service needs are in good hands,” said Jim Connelly, chief revenue officer for Bollinger Motors. “We are excited to see the B4 going to work on the streets of the Nashville area, and across the country.”
The 2025 Bollinger B4 Chassis Cab carries a $158,758 MSRP, and qualifies for federal clean vehicle tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act of $40,000 per vehicle for the B4 Chassis Cab. Additional rebates may be available in your area, so reach out to your local Bollinger dealer for more information.
Connelley was good enough to join us as a guest on Quick Charge last week after the start of B4 production was announced, and we think it’s worth sharing that episode again, below, for anyone who missed it. Enjoy!
Bollinger CRO Jim Connelley on Quick Charge
SOURCE | IMAGES: Bollinger Motors; via email.
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