This company wants to turn a Tennessee coal plant into a fusion reactor
Type One energy has announced its intention to use a retired TVA coal plant site, the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as the site for a prototype fusion reactor with the hope to eventually commercialize fusion power – and maybe even find a neat way to use old EV batteries to help power the process.
The Bull Run Fossil Plant was a coal-powered generation facility first opened in 1967 and shut down on December 1, 2023 – just over two months ago. It was run by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the largest public utility in the US, and sits just across the river from Oak Ridge, the site of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), one of America’s most important national science labs.
Despite only being shut down for two months, claims are already being made on the site. Due to its close location to ORNL, a lab that has studied fusion since the 1950s, it seems a natural choice for another fusion experiment – enter Type One energy, a company looking to work toward the commercialization of fusion power.
Type One Energy ambitiously gets its name from Type I on the Kardashev scale, a theoretical measurement intended to describe how advanced a civilization is. A Type I civilization is able to harness all of the energy available on a single planet – currently, humanity’s total energy production is about three orders of magnitude, or a thousand times, below this benchmark.
So, just starting with the name, Type One’s goals seem… optimistic, to say the least.
What is fusion?
For a basic primer on what we’re talking about here, Nuclear Fusion differs significantly from Nuclear Fission. Fusion is the reaction that happens inside of stars like our Sun, whereas Fission is what powers current commercial nuclear reactors.
Fission, in current nuclear reactors, takes large, rare, radioactive atoms (like Uranium-235) and splits them apart, which releases energy when the bonds between neutrons in the nucleus of these atoms are broken. The major downside is that this reaction creates radioactive material, with nuclear waste still being an unsolved problem.
Fusion, however, works by taking smaller atoms and fusing them together. The most promising fusion reaction uses deuterium and tritium, two rare isotopes of hydrogen that have extra neutrons in their nuclei. Deuterium is rare, but still relatively easily found in normal seawater (about one in every 6,000 natural hydrogen atoms are deuterium), whereas tritium is almost nonexistent in nature and would be manufactured by splitting lithium atoms.
Incidentally, this is a potential use for lithium from old EV batteries.
When the deuterium and tritium atoms are fused together it creates a normal helium atom and releases a free neutron, from which energy can be harvested.
The upside of fusion is that it does not produce long-lived radioactive waste, and that it is incredibly energetic, with the amount of deuterium in 1 gallon of ordinary seawater (about half a milliliter of deuterium) theoretically able to generate the amount of energy from combusting 300 gallons of oil. Fusion reactors are also considered to be inherently safer as there is no possibility of a meltdown.
The downside is that fusion requires extremely difficult conditions to occur, and those conditions cost a lot of energy to maintain. You can get a hint of this by looking at the location where fusion naturally happens – at the center of stars, at temperatures of tens of millions of degrees and pressures of trillions of pounds per square inch.
The state of fusion today
So it sounds like a science fiction concept, and ever since it was first envisioned in the 1950s, it has been. Humanity has never been able to achieve a fusion reaction that generated more energy than it took to create… until recently.
You may have heard the news last year that scientists had achieved “net energy gain” from a fusion reaction. This means that more energy was released by the fusion reaction than the amount of energy from the lasers used to produce the temperatures needed. This is denoted by the symbol Q, with Q numbers above 1 meaning net energy gain. The current record is Q = 1.54.
But that’s not everything, because not all of that energy can be effectively harnessed, so in order to reach the point where fusion actually becomes viable for electricity generation, the reaction must create enough energy to become self-sustaining – as long as more deuterium/tritium fuel is added, the reaction will continue, much like adding more logs to an already-burning fireplace.
The primary technology advancement needed for the Type One facility is high-temperature superconducting magnets, which have generally seen remarkable progress in recent years and are now the focus of multiple companies working to adapt the basic technology for fusion energy applications. Given what is known from a scientific development standpoint, ORNL considers the step envisioned by Type One as reasonable and achievable. While success is not guaranteed, we view the risk-to-reward profile of this facility as appropriate. If successful, the results from this facility would provide a solid basis for a second-generation facility focused on energy production.
Mickey Wade, associate lab director of fusion and fission energy and science, ORNL
For a self-sustaining reaction, a ratio of about Q = 5 is thought to be necessary to reach the level of viability for electricity production. But once that milestone is reached, Q increases arbitrarily, because the self-sustaining nature of the reaction means that little to no energy will be needed to be spent externally to maintain the reaction.
Type One’s plans
Type One thinks it can reach this milestone, though probably not for years still – it sets the target at about a decade from now. As of now, it wants to build a prototype reactor it’s calling Infinity One at the Bull Run site, with the intent of “retiring risks” before building a future pilot power plant.
There are a number of other fusion reactors in the world, but most of them are from public institutions run by academic, governmental, or intergovernmental sources. There are a few other fusion startups, but Type One thinks that it will be the first private company to build a functional stellerator prototype. Fusion reactors come in two types: stellerators and tokamaks, with each having their advantages but tokamaks being more common.
Many of the company’s personnel have already been part of stellerator projects in other settings, so there is plenty of expertise associated – including CTO Dr. Thomas Sunn Pederson, who we spoke to for this story, who previously worked on the record-setting W7X stellerator in Germany.
The plan has been enough to get the company noticed by some government entities, with the Department of Energy choosing it as one of eight companies to receive part of $46 million in funding. Here’s the full list of those companies, six of which ORNL is also partnering with:
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems (Cambridge, MA)
- Focused Energy Inc. (Austin, TX)
- Princeton Stellarators Inc. (Branchburg, NJ)
- Realta Fusion Inc. (Madison, WI)
- Tokamak Energy Inc. (Bruceton Mills, WV)
- Type One Energy Group (Madison, WI)
- Xcimer Energy Inc. (Redwood City, CA)
- Zap Energy Inc. (Everett, WA)
Type One is also the first company to receive grants via a new Tennessee program to encourage innovation and investment in nuclear energy, and closed an investment seed round of $29 million last year.
As for involvement from TVA and ORNL, both entities are “collaborating” with Type One, but are a little more measured in their expectations than the company itself is.
TVA is a clean energy leader. With the retirement of Bull Run plant, TVA is in the unique position to partner with Type One and ORNL to explore the repurposing of a portion of the facility toward the advancement of fusion energy research. As TVA works to be net-zero by 2050, we must work together to identify potential clean energy technologies of the future. Being able to further the advancement of fusion energy research provides a win-win proposition for TVA and the people of the valley.
-TVA spokesperson
Despite Type One’s announcement today of its selection to pursue the use of TVA’s Bull Run site, TVA issues a reminder that the project is contingent on proper completion of necessary environmental reviews, permits, operating licenses and so on. While TVA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the company and with ORNL, it hasn’t yet formally agreed to lease part of the property to Type One. But it does see the unique opportunity to use a former coal for research into the future of energy, especially in a spot that’s so close to one of the centers of American fusion research at Oak Ridge labs.
Construction on the pilot research project could start as early as 2025, and be completed as early as 2028.
Electrek’s Take
This story interested me primarily due to the angle of turning a site that used to generate the dirtiest possible electricity into one that generates what would likely become the cleanest form of electricity, which is quite poetic.
And fusion energy, in particular, has incredible promise if it’s ever achieved. It could solve a tremendous amount of our societal problems – but like everything else, this only works if the benefits are properly distributed, and our current sociopolitical systems aren’t all that great at doing that.
But it could, at least, help to solve climate change, by offering a highly energetic energy source that also releases zero emissions, and has even fewer auxiliary impacts than other current clean energy sources (e.g. habitat disruption, panel/turbine recycling, and so on). And, relevant to Electrek, if lithium is needed to make tritium, then that gives us something we could use recycled EV batteries for, which is pretty cool.
But we also shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves here, because it sounds like this project is in very early stages. Today’s press release is a pretty minor step – Type One is just announcing the site that it wants to use, which hasn’t even been secured yet. And while we had a great conversation with Type One, the responses we got from TVA and ORNL were much more noncommittal. So there was an excitement disconnect there, which is to be expected between a company and a government entity, but it still reminded us that all of this is still some ways off.
So there’s a lot of steps between here and fusion energy, and frankly, I think that the biggest breakthroughs in fusion are not likely to come from a private company but from academic or governmental research, at least for the time being.
We will eventually need companies to come in and figure out commercial viability, so getting started on that earlier than later is all well and good, but we’re still going to be waiting for a while before that viability happens – and unfortunately, we don’t have time to wait to solve climate change. So, while fusion might help, we still need to get to work now on emissions reductions immediately.
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The iconic electric hatch is all grown up and will arrive later this month. Nissan’s iconic EV is now a stylish crossover with more range, faster charging, and several other upgrades. Ahead of its global debut, Nissan is offering us a closer look at the third-gen LEAF EV with a few new photos and details.
Nissan LEAF EV photos and global debut date
Nissan is upgrading its best-selling EV in nearly every way possible. We got a sneak peek of the new model in March, but it was essentially a preview.
On Tuesday, Nissan shared several new photos and a few insights we can expect to see from the updated LEAF EV when it arrives later this month.
The LEAF is dropping the hatchback style we’ve grown to love (or hate) for a “sleek and spacious family-friendly crossover” design. Nissan’s design and engineering teams worked together to give it a bold new look, but it’s also surprisingly efficient.
With a drag coefficient of just 0.26, the new model (US and Japan-spec) is about as aerodynamic as an average sports car. In Europe, it’s even more impressive at just 0.25 Cd, down from 0.28 Cd in the outgoing LEAF.
All new models (US, Japan, and Europe) feature added flush door handles, an active grille shutter, improved wheel design, a new fastback silhouette, and a flat underbody for better efficiency.
“Every design choice was optimized for aero and energy efficiency, even the panoramic glass roof contributes to exceptional aerodynamics,” according to Nissan’s program design director, Nobutaka Tase.
The third-gen LEAF is based on Nissan’s CMF-EV platform, the same one that underpins the Ariya electric SUV. Although Nissan has yet to confirm the battery specs, it promises that the new model will have “significant range improvements” compared to the outgoing LEAF.
We may have an idea after Nissan’s vehicle programs chief, François Bailly, told TopGear.com that the new LEAF will arrive with a 373-mile (600 km) WLTP driving range.
On the EPA scale, it could be closer to a 300-mile range, but that would still be a significant improvement from the 212 EPA-estimated miles offered on the 2025 LEAF SV Plus.
In North America, the new Nissan LEAF will also feature a built-in NACS port, unlocking access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
You can learn more about the updated model in the video above. The short series features the planning, design, and engineers who helped bring the third-gen EV to life.
We will find out more later this month when Nissan officially launches the updated LEAF. Check back soon for more info. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
Do you like the updated LEAF design? The crossover style gives it a fresh new look. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Chinese EV automaker NIO took to social media to announce expansion plans to seven new European markets. This multi-brand strategy will bring even more BEVs from NIO and Firefly to EU customers.
NIO ($NIO) is looking to add clout to its status as a rising global brand. It was only four years ago that the Chinese EV automaker announced its first expansion plans into European markets, beginning in Norway. The company has since set up sales in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Those EU models include the NIO ES6, ES7, ES8, ET5, ET5T, and ET7. However, due to a trademark dispute with Audi, the “ES” models have been renamed “EL” in the EU (EL6, EL7, etc).
Additionally, NIO has recently begun selling the two flagship EVs from its sub-brands, the Onvo L60 and Firefly, to European customers.
Earlier today, NIO took to X and Weibo to announce additional expansion plans for Europe, including sales of the Firefly.
NIO and Firefly to expand to these seven European markets
Per the post on X, NIO intends to begin selling its BEVs in the following European markets through 2025 and 2026:
- Austria
- Belgium
- The Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Luxembourg
- Poland
- Romania
NIO divulged even more details on Weibo, including what models will be sold in those additional EU markets. Those BEVs include the EL6, EL8, ET5, ET5 Touring (ET5T), and the Firefly EV (seen above). Per the post:
In the Belgian and Luxembourg markets, NIO will cooperate with Hedin Mobility Group, a leading European travel service group. In Central and Eastern Europe, NIO will join hands with AutoWallis, a leading regional travel service group, to first cover the Austrian and Hungarian markets in 2025, and plans to start deliveries in the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania in 2026, bringing innovative, sustainable and high-quality smart electric travel experiences to local users.
There you have it. Five BEV models across two NIO brands, reaching new European customers as early as this year. We’re sure this won’t be the last we hear about Firefly in Europe, as the NIO sub-brand was supposed to initially launch overseas ahead of China. NIO co-founder and president, Qin Lihong, recently told CnEVPost that Firefly would enter approximately 20 overseas markets by the end of 2025, with the right-hand drive version expected to hit the market in October at the latest.
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Environment
MeetOne Tour full-suspension electric trike review: The most powerful and most comfortable e-trike yet
I’m super bullish on electric trikes. I may not be a silver-haired fox (yet), but even at a ripe 36 years old, I can appreciate the advantages of a comfortable e-trike just as much as their larger market of mature riders.
I don’t think age or accessibility should be the only factors when considering the advantages of three wheels over two, and the MeetOne Tour dual motor electric trike is a great example of that. Sure, it’d be awesome for folks who can no longer feel the same confidence or stability from two-wheelers. But it’s also just a blast to ride at any age and ability level!
Don’t just take my word for it, though. Take my video for it! Check out my experience in my video review below, or keep reading for the full details.
MeetOne Tour Dual Motor Electric Trike Video Review
MeetOne Tour Dual Motor Electric Trike Tech Specs
- Motor: Dual 750W motors with a rated 180 Nm of torque
- Top speed: 25 mph (40 km/h) on pedal assist or 15 mph (25 km/h) on throttle
- Range: Claimed up to 130 miles (210 km)
- Battery: Dual 48V 15Ah (total of 1,440 Wh) UL-certified with Samsung cells
- Load Capacity: 550 lb (250 kg)
- Frame: Aluminum alloy 6061
- Brakes: Hydraulic dual-piston disc brakes (three of them!)
- Extras: Torque sensor, parking brake, full-suspension, Shimano 7-speed shifter, included fenders/basket/rear bag, arrives almost completely assembled
- Price: 3,299
Comfort and performance in a single package
The MeetOne Tour Dual Motor E-Trike stands out as a robust and comfortable option in the electric tricycle market. With its semi-recumbent design, dual motors, and thoughtful features, it offers a compelling ride for those seeking stability and performance.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that an electric tricycle wouldn’t be a thrilling ride, but MeetOne has somehow nailed both the power and comfort in a single e-bike, and the experience is incredible. I kept thinking, “This trike shouldn’t feel this good,” and yet here we are.
The semi-recumbent seating position of the Tour E-Trike provides a relaxed posture, reducing strain on the back and knees. Your legs are nicely stretched out in front of you instead of folded up underneath you.
The oversized seat with backrest enhances comfort, making longer rides more enjoyable. The trike’s full suspension system with dual-crown fork and dual rear shocks effectively absorbs road imperfections, contributing to a smoother ride. It all just works together so nicely. There’s even a new seat that has since been added, complete with armrests, making this thing more of a living room recliner on wheels than a traditional e-trike.
There’s also a reverse mode, which is important for such a bulky trike that you might have trouble maneuvering around into a tight spot.
And as an added note on comfort, the bike arrives almost completely assembled, so it’s a lot easier to get rolling than some trikes that require significant at-home assembly.
And then there’s the power. Equipped with dual 750W hub motors, the Tour E-Trike delivers a combined 180 Nm of torque, offering strong acceleration and the ability to tackle inclines with ease. The traction is spread out with one motor in the rear and the other in the front hub, making sure that power actually gets to the ground.
The trike’s top speed is listed at 25 mph (40 km/h), though I found that throttle-only mode reached only 15 mph (25 km/h), with pedal assist enabling higher speeds. The torque sensor provides responsive assistance, adjusting power based on pedaling effort for a natural riding experience.
The battery range is no slouch, either. Dual 48V 15Ah Samsung batteries (totaling 30Ah or 1,440 Wh) offer a claimed range of up to 130 miles (210 km) under optimal conditions – though I doubt anyone will see a range that big. Even so, 50 miles (80 km) is doable even on throttle riding thanks to those dual batteries.
This extended range makes the Tour E-Trike great for long-distance rides and daily commutes alike. Plus, the batteries are supposedly UL2271 certified, adding even more peace of mind.
Safety and cargo capacity
As with any e-trike, safety is critical due to the inherent instability of delta tricycles in turns and the undeniable fact that many riders are going to be older and more accident-prone. Fortunately, I’m glad to see that MeetOne addressed many safety concerns right from the start.
The wide rear end helps keep the trike feeling more stable in turns, though you still shouldn’t go full speed into a hairpin. To ensure that doesn’t happen, the trike features hydraulic disc brakes on all wheels, providing reliable stopping power. The parking brake is also user-friendly, requiring minimal effort to engage. Most parking brakes on e-bikes require a lot of hand strength to pull the lever in fully, with a second hand usually needed to push a locking mechanism. On the MeetOne, the parking brake lever is activated first, then the rider pulls the brake handle as far as they’d like. It’s a much easier-to-use design.
The trike’s well-placed mirrors also offer clear rearward visibility, enhancing safety during rides. Additional features include a reverse mode for easy maneuvering and a differential for smooth cornering.
With a maximum load capacity of 550 lbs (250 kg) and a rear basket capable of holding up to 100 lbs (45 kg), the Tour E-Trike is well-suited for carrying groceries, gear, or other essentials.
A rear bag in the large rear basket also helps enclose smaller things and prevent them from falling out of the basket. You can toss your keeps or water bottle into the bag and know that they’ll still be there, even after a bumpy ride.
What’s not to like?
With a trike like this, what’s not to like? No, like, I actually mean it. Here’s what I don’t like.
First of all, the trike is heavy as #&%!
I don’t even know how heavy it is. I don’t have a scale big enough to weigh it and MeetOne doesn’t list the weight. It’s got to be well over 100 lb (45 kg), though. I’d guess around 115 to 120 lb (52-54 kg). It’s also bulky, meaning picking it up would require multiple people. If you did need to transport it, use a ramp and a pickup truck – I’m not sure there’s a better option.
Next, it’s pricey. An XP Trike is less than half the price, and so you and your partner could both get one and have money left over. But then again, this thing is way comfier, way more powerful, and just a lot more trike. So this isn’t a model for someone trying to shop on a budget – it’s a model for someone who wants a lot more than they’ll find elsewhere.
And lastly, having two batteries is nice, but needing to keep up with charging two batteries isn’t. A single charger that fed both batteries would be nice, or a single larger battery. That being said, one massive battery puts all your eggs in one basket, and if your battery ever dies, you’ve got an expensive hunk of nickel and lithium to replace. Two batteries give you redundancy that could be quite welcome in that situation, so there is something to be said for two independent battery packs!
Final thoughts
All in all, the MeetOne Tour is one of the most compelling electric trikes I’ve tested to date. It’s not trying to be the lightest or flashiest trike on the market – instead, it leans fully into being a feature-rich, ultra-comfortable machine that puts practicality and comfort above all else. From the full suspension setup to the semi-recumbent seat, everything about the Tour is built to make the ride as smooth and pleasant as possible. And it works. Whether you’re commuting, running errands, or just cruising for the joy of it, this e-trike feels stable, capable, and incredibly well thought-out. The added weight may make it a bit more effort to move around manually, but once you’re rolling, that heft translates into confidence and stability on the road.
It’s also packed with the kind of little details that make a big difference. The reverse gear might sound minor, but it’s a lifesaver when navigating tight spots. The mirrors are actually useful, something that’s all too rare on electric trikes. And the braking system, complete with easy-to-engage parking brakes, shows that the designers thought about real-world usability. At $3,299, it’s not the cheapest trike out there, but considering the dual motors, dual batteries, and comfort-focused build, it still feels like strong value. For riders looking for a serious mobility solution that doesn’t compromise on ride quality or utility, the MeetOne Tour Dual Motor E-Trike is absolutely worth a closer look.
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