Connect with us

Published

on

Tern, one of the leading innovators in cargo electric bike design, has just announced its newest model. Get ready to stretch, because here comes the Quick Haul Long.

Tern’s electric cargo bikes have always been known for two things: high-quality heavy-hauling designs and relatively smaller footprints, at least as far as cargo e-bikes go. Years ago, the company basically invented the compact cargo e-bike category.

Tern’s engineers have long been offering just as much — or more — cargo hauling abilities in e-bikes that don’t take up as much space in riders’ garages or living rooms. Look no further than the vertical parking feature built into their rear racks that allows the bikes to take up the same amount of floor space as a coat rack.

Now, with the new Tern Quick Haul Long, the company is finally filling out in the length department with its lower cost model, while still incorporating more of the size and capabilities of its longer GSD model.

The GSD has long been Tern’s flagship longer cargo e-bike, but it also comes with a flagship price, starting at around $4,500 and increasing quickly from there for the even higher-end components. The Quick Haul, on the other hand, is the brand’s smaller and more budget-friendly cargo offering. Now Tern is combining the two, bringing GSD features to the Quick Haul, but leaving the higher price in the dust.

Starting at US $3,799, The Quick Haul Long is still compact by modern cargo e-bike standards, but incorporates more of the GSD’s DNA for even more capability. It’s also now one of the most affordable premium cargo e-bikes on the market available from the higher-tier brands.

“The compact cargo bike category came about when we launched the GSD in 2018,” explained Josh Hon, Tern Team Captain. “Customers loved how such a small little bike could handle so many tasks typically done by car. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about how to make cargo bikes even better, and we applied those insights to the Quick Haul Long. The bike retains the GSD’s core features but it comes at a more accessible price, without compromising safety or reliability.”

The Quick Haul Long sticks with Tern’s typical 20″ wheels, keeping it the same length as a typical larger wheel city bike. However, its long rack and 190 kg (419 lb) weight rating means it can handle significantly more utility tasks. Just that rear rack alone is rated for 90 kg (200 lb), and also has a built-in tow mount for pulling trailers or towing other bikes. Carrying two kids on the rear rack is a breeze, and the bike’s lower center of gravity and stiff frame are optimized for stable, smooth riding.

Even the front cargo mount, which supports an optional front rack or basket, is rated for 20 kg (44 lb). Anyone who has ever loaded up the front of their bike in addition to the rear will know that’s a serious amount of weight, helping to balance out a load and provide more mounting options.

The bike is said to fit riders from 5’1″ to 6’1″, or 155 to 185 cm. The low step-through frame is designed to be easy to mount, as well as easy to hop forward on, especially when you’ve got a couple of wiggling kids on the rear rack and need some extra stability at a red light. For more stability when parked, the bike features one of the strongest dual kickstands I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of kickstands. I’ve had a motorcycle or two that I wish Tern had built the kickstand for.

Powering the bike is Bosch’s Cargo Line mid-drive motor, meaning you get the backing of the leading German drive maker as well as all of the warranty and service/support that comes with it.

The bike also features Bosch’s batteries with multiple size options, letting riders dial in the capacity and range they need (and that fits their budget).

And while Tern’s heritage comes from the bike experts of Taiwan, you’d almost think they were a German company based on how much emphasis they put into the engineering and safety certifications on their bikes, including testing to the new DIN79010 standard at the bike’s max capacity of 190 kg (419 lb).

As Hon continued, “The cargo bike segment has exploded in popularity in recent years, with just about every brand introducing their version of a ‘cargo bike.’ But unfortunately, testing and safety standards haven’t kept pace. Germany has recently published the first national testing standard for cargo bikes – DIN79010. We believe that any cargo bike claiming a MGVW over 120 kg should be tested to the DIN 79010 standard—but very few have been so far.”

Electrek’s Take

This definitely feels like Tern’s shot across the bow of budget brands with their popular low-cost cargo e-bike models. There’s no way Tern can compete directly with a $1,500 cargo e-bike, but it can offer significantly better quality components for a compelling price, at least compared to all the $6,000 cargo e-bikes out there.

For those who are trying to decide whether to save money on a budget brand or upgrade to a premium model, this is about the best price you’ll find for a premium electric cargo bike.

I still believe that budget cargo e-bikes have their place, and to be fair, I got my sister one for her family. But we can’t kid ourselves and pretend like there isn’t a quality difference. For someone actually replacing a car and relying on their e-bike daily, that quality difference translates into everyday reliability and the peace of mind of knowing that the bike is designed to last for years, not for a year.

Of course, the fact that the bike runs a Bosch motor is always going to be a double-edged sword in the US. Bosch systems are famously pedal-assist only, meaning no throttles. The Bosch name carries a lot of weight in Europe, but Americans seem to opt for throttle-enable electric bikes nine times out of ten, so it’s an uphill pedal to try and sell non-throttle e-bikes in the States. In Europe though, I can see this thing crushing the pricier alternatives from German and British e-bike brands.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

BYD now has the world’s largest car transport ship and it just set sail overseas

Published

on

By

BYD now has the world's largest car transport ship and it just set sail overseas

The BYD “Shenzhen” set sail on its first voyage overseas this week. With 9,200 parking spots, or about enough to fill 20 football fields, BYD’s new car transport ship is now the world’s largest.

BYD’s largest car carrier sets sail for Brazil

BYD’s Shenzhen is on its maiden voyage to Brazil after setting sail on April 27. The vessel is carrying over 7,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), including electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It’s the largest single batch of NEVs exported from China so far.

The new vessel is BYD’s fourth car transport ship and the world’s largest, capable of carrying 9,000 vehicles. According to the company, that’s enough to fill about 20 football fields.

BYD launched its first car carrier, the Explorer No 1, in January 2024. It has already completed several trips to Germany, Spain, and Brazil.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Its second, the BYD Changzhou, set sail in December 2024, followed by the Hefei earlier this year. All three vessels can carry up to 7,000 vehicles, making the Shenzhen the largest so far.

BYD's-largest-car-transport-ship
BYD Shenzhen, the world’s largest car transport ship (Source: BYD)

The Shenzhen is named after the automaker’s hometown and demonstrates “BYD’s firm determination to promote sustainable development in Brazil.”

BYD is preparing to launch two more vessels, the Changsha and Xi’an. The Changsha is expected to launch soon, while the Xi’an was introduced on April 2.

The new car carriers will help accelerate BYD’s aggressive overseas expansion. In the first three months of 2025, the company sold over 206,000 NEVs overseas, more than double the number it sold last year.

BYD sells a wide range of vehicles in Brazil, including the low-cost Dolphin Mini, starting at around $20,000 (99,800 BRL). In October, it launched its first hybrid pickup truck, the Shark, starting at 379,800 BTL ($66,900).

Brazil is only one overseas market that BYD is targeting. BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe in 2025, with significant growth in other key regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea, to name a few.

Source: BYD

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

‘Tesla homes’ with solar roof and Powerwalls go on sale

Published

on

By

'Tesla homes' with solar roof and Powerwalls go on sale

‘Tesla homes’ in a Houston neighborhood where all the homes have Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls went for sale.

7 out of the 11 homes have reportedly already sold.

Tesla neighborhood is a term that is being used for new developments where all the homes integrate all or part of Tesla’s power ecosystem, including the Powerwall home battery pack.

The best example is a giant new development project in Austin, Texas, by Brookfield Asset Management and Dacra in which up to 12,000 new homes are to be built and offering Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

However, since the announcement, it looks like only some of the homes in the new neighborhood have Tesla energy systems.

In 2022, Tesla also announced a similar project in Las Vegas.

A year later, the company claimed to have deployed “over 600 solar neighborhoods” worldwide, with a total capacity exceeding 100 MW.

One such ‘Tesla neighborhood’ is a small block of 11 townhouse homes featuring Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls in Houston, Texas.

The homes were recently completed and went on sale, starting at $544,900.

Here are some pictures from the listings:

Utopia Homes, the developer behind the project, described the properties (via Chron):

Step into modern elegance expertly crafted by Utopia Homes. This property showcases groundbreaking Tesla Solar Roof Shingles and Power Wall technology, ensuring 100% energy security and eliminating electric bills for a truly sustainable lifestyle.

The house has proved popular according to the real estate agents, with 7 out of 11 homes already sold.

As we recently reported, Tesla’s solar roofs have proven to be a more expensive and niche product than the company previously presented.

Tesla has largely stopped discussing it, but it is still being deployed through some third-party installers, such as in this case, on new homes.

However, its Powerwall product remains a very popular solution for homeowners seeking greater energy independence and protection against outages, which have been a frequent problem in Texas.

More homeowners are turning to generators, and alternatives like home battery packs are gaining popularity.

Now is a great time to begin your solar journey. If you want to make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar – whether you’re a homeowner or renter. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

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. Get started here.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Vision Marine launches 2 new electric pontoon boats with 90 nautical miles of range

Published

on

By

Vision Marine launches 2 new electric pontoon boats with 90 nautical miles of range

Canadian electric propulsion specialist Vision Marine continues to graduate beyond advanced outboard motors into a provider of all-electric boats. This month, Vision introduced two new electric pontoon boats – the 12-passenger V24 and 15-passenger V30, each capable of a range up to 90 nautical miles.

Vision Marine Technologies ($VMAR) is a Canadian technology company with over 25 years of experience in the marine industry. The company made waves (literally) by introducing its E-Motion turnkey powertrain system, which it has since integrated into a catamaran speedboat, which set a speed record of 109 mph in 2022.

Since then, Vision has introduced six hp two-cruiser vessels – the Fantail 217 and Volt 180, each capable of transporting 10 passengers via its E-Motion technology. Most recently, Vision Marine has integrated the full power of its 180 hp electric powertrain technology into two additional vessels, both electric pontoon boats.

Earlier this month, the company officially began sales of the Vision V24 and V30, which you can view below.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

  • Vision electric pontoon
  • Vision electric pontoon

Vision Marine brings power and range to electric pontoons

According to Vision Marine Technologies, orders for its two new electric pontoon boats are now open, and they are touting the same E-Motion technology that put the company on the map a few years ago.

The first model is the V24, a 12-passenger electric pontoon that is 24′ 8″ in length and has 180 hp. The ultra-quiet E-Motion powertrain is powered by a standard 43 kWh marine battery pack, offering 40 nautical miles (46 miles) of all-electric range on a single charge. For added range, Vision sells a version of the electric pontoon with a second battery pack, totaling 86 kWh and delivering up to 90 nautical miles (104 miles) of range.

While the V24 offers more of a classic attempt at the pontoon boat, Vision’s additional new vessel, the all-electric V30, is a tad sportier and provides room for more passengers aboard (15). This 30′ vessel features the same E-Motion powertrain options, complete with the same two battery configurations to offer the same ranges as the V24.

However, the V30 has additional features such as 4 x 6.5″ interior speakers and cool-touch seats. Both models feature an integrated onboard charger that supports both 120- 240V (30 to 50 amps) for seamless charging, no matter the dock plug while moored.

The Vision V24 starts at $99,995 for the standard battery pack version, while the V30 starts at a higher price of $139,995. As previously mentioned, both electric pontoon boats are available to order today.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending