Mullen’s electric trucks earn CARB certification, qualifying for over $45k in customer savings
Seven months after kicking off production of its Class 3 electric trucks in Mississippi, EV startup Mullen Automotive has secured fruitful environmental compliance and approvals from CARB and the EPA. As a result, those CARB-compliant states and Washington DC enable tremendous savings to fleet operators who purchase electric trucks from Mullen.
2023 was an interesting year for Mullen Automotive ($MULN) as the veteran EV startup took significant strides in expanding its commercial EV operations after claiming a majority stake in Bollinger Motors in September of 2022 and wholly acquiring ELMS and its IP one month later.
Since then, we saw Mullen commence production of its THREE Class 3 electric trucks in Tunica, Mississippi – a site that is also home to the production of its ONE Class 1 electric vans, which recently began deliveries.
Despite noted efforts to expand commercial EV development and sales to fund its passenger vehicle program, Mullen faced several financial hurdles, including the threat of Nasdaq delisting> In May of 2022, Mullen completed a 1-for-25 reverse stock split, followed by a 1-for-9 reverse split in August, but still fell below the $1 threshold to remain compliant on the stock market.
As of January 2024, however, Mullen is back well beyond the dollar threshold as its stock was trading over $7 at market open this morning. While it sits in a better place financially, Mullen looks to bolster its electric van and truck deliveries in the US and has gained the necessary certification to enable tens of thousands of dollars in state incentives for specific commercial customers.
Mullen electric truck joins Class 1 van in CARB certification
Per Mullen, its THREE all-electric Class 3 low cab forward chassis truck has officially received certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The electric truck now joins Mullen’s Class 1 van in dual certification, as well as full compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), thus qualifying for state incentives for those 15 territories that are CARB compliant:
- California
- Connecticut
- Colorado
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Following CARB certification, Mullen says it can begin selling the THREE electric trucks in all 50 states plus D.C., starting at a suggested MSRP of $68,500. However, only the commercial customers in those 14 CARB-compliant states plus D.C. can take advantage of the total incentives for buying zero-emissions vehicles – rebates that can go as high as $45,000 per truck.
Mullen also points out that combined with the $7,500 federal tax credit, commercial customers can purchase a new THREE electric truck at a net cost below $20,000. Mullen chairman and CEO David Michery spoke:
CARB approval accelerates commercialization of the Mullen THREE and makes our vehicle even more appealing to customers who want to electrify their fleets. Having both our Class 1 and Class 3 commercial EVs now CARB and EPA certified will continue to drive sales in all states across America.
THREE deliveries were originally expected to begin last summer, but with ONE van deliveries now underway and THREE CARB certification in place, electric truck sales and fleet deliveries finally feel imminent.
Electrek’s take
Mullen had an up-down year in 2023, but it’s good to see it compliant after some stock issues, lawsuits, and lots of finger-pointing. The startup is making a name for itself in the commercial sector, which is encouraging.
Granted, Mullen is manufacturing and selling intellectual property it purchased from other companies, but it is currently the only company delivering Class 1 electric vans if I’m not mistaken. I’m still not convinced Mullen’s passenger EV business is anything more than vapor, but continued sales and deliveries in the commercial space could prove lucrative and help fund that R&D in the future.
Or, and I’m just spitballin’ here, Mullen may find its niche in commercial EVs and focus its entire business model around developing those products. We shall see. Either way, it’s refreshing to see this company delivering EVs, and thanks to CARB, those potential savings could prove mighty enticing to fleet operators in the US.
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Honda’s electric SUV took the US by storm, becoming the top-selling EV in the US outside of Tesla in the final three months of 2024. This year, Honda is making the Prologue even more attractive, upgrading it with over 300 miles of range. With 2025 Prologue models now arriving at dealerships, Honda wasted no time launching new deals this week.
2025 Honda Prologue EV deals and offers
After the first models were delivered last March, the Honda Prologue quickly became one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the US.
In the second half of 2024, the Prologue was the second best-selling electric SUV, trailing only the Tesla Model Y. This year, it boasts even more driving range and power.
Since Honda didn’t raise prices, it’s essentially a free upgrade (well, sort of). The 2025 Honda Prologue (2WD) now has a “top-class” EPA rating of 308 miles, up 12 miles from the outgoing model. It also packs 220 horsepower (+8) and 243 lb-ft of torque (+7).
The Prologue is still available in single-motor (2WD) and dual-motor (AWD) versions in three trims: EX, Touring, and Elite.
The AWD version now has a range of 294 miles (+13) for the EX and Touring trims and 283 miles (+10) for the Elite. It also now packs 300 horsepower (+12) and 355 lb-ft of torque (+25).
With DC fast charging speeds of up to 150 kW, the electric SUV can add 65 miles of range in around 10 minutes.
The 2025 Honda Prologue starts at $47,400, but with the $7,500 EV tax credit, prices could fall to under $40,000. And that’s for the EX single-motor version with up to 308 miles of range.
On Honda’s website, the 2025 Prologue is listed with a promotional rate of 2.99% APR for up to 60 months. Lease prices for the base model are not yet available, but the 2025 AWD EX is listed at $599 for 36 months with $4,299 due at signing.
Although the deals on the 2025 models are not nearly as good as the 0% financing and leases as low as $269 per month for the 2024 Prologue, Honda had to make up for the upgrades somewhere.
| Trim | Drive Configuration | Pricing | EPA Ratings | |||
| MSRP | After Federal EV Tax Credit | Plus $1,450 D&H |
Range Rating | MPGe Rating (City/Hwy/Combined) |
||
| EX | Single Motor (2WD) | $47,400 | $39,900 | $41,350 | 308 | 113 / 94 / 104 |
| EX | Dual Motor (AWD) | $50,400 | $42,900 | $44,350 | 294 | 108 / 90 / 99 |
| Touring | Single Motor (2WD) | $51,700 | $44,200 | $45,650 | 308 | 113 / 94 / 104 |
| Touring | Dual Motor (AWD) | $54,700 | $47,200 | $48,650 | 294 | 108 / 90 / 99 |
| Elite | Dual Motor (AWD) | $57,900 | $50,400 | $51,850 | 283 | 104 / 87 / 95 |
Honda is sweetening the deal with a charging package included in the Prologue’s price. You can choose from a free Level 2 home charger, a portable charging kit, or a $750 public charging credit.
The 2024 Honda Prologue is selling out fast with ultra-low lease and financing rates, while the 2025 model promises even more. Ready to try it out for yourself? You can use our link to find deals on the 2024 and 2025 Honda Prologue in your area today.
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In this photo illustration, the logo for the US tech firm “Block” is displayed and reflected in a number of digital screens on March 03, 2023 in London, England.
Leon Neal | Getty Images
With its stock down more than 30% this year and revenue growth slowing, Jack Dorsey’s Block is going bigger in lending.
The company on Thursday said it secured approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to originate loans through its banking subsidiary, Square Financial Services, allowing it to offer small-dollar consumer loans directly rather than relying on external banking partners.
It’s an expansion of Cash App Borrow, the company’s short-term lending product. But it comes at a time of increased concerns surrounding consumer credit, with President Trump’s expansive tariffs and widespread government job cuts raising talk of a potential recession.
Transaction losses in Block’s lending segment jumped 39% last quarter, and while the company claims its underwriting model is strong, small-dollar lending is inherently risky.
“Cash App Borrow is designed to provide short-term cash flow in a simple and accessible way when alternatives are notoriously expensive and difficult for consumers to navigate,” Block said in the press release. The company added that the average Cash App Borrow loan was under $100 and about a month in duration.
Block didn’t immediately provide a comment.
In getting approval to operate the lending business out of its own bank, Block says it will be able to offer the product nationwide.
Last month, Block reported quarterly results that missed Wall Street expectations, with revenue growing just 4.5% from a year earlier. The stock plunged 18%, its worst one-day drop since 2020.
Around the same time, Block rolled out Afterpay, its buy now, pay later product, on the Cash App card. Chief Financial Officer Amrita Ahuja told CNBC that the launch aimed to provide customers with more credit options, and positioned Cash App as a banking alternative for some customers. Block acquired Afterpay, which competes with Affirm, for $29 billion in early 2022.
Also this week, Block announced a big investment plan in artificial intelligence.
The company said on Wednesday that it will deploy Nvidia’s AI systems with its latest Blackwell chips to power open-source AI research. Block didn’t say what specifically it’s looking to achieve through its AI buildout, but noted in the press release that it will “start exploring novel solutions for our customers.”
![Kia's first electric van looks even better in person [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Kias-first-electric-van-PV5-1.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Kia is launching its first electric van, the PV5, later this year. If you liked how it looked in pictures, wait until you see it in real life. A production PV5 was spotted in Korea for the first time, giving us a closer look at the futuristic van. See it for yourself in the video below.
Kia’s first electric van spotted in Korea
After teasing it for what seemed like forever, Kia finally took the sheets off the PV5 at its 2025 EV Day event last month.
With its hard-to-miss futuristic design, the PV5 is a near replica of the concept shown at CES last January. The mid-size electric van is set to kick off Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy.
The PV5 will initially be available in Passenger, Cargo, and Chassis Cab setups, but with “unprecedented flexibility,” you can expect to see more options soon. Two of the first will be the PV5 Crew, with additional cargo securing options and a Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle (WAV) version.
After that, Kia will follow it up with Drop Side, Box Van, Freezer, Box, and Prime variations. It plans to launch a Light Camper conversion.
With sales kicking off in the second half of 2025, Kia’s electric van was spotted in Korea for the first time without camouflage. A new video from HealerTV gives us a better idea of what to expect when the PV5 hits dealerships later this year.
The PV5 maintains its techy, almost ahead-of-its-time design. Two exterior body colors were shown: white and a darker grey or black. As the reporter notes, it actually looks like an upgrade from the concept.
Kia did what it could at the back so it didn’t look like a bus, giving it more of a rounded overall shape. You can see how it stands apart from most MPVs you see today.
Like the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, Kia’s PV5 looks more like a minibus. At 4,695 mm long, 1,895 mm wide, and 1,899 mm tall, Kia’s passenger electric van is slightly smaller than the European ID.Buzz model (4,712 mm long, 1,985 mm wide, 1,937 mm tall).
It will be available with 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh battery packs, good for up to 400 km (249 miles) WLTP range. The PV5 can also fast charge (10% to 80%) in about 30 minutes. In comparison, powered by an 84 kWh battery, the ID.Buzz now offers up to 293 miles WLTP range.
Kia will launch sales in Korea and Europe later this year, followed by other global markets in 2026. Pre-orders will open soon, so check back for prices.
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