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Here at Electrek, I have the dubious honor of testing the more fringe offerings on the electric vehicle spectrum. Instead of the newest Tesla or Rivian, you’ll often find me on the newest electric motorcycle, boat, or non-road-worthy electric contraption.

This year was no different, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here are the top five weird, wild, or just plain lovable electric vehicles I tested in 2023.

A $1,000 electric boat ordered direct-from-China

Believe it or not, this is the real deal. I even have the $1,080 receipt to prove it. I bought the world’s cheapest five-seater fiberglass electric boat and brought it all the way over from China.

The tale was long and not for the faint of heart, and ultimately cost me significantly more than the original $1k purchase price when I had to pay for freight, customs, taxes, drayage, etc., but it was well worth it in the end.

On delivery, I finally received a massive wooden crate and got to work unboxing my new pleasure craft.

It took a serious amount of work just to get the thing out of the crate, and even then I had some assembly on my hands followed by wiring in my own batteries. But it ultimately worked out quite well, and a few days later I was easing that boat into the local pond like an old man into a warm bath.

The underpowered motor could barely maintain 3 knots, partially due to the half-submerged propellor trying to push nearly as much air as water, but the boat was still a delight to putter around on. The fiberglass isn’t beautiful, but is still surprisingly good for $1,000.

And of course, the boat makes a perfect platform for modification, of which I already have big plans. I have a new motor that should significantly increase the power and efficiency of the boat, as well as some solar plans in the works as well. Hopefully, 2024 brings that project to fruition, and we’ll finally be able to see what this boat is capable of with a little more power in her stern. Stay tuned for that update!

Chinese electric boat alibaba

Testing a Citroen Ami

The Citroen Ami is far from new or spectacular, at least if you live in Europe. But seeing as I don’t, the chance to rent one on vacation meant that I could finally experience all that a street-legal European tiny car has to offer.

My wife and I spent a week exploring the Greek island of Santorini purely by Ami, using that little micro-car for all of our daily travel and sightseeing.

Instead of renting a loud and obnoxious ATV like most of the tourists seemed to do, we were relaxing in a similarly fast and powerful (i.e. not either of those things) little four-wheeled vehicle.

Sure, it had some oddities. The symmetrical design took some getting used to, as did the lack of ABS and the spartan interior. And finding charging outlets on a Greek island isn’t as easy as it sounds (and it doesn’t sound easy, either). But for a simple and easy-going ride, it was a great way to get around and indeed replaced the need for a “real” car for us.

I don’t think it’d work great for a family of five. But fortunately, we’re living it up on Team No Kids and have enjoyed using two-seaters and one-saddles for most of our vacation shenanigans. If you’re one of a maximum of two people and need to get around at purely city speeds, a microcar like a Citroen Ami has a lot of pull!

citroen ami electric quadricycle

Testing out an electric wheel loader

When it comes to backyard construction equipment – stuff smaller than a massive backhoe or bulldozer – there just aren’t many options. If you want to go electric, there are even fewer options.

And yet I somehow still managed to find one of the best, and only, options out there for electric heavy machinery designed for the average Joe.

Or perhaps more accurately, I found two of the best options: the Nesher L880 and L1400 electric wheel loaders.

These 2,500 lb and 4,500 lb machines are surprisingly effective for all sorts of smaller-scale jobs. I don’t think they’d fit the needs of a major contractor doing 8 hours of heavy-duty construction work every day. But I did do a full discharge test of moderate intensity work (moving pallets and digging in dirt/mulch/sand) and got an approximately 6-hour run time on the L1400.

For everyone from hobby farm operators to private land owners, these feel like a good option for right-sized machinery that come with all the advantages of electric vehicles. The operating costs are almost zero (charging costs around $1.50 to $2.00 depending on local rates), maintenance is nearly zero, and they are much quieter to operate. You’re also not breathing in diesel fumes for hours at a time.

I can definitely see how electric is the future of the construction industry, even it is more than likely going to start on the smaller end of the spectrum. I don’t think we’ll see an electric D9 bulldozer for a few more years, but you can already get a great electric mini-loader or tractor today.

Riding around in a Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic UTV

The off-road industry may not be going electric as quickly as the automotive industry, but there are already some great options. Chief among them is the Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic, an electric side-by-side that combines decades of Polaris engineering with the electric prowess of Zero Motorcycle’s drivetrains.

Polaris incorporated those motorcycle drivetrains into their top-of-the-line UTVs, adding several key changes along the way to make them even more robust.

The result is a seriously fun and hard-working platform that can tend to the ranch all week and then go muddin’ for fun on the weekend. Having tested the vehicles on multiple occasions, most recently when visiting the Huntsville, Alabama factory where they’re made, I can tell you firsthand how well they work.

With a powerful drivetrain and up to two electric motorcycle batteries, long-range and high power combine for the best of what utility vehicles are designed to do: get the job done.

To see what it was like to test these vehicles, check out my riding experience video below!

The Lectric XP Trike turns an electric bike into an electric vehicle

Electric bicycles will always be my first true love, but this is the year that I fell head-over-heels in love with electric tricycles, too.

There are great offerings in the industry, including highly engineered models like the RadTrike and ultra-budget offerings like the Viribus, but the Lectric XP Trike takes the cake as the best bang-for-your-buck option with a great design and excellent performance for a killer price.

I was able to put the trike through its paces, starting from the first unboxing to full use cases. Even right from the start, the XP Trike is easy to use by arriving fully assembled. From there, the comfortable design offers great performance with an industry-leading battery capacity and a powerful mid-drive motor setup.

It’s not the most elegant mid-drive, opting for a hub motor mounted centrally in the frame, but it creates a great setup with a rear differential and even comes with handy features like hydraulic disc brakes complete with a parking brake.

Not everyone is ready to switch from two-wheels to three, but I did enjoy the extra stability and the fun ride. Sure, e-trikes are more prevalent among older riders, but even as a thirty-something, I still love riding the hell out of that thing!

lectric xp trike review

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Everrati’s electric Porsche 911 restomod is the true soul of driving

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Everrati's electric Porsche 911 restomod is the true soul of driving

In the sportscar world, there is much discussion about retaining the “purity” of the sputtering, underperforming gas-guzzling engines of yesteryear. After a drive in Everrati’s Porsche 911 restomod, you’ll be ready to embrace the present and see just how much the drive experience can improve with modern technology.

There has been a lot of discussion about “purity” of the driving experience related to EVs. Some decry the “numb” feeling of the consumer-focused EVs they’ve driven, and think that this is indicative of some wider impossibility to provide an engaging drive experience in an electric vehicle.

But of course, when you compare a modern jellybean SUV, regardless of powertrain, with a purpose-built sportscar, there are going to be some differences in drive dynamics that aren’t flattering to the SUVs.

So lets make that comparison a little more fair. Let’s take an actual sportscar, a Porsche 911 (964) RSR, updated to the present day with an electric powertrain, and see just how much that “purity” in drive experience can be carried over with intentional effort, rather than kowtowing to perceptions of current market trends.

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For some background on myself, I started driving EVs with the original Mini E, which was merely a retrofit vehicle with the back seats replaced by a giant stack of batteries. It was a bit of a kludge, but I still fell in love with it largely due to the strengths of electric propulsion.

I then went on to buy an original Tesla Roadster, one of the few true sportscars out there that runs on electricity, so I’ve got more experience than most in small electric two-seaters.

There are certainly a lot of high-performance EVs these days, but most of them are hefty (4,000-5,000 lbs or more), 4-5 seaters with all-wheel drive (my toxic trait is that as far as I’m concerned, if it isn’t rear wheel drive, it isn’t really a sportscar).

So imagine my enthusiasm when I was offered a drive in a custom-built electric Porsche 911 (as long as Porsche refuses to make one itself…).

So, I headed down to Crystal Cove in Newport Beach, California, to meet Everrati CEO Justin Lunny and take this thing for a spin, to see what this real electric sportscar can do – and lets just say there might be a new entry on my lottery ticket shopping list.

Everrati is a UK-based company that does electric restomods of several vehicles, including the Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz W113 Pagoda, Land Rover Series IIA and Ford GT40.

The company has completed 20 cars so far, with Porsche 911s being the most popular vehicle to convert.

I caught Lunny charging the Porsche as I pulled up, at a 50kW charging station. It has two charging inlets – one in the rear, under the trunk, which does DC or AC charging, and one in the front, using the 911’s original fuel door, which only does AC charging. The car is capable of 70kW charge rates, and while we don’t know what its charge curve looks like, that should mean 30-45 mins for a 10-80% charge.

The vehicle I drove is a 911 (964) RSR, created by Everrati as a commission, as many of its vehicles are. The vehicle still has a few finishing touches that need to be put on it, but otherwise was mostly complete. As a commission, the buyer was able to customize various aspects of the vehicle (including, for example, charge port location).

The interior of the vehicle is nicely finished, with everything redone from the original, but still in retro style. Gauges, knobs and switches are all in a similar style to the original, though a small single-DIN CarPlay headunit betrays the modernization under the hood.

It’s a two-seater, with some room behind the seats for some bags, but no seatbelts or room for people due to the rollbar. And the seats are heavily bolstered, locking you into position for when you whip it through corners. This is a real sportscar, it’s not just masquerading as one.

On a weekday on public roads, there wasn’t much opportunity to really open up the car or get in too much trouble, but the California weather and scenery were exactly what you’d expect. Our drive went up and down PCH and through some canyons, with a quick dip onto the freeway.

The amount of trouble we could get into was also limited by the car’s excellent handling. With a light weight and wide tires (295s on the rear, 30mm wider than the originals), the car felt extremely planted wherever we took it.

Now that’s a wide stance

Everrati says that it’s important to maintain the weight of every vehicle it releases, and that it tries to ensure that its restomods don’t come out heavier than the original vehicle. It says this restomod is about 40lbs lighter than a 964 turbo (though that would make it heavier than the original RSR, which had significant weight-savings applied).

Despite the addition of a chunky 62kWh battery pack (range ~200 miles), Everrati says it was able to keep weight down by replacing several body panels with carbon fiber, in cooperation with Aria group, a contract manufacturer in Irvine, CA. Aria group works with Singer, the highly regarded Porsche restomodder – and is also helping TELO produce its tiny electric truck.

There’s no room in the trunk full of batteries… but that’s normal for a 911. A “frunk” exists, but is tiny.

Everrati even went to the effort of ensuring weight distribution is similar to the original 911.

Famously, 911s are one of few cars designed with a rear-mounted engine, whose weight hangs behind the rear axle. From an engineering perspective, this is simply the wrong way to design a car – you want to reduce the car’s moment of inertia, which means bringing any heavy components as far inboard as possible.

Everrati did bring the motor slightly inboard of where the 911’s engine is, but it’s still placed behind the rear axle, maintaining the 911’s historically weird handling. And 70% of the car’s batteries are in the rear, to keep it rear-heavy.

In our drive test, the handling certainly didn’t feel heavy and felt extremely well-balanced, so we think Everrati did a good job here.

Steering is something else that Porsche has always been praised for. Everrati tried to maintain the steering feel of the original, with only light power assist leading to a heavy steering feel.

This was welcome to me, as my Roadster has manual steering, with no power assist at all. So I’m used to having to crank a small wheel around. The steering had a little bit of “play” in the wheel, which I imagine owes to its early 90s heritage (though still much tighter than the classic Bronco restomod I just drove prior), but otherwise felt exactly how I wanted it to – a relatively quick steering ratio with plenty of feeling transmitted to the driver.

But it has also managed to roughly double the horsepower from the original Porsche it was based on. Everrati says its restomod can produce about 500 horsepower, compared to the ~300 horsepower of even the racing version of the 964 911.

How it looks from underneath – a Tesla drive unit mounted just behind the axle

As is the case with Everrati’s vehicles, its drive software was customized for the customer in question. The customer asked for a drive experience that closely mirrored the original Porsche it was based on, so it wasn’t as “punchy” as some of today’s most powerful EVs, like Tesla’s Plaid Model S or the Turbo edition of Porsche’s Taycan and Macan EVs.

I liked this, myself, as I do think that we’ve gotten a little too punchy these days and lost the linearity I appreciate out of the throttle pedals in the Roadster and original RWD Model 3.

It also had virtually no off-throttle regen, instead placing the regenerative braking on the pedal. This is a sticking point for me, as I prefer one-pedal driving with strong off-throttle regen like many longtime EV drivers who have experienced it, so I’m glad that Everrati said it could offer something like that for customers who request it.

Speaking of brakes, the brake pedal, to me, felt a little soft. This could have been due to the tuning of the regenerative braking system, and also could surely be modified to an owner’s desires. I never did any particularly hard braking events that would have needed to engage the car’s friction brakes, but I just would have liked a little touchier brake pedal.

We also had a quick stop for a shake at the nearby Crystal Cove Shake Shack, and impressed some onlookers from the surrounding all-too-wealthy area. We caught several passers-by checking the car out, and they were quite surprised to learn that the classic Porsche they were looking at (otherwise not too rare of a sight in “New Porsche Beach”…) was electric.

Overall, this restomod is better put together than any I’ve seen or felt, and drove fantastically well.

I am often disappointed in some way by the EVs that I test drive, because they’re just not as fun to drive as the EVs that I’ve spent all my time in (Mini E, Tesla Roadster and Model 3). There’s often something missing, or something different, which may or may not have a good reason for being how it is, but at the end of the day it just makes the car less appealing to me than the EVs that I really love.

Not so with the Everrati. While I’d tune a couple things differently myself, this thing felt great. Just absolutely top tier. I just had to keep interrupting myself while talking to Lunny during my test drive, telling him how great this car felt. Just fantastic.

And that leads us back to the beginning – whether an EV can offer a “pure” driving experience. While taking this thing up and down PCH, through canyons, on a perfect Southern California day, without any of the rumbling, noise, or delayed shifting of gears needed from a traditional ICE engine.

There’s nothing to get between you and driving, and all the sensory experiences that motion entails. The car did what I wanted, when I wanted, and felt and looked great doing it. That sounds like as pure a driving experience as one can find.

As for the price? Well… “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” Everrati’s website doesn’t list prices, rather listing it as “POA” (price on application) and having a “let’s talk” button to reach out. The car we drove cost around $450k – on top of the donor car, which can’t have been cheap to begin with.

So, if you happen to have recently found that bitcoin drive you misplaced in 2011, now you know what to do with it.

If you’d like to read more (and see more photos) head on over and take a look at Everrati’s brand book, with lots of pretty pictures of the company’s vehicle projects.


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Trump aims to fight China’s control of minerals by investing in miners

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Trump aims to fight China's control of minerals by investing in miners

U.S. Department Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum looks on during CERAWeek in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 12, 2025. 

Kaylee Greenlee | Reuters

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Trump administration is considering investing in companies that mine and process critical minerals in an effort to end U.S. dependence on imports from countries including China, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said this week.

“We should be taking some of our balance sheet and making investments,” Burgum said late Wednesday at a conference organized by the Hamm Institute for American Energy. “The U.S. may need to make an “equity investment in each of these companies that’s taking on China in critical minerals,” he said.

China dumps minerals on international markets, collapsing prices and making it difficult for U.S. companies to compete, Burgum said. “You’re competing against state capital because China is picking these strategically as areas that they want to invest in,” Burgum said.

The U.S. could use a vehicle like a sovereign wealth fund to invest in domestic miners focused on extracting and processing critical minerals, he said. “Why wouldn’t the wealthiest country in the world have the biggest sovereign wealth fund,” the Interior Secretary said.

Retaliatory export controls

Beijing earlier this month imposed export controls on rare earth elements — a subset of critical minerals —in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s decision to hike tariffs on goods made in China. Rare earth elements are used in key industries including defense, energy and automobiles. The U.S. imported 80% of the rare earths it used in 2024, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. About 70% of U.S. rare earth imports came from China in 2023.

“We have to get back in the game,” Burgum said, referring to mining. “It’s not just drill, baby, drill. It’s mine, baby, mine. If we don’t do that as a country, we will not be successful. We will literally be at the mercy of others that are controlling our supply chains.”

The Trump administration is also considering a sovereign risk insurance fund to guard companies that invest in approved projects against changing political winds in Washington, he said. If a future president cancels a project through executive fiat, companies would be paid back from the fund, Burgum said.

“Think of it like an insurance market that would be backed by the federal government,” Burgum said. “You got to write a check. There’s got to be a financial cost if you’re going to do these decisions where you’re destroying our balance sheet or destroying a company’s opportunity,” he said.

The U.S. needs to stockpile key critical minerals through a mechanism similar to the strategic petroleum reserve, Burgum said. When China dumps minerals on global markets and prices plummet, the U.S. should buy those minerals and stockpile them, he said.

“Those three things would put us in the game around critical minerals — the stockpiling, the sovereign risk insurance and the ability to take an equity position. We’re working on all three of those,” he said.

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InMotion launches new 28 MPH electric unicycle with air suspension

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InMotion launches new 28 MPH electric unicycle with air suspension

InMotion, a well-known brand in the world of personal electric mobility, has officially launched its latest electric unicycle, the InMotion V9. Combining advanced technology and new safety features, the V9’s design positions this electric unicycle as a key option for urban commuters and adventure seekers alike who want good performance without spending a fortune.

Believe it or not, the electric unicycle market is quite broad. There are dozens of interesting models, offering everything from slow, beginner-friendly wheels to massively powerful and scary fast off-road electric unicycles (EUCs).

The new InMotion V9 launches as something of an in-between wheel, providing enough power and speed to keep it fun and interesting, yet without going so over-the-top that it becomes unaffordable or unapproachable by newer riders.

Priced at $1,299, the InMotion V9 is powered by a 1,000W motor that can reach peak outputs of 2,000W. This setup delivers a top speed of around 28 mph (45 km/h), positioning it well for urban streets and bike lanes, two of the most common stomping grounds for EUCs.

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Range anxiety isn’t just a concern for cars; it can also affect micromobility riders. For its part, InMotion gave the V9 a fairly hefty 84V and 750Wh battery. This capacity allows the V9 to achieve up to 37 miles (60 km) per charge under optimal conditions. The UL-listed battery charges fairly quickly, reaching full capacity in approximately five hours.

One key feature of the V9 not found on most beginner-friendly wheels is its Nimbus Air suspension system, which provides 60 mm of travel to enhance rider comfort and reduce fatigue on uneven surfaces.

The included suspension is even more notable considering the V9 is currently InMotion’s lightest suspension-equipped electric unicycle, weighing around 48.5 lbs (22 kg). And speaking of weight, the EUC can support riders weighing up to 265 lbs (120 kg).

The InMotion V9 doesn’t skimp on smart features, either. Its integrated GPS tracking enables owners to remotely locate and monitor their unicycle via InMotion’s mobile app, even when powered off. Remote locking functionality further enhances security, ensuring peace of mind for riders frequently leaving their wheel unattended.

Additional smart integrations include customizable RGB side accent lights and built-in Bluetooth speakers, allowing riders to personalize their ride and stay entertained while commuting – or just keep cars and other road users more aware of their presence. The V9 also includes USB-A and USB-C ports with 20W output to ensure riders can conveniently charge their mobile devices while on the go.

Safety is always paramount in electric transportation devices, especially those that come with their own unique concerns like electric unicycles. The V9 has TÜV Rheinland UL2272 certification and “advanced fire-resistant technology” to mitigate risks further.

The InMotion V9 is now available for purchase through local InMotion dealers and via the official InMotion online store.

I don’t cover electric unicycles as often as e-bikes, scooters, and other micromobility devices, but not because they are less deserving. They’re certainly more niche, but I know that the EUC community is adamant about their advantages. And listen, I get it. They’re small and convenient to park or store inside, they don’t require much maintenance at all, and they’re pretty fun after you get the hang of them. An EUC can be intimidating at first, but once it clicks in your brain after a few learning sessions, riding one is a blast!

With the electric unicycle market continuing to gain traction, InMotion still faces competition from other premium brands. However, the V9’s comprehensive package of comfort, safety, and advanced smart features, combined with its competitive price point, should place it pretty well in the crowded landscape of personal electric transportation.

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