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VinFast, the Vietnamese automaker known for its portfolio of electric vehicles, has officially introduced its VF DrgnFly electric bike to the U.S. market. It’s a move that the company says further solidifies its presence in the global push toward sustainable mobility.

The VF DrgnFly, which combines current US e-bike trends with Vietnamese cultural aesthetics, is set to offer US consumers yet another interesting offering in the moped-style e-bike space.

According to VinFast, the e-bike is inspired by the image of a flying dragon, a revered symbol in Vietnamese culture. The VF DrgnFly features wide handlebars, fat tires, and an “ergonomically designed saddle,” ensuring comfort and control on various terrains.

The bike also breaks the mold with its innovative “flat frame” design, moving away from traditional tube frames. This not only enhances the bike’s visual appeal but also strikes an optimal balance between weight and durability, showcasing VinFast’s commitment to world-class manufacturing and design prowess.

If you ask me, it looks like another SUPER73-inspired e-bike, but no one is asking me.

The bike comes fully kitted out with significant performance components on the spec side. It features a 750W rear hub motor paired with a torque sensor that provides feedback 16,000 times per second, which VinFast says is significantly more sensitive than traditional systems.

This setup ensures a smooth and responsive ride, with a top speed of up to 28 mph (45 km/h) and a range of up to 68 miles (110 km) on a single charge of its 640 Wh battery – at least when in the lowest pedal assist setting.

Hello fellow American youths, we are one of you

The bike is a single-speed, likely a nod towards the fact that few people will ever actually use the pedals for more than a cursory spin up to cruising speed. But that also suggests that the 68-mile range figure on low-power pedal assist might not be quite achievable in real life settings, at least not under the type of use that most riders will see.

The bike does feature some interesting smart capabilities though, such as a mobile application that offers multiple driving modes, ride statistics, and remote access features like locking and unlocking, further enhanced by regular over-the-air software updates.

To inspire a bit more confidence, the VF DrgnFly comes with a two-year warranty from VinFast, which is a welcome addition over the one-year warranty that is standard in much of the direct-to-consumer e-bike industry in the US. That being said, the rather high price of US $2,599 is going to be a tougher sell for many Americans currently enjoying much lower prices in a fairly overstocked US e-bike market.

David Duncan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at VinFast U.S., emphasized the company’s vision with the launch, stating, “The official launch of the VF DrgnFly in the U.S. exemplifies our unwavering commitment to bringing electric mobility to everyone. By offering a sustainable, smart, and personalized mobility option, we are embracing the green transportation revolution, paving the way for a healthier and more vibrant future.”

As VinFast continues to expand its influence in other key markets such as Canada, Europe, and several countries across Asia, it also plans to enhance its manufacturing capabilities with new plants in the U.S., India, and Indonesia. This global strategy underscores VinFast’s ambitions in the electric vehicle industry and its dedication to a wide variety of vehicle types.

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Honda really wants to sell you a hydrogen fuel cell, today [part 5]

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Honda really wants to sell you a hydrogen fuel cell, today [part 5]

Honda came to this year’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California with the perfect follow-up to the jaw-dropping hydrogen fuel cell-powered semi truck they showed off last year. This year, the company’s fuel cell is in series production – and available now.

“Honda hydrogen is open for business,” says David Perzynski, assistant manager of hydrogen solutions development at American Honda. “(We have) the fuel cell technology, the expertise, and the supply chain to power a variety of zero-emissions products, including commercial trucking and stationary power generation.”

The company arrived with a more developed version of its Peterbilt 579EV-based HFC semi concept, which is based on one of that brand’s existing BEVs and uses the Honda fuel cell as a range-extending generator for its 120 kWh battery … or, rather, it would – if it was ever plugged into a charger.

On battery power alone, the big Pete is good for up to 150 miles of fully loaded range. With the fuel cell along for the piggyback ride, however, the truck’s range climbs to more than 500 miles at an 82,000 lb. combined vehicle weight.

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More than just a range-extender

Honda envisions a world where its hydrogen fuel cell is used in much more than transportation and logistics applications. At the ACT Expo, Honda had a scale mock-up of what a hospital-sized hydrogen backup generator could look like – and hinted that such an installation might soon become a reality.

This is all very normal for Honda

Honda FCX hydrogen fuel cell concept; via Honda.

If it seems weird that Honda is pushing hydrogen so hard these days, it shouldn’t. Honda’s been developing hydrogen fuel cells for nearly forty years, and put its first hydrogen fuel cell car (the FCX concept, above) all the way back in 1999.

Since then, it’s put a number of hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles into series production, including the innovative Honda CR-V HFC hybrid that lets you fill the car’s 17.7 kWh battery with electrons at home for up to 29 miles of all-electric driving, then fill up the hydrogen tank for another 241 miles of driving … and they’re not stopping there.

We had a chance to chat with David Perzynski on Quick Charge last year, where he talked us through some of Honda’s hydrogen plans in more detail. You can check it out, below.

Hydrogen had a wild ride last year

Original content from Electrek.

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ID. Buzz recall: VW’s third-row bench is too big for its own good

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ID. Buzz recall: VW’s third-row bench is too big for its own good

Volkswagen of America is recalling nearly 5,700 2025 VW ID. Buzz vans because the NHTSA says the third-row bench seat is too spacious. (For real.)

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the third-row bench is physically wide enough for three people, but it’s only designed to hold two, so it’s only equipped with two seat belts. That mismatch violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, which covers occupant crash protection. A bench that invites three passengers but only protects two isn’t just awkward – it’s a safety risk. It simply makes it too easy to squeeze that third person in the back “just that once” without a seatbelt, and that’s inviting trouble.

Volkswagen will fix the ID. Buzz issue by having dealers install “fixed unpadded trim parts” that adjust the seat’s usable width, and they’ll do it for free, because recall repairs are always free. It’ll probably be hard plastic on the seat to ensure a third person can’t squeeze in. Owner notification letters are expected to go out starting June 20, 2025.

Volkswagen has reported that, to date, there have been “no field claims known” of safety issues caused by the extra-wide third row bench seat. 

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Read more: This is the 2025 VW ID. Buzz’s Electrify America charging package


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Zenobē arrives in North America with a 500 unit EV deal in Canada [part 4]

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Zenobē arrives in North America with a 500 unit EV deal in Canada [part 4]

Electric vehicle charging and battery storage specialists Zenobē have inked a deal with Canadian leasing company 7Gen to fund more than 500 commercial EVs and their associated charging infrastructure.

Last week, Zenobē agreed to provide up to $48 million (Canadian) in debt financing to 7Gen to help expand its vehicle-as-a-service electric truck leasing program across Canada.

7Gen supports fleet operators with a comprehensive set of vehicle leasing and financing solutions that cover EV charger deployment, energy management systems, and ongoing operational support for Canadian fleet customers operating electric trucks, vans, and school buses.

Zenobē secured $1.6 billion in equity from its joint majority shareholders KKR and M&G Infracapital to fuel its global expansion into EVs and grid-scale batteries back in 2023. Since then, it’s grown to support more than 2,000 EVs and 120 charging depots across markets in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

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We’re bringing our innovative funding approach to Canada and specifically to 7Gen,” says Steven Meersman, Co-Founder and Director of Zenobē. “We see momentum behind decarbonization in Canada’s supportive government policies and the clean, affordable power that will ensure a lower total cost of ownership for zero-emissions vehicles. We look forward to sharing our global experience electrifying over 120 depots to benefit 7Gen, its fleet customers and the wider electric fleet market in Canada.”

That innovative funding strategy is something Steven and I had a chance to discuss this week at the ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. “We’re being very careful in the way we approach the North American market,” he said (paraphrasing). “The market is fairly littered with the graves of other UK EV companies that have tried to find a foothold here and failed, so we’re being very careful about our partners.”

Despite living just a few minutes from his Chicago HQ, I’d never met Steven before this week. He’s a super-interesting guy and you will definitely learn a thing or two about how to build a multimillion dollar energy management company like Zenobē from our upcoming podcast (stay tuned for that). But the news here is 7Gen.

“Zenobē’s debt financing supports 7Gen’s next growth step and allows us to help our customers step up the pace of their EV adoption and benefit immediately from operational cost savings,” says Frans Tjallingii, CEO, 7Gen. “Zenobē’s team is well aligned with ours and we are thrilled to partner to scale our impact in Canada together.”

The company will begin rolling out its Zenobē-funded electric trucks in the coming weeks, with new partners and projects set to be announced shortly.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Zenobē.


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