Michigan-based EV battery startup ONE, Our Next Energy – considered one of the most valuable privately held companies in the US and Biden’s darling for homegrown batteries – is once again cutting its workforce after months of problems.
Crain’s Detroit Business reports that the company has cut another 37 jobs, with 24 located in Michigan. The majority of those jobs are administrative roles, the company stated.
ONE is among the many players in the race to develop an LFP battery pack on North American soil. Last year, the company was riding high after procuring some $300 million in funding for a $1 billion valuation, with plans to build a $1.6 billion gigafactory in Michigan to make its batteries there.
Last November, the company, headquartered in Novi, a suburb of Detroit, cut 128 salaried and hourly workers as part of a “revised business plan,” according to a statement emailed to various sources. After yesterday’s layoffs, ONE currently has a staff of 240 employees in Michigan, with closer to 270 employees nationally, reports The Detroit News.
After the layoffs at the end of last year, the company also replaced its CEO and founder Mujeeb Ijaz, known for his dazzling genius in the field of battery engineering but erratic management style, with Paul Humphries, a seasoned executive and board member who came out of retirement for the job.
Still, the cuts are happening amid layoffs among other suppliers and manufacturers like Rivian. The argument is that consumer demand for EVs has ebbed, with infrastructure and charging speed stalling adoption, and the billions of dollars that once flowed into EVs have been cut or delayed, leaving a company like ONE vulnerable as investment dollars dry up.
The company also stated that it is focusing on developing products “that will double the range for electric vehicles and double the energy capacity of conventional utility-scale energy storage systems.”
“In support of this mission, ONE is reinforcing its commitment to its research & development, engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing functions…. To accomplish this, the company is re-aligning resources and reducing overall operating expenses in its non-product-related functions. This decision will enable ONE to operate in a more financially efficient manner and support the company’s ongoing efforts to attract additional strategic and financial investors.”
The company told Electrek last December that it has been delivering production LFP battery packs made with purchased cells to customers since early 2023. The company currently produces the packs on a dedicated line at a facility with its contract manufacturer, Piston Automotive.
Still, ONE says the new cuts won’t impact battery cell production happening now. Meanwhile, work is still happening on its new plant in Michigan, backed by $200 million in state incentives. ONE expects to employ more than 2,000 people and produce the equivalent of 200,000 EV battery packs a year at full capacity, which is targeted for as early as the end of 2027.
Photo: Courtesy of Our Next Energy
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Sometimes on Alibaba, you find something that makes you stop, scratch your head, and wonder whether the designer started with a golf cart and added a pickup truck bed… or started with a farm truck and grafted on the front half of a golf cart. Either way, the end result is this glorious mashup of country club chic and back-forty practicality.
It’s also the perfect candidate for this week’s edition of the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week – a chance to dumpster dive through some of the coolest and most innovative EVs on the internet.
Up front, you’ve got what looks like your standard neighborhood golf cart – small tires, stubby hood, upright windshield, and a seating arrangement that says, “I could drop you off, but you’re carrying the clubs.”
But move your eyes toward the rear and suddenly you’re on a rural Chinese farm. It’s basically the epitome of the classic Chinese farm truck… and I’ve walked the line at Chinese farm truck factories. That short golf cart chassis has been stretched into a full-blown flatbed mini-truck, complete with drop-down side gates and a tailgate to turn it into a flatbed. It’s ready to haul hay bales, tools, or apparently, livestock (as our graphics department so tastefully demonstrated above).
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The pièce de résistance? That big, plastic laundry basket bolted to the hood with “SPORT” proudly embossed on it. Who needs a glove box when you’ve already got a whole hamper right in front of you? Perfect for golf balls, groceries, or the world’s most precariously placed toolbox.
Despite the hybrid identity crisis, the specs are no joke. Wel, ok – they’re a little funny. This little utility cart boasts a 72V, 1,500W rear-axle motor that can whisk you along at up to 38 km/h (about 24 mph). That’s quick enough to get you in trouble on the fairway or make a speedy feed run at the farm. It can even climb a 20-degree grade, meaning you’ll have no problem hauling a load of goat feed up your driveway. Range is listed at 70 km (43 miles), so you can spend all day zipping between barn and bunker without a recharge.
Weighing in at 317 kg (just under 700 lb), it’s heavy enough to feel stable but light enough that you could probably push it out of a sand trap with a couple of buddies if you really had to. It’s also got a key start, built-in speakers, and of course, that open-air cabin that’s perfect for warm days and questionable weather decisions.
And the price? Just $2,300… if you happen to be standing on the factory floor in China with cash in hand (or just $2,000 if you buy 100 of them!). That’s the factory floor (EXW) price, which means by the time you pay for shipping, import duties, and a customs officer’s confused glare, you’ll be spending a lot more to get one into your driveway. And with tariffs the way they are, now it’s around 40% more than “a lot more.”
Is it a golf cart? Is it a truck? Is it a lifestyle? Yes. It’s all of those things. And in a world where we usually have to choose between impractical fun and functional utility, this weird little contraption says, “Why not both?”
Whether you’re hauling mulch around your garden, running parts around a warehouse, or pulling up to the clubhouse looking like you just came from a tractor pull, this Alibaba gem has you covered. Just be prepared for the stares – not everyone is ready for the future of cross-genre utility vehicles.
A casual warning
As always, a friendly reminder before you start reaching for your credit card: don’t actually go buying one of these things. Seriously. These bizarre Chinese EVs are a blast to gawk at, but this column is just a lighthearted weekend stroll through Alibaba’s wildest listings. I’ve scored a few fun wins on the site, but I’ve also taken some expensive lumps (there’s an electric excavator scam story that has yet to be told…), so this is definitely not a shopping guide for anyone faint of heart or who values their hard-earned money.
Sure, some daring (or just plain stubborn) readers have ignored my advice and rolled the dice anyway, but please don’t be the one who ends up with a sad story and a thinner bank account. Consider this your official “you’ve been warned” notice.
For now, let’s just enjoy how wonderfully absurd it is that a golf cart–pickup truck hybrid even exists, and leave the gambling to the pros. Until next week’s weird Alibaba EV, this is Micah signing off.
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Mercedes-Benz Electric G-Wagon (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
If you’ve been eyeing the all-electric G-Wagon, Mercedes-Benz just sweetened the deal – but only for a limited time.
According to a dealer bulletin, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology – AKA the electric G-Wagon – now comes with $9,500 in lease cash, up from last month’s $7,500. That’s a 27% jump in savings. The move comes just weeks before the $7,500 EV lease tax credit loophole closes on September 30.
Like most EVs leased in the US, the G-Class has been able to qualify for the credit even though it’s excluded from purchase incentives. That benefit is about to disappear, which likely explains why Mercedes is boosting the offers now.
The electric G-Wagon doesn’t come cheap. With a base price of $162,650, the $9,500 incentive amounts to only a 5.8% discount. The SUV also carries a steep advertised lease: $1,869 per month for 36 months with $14,613 due at signing. Factor it all in, and you’re really paying about $2,275 a month for 10,000 miles a year. Current Mercedes deals run through September 2.
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For context, the 2025 G 580’s lease money factor now sits at 0.00180, which works out to around 4.3% APR – lower than the standard rates previously on offer.
Performance-wise, the electric G-Wagon earns an EPA rating of 62 MPGe and an electric range of 239 miles. Not groundbreaking numbers, but for buyers who want the iconic G-Wagon experience with zero tailpipe emissions, this is it.
With federal lease credits ending soon, Mercedes appears to be betting that drivers looking for a last chance at big EV savings will jump now rather than later.
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The Honda Prologue is a surprise hit. It was the second-best-selling electric SUV behind the Tesla Model Y in the second half of 2024. Now, used models are in high demand.
Honda Prologue leads used EV sales growth in July
After it delivered the first customer models last March, the Honda Prologue quickly became one of the most popular EVs in the US.
Throughout the second half of the year, Honda sold an average of over 5,000 Prologues every month. In November, it was the third best-selling EV, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
Honda’s electric SUV continues to be a top seller this year. Last month, it outsold the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai IONIQ 5. Since delivering the first Prologue model last March, Honda has now sold 52,500 units in the US.
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According to Cox Automotive’s latest EV Market Monitor report, used Honda Prologue EVs are selling faster than expected.
Used EV sales rose sharply in July to 36,670, up 23.2% from June and 40% compared to last year. Honda had the biggest increase in used EV sales, more than doubling (+103%) month-over-month. Hyundai (+61.3%) and Rivian (60.5%) ranked second and third.
Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)
Tesla led used EV sales last month, selling 15,903 vehicles, up 18% year-over-year. GM’s Chevy (3,499 units, +28.6%), Ford (1,967 units, +25.7%), Mercedes-Benz (1,724 units, -12.3%), and Nissan (1,659 units, +19.9%) rounded out the top five.
Although its market share slipped to 43.4% from 45.2%, Tesla remained the leader by a wide margin. Other luxury brands, including BMW and Audi, reported higher used EV sales in July, with increases of 43.87% and 38%, respectively.
2025 Honda Prologue at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Honda)
According to the report, used EV listing prices reached $35,263 last month, a 1.9% decrease from June. With a price gap of just $1,266, a record low, used electric vehicle prices are closing in on ICE vehicles.
New EV sales also picked up in July. With over 130,000 EVs sold, up 26% from June, the electric vehicle market share reached 9.1%, the second-highest to date.
Ahead of the $7,500 federal tax credit deadline, set to expire at the end of September, 11 brands posted their best EV sales of the year. The top five included Tesla, Chevy, Hyundai, Ford, and Honda. Volkswagen surged to sixth after electric vehicle sales surged 454% last month.
The Honda Prologue starts at $47,400, but with the credit, you can snag one for under $40,000 right now. Honda is also offering monthly leases as low as $159 in California and other ZEV states. In other regions, it’s still listed for as low as $229 per month.
2025 Honda Prologue trim
Starting Price*
Starting Price After Tax Credit*
EPA Range (miles)
EX (FWD)
$47,400
$39,900
308
EX (AWD)
$50,400
$42,900
294
Touring (FWD)
$51.700
$44,200
308
Touring (AWD)
$54,700
$47,200
294
Elite (AWD)
$57,900
$50,400
283
2025 Honda Prologue prices and range by trim (*Does not include $1,450 D&H fee)
Even Honda’s luxury brand, Acura, is selling more electric vehicles than expected. Through the first half of the year, the Acura ZDX outsold the Cadillac Lyriq, and it’s based on the same GM Ultium platform.
Sales are expected to continue picking up ahead of the deadline. As Cox Automotive highlighted, “July’s performance sets a strong precedent, and as policy support winds down, the market’s ability to respond to real-time demand and brand-level dynamics will be critical in shaping the next phase of growth.”
Ready to take advantage of the savings while they are still here? We’re here to help. You can use our link to find deals on the Honda Prologue in your area (trusted affiliate link).
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