China’s electric farm trucks are very different than ours. I went there to see how
When I recently took a trip to China to see the world of electric micromobility, I was greeted with a wide range of personal electric vehicles. From e-bikes to e-scooters and even e-dirt bikes, I saw it all. But one of the most interesting examples, and clearly the most divergent from our own vehicles in the West, was what I saw while touring Wuzheng’s electric three-wheeler factory.
I know, I know. This isn’t what most of us think of when we hear the words “farm truck.” Trust me, I get it. I spent the first couple decades of my life in the southeastern US, a good ol’ southern boy. I grew up running through cornfields, barrel racing, and taking dates to watch the tractor pulls and demolition derbies at the county fair. In other words, I know rural living and what it means to work with your hands as a way of life. My current truck may be far from the typical work truck you’ll see on most farms and ranches, but I get it.
And so, while taking the bullet trains that cut through extremely rural areas of China, I was amazed to see both sights I recognized well and things that were completely new to most Westerners. At the end of the day, farmers are farmers. Their farmers may swap out our worn-out ball caps for their wider conical straw hats, but they put in the same long days in the fields that we do. More interesting to me though, was what they were using instead of our work trucks.
In the vast landscapes of rural China, electric three-wheeled vehicles seem to have become an indispensable part of daily life for farmers and workers. There, these vehicles are valued for their affordability, versatility, and efficiency.
Farmers use these electric trikes for a wide range of tasks, from transporting their harvests to local markets, to carrying fertilizers, tools, and crops across their fields.
The compact size and robust design of these vehicles make them ideal for steering around the narrow and often unpaved rural roads that characterize much of China’s countryside – places larger trucks would struggle to navigate. And without the need to buy or store expensive diesel, they can charge them up cheaply anywhere they can run an extension cord.
To see how these types of electric three-wheeler farm trucks are built, I went to visit the factory of one of the largest three-wheeler producers in the country, Wuzheng.
The company knows a thing or two about farm equipment. They’ve been building gas and diesel tractors and farm equipment since 1984, with their first combustion engine three-wheeler coming out around that time. They’ve since switched their three-wheelers over to electric drive, which makes them more reliable and requires less maintenance. Plus, they cost significantly less to own and operate with the reduced maintenance and lower fuel costs of electric vehicles. That reduced cost of ownership is a major reason I saw so many electric three-wheelers all over rural China and used on almost every farm I passed through.
One of the key reasons for the widespread adoption of electric three-wheelers among rural Chinese communities is their cost-effectiveness. Traditional vehicles like tractors or trucks are often prohibitively expensive for small-scale farmers and rural workers. In contrast, electric trikes are significantly cheaper to purchase and maintain. Additionally, the cost of electricity used to charge these vehicles is substantially lower than that of gasoline or diesel, making them an economically sustainable option for daily use. This affordability extends the mobility and operational range of rural workers, enabling them to transport heavier loads over longer distances with minimal expense.
The design is also optimized for daily work. The bed is lower than a typical pickup truck bed, making it easier to load, especially over the long side rails. The three-wheelers usually have tailgates and side gates, allowing them to convert into flat-bed trucks in seconds. The bed almost always tilts, turning them into dump trucks when necessary.
Visiting Wuzheng’s factory gave me a lot of insight into how the company is able to produce hundreds of thousands of these electric three-wheelers every year.
At this single factory, just one of many in Wuzheng’s sprawling grounds, there were a pair of assembly lines running side-by-side. Both lines cranked out electric three-wheelers, with one producing open-top variants and the other producing models with fully enclosed cabs.
Both styles are popular for different use cases, and the underlying frame and components are largely the same. To create both, the company begins with the raw materials in another massive warehouse next door. There, giant spools of steel sheets are cut and stamped into the sheet metal panels surrounding the vehicle.
At the same time, steel tubes are cut, formed, and welded into the frame and subassemblies of the three-wheelers.
The jobs are done mostly manually, with different workers specializing in different aspects, from manning the cutting and forming machines to welding the individual frame members and cab panels. Unlike some other factories we’ve seen with increased levels of automation, the process seems to be completed largely with human workers instead of robotics. As automation is still sweeping across the Chinese manufacturing industry, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more robotic operations added in the coming years.
From there, the frames and bodies are passed on to the coating and painting stage, where they begin to take on their recognizable forms.
The bare chassis almost resembles what we’d consider a ‘normal’ truck body, and it’s not until that single front wheel is added that the trike character shines through.
And that’s exactly what comes next, as those chassis move on to the assembly lines. Here is where they turn from a pile of parts into fully-functional work vehicles.
A series of stations equipped with gantry cranes lower major sections of the vehicles into place as workers manually mount the components.
From there, the vehicles are finished with Wuzheng’s branding and then driven right off the end of the assembly line into the staging yard ahead of final testing and loading onto trucks to distribute them across the country.
Wuzheng has hundreds of dealers spread around the country, and as one of the largest electric three-wheeler makers, sells hundreds of thousands of these machines every year.
But before two different styles of the company’s machines could make it onto a truck for delivery, I got the chance to borrow them for a few minutes and have my own joyride around the complex.
The first model I tested was an open-top variety, which represents the majority of electric three-wheelers you see in rural areas of China. It’s also the most cost-effective, since you don’t have the extra expense and complexity of an enclosed cab.
Without doors, it’s easy to hop on and off repeatedly, which you very well may be doing as you ride around fields and tend to any number of tasks.
These are usually rated for carrying many hundreds of kilograms and sometimes even over a metric ton (2,200 pounds). Riding around with an empty bed was obviously not taxing the machine, so I asked several of the company’s employees to hop aboard with me. Even with four adult men (or three adult men and one man-child journalist), the performance was unchanged.
And that make sense, since it’s common to see these electric three-wheelers loaded high with heavy cargo such as farm crops, or used for delivering bulk products like cases of heavy bottled drinks. They regularly carry hundreds of kilograms of goods, and so they’re built with torquey electric motors to handle that load.
Next, I hopped into an enclosed vehicle. This time, the cab included doors and a weather-sealed interior. Interestingly, the handlebars for the single front wheel were replaced by a steering wheel. Since you couldn’t see the single wheel in front of you, it really felt more like a standard four-wheeled vehicle from the inside.
Again, the power was more than sufficient, and it handled quite nicely. Neither machine had a particularly sophisticated suspension setup, but they were perfectly fine for riding around the bumpy complex we were touring.
The enclosed version obviously offers a big advantage during inclement weather, allowing riders to stay dry during rain or even use air-conditioning during hot summers.
The main question most people are probably wondering about is stability. We all know that three-wheelers aren’t as stable as four-wheelers, so what about tip-overs?
I can tell you that from testing the vehicles myself and doing parking lot donuts, I never felt like I had any issues with rollover. The machines put their heavy batteries low on the chassis, and the motor is mounted even lower on the axle.
That means the machine’s center of gravity is so low that you’d probably have to hit a hairpin turn at speeds faster than these are capable of to actually roll one.
This isn’t like the electric tricycle e-bikes I often cover, which can easily lift a wheel in sharp turns. For those, you’ve got a rider that weighs more than the machine sitting high up above the centerline axis. With these Chinese farm trucks, your rider is a small fraction of the total vehicle weight, which is designed to keep a super low center of gravity and optimize stability. When the majority of your weight is axle height, tipping the vehicle over is quite a chore.
Visiting Wuzheng’s factory and experiencing this style of work vehicle firsthand was an eye-opening experience. Electric three-wheeled vehicles like these have become a crucial tool for Chinese farmers and rural workers due to their affordability, efficiency, environmental benefits, and practicality.
As rural China continues to modernize and seek sustainable development, these vehicles will likely remain a cornerstone of daily life, facilitating agricultural productivity and improving the quality of life for millions of people across the countryside. With prices starting at less than the equivalent of a thousand US dollars, these vehicles are a much more affordable and accessible option for average working families.
And just because they aren’t shaped like the farm trucks we’re used to, doesn’t mean they don’t move the same bales of hale or bushels of corn. They just do it with fewer wheels on the ground and more wind in your hair.
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![Opinion: it's time to start recommending some Tesla alternatives [update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/completey-different.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
For years, Tesla has been the go-to EV recommendation for “normals” looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first electric cars. In light of questionable recalls and its CEO’s recent involvement in controversial politics, however, people are starting to distance themselves from the trailblazing company.
All that begs the question: what should we recommend to EV noobs now?
UPDATE: you guys had some great suggestions in the comments. I’ve included a few of them in the article, below. Enjoy!
Despite early quality issues and ongoing service headaches, the groundbreaking S3XY lineup of EVs have always had a secret weapon in the form of the Tesla Supercharger network.
That network of dependable high-speed chargers, paired with solid app integration that makes it easy for Tesla drivers to find available chargers just about anywhere in the US, gave the brand a leg up – but no more. By opening up the Supercharger network to brands like Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and others, Tesla has given away its biggest competitive advantage.
Add in charging and route-planning apps like Chargeway, that make navigating the transition from CCS to NACS easier than ever with its intuitive colors and numbers and easy on/off switch for vehicles equipped with NACS adapters, and it feels like the time is right to start suggesting alternatives to the old EV industry stalwarts. As such, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Here, then, are my picks for the best Tesla S3XY (and Cybertruck) alternatives you can buy.
Less Model S, more Lucid Air
Developed by OG Tesla Model S engineers with tunes from Annie Get Your Gun playing continuously in their heads, the Lucid Air promises to be the car Tesla should and could have built, if only Elon had listened to the engineers.
With panel fit, material finish, and overall build quality that’s at least as good as anything else in the automotive space, the Lucid Air is a compelling alternative to the Model S at every price level – and I, for one, would take a “too f@#king fast” Lucid Air Sapphire over an “as seen on TV” Model S Plaid any day of the week. And, with Supercharger access reportedly coming later this quarter, Air buyers will have every advantage the Supercharger Network can provide.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Less Model 3, more Hyundai IONIQ 6
Hyundai has been absolutely killing it these days, with EVs driving record sales and new models earning rave reviews from the automotive press. Even in that company the IONIQ 6 stands out, with up to 338 miles of EPA-rated range and lickety-quick 350 kW charging available to make road tripping easy – especially now that the aerodynamically efficient IONIQ 6 has Supercharger access through a NACS adapter (the 2026 “facelift” models get a NACS port as standard).
The company’s sole electric sedan hasn’t seen the same sales success as IONIQ 5, of course – but that has more to do with America’s insatiable lust for crossovers and SUVs than any shortcoming inherent in the IONIQ 6 itself. All the same, Hyundai is helping dealers clear out its remaining 2024 and ’25 models with 0% financing for up to 48 months through June 2nd.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
COMMENTER FAVORITES
Less Model X, more Volvo EX90
Once upon a time, Mrs. Jo Borrás and I were shopping three-row SUVs and found ourselves genuinely drawn to the then-new Model X. Back then it was the only three-row EV on the market, but it wasn’t Elon’s antics or access to charging, or even the Model X’s premium pricing that squirreled the deal. It was the stupid doors.
We went with the similarly new Volvo XC90 T8 in denim blue, and followed up the big PHEV with a second, three years later, in Osmium Gray. When it’s time to replace this one, you can just about bet your house that the new 510 hp EX90 with 310 miles of all-electric range will be near the top of the shopping list.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
COMMENTER FAVORITES
Less Model Y, more Kia EV6
If half the fun of driving a Model Y is terrifying your passengers with its straight-line speed, then the Kia EV6 has to be a serious contender for a replacement.
The sporty EV6 GT made its global debut by drag racing some of the fastest ICE-powered cars of the day, including a Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG GT, a Porsche, even a turbocharged Ferrari – and it beat the pants off ’em. Combine supercar-baiting speed with an accessible price tag, NACS accessibility, $10,000 in customer cash on remaining 2024 models ($3,000 on 2025s) and just a hint of Lancia Stratos in the styling, the EV6 is tough to beat.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
COMMENTER FAVORITES
Less Cybertruck, more therapy
It’s not bulletproof, it’s not easy to upfit, it shouldn’t be used for towing, and it won’t win in a straight fight against a vinyl picket fence. By just about every standard “truck” metric, the Tesla Cybertruck falls short against the competition from Chevrolet, Ford, and Rivian. On a more subjective front, the Cybertruck has become a symbol for a conservative movement that is (depending on your point of view) either making America great again or plunging a once-great democracy into an era of fascist oligarchy and widespread stupidity.
In short, it’s probably best to skip the CT.
If you disagree with that statement and feel like driving a new Tesla Cybertruck is the key to happiness, I’m not sure an equally ostentatious GMC Hummer EV or more subtle Rivian R1T will help you scratch that particular itch – but maybe therapy might!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
COMMENTER FAVORITES
- Not getting the USAF joke.
- Projecting obsessions onto the author.
- Feeling butthurt about the Pit Vipers and tribal tats.
Original content from Electrek.
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There’s no question that electric construction equipment is safer, more precise, and generally better than the diesel equipment it’s replacing, but getting power to that equipment remains a logistical challenge that hasn’t been solved for. With this new mobile Megawatt charging station, however, Komatsu think they’ve found a solution — with up to 6 MW of power!
Developed by Tesla co-founder Ian Wright, Dimaag, and Japanese equipment giant Komatsu, the groundbreaking Mobile Megawatt Charging System (MWCS) promises to bring electricity where it’s needed, anywhere on the job site, then quickly dispense enough energy to get the electric machines under its care back up and running.
And, with Megawatt power delivery on tap, the new Komatsu-Dimaag MWCS can power up equipment assets between shift changes — if it even takes that long!
Komatsu Dimaag mobile charger
The MWCS boasts a compact, high-efficiency DC-DC converter and a long-life, high-discharge-rate Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on board that can be connected to a DC fast charger itself, or get “trickle charged” between shifts. Both the battery and its control systems make use of an advanced thermal management solution that Komatsu and Dimaag say optimizes both safety and battery life during high-power delivery.
What’s more, that charging capability won’t stop at just one Megawatt. The system is designed to be scalable up to six (6) Megawatts — making it suitable to juice up even the biggest EVs and, frankly, strongly implying that they’ve already got a buyer.
To make sure the MWCS can get all that power where it needs to, wherever it needs to, the machine is equipped with with stout, construction-grade AT tires, 4-wheel drive, and 4-wheel steering to navigate tight surroundings and rough terrains that other solutions wouldn’t be able to get to. And, while it isn’t mentioned in the press release, there’s a common sense idea here that you could, in a pinch, use the MWCS to tow less capable vehicles out of the mud and snow, if needed.
For their part, it seems like the people at Dimaag are pretty happy with the results. “Dimaag is excited to collaborate with Komatsu, introducing our advanced ESS and DC-DC architecture to revolutionize electrification in construction,” stated Ian Wright, VP Engineering at Dimaag. “Off-road vehicle electrification demands practical solutions that not only meet but exceed the performance of equivalent large diesel engine vehicles, while also providing substantial Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings. Dimaag’s electrification and high-power megawatt charging systems are designed to achieve this.”
The prototype MWCS shown, above, features a 295 kWh battery pack and an MCS connector delivering up to 1,500 amps and 1,000 volts of power. Komatsu envisions a scenario wherein the mobile charger makes its rounds on the job site charging up equipment and heading back to grid power (if available) to charge itself.
The MWCS made its debut at the bauma construction show earlier this year. Real-world trials are expected to begin this year.
Electrek’s Take
Conceptually similar to the mobile power platform being developed by American firm Dannar, this new mobile Megawatt charging unit has some heavy-hitting names behind it that make it impossible to ignore. Combine that with Komatsu’s ever-increasing push towards full electrification (the two machines shown, above, are all-new in the last 60 days, with more to come) and it really feels like the MWCS is going to be A Real Thing™️somewhat sooner than later.
Stay tuned.
SOURCES | IMAGES: Komatsu, Dimaag, via EIN Presswire.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. The best part? No one will call you until after you’ve elected to move forward. Get started, hassle-free, by clicking here.
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For years, Tesla has been the go-to EV recommendation for “normals” looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first electric cars. In light of questionable recalls and its CEO’s recent involvement in controversial politics, however, people are starting to distance themselves from the trailblazing company.
All that begs the question: what should we recommend to EV noobs now?
Despite early quality issues and ongoing service headaches, the groundbreaking S3XY lineup of EVs have always had a secret weapon in the form of the Tesla Supercharger network.
That network of dependable high-speed chargers, paired with solid app integration that makes it easy for Tesla drivers to find available chargers just about anywhere in the US, gave the brand a leg up – but no more. By opening up the Supercharger network to brands like Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and others, Tesla has given away its biggest competitive advantage.
Add in charging and route-planning apps like Chargeway, that make navigating the transition from CCS to NACS easier than ever with its intuitive colors and numbers and easy on/off switch for vehicles equipped with NACS adapters, and it feels like the time is right to start suggesting alternatives to the old EV industry stalwarts. As such, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Here, then, are my picks for the best Tesla S3XY (and Cybertruck) alternatives you can buy.
Less Model S, more Lucid Air
Developed by OG Tesla Model S engineers with tunes from Annie Get Your Gun playing continuously in their heads, the Lucid Air promises to be the car Tesla should and could have built, if only Elon had listened to the engineers.
With panel fit, material finish, and overall build quality that’s at least as good as anything else in the automotive space, the Lucid Air is a compelling alternative to the Model S at every price level – and I, for one, would take a “too f@#king fast” Lucid Air Sapphire over an “as seen on TV” Model S Plaid any day of the week. And, with Supercharger access reportedly coming later this quarter, Air buyers will have every advantage the Supercharger Network can provide.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Less Model 3, more Hyundai IONIQ 6
Hyundai has been absolutely killing it these days, with EVs driving record sales and new models earning rave reviews from the automotive press. Even in that company the IONIQ 6 stands out, with up to 338 miles of EPA-rated range and lickety-quick 350 kW charging available to make road tripping easy – especially now that the aerodynamically efficient IONIQ 6 has Supercharger access through a NACS adapter (the 2026 “facelift” models get a NACS port as standard).
The company’s sole electric sedan hasn’t seen the same sales success as IONIQ 5, of course – but that has more to do with America’s insatiable lust for crossovers and SUVs than any shortcoming inherent in the IONIQ 6 itself. All the same, Hyundai is helping dealers clear out its remaining 2024 and ’25 models with 0% financing for up to 48 months through June 2nd.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Less Model X, more Volvo EX90
Once upon a time, Mrs. Jo Borrás and I were shopping three-row SUVs and found ourselves genuinely drawn to the then-new Model X. Back then it was the only three-row EV on the market, but it wasn’t Elon’s antics or access to charging, or even the Model X’s premium pricing that squirreled the deal. It was the stupid doors.
We went with the similarly new Volvo XC90 T8 in denim blue, and followed up the big PHEV with a second, three years later, in Osmium Gray. When it’s time to replace this one, you can just about bet your house that the new 510 hp EX90 with 310 miles of all-electric range will be near the top of the shopping list.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Less Model Y, more Kia EV6
If half the fun of driving a Model Y is terrifying your passengers with its straight-line speed, then the Kia EV6 has to be a serious contender for a replacement.
The sporty EV6 GT made its global debut by drag racing some of the fastest ICE-powered cars of the day, including a Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG GT, a Porsche, even a turbocharged Ferrari – and it beat the pants off ’em. Combine supercar-baiting speed with an accessible price tag, NACS accessibility, $10,000 in customer cash on remaining 2024 models ($3,000 on 2025s) and just a hint of Lancia Stratos in the styling, the EV6 is tough to beat.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Less Cybertruck, more therapy
It’s not bulletproof, it’s not easy to upfit, it shouldn’t be used for towing, and it won’t win in a straight fight against a vinyl picket fence. By just about every standard “truck” metric, the Tesla Cybertruck falls short against the competition from Chevrolet, Ford, and Rivian. On a more subjective front, the Cybertruck has become a symbol for a conservative movement that is (depending on your point of view) either making America great again or plunging a once-great democracy into an era of fascist oligarchy and widespread stupidity.
In short, it’s probably best to skip the CT.
If you disagree with that statement and feel like driving a new Tesla Cybertruck is the key to happiness, I’m not sure an equally ostentatious GMC Hummer EV or more subtle Rivian R1T will help you scratch that particular itch – but maybe therapy might!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Original content from Electrek.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. The best part? No one will call you until after you’ve elected to move forward. Get started, hassle-free, by clicking here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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