Fliteboard unveils new electric hydrofoil surfboard to help surfers catch a wave
Fliteboard, a leading manufacturer of electric hydrofoil surfboards, announced the launch of its new sub-brand FLITElab* (there’s no more info below, that asterisk is frustratingly part of the name). The announcement coincides with the launch of FLITElab*’s first product, the AMP board, which can help surfers catch a wave, both assisted and electricity-free.
While Flitboard’s product line has largely served the wider electric hydrofoil board market that covers everything from lake and river surfing to open ocean, the new FLITElab* line is focusing on the niche within a niche of prone hydrofoil board surfing.
Also known as prone foiling, this sport differs in that the action starts more like on a traditional surfboard, with the rider starting out lying prone on the board and paddling to catch a wave. Once they’ve caught the wave on the body of the board, the hydrofoil allows them to rise out of the water and begin a more foil-style ride. That hydrofoil also allows surfers to ride waves that are smaller or faster than possible on a traditional surfboard.
So where does the electric part of the sport come in? That’s exactly what FLITElab* wants to showcase in its new AMP board featuring the company’s AMP Jet technology. The AMP Jet is an electric thruster built into the body of the board instead of just above the hydrofoil as we’ve previously seen on most electric foiling boards. That means it’s all but invisible to the naked eye – and is lighter while creating less drag.
As the company explained, “the AMP Jet is a self-contained and removable cartridge, delivering optimal power for prone foilers, wingers, and downwind enthusiasts, to get up and riding with ease regardless of the conditions. Strategic placement of the AMP Jet ensures there’s no added drag, maintaining the board’s performance integrity throughout the entirety of the ride.”
That’s the big idea: it can help foilers catch a wave even on smaller boards, yet it is less cumbersome than a traditional e-foil drive and can also be completely removed, turning the board back into a good old-fashioned (and lighter-weight) ride.
The company is also touting another motor design that they’ve dubbed the AMP Mast. It’s a slimline motor that mounts to the mast to give hydrofoil board surfers that extra boost to catch a wave or quickly return to the lineup.
Chris Reynolds, the project manager on FLITELab*’s first release, explained how the system solves a unique challenge faced by prone foilers:
“From the moment I started prone foiling I was amazed at the kind of waves I could ride; big, small, clean or messy it didn’t matter, the only problem was catching them in the first place. The agile and responsive boards I love to ride just weren’t up to the task of efficient paddling. The AMP system is our solution, the AMP Jet is integrated into the board and delivers the perfect amount of boost exactly when you need it, and is safely out of the way when you don’t.”
Controlling the board is designed to be a simple process by using the FLITELab* LAUNCH Pad embedded in the board’s nose. The unit allows riders to activate the AMP Jet for a power boost while remaining hands-free. The LAUNCH Pad enables riders to customize the power strength and timing of the boost, while an intelligent feature monitors rider position, automatically cutting power once upright or in the event of a fall.
The actual tech specs seem to be pretty slim at this point. We don’t know key figures like the power or battery capacity, though the company claims that the batteries will be allowed on airplanes, which would likely put them at under 160 Wh – comparatively tiny in the world of electric surfboards. But since the system is designed for just a quick boost to catch a wave, battery demands should be much lower than traditional electric surfboards used for surfing flat water like lakes and rivers.
Release date and pricing also seem to be somewhere out on the horizon as well. But hey, at least we’ve got some pretty videos set to some perpetually chill Fleetwood Mac, below.
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A fully electric Isuzu pickup truck? That’s right. The D-MAX EV is Isuzu’s first electric pickup, and it will be rolling in the next few months. After kicking off mass production, Isuzu said the new EV pickup will “match the performance of existing diesel models,” boasting high towing capacity and payload.
Isuzu’s first electric pickup is launching in 2025
Isuzu announced on Tuesday that the D-MAX EV has officially entered mass production. The company has started building left-hand drive models, which will be shipped to Europe in the third quarter of 2025.
By the end of the year, production of right-hand drive models will begin for the UK, with sales expected to start in 2026.
The electric pickup is nearly identical to Isuzu’s popular gas-powered D-MAX, but swaps the diesel powertrain for a pair of electric motors. The D-MAX EV features new e-Axles, one on the front and the other at the rear, for a full-time 4WD system.
The dual-motor powertrain enables it to match the performance of existing diesel models, with a combined 188 hp (140 kW) and a maximum torque of 240 lb-ft (325 Nm).
It can also tow over 7,700 lbs (3,500 kg) with a maximum payload of over 2,200 lbs (1,010 kg). That’s about the same as the D-MAX diesel, which has a 3,500 kg towing capacity and a payload capacity of up to 1,200 kg.
Powered by a 66.9 kWh battery, Isuzu’s first electric pickup boasts a driving range of up to 263 km (162 miles) on the WLTP. In the city, it can have a driving range of up to 224 miles (361 km).
| Isuzu D-Max EV specs | |
| Drive System | Full-time 4×4 |
| Battery Type | Lithium-ion |
| Battery Capacity | 66.9 kWh |
| Max Output | 130 kW (174 hp) |
| Max Torque | 325 Nm |
| Max Speed | Over 130 km/h (+80 mph) |
| Max Payload | 1,000 kg (+2,200 lbs) |
| Max Towing Capacity | 3.5t (+7,700 lbs) |
Built for on and off-road performance, the rugged electric pickup features over 8″ (210 mm) of ground clearance with a wading depth of nearly 24″ (600 mm).
Although prices have not been announced, the D-MAX EV is expected to start slightly higher than the diesel model, which has a base price of around € 36,500 ($41,600).
Isuzu’s popular D-MAX is sold in over 100 countries, including Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America. The electric version will arrive in Europe in the next few months, followed by the UK and other regions in 2026.
The electric D-MAX will compete with the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and other electric pickups, such as Geely’s Radar R6, BYD’s Shark, and Ford’s F-150 Lightning.
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For the first time in five years, a Tesla insider required to report Tesla stock transactions bought stocks rather than selling them.
But the transaction is so small that it makes the whole situation hilarious.
Insiders in public companies are top executives and board members who are required to report to the SEC any transaction related to the company’s stock.
For Tesla, it has become a running joke that insiders only sell, never buy the stock.
This has been true without exception for years.
We don’t know as much about executives as Tesla has a very short top executive bench who are required to file transactions. However, when it comes to its board members, they have been selling at an impressive rate.
We recently reported on Kimball Musk, Elon’s brother, and Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Taneja Vaibhav recently selling ahead of a recent drop in the company’s stock price.
Tesla’s chairwoman, Robyn Denholm, also sold $33 million worth of Tesla shares in February and over $100 million in the 3 months prior.
However, we now have confirmation that a Tesla board member is buying, rather than selling.
Joe Gebbia, the Airbnb co-founder who joined Tesla’s board in 2022, confirmed that he bought 4,000 shares in Tesla last week worth about $1 million:
Electrek’s Take
Gebbia is estimated to be worth over $7 billion. Therefore, his purchase of $1 million worth of Tesla stock would be equivalent to my buying a fractional share in Tesla.
Furthermore, the disclosure confirmed that despite being on the board for the last 3 years, Gebbia owned only 111 shares in Tesla before the transaction.
That’s quite the show of confidence in Tesla.
Thie whole situation with the board is disappointing. Tesla’s core business is melting. The company reported its worst quarter in years last week, and the stock surged 20%.
None of it makes any sense.
The board is sitting on its hands while the most powerful force accelerating the advent of electric transport is being destroyed in favor of nonsensical predictions about the potential of solving self-driving and humanoid robots.
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Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Venmo, long a centerpiece of PayPal‘s growth story but often criticized for its lack of monetization, is becoming a bigger contributor to the business.
PayPal said Tuesday in its first-quarter earnings release that revenue at Venmo increased 20% year-over-year in the first quarter, though the company didn’t provide a dollar figure. PayPal acquired Venmo in 2013 through the acquisition of parent company Braintree.
While it’s long been a popular consumer service for sending money to friends, Venmo’s ability to drive meaningful revenue has been a major question mark for investors, especially as competition from rivals like Zelle and Square Cash has intensified.
Venmo’s total payment volume rose 10% from a year earlier, but revenue grew twice as fast, reflecting the business opportunity. Venmo only gets revenue from specific products like Pay with Venmo at online checkout, Venmo debit cards, and instant transfers, but not from peer-to-peer payments.
Ahead of the earnings report, Jefferies analysts noted that Venmo revenue growth appeared to be “accelerating sharply” and flagged its rising contribution to branded checkout as a key area to watch. Compass Point analysts similarly said that while competition from Zelle and Square Cash remains fierce, Venmo’s traction with debit cards and online checkout could “open up new monetization avenues” if adoption trends continue.
The company added nearly 2 million first-time PayPal and Venmo debit card users during the quarter, and total debit card payment volume across PayPal and Venmo climbed more than 60%. Meanwhile, Pay with Venmo transaction volume surged 50% year over year, and Venmo debit card monthly active users grew about 40%.
PayPal reported better-than-expected earnings for the quarter but missed on revenue. The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance, citing macroeconomic uncertainty.
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