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Two years after first announcing its P7 EV platform, REE Automotive has achieved US certification for the first-ever vehicle that operates entirely through steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, and drive-by-wire technology. Following the achievement, REE has begun deliveries of its P7-C electric truck.

REE Automotive, Inc.’s ($REE) most recent milestone comes during a busy news week during CES 2024. It was two years ago at CES 2022 when the EV startup first introduced its modular P7 platform, designed with fleets in mind – particularly delivery operators in the US.

Since then, we’ve seen the company unveil a novel Class 3 box truck called the P7-B, lock in a battery supplier, and introduce an additional REE EV called the P7-C. In the last six months of 2023, REE was garnering huge customer interest for its incoming EVs, and as of its Q3 2023 earnings, its books were valued at over $40 million in binding orders.

Around the same time as that news, REE stated that EPA certification and confirmed Federal Motor  Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) certification-feasibility of its x-by-wire system in the P7 platform was underway, and it remained on track to begin its first EV deliveries before the end of 2023.

Now, eleven days into 2024, REE has confirmed initial deliveries of its P7-C chassis cab following EPA and FMVSS certification in the US – the first full x-by-wire EV to do so.

  • REE EV

REE completes first deliveries of P7-C EV

This morning, the EV startup shared that demonstration models of its P7-C chassis cab, equipped with REE’s proprietary REEcorner and x-by-wire technology, have begun making their way to its authorized dealer network, starting with Pritchard EV in Iowa.

Initial deliveries began now that REE has become the first company ever to certify a full steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, and drive-by-wire vehicle, offering a modular design, fewer parts, and maintenance, plus a shorter time to market.

REE now looks to its dealership network to get its P7 platform out in front of fleet customers in the US, beginning with the P7-C. Per REE co-founder and CEO Daniel Barel:

I believe our REEcorner is a true gamechanger, allowing us to build electric trucks that fleets  will want to buy, and drivers will love to drive as we continue to see a strong demand for our  work trucks. I am incredibly proud  of team REE for completing certification of the automotive industry’s first ever fully x-by-wire  vehicle. Our customers have been eagerly waiting for our vehicles to be ready to deliver and  now our first demo trucks are on their way to dealerships for customer evaluations.

With dealer deliveries underway, REE stated that its P7-C EV is eligible for the IRS’ Commercial Clean Vehicle Tax Credit in the US, enabling a tax credit of up to $40,000 per vehicle. Furthermore, the startup said it is also in the process of obtaining approved eligibility for various state incentives, which could bolster total incentives of over $100,000 per vehicle, depending on where that customer resides.

Following initial P7-C deliveries to Pritchard EV, REE says additional authorized dealers and leading fleet customers will receive demonstration vehicles in the coming weeks.  

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NIU’s stock nearly doubles in 2025 amid soarding electric moped sales

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NIU's stock nearly doubles in 2025 amid soarding electric moped sales

Chinese electric scooter manufacturer NIU Technologies (NASDAQ: NIU) is experiencing a remarkable surge in 2025, with its stock price nearly doubling year-to-date. This impressive performance is fueled by a significant increase in electric moped sales, particularly within its domestic market, despite facing challenges such as international tariffs and rising freight costs.

Domestic market is driving growth

In the first quarter of 2025, NIU reported a 57.4% year-over-year increase in e-scooter sales, totaling 203,313 units. Notably, 183,065 of these units were sold in China, marking a 66.2% increase compared to the same period last year.

This domestic growth was boosted by China’s consumer trade-in program, which incentivizes the replacement of older scooters with newer, more efficient models.

The company’s revenue for Q1 2025 reached RMB 682.0 million (approximately US $94 million), a 35.1% increase from the previous year. However, the average revenue per e-scooter decreased by 14.2% to RMB 3,354, indicating a shift towards more affordable models.

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NIU CEO Yan Li explained: “In China, we are advancing our intelligent product development strategy by integrating automotive-grade technologies such as millimeter-wave radar, dual-channel ABS, and AI Smart Ecosystem to enhance the user experience. Our retail network has continued to expand in-line with our expectations, with new stores opening during the quarter. This synergistic combination of product innovation and omni-channel growth is driving measurable increases in domestic sales and market penetration.”

International challenges remain

While domestic sales certainly provided strong tailwinds for NIU, international markets still present challenges for the company. Sales outside China grew by a modest 6.4%, totaling 20,248 units. Factors such as US tariffs and increased freight costs were noted in NIU’s Q1 2025 earnings report as impacting international margins. Despite these hurdles, international sales contributed RMB 60 million (approximately US $8 million) to the quarterly revenue, a 22.4% increase year-over-year.

NIU’s gross margin declined to 17.3% from 18.9% in the same quarter last year, reflecting the pressure from international trade policies and logistics costs. Nevertheless, the company’s net loss narrowed to RMB 38.8 million, down from RMB 54.8 million in Q1 2024, indicating improved operational efficiency. While still operating at a net loss of around US 5.4 million, these numbers indicate a strong turnaround for the company – reflected by the nearly doubling of NIU’s stock price so far in 2025.

Looking ahead, NIU is anticipating continued growth and projecting Q2 2025 revenue to increase by 40% to 50% year-over-year. The company says it is also exploring strategies to mitigate international challenges, such as diversifying its production and focusing on markets less affected by tariffs.

As Li continued, “Globally, the market is undergoing structural shifts, with US trade policies experiencing increased volatility. However, we are leveraging innovation and agile infrastructure to mitigate geopolitical challenges, enabling sustainable global growth through proactive production adjustments.”

NIU’s XQi3 electric dirt bike (street legal in Europe) is one of its most ambitious international projects yet

Electrek’s Take

If you’re a NIU fan like I am, this is great news that helps claw back some of the losses seen in the last couple of years. The entire micromobility sector has navigated choppy waters after the pandemic bubble burst, and NIU was certainly not immune to the drop in sales. But these numbers paint a promising return that industry analysts and scooter riders who depend on the company alike have been hoping for.

I visited NIU’s factory a few months ago and saw firsthand how much care and precision goes into building its millions of electric two-wheelers. That kind of in-depth look is rare in this industry, and it gave me keen insight into what separates NIU’s high-tech and high-design models from much of the industry.

Now it seems that sales are starting to catch back up to where such innovative pieces of tech deserve to be. Here’s to hoping for another good quarter to follow.

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State of the solar industry as GOP eliminates homeowner’s tax credits

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State of the solar industry as GOP eliminates homeowner's tax credits

On today’s sunny side up episode of Quick Charge, we take a look at the latest from the world of solar power, and discuss Congressional Republicans’ plans to limit your energy independence by eliminating a critical tax credit for homeowners nearly ten years early. (!)

We’ve also got a quick review of a massive solar farm powering 200,000 homes in Indiana and the biggest solar project East of the Mississippi – both part of a record 98% of all new power generation and grid capacity introduced in 2025 coming from wind and solar. Those are jobs, those are lower utility rates, those are energy independence … so why are Congressional Republicans working to make that more expensive?

If you want to read that EnergySage report on the state of the home solar industry, including news about battery energy storage system and V2H/V2G prices and financing trends, you can check it out for yourself, below, then let us know what you think in the comments.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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Alphabet’s Waymo wins approval to expand driverless ride-hailing service to San Jose

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Alphabet's Waymo wins approval to expand driverless ride-hailing service to San Jose

A Waymo autonomous vehicle drives along Masonic Avenue on April 11, 2022 in San Francisco, California. 

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Alphabet’s Waymo unit has received approval to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service to more parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose.

In March, the company submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission to gain approval for its latest passenger safety plan, a key step in gaining permission to operate driverless vehicles across a broader area. On Monday, the proposed expansion was approved, allowing for Waymo’s driverless coverage to extend from San Francisco down through the Peninsula.

“We’re very excited to share that the CPUC has approved our application to operate our fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the South Bay and nearly all of San Jose!” the company wrote in a post on X on Monday. “While this won’t change our operations in the near-term, we’re looking forward to bringing the benefits of Waymo One to more of the Bay Area in the future.”

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Waymo is a bright spot in the Google story, says Truist's Youssef Squali

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