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New York City is on the brink of implementing congestion pricing, a bold move aimed at reducing traffic in Manhattan’s most congested areas. While this initiative promises to alleviate gridlock and generate funds for public transportation, it also means drivers will face additional costs to navigate through certain parts of the city. But what if I told you there’s a way to avoid these fees entirely?

Starting on June 30, 2024, vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone in Manhattan, which includes local streets and avenues below 60 Street, will be charged a new entry toll.

According to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), the move is designed to help with NYC’s infamous congestion considerably. “The toll will result in 100,000 fewer vehicles entering the zone every day, relieving crowding in what is today the most congested district in the United States.”

Daily tolls to enter Manhattan will vary based on the vehicle and time of day, but most passenger cars will be charged $15 to enter during the day, and motorcycles will be charged $7.50.

But there’s an easy way to enter Manhattan and avoid paying the toll: just ride a bike. Or better yet, an electric bike. Using bike lanes across the bridges or taking a bike on the subway are both easy ways to get into Manhattan without paying congestion pricing, and still ensuring you’ve got your own wheels to navigate the city.

Bikes are a great way to get around NYC. According to the MTA, the average speed of cars in Manhattan is around 7 mph (12 km/h). But bicycle riders can easily surpass that speed and slice past traffic by using the bike lanes. To go even faster with less sweat, electric bikes make the ride even more efficient.

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Why e-bikes are the perfect solution

There’s no getting around the congestion pricing if you’re in a car. Your options to avoid paying congestion pricing are either start driving an ambulance or get a bike. And these days, getting a bike quite often means getting an e-bike, since e-bike sales are through the roof. Pedal bikes are still an amazing option, but e-bikes make it easier to go longer distances without the same exhaustion, especially for riders who haven’t been on a bike in years. Electric bikes are not just a trend; they are a revolution in urban transportation. Here’s why they are the best way to bypass congestion pricing in NYC:

1. No congestion fees

This one is obvious. E-bikes, like traditional bicycles, are exempt from congestion pricing. This means you can zip through Manhattan’s busiest streets without worrying about paying extra fees. As the city gears up for congestion pricing, this exemption becomes a significant financial advantage for daily commuters.

2. Speed and efficiency

NYC traffic can be notoriously slow, with cars often moving at a crawl, if moving at all. E-bikes offer a swift and efficient alternative, especially with their ability to navigate through traffic with ease. Most e-bikes can reach speeds of up to 20 mph on throttle only (meaning no pedaling necessary), and others can reach 28 mph with pedaling, making them a viable option for quick commutes across the city.

3. Eco-friendly

Reducing your carbon footprint has never been more critical. We’re in a race against the clock here. If we’re to hope that we can still save our planet and maintain a habitable climate into the future, we’ve all got to play a part. E-bikes are one of the greenest modes of transportation, producing zero emissions during use. By opting for an e-bike, you contribute to a cleaner environment, supporting NYC’s goal of becoming a more sustainable city.

And yes, without going down the rabbit hole on this subject too deeply, you’re correct that there is a carbon price tag associated with manufacturing an e-bike. But the average amount of emissions offset by e-bikes is so much larger than the emissions generated from their production and use that it’s not even worth giving more than a paragraph to that flawed argument.

4. Health benefits

Riding an e-bike is not only good for the environment but also for your health. Even with the motor assist, you can still get a decent workout, which can improve cardiovascular health and reduce stress levels. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of wind in your hair as you cruise through the city.

5. Cost-effective

Beyond avoiding congestion fees, e-bikes are cost-effective in other ways. They require less maintenance than cars, and you won’t have to worry about parking fees or fuel costs. Over time, the savings can be substantial, making e-bikes a smart financial choice. Some riders have found that switching to an e-bike from a car has saved tens of thousands of dollars over the years.

Making the Switch

If you’re convinced that an e-bike is the way to go, here are a few tips to get you started:

Choosing the Right E-Bike

  • Consider your commute: Think about the distance and terrain of your daily commute. Different e-bikes offer various ranges and power levels, so choose one that fits your needs. That’s an issue my wife recently grappled with when she switched to e-bike commuting each day.
  • Test ride: Before making a purchase, test ride a few models to find one that feels comfortable and suits your riding style.
  • Check local regulations: Familiarize yourself with NYC’s e-bike regulations to ensure your new ride is compliant. For example, UL-compliant batteries are required to sell an e-bike in NYC.

Safety First

  • Wear a helmet: There is a hot debate about helmet usage, but especially for new riders in a city where pedestrian and cycling injuries and deaths are on the rise due to heavier cars and distracted drivers, a helmet is an important piece of safety gear. Safety should always come first. A good-quality helmet can protect you in case of accidents.
  • Follow traffic rules: E-bikes are subject to the same traffic laws as traditional bicycles, and these rules are even often the same as cars. Obeying traffic signals and signs is crucial for your safety and the safety of others.
  • Be visible: Equip your e-bike with lights and reflective gear, especially if you plan to ride at night.

Maintenance

  • Regular check-ups: Keep your e-bike in top condition with regular check-ups. Simple maintenance tasks, like keeping the tires inflated and the brakes checked, can ensure a smooth ride.
  • Professional servicing: For more complex issues, don’t hesitate to take your e-bike to a professional. Regular servicing can extend the lifespan of your e-bike and avoid small issues turning into larger issues. For folks that commute daily on their bikes, this is even more important. E-bikes require significantly less maintenance than cars, but it is still important to do routine checks.

As NYC prepares to roll out congestion pricing, now is the perfect time to rethink your daily commute. E-bikes offer a practical, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to driving, allowing you to navigate the city with ease and avoid extra fees. Embrace the future of urban transportation and join the e-bike revolution today.

By making the switch, you’ll not only save money but also contribute to a healthier, more sustainable city. So, what are you waiting for? Hop on an e-bike and ride your way out of congestion pricing as you blow past all of those suckers on the bridges!

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The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N is here and it’s even better than expected

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The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N is here and it's even better than expected

The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N is finally here, and it delivers. Hyundai’s electric sports car is loaded with fun new features, a sleek design (including a massive rear wing), 641 horsepower, and much more.

Meet the Hyundai IONIQ 6 N

After teasing the new model for the first time last month, Hyundai created quite a buzz. Now, we are finally getting our first look at the upgraded high-performance EV.

Hyundai unveiled the new IONIQ 6 N at the famed Goodwood Festival of Speed on Thursday in West Sussex, England. The upgraded model follows Hyundai’s first high-performance EV, the IONIQ 5 N.

At the event, the company boasted that its new electric sports car marks “a pivotal milestone in Hyundai N’s electrification journey,” adding “Hyundai N is once again redefining the boundaries of high-performance electrification with the debut of the IONIQ 6 N.”

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The IONIQ 6 N delivers an impressive 641 horsepower (478 kW) and 77 Nm of torque, enabling a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint in just 3.2 seconds. Its top speed is about 160 mph (257 km/h).

Hyundai-IONIQ-6-N-EV
Hyundai IONIQ 6 N (Source: Hyundai)

That’s when using Hyundai’s Launch Control, one of the many performance features the new EV offers. Like its other N models, the IONIQ 6 is based on three pillars: Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability, and, of course, an Everyday Sportscar.

Powered by two electric motors, a 223 hp (166 kW) at the front and another 378 hp (282 kW) motor at the rear, for a combined 600 hp (448 kW).

Hyundai-IONIQ-6-N-EV
Hyundai IONIQ 6 N (Source: Hyundai)

Redefining the EV driving experience

The upgraded IONIQ 6 “redefines the EV driving experience,” according to Hyundai, thanks to its advanced in-house vehicle control software.

Central to this is Hyundai’s N Active Sound + system, which mimics the feel and sound of a traditional engine. An added N e-Shift simulates shifting gears.

Hyundai-IONIQ-6-N-EV
Hyundai IONIQ 6 N interior (Source: Hyundai)

And that’s just the start. Other performance features, such as N Drift Optimizer, N Grin Boost, and N Torque Distribution, give you even more control over the vehicle while delivering increased power.

The IONIQ 6 N is powered by an 84 kWh battery, providing a WLTP range of up to 291 miles (469 km). However, EPA figures will be revealed closer to launch. Given the IONIQ 5 N has an EPA-estimated range of up to 221 miles, you can expect it to be slightly higher when it arrives.

With a 350 kW DC fast charger, Hyundai’s new performance EV can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 18 minutes.

With a length of 4,935 mm, a width of 1,940 mm, and a height of 1,495 mm, the IONIQ 6 N is about the size of the Porsche Taycan.

Hyundai will showcase the new high-performance EV during the hillclimb event alongside other models like the IONIQ 5 N, IONIQ 6 N Drift Spec, and IONIQ 6 N with N Performance parts. Hyundai promises each vehicle brings unique capabilities to the event, “guaranteeing a dynamic and thrilling on-track experience for all attendees.” Check back soon for more info.

What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric sports car? Would you buy one over the Porsche Taycan? Let us know in the comments.

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Elon Musk says Grok is coming to Tesla vehicles just after it went full Hitler

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Elon Musk says Grok is coming to Tesla vehicles just after it went full Hitler

Elon Musk said that Tesla owners will “soon” have access to Grok, a large language developed by Musk’s xAI startup, days after the AI started calling itself ‘MechaHitler’.

Yesterday, xAI launched Grok 4, the latest version of its large language model.

The new model is benchmarking very well, but that’s generally the case with the latest model to come out. It edges the latest models from Google and OpenAI on intelligence by a few points, but it falls behind on speed:

At the launch event, Musk announced that Grok will “soon” be integrated into Tesla vehicles.

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This is something that the CEO has been discussing since founding xAI, which has been controversial because Musk has also positioned Tesla to compete in the AI space. He even stepped down from his role at OpenAI due to a “conflict of interest with Tesla.”

The announcement of the imminent integration of Grok into Tesla vehicles comes just days after the language model went haywire on X and started praising Hitler, referring to itself as ‘MechaHitler’, and made several antisemitic comments.

xAI acknowledge the issue and put Grok on timeout while they fixed it:

We are aware of recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove the inappropriate posts. Since being made aware of the content, xAI has taken action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X. xAI is training only truth-seeking and thanks to the millions of users on X, we are able to quickly identify and update the model where training could be improved.

The “bug” came just a few weeks after Musk stated that he was displeased with Grok supporting left-wing narratives, even though it didn’t say anything inncurate, and that he would update Grok to “fix” it.

Now, the large language model (LLM) is expected to power the new voice assistant inside Tesla vehicles.

LLMs are becoming quite common in cars, especially premium vehicles. Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and a few others have all integrated Chat-GPT in some models.

Many Chinese automakers have also developed their own and deployed them in cars, even entry-level ones.

Tesla is playing catch up on that front.

Electrek’s Take

As I have previously stated, I think Musk is setting up Tesla to invest or even merge with xAI at a ridiculous valuation – making Tesla shareholders virtually pay twice for Twitter, which is now part of xAI.

This is how he will be able to gain wider control over the company’s share.

Of course, it will be widely challenged in court. In fact, shareholders have already filed a lawsuit alleging that Musk was in breach of fiduciary duties to Tesla shareholders when he started xAI.

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Alaska is America’s worst state for business in 2025 as falling oil prices sink economy

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Alaska is America's worst state for business in 2025 as falling oil prices sink economy

Pipeline Winding in Summer Mountain Landscape

Sarkophoto | Istock | Getty Images

From the first discovery in Prudhoe Bay in 1968, Alaskans have had a love-hate relationship with oil.

On one hand, it allowed Alaska to abolish its state income tax, fund most government operations and provide every Alaskan with a dividend that continues to this day. On the other hand, it has left the state at the near total mercy of the global oil market.

In recent years, that has proven to be a bad bet. And it is the major reason Alaska finishes at the bottom of the CNBC America’s Top States for Business rankings in 2025.

With the price of Alaska North Slope crude oil down by double digits from a year ago, according to the Alaska Department of Revenue, Alaska has America’s worst economy as measured by the CNBC study. Economy is the heaviest-weighted category under this year’s methodology.

More coverage of the 2025 America’s Top States for Business

Alaska’s gross domestic product growth is in the bottom ten nationally. The state’s economy grew by just 1.5% last year, compared to 2.8% nationally.

More crucially, the state’s fiscal year 2026 budget is based on a forecast of $68 per barrel for crude oil, and it is unclear if that will hold. Alaska North Slope crude traded as low as $63.49 on May 5 before rebounding above $70 in recent weeks. State forecasters are counting on oil for around 70% of the state’s revenue over the next ten years, or nearly half the state’s operating budget. And some localities are far more dependent.

“When you look at the economic engine by default,” North Slope Borough Mayor Josiah Patkotak told CNBC last month, “That happens to be oil and gas by about 98% of our operating budget.”

$40 billion bet on natural gas as diversifier

For decades, Alaska has sought ways to diversify its economy, but it has had limited success. Proposals have involved alternative energy, agriculture, and the state’s tourism sector.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy speaks during a news conference at his office in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. March 22, 2022.

Yereth Rosen | Reuters

In 2023, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, signed legislation to put Alaska into the carbon market, using the state’s vast public lands for carbon storage, and to generate carbon offset credits for high carbon emitters in other states. But the program is still in the study phase. A report to the legislature in January said the program is not expected to generate any revenue until at least 2027.

More recently, the Trump administration is backing a proposal to build a natural gas pipeline alongside the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, allowing the U.S. to ship liquid natural gas — a byproduct of North Slope oil production — to Asia.

North Carolina becomes America's Top State for Business

The idea has been around for years, but the price tag, estimated at around $40 billion, was impossible for the industry to swallow even when petroleum prices were high.

Now, however, administration officials think that trade tensions might change the economics.

“There [are] countries around the world looking to shrink their trade deficit with the United States, and of course, a very easy way to do that is to buy more American energy,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan in Prudhoe Bay last month.

“If you get the commercial offtakers for the gas, financing is pretty straightforward,” Wright said.

If the project gets off the ground, it could provide a huge boost to Alaska’s economy, though it would still be at the mercy of commodity prices.

Lack of tech infrastructure, high costs

Alaska’s struggling economy is a major reason for its poor competitive performance, but it is not the only one.

The state ranks No. 49 in Infrastructure. While the state’s roads and bridges are in better shape than in many states in the Lower 48, its virtual infrastructure leaves much to be desired. Fewer than 2% of Alaskans have access to affordable broadband service, according to BroadbandNow Research. The data center boom has passed Alaska by thus far, with only four in the entire state.

Alaska is a notoriously expensive place to live, especially in the many remote parts of the state.

“When you’re paying 16 bucks a gallon for milk, we’ve got to figure out how to make sure that you can afford to buy the milk so you can live here. We’ve got to make sure you can afford to buy the gas so you can hunt here,” said Patkotak.

But one aspect of life is a bargain in Alaska. At a time of soaring homeowner premiums, online insurance marketplace Insurify projects Alaska homeowners insurance premiums will average $1,543 this year, the second lowest in the nation.

Join the conversation. Didn’t see your state mentioned? You can see where it ranked overall, and in all 10 categories of competitiveness, in the full rankings of the 2025 America’s Top States for Business.

Top States for Business: Here are the runners-up

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