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They say there’s no better test of a relationship than riding a tandem bike with your partner. But I propose that whoever penned that axiom never tried the go-kart equivalent. Who’s ready to step right up and pop a squat into this dual-steering wheel go-kart for some around-the-track fun with your better half?!

This fun little electric runabout sits a pair of riders side-by-side, each with their own steering wheel. And if there was ever a top contender for Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week, this is it!

Based on the slight size difference of the wheels though, I’m unfortunately forced to conclude that one of them might be just for show. But don’t worry, that won’t stop me from imagining a complicated system of drive-by-wire control that sees the two steering inputs battling each other for command of the machine. Perhaps a setup where whoever grips the wheel harder or screams louder gets temporary control. Yea, that sounds right.

Considering that each of the two rear wheels is powered by its own 750W (1 hp) electric motor, you could have some serious fun with this thing if you eventually win out the dominance display and regain power over the vehicle. Compared to those cute little 250W ride-on toys we’ve seen before, a full two-horsepower is almost a ludicrous amount of power for what looks like an overgrown child’s toy meant for driveway shenanigans.

Just make sure you get your cheap thrills in quickly. A rather small 24V and 14Ah battery means that this go-kart is here for a good time, not a long time. That 336 Wh pack is going to run dry fairly quickly, even at the fairly limited top speed of just 10 mph (16 km/h). But hey, when you’re battling for control with your better half (which in my case our graphics guy seems to think is my own alter ego), 10 mph may seem pretty zippy.

And in case things get a little out of hand, you can rest easy knowing that the go-kart comes with its own “front anti-collision beam”, which seems just to be the bumper. I’m not sure it’s anti-collision as much as collision-mitigation technology, but I guess it’s better than leaving yellow paint everywhere you go.

One of my favorite features though is the “drift button”, which I have no idea how it works but it just sounds too cool to pass up. My best guess is that they’re either referring to a hand brake lever or a temporary current over-limit button that gives you a burst of power to break the tires free. Both of those technologies seem a bit advanced for this plastic yellow affront to racing, so perhaps it’s something more benign than what I’m imagining.

The best part of this whole endeavor though, as it often is, proves to be the price. For just a measly $280, you could be piloting your own dual-steering go-kart. When you split that per person and realize it’s just $140 per head for you and your wife to get some high-banked track counseling sessions in, the deal certainly becomes hard to pass up.

But make no mistake, you should absolutely pass it up. As usual, these Alibaba finds are fun to look at but problematic to consider taking the plunge on. Do what I say and not what I do here folks, don’t try to order hilarious electric vehicles from China’s largest online shopping center. Instead, just imagine a little me and me time on the track as you drift this thing into the sunset in your dreams.

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Porsche’s EV sales took a hit last year, but the electric Macan sparks hope

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Porsche's EV sales took a hit last year, but the electric Macan sparks hope

Although sales of Porsche’s first EV, the Taycan, fell nearly 50% in 2024, things could be looking up for the sports car maker. After its “launch literally electrified us,” the electric Porsche Macan may spark a comeback this year.

Why did Porsche’s EV sales drop in 2024?

Porsche delivered over 310,700 vehicles globally last year, or about 9,500 less than in 2023. Sales in China led the downfall, plunging 28% from the prior year amid a wave of low-cost domestic EVs entering the market.

In total, Porsche delivered 20,836 Taycan EVs to customers last year, down 49% from 2023. The lower total comes after launching the upgraded 2025 Taycan last year. Porsche also said, “The ramp-up of electric mobility is generally proceeding more slowly than planned” as part of the reason.

In its largest sales market, North America, Porsche delivered over 86,500 vehicles in 2024. Although that’s up a mere 1% from 2023, Porsche’s EV sales also took a hit.

Porsche sold 4,747 Taycan models in the US last year, 37% fewer than in 2023. The 2025 model began arriving at US dealerships last Summer, which helped push sales up nearly 75% in the fourth quarter to 2,358.

Porsche's-EV-sales-2024
2025 Porsche Taycan (Source: Porsche)

Meanwhile, Porsche’s second EV, the electric Macan, could have an even bigger impact. After delivering the first models at the end of September, Porsche delivered 18,278 electric Macans by the end of 2024.’

“This launch literally electrified us. I am therefore particularly pleased that more than 18,000 examples of the all-electric variant have already been delivered,” Porsche AG board member for sales and marketing, Detlev von Platen, said.

Porsche's-EV-sales-2024
Porsche Macan Electric (Source: Porsche)

Porsche sold 2,771 electric Macan SUVs in the US last year. On a call with reporters (via Automotive News), the company’s North American CEO, Timo Resch, said, “A lot of the consumers that come into the Macan Electric are [new to the] brand.”

Electrek’s Take

I’m not here to say the electric Macan will be Porsche’s savior, but the strong sales start is promising. Porsche has already backtracked on plans for 80% of deliveries to be electric by 2030.

According to recent reports, the electric Cayenne, due out in 2026, could be delayed depending on market demand. The upcoming 718 Cayman and Boxster EVs could also face delays as Porsche plans to keep gas and hybrid models alive longer than expected.

Looking ahead, Porsche also plans to introduce an ultra-luxury electric SUV to sit above the Cayenne, codenamed “K1” internally. It’s expected to compete with Range Rover and Ferrari’s first electric SUVs.

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Elon Musk complains Tesla is not getting subsidies for electric truck chargers while calling for end of EV subsidies

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Elon Musk complains Tesla is not getting subsidies for electric truck chargers while calling for end of EV subsidies

Elon Musk complains that Tesla is not getting subsidies for its electric truck chargers while calling for the end of electric vehicle subsidies in the US.

Earlier this week, the Biden administration released the last round of funding for electric vehicle charging stations before the President leaves office.

Tesla has been trying to secure part of that funding for its TESSERACT project, which was first announced in 2023 to create a corridor of 9 charging stations for electric trucks between California and Texas.

However, it wasn’t included in any round of funding, including the latest one announced this week, which should be the latest now that Trump is getting into office and campaigned on ending electric vehicle subsidies.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk contributed more than $240 million to get Trump elected and supported his goal of removing subsidies for electric vehicles.

That’s why it’s surprising to see Musk comment on the news in disappointment. He wrote on X: “Hear we go again (sigh)”.

While this specific project wasn’t funded, 49 other projects shared over $600 million in funding that will deploy more than 11,500 EV charging ports across 27 states, four federally recognized tribes, and the District of Columbia.

Also, while Tesla didn’t get any funding in this round, Tesla has received millions in funding for its charging stations in the previous round.

Electrek’s Take

I think that’s fair. If you are actively lobbying for the end of EV subsidies in the US, a market that is far behind the rest of the world in EV adoption, why should the administration that is investing in correcting that give you the subsidies you are trying to end?

It makes no sense. That’s why I also support California in signaling that if the Federal government removes its EV subsidies, it will replace them at the state level, but Tesla will be left out.

It’s especially fair considering Elon has made it clear that the reason he wants to kill EV subsidies, which Tesla was the biggest beneficiary of, is that he believes it will put more pressure on the competition than Tesla and potentially kill them while only Tesla will remain.

He basically wants to pull the ladder that Tesla used to get where it is now to prevent others from using it.

“Subsidies for me, not for thee” – Elon’s new motto.

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New York is now coming for your fast and heavy electric bikes

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New York is now coming for your fast and heavy electric bikes

The US electric bike industry has already seen a regulation-heavy start to 2025. Now, New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s potential new restrictions on fast and exceedingly heavy electric bikes could add to the proposed and enacted legislation we’ve seen lately.

Hochul proposed in her State of the State address yesterday that Class 3 electric bikes weighing over 100 lb (45 kg) be excluded from existing electric bicycle regulations and instead be treated more like mopeds.

That would mean imposing motor vehicle regulations resulting in licensing and registration requirements, as well as disallowing their use in bike lanes.

The governor explained that this new regulation would ideally help increase the safety of bike lanes, according to Streetsblog NYC.

wallke h6 electric bike

As a reminder, Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes can reach a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) on motor power, with Class 2 e-bikes including a throttle that allows motor use without requiring the pedals to be used. In most states, Class 3 e-bikes can reach higher speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h) with pedal assist but not throttle. However, New York State has stricter Class 3 limits that provide for speeds up to just 25 mph (40 km/h).

The proposed new regulations would only target Class 3 e-bikes that exceed the suggested weight limit of 100 lb (45 kg).

Most electric bikes weigh well under 100 lb (45 kg). Common e-bikes seen regularly on US streets and bike lanes weigh between 50-75 lb (23 to 34 kg). However, there are some e-bike models available on the market that can reach or exceed 100 lb (45 kg). We’ve tested a few of them.

Such heavy electric bikes are usually visually similar to mopeds and light electric motorcycles, often featuring large tires, heavy motors, dual suspension, chunky frames, and other components that add significant weight. However, many heavy electric bicycles are limited to 20 mph (32 km/h), and could exceed the arbitrary 100 lb (45 kg) proposed limit while still not falling under this proposed regulation due to their Class 2 designation.

Dual motors, dual batteries, extra chunky, but still under 100 lb

Electrek’s Take

At face value, there’s some logic to this. A 100 lb electric bike has a lot more rolling mass than a 50 lb electric bike, and you can guess which one I’d rather get hit by. Though at the same time, when the rider nearly always weighs more than the vehicle, the weight of the e-bike certainly has a lower relevance to its safety. With a 200 lb (91 kg) rider on both bikes, we’re only talking about a relatively small 20% difference in mass.

And it’s a bit telling that there wasn’t much discussion in the State of the State address about any other road safety issues, certainly not about the several thousand-pound cars that actually kill many New Yorkers every year.

I’m not saying I don’t support reasonable regulations to ensure the safety of everyone, in the bike lanes and outside of them. But let’s get real here. The percentage of electric bikes that are 100+ lb is tiny, likely under 1-2% of all e-bikes on the road. And that’s a tiny slice of an entire pie that is itself a tiny slice of the injury-causing-vehicle pie. So I’m not saying there isn’t any good regulation opportunity out there for e-bikes. But this is all fluff on top of fluff if you think it’s actually about making a meaningful impact on road safety. If they really cared about better protecting cyclists, governments would enforce existing laws to prevent cars from killing them so frequently.

These types of clumsy, heavy-handed regulations are just that – quick and dirty attempts to appear to be working towards a solution, when in fact they are largely meaningless in their ultimate impact on protecting lives.

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