We’ve always wondered why, with big 1kWh batteries with equally big output capabilities, e-bikes can’t double as power stations that could power an off-site or back up a fridge for a few hours. Mokwheel has our answer with its $2300 Obsidian and ups the ante with a big solar panel that makes it great for camping and self-charging, too…
Mokwheel sent us their handsome Obsidian fat tire e-bike along with a ($399)1kW external inverter attachment and a separate ($599) 230W solar accessory.
Let’s talk about the bike first.
The Obsidian comes in tan camo, brown/black, and the bright yellow/black colorway I received. I loved that this is super visible and comes with reflective-lined CHAOYANG 26×4.0″ puncture-resistant fat tires.
The Obsidian is a well-put-together, fat tire e-bike with front and rear suspension that is also softened with those big fat tire wheels and a soft cushy seat. It has a massive “UL-tested” Samsung-based cell 48V 19.6Ah battery for a close to 1 kWh total (940.8Wh officially) capacity. That’s good for an optimistic 60-80 miles of pedal assist range or realistically about half that with the left-side mounted throttle only. It also lets you power “other things” for hours, but we’ll get to that later. Mokwheel provides a mediocre 3A charger that takes the bike from empty to full in seven hours, and again, there’s more here on that front.
As for safety, stopping is provided by the very solid TEKTRO HD-E350 Hydraulic brakes on 180mm discs. Its front dual-LED light is bright and will light the way at night but it only comes with a disappointing rechargeable strap-on rear light that doesn’t brighten with brakes.
At 77lbs, this is a beefy bike but these brakes stopped the bike and its 220+lb rider in its tracks. Rated up to 400lbs, there’s room for big folks or lots of accessory-mounted items (and note the amazing Black Friday 6 for $100 deal). Maybe the lowest-spec item is the Shimano Altus derailleur which I’d charitably call mid-range but worked well in my testing. Kudos to Mokwheel for including a high-end KMC stainless chain. Torque sensors round out what I’d call a fairly high-end spec sheet for its $2299 price.
The ride with full suspension, big soft wheels, and even a soft seat is cushy, to say the least. It’s certainly a big heavy bike but the aluminum frame and solid components keep it very pedal-able. The 1000W rear geared hub motor is reasonable but certainly not explosive, and it got me up to around 30mph on Level 5 PAS on flat ground after “unlimit-ing” the level-2 setting it shipped with. Off-road, it excels, smoothing out potholes and bumps while those big wheels power over small tree limbs and other obstacles with ease. It is a little bulky for technical single-track riding.
Besides the motor power-to-weight ratio a little under what I’d prefer, I think the Obsidian is a fantastic e-bike in almost every way and it is worth purchasing on its own, especially at the Black Friday reduced rate of $2299.
As they say on TV, “But wait, there’s more!”
Mokwheel e-bikes have a little 48V DC input/output port at the base of the bike, and on the battery, if you take it out, that can be connected to an external 1kW inverter. That means that close to 1kWh of battery storage is available for backing up home/appliances, powering drones, picnicking, or camping.
The 1000W Inverter accessory is a bit bulky but has 2x110V AC outlets as well as 2 USB-C ports (up to 100W), a USB-A port, and DC input and outputs. It comes with a hard shell case that you can mount to the bike. I wasn’t able to find the perfect spot, so I opted to mount it on the back of the seat.
Speaking of camping, there’s also a 230W portable solar option that will top up your battery when you aren’t riding it. It folds away into a little suitcase-like holder convenient for packing away or putting it in a backpack.
It is late autumn in the Northeast, so I wasn’t really able to see what those 22% efficient solar panels could really do, but they did add meaningful percentage points to my charge after a few hours in the mid-day sun.
Putting it all together
I was able to power my MacBook Pro, a tire inflator, a coffee maker, and a garage freezer with 110V outlets. I even powered my cable modem, wireless router, and laptop at the same time for more than an hour. But that’s weak sauce in the EV world, and I thought maybe I’d get the perfect photo-op by charging my Rivian with the e-bike battery!
Unfortunately even setting the Rivian charging Amps to 8, the Rivian still tried to draw too much power and the inverter timed out. I took photos anyway!
Electrek’s Take
The Mokwheel Obsidian is a great fat tire e-bike and will surely make its owners happy on its own. But it really shines with the energy harvesting and sharing accessories that turn the e-bike into something special.
The all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ was an Electrek favorite when it first made its debut two years ago. Now, LYRIQ buyers who have been waiting for a deal can score more than $10,500 in discounts on the Ultium-based Caddy.
Our own Seth Weintraub said that GM had come in, “a year early and dollar long at $60K” when he first drove the Ultium-based Cadillac LYRIQ back in 2022. He called the SUV “a stunner,” too, heaping praise on the LYRIQ’s styling inside and out before adding that the EV’s ride quality really impressed on long journeys.
Well, if the first mainstream electric Cadillac was a winner at its original, $57,195 starting price (rounded up to $60K for easy math), what could we call it at $10,500 less?
That’s a question that’s suddenly worth asking, thanks to huge GM discounts on the LYRIQ that prompted the automotive pricing analysts at CarsDirect to name the 2024 LYRIQ one of the industry’s “Best New Car Deals” this month:
A slew of incentives can enable you to save big on a 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ. First, EVs eligible for the federal tax credit qualify for $7,500 in Ultium Promise Bonus Cash from GM. Additionally, competing EV owners can score $3,000 in conquest cash.
With more than 100 kWh of battery capacity and 300-plus miles of real-world driving range (plus available 190 kW charging capability) the Cadillac LYRIQ ticks all the boxes – but you don’t have to take just my word for that.
A global shortage of qualified operators is impacting job sites everywhere, precisely at a time when demand for housing, mineral mining, and renewable energy construction is going from peak to peak. That’s why companies from Caterpillar to Tesla to Einride are pushing to advance autonomy the way they are.
Volvo CX01 autonomous compactor; photo by the author.
First revealed as a concept in 2021, Volvo CE’s CX01 autonomous “single drum” asphalt roller concept has seen continuous development in the years since. Making its Volvo Days debut, the CX01 has shed the original single drum design for a “split drum,” with each half being controlled by an internalized, independent electric motor.
The CX01’s electric motors not only help to propel and steer the roller, they also vibrate the drums individually, using some trick software calibration to effectively “cancel each other out,” delivering all the benefits of vibrating drum rollers without the noise.
It’s so smart, you guys
It’s also worth noting that the CX01 is something of an “extended range” EV, instead of a “pure” BEV. That’s because it uses a small, 1.4L diesel engine to spin a generator that powers not batteries, but capacitors (those blue things, above right). Those capacitors can be charged on grid power (or from an accompanying TC13 trench compactor), but they’re much better than batteries at releasing energy really quickly, enabling the diesel to operate at its maximum efficiency while maintaining extremely precise, high-torque movement from the motors.
Volvo CE engineers envision a team CX01 rollers units deployed on larger job sites that could work together and communicate with other pieces of equipment on the site. The connected equipment could help survey the job site, report on the conditions of the mat (density, temperature, and passes), and leverage AI to determine when and where to compact without the need for human operators.
All of which is great, sure – but they had me at “giant OneWheel.”
Volvo TA15 autonomous electric haul truck
Volvo TA15 autonomous haul truck; photo by the author.
Part of Volvo CE’ “TARA” line of autonomous products, the “production ready” TA15 autonomous electric haul trucks are already part of a number of pilot programs on Volvo customer job sites. Being autonomous, they’re ideally suited to performing repetitive routes, dozens of times per day, without exposing human operators to fatigue or injury.
“TARA enables you to downsize and replace larger diesel-powered vehicles with a fleet of autonomous electric Volvo TA15s capable of running 24/7,” reads the official TARA release. “This not only helps you cut emissions and increase productivity, it will also help you rightsize your machinery and optimize your hauling routes.”
And that brings us to the real topic at hand: sustainability.
Electrek’s Take
Volvo SD110 single drum roller, via Volvo CE.
As we’ve often discussed on The Heavy Equipment Podcast, there are two types of sustainability, and both are important. The first is the “classic” version of sustainability, in that our choices need to sustain the planet and environment we live in. The second is sustainability of the business – the ability to keep doing business in a way that ensures the survival of the business, itself.
Looking at the conventional Volvo SD110 conventional roller, above, you can see the incredible amount of materials – of steel, rubber, plastic, glass, etc. – that simply isn’t needed to produce the CX01 roller we started this article with.
All that added mass has a massive hidden carbon cost. The cost of getting those materials out of the ground, the need for bigger, heavier roads to support the weight of the machine, and the bigger, burlier trucks and trailers needed to transport it. Heck, even the operator’s commute to and from the job site adds to the carbon cost of the SD110, over and above the harmful emissions from its diesel engine’s exhaust stack.
The CX01? It’s objectively more sustainable than the SD110 roller in every way, and does pretty much the same job.
Following successful inbound implementations in the Pacific Northwest, North Carolina, and Mexico, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is expanding the reach of its electric semi fleet into Arizona with long-time associate JB Hunt.
JB Hunt will add the new Freightliner eCascadia electric semi to its Arizona fleet immediately, and put it to work delivering aftermarket truck parts from DTNA’s parts distribution center (PDC) in Phoenix to multiple DTNA dealers along a dedicated route.
The electric Freightliner truck is expected to cover approximately 100 miles in a given day before heading “home” to a Detroit eFill charger installed at Daimler’s Phoenix facility.
“This solution with DTNA is a great example of our commitment to supporting customers’ efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and work towards energy transition,” explains Greer Woodruff, executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance at JB Hunt. “JB Hunt owns and operates several eCascadias on behalf of customers, and our drivers have really enjoyed their in-cab experience. As customer interest continues to grow, we are here to enable their pursuit for a more sustainable supply chain in the most economic means possible.”
Daimler is analyzing future expansion opportunities throughout its internal parts distribution and logistics with an eye on electrifing additional routes and further reducing the carbon footprint of its logistics operations.