Huffy upgrades Green Machine for electric age as $600 adult drift trike
In case your neighbor didn’t have a Green Machine (video below) growing up as I did, the “big wheels” alternative looked like a little 3-wheeled pedal sled that was steered with two sticks instead of handlebars or a steering wheel. If you wanted to spin out (and what else would you want to do?), you’d simply push one stick forward and the other stick back and hold on!
Well, a lot has changed in the almost 50 years since the Green Machine debuted, and Huffy knows it has many adults, like myself, nostalgic for that drift experience without having to do all of that pedaling.
Enter the Huffy Electric Green Machine…
So when Huffy said it was building an electric drift trike based on the Green Machine, I was, of course, intrigued. Who amongst us 50-year-olds doesn’t need a drift trike to zoom around the driveway every so often?
Drift Trikes are popular with adults and children, and gasoline and electric versions are also available.
It turns out Huffy used much of its e-bike expertise to build the Electric Green machine.
The front wheel is made of more traditional bike rubber and has a 250-watt hub motor. If that doesn’t sound powerful enough, remember that this is geared for a max output of 15mph (or maybe up to 20mph later with some updates), which means high torque and acceleration.
There are three speed levels, and each one will get you drifting. The battery is a removable 36V without a stated capacity, but I’d guess close to 400Wh. More importantly, it has a cool array of LED power indicators. The seat is adjustable from below 5 feet to over 6 feet. Instead of pedals on the front wheels, there are now pegs for your feet.
The rear wheels are replaceable drift sliders that are easily removable once wear has rendered a new set necessary. There is only a front brake, but it is a big disk, and with the rubber meeting the ground, it stops the Green Machine in its tracks, even in the middle of a drift.
According to Huffy, this can be throttled to full speed for over an hour, meaning that at 15mph, you have a range coming close to 20 miles. Could this be a commuter? It is pretty low, so you might want to get one of those big orange flags for your big wheels commute to school or work.
We got a special opportunity to try it in New York City this week. My 12-year old had a blast (though it is officially 14 years+ and up to 220lbs) and of course I felt some serious nostalgia getting behind the ‘wheel’. It is super easy to get drifting and a lot of fun to race around a track.
We were on a smooth cement surface, but I look forward to trying it on my driveway at a later date.
Huffy will put these bad boys on sale for $599 later this year, and of course, they’ll be ready for holiday shoppers. Look out for our review in the coming weeks and months ahead.
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Environment
Baidu- and Geely-backed JiYue brand unveils ROBO X EV that goes 0-100 km/h in under 1.9 sec
JiYue, a Chinese EV brand focused on delivering all-electric “robocars” to the masses, has unveiled its latest model, and it’s quite a deviation from its previous EVs—but in the best way. Earlier today, JiYue launched the ROBO X supercar, designed for high-speed racing. By high speed, we mean 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 1.9 seconds. My mouth is watering.
JiYue has only existed since 2021, when parent tech company Baidu announced it was expanding from software development into physical EV production, joining forces with multinational automotive manufacturer Geely.
The new “robotic EV” marque initially launched as JIDU with $300 million in startup capital before garnering an additional $400 million in Series A funding, led by Baidu, in January 2022.
In August 2023, Geely took on a larger role in JIDU alongside a greater financial stake as the brand reimagined itself as JiYue, inheriting the JIDU logo and its flagship model, the 01 ROBOCAR.
In December 2023, Baidu and Geely unveiled a second model called the JiYue 07. It was born from JIDU’s ROBO-02 concept, which debuted in 2023 and was designed to compete against the Tesla Model 3 in China.
The 07 finally launched in China earlier this year with 545 miles of range. With an all-electric SUV and sedan on the market, JiYue has unveiled an exciting new entry in the form of a performance supercar called the ROBO X. Check it out:
JiYue’s new ROBO X EV is available for pre-order now
JiYue showcased its new ROBO X hypercar in front of the crowd at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show earlier today. Similar to previous models but with a unique spin, JiYue described the ROBO X as an AI smart-driving supercar that, for the first time, blends artificial intelligence and autonomous driving into a high-performance, race-ready EV.
When we say “high performance,” we mean a quad motor liquid-cooled drive system that can propel the ROBO X from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in under 1.9 seconds. JiYue called the new ROBO X a “performance beast” with “the perfect balance of excellent aerodynamic performance and high downforce.” JiYue CEO Joe Xia was even bolder in his statements about the ROBO X:
For the next 20 years, the design of supercars will bear the shadow of Robo X. This is the best design in the history of Chinese automobiles today, and it is a landmark presence.
Fighter-style airflow ducts bolster the EV’s aerodynamics, efficiency, and overall posture. Per JiYue, the two-seater ROBO X is expected to deliver a maximum range of over 650 km (404 miles).
The new supercar features falcon-wing doors, a carbon fiber integrated frame, and a professional racing HALO safety system offering 360° of support. The interior features an AI smart cockpit with SIMO real-time feedback to give drivers an immersive racing experience.
Furthermore, JiYue said the vehicle will utilize parent company Baidu’s Apollo self-driving technology, which could make it the first electric supercar to apply pure-vision ADAS technology that enables track-level autonomous driving.
Following today’s unveiling of the ROBO X, JiYue has officially opened up pre-orders in China for RMB 49,999 ($6,915). That said, reservation holders will need to be patient as JiYue shared that it doesn’t expect to begin mass production of the ROBO X until 2027.
What do you think? Will people be talking about the ROBO X for the next 20 years?
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes the launch of the Lectric XPedition 2.0, Yamaha e-bikes pulling out of North America, LiveWire unveils an electric scooter concept, PNY readying its cargo e-scooters for pilot testing, Royal Enfield’s first electric motorcycle, and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We also have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:30 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:30 a.m. ET):
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Crude oil futures were on pace Friday for loss for the week, as a supply gut and a strong dollar depresses the market.
U.S. crude oil is down more than 2% this week, while Brent has shed nearly 2%.
Here are Friday’s energy prices:
- West Texas Intermediate December contract: $68.56 per barrel, down 14 cents, or 0.2%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has shed about 4%.
- Brent January contract: $72.36 per barrel, down 20 cents, or 0.28%. Year to date, the global benchmark has lost nearly 6%.
- RBOB Gasoline December contract: $1.99 per gallon, up 0.46%. Year to date, gasoline has fallen more than 1%.
- Natural Gas December contract: $2.70 per thousand cubic feet, down 2.98%. Year to date, gas has gained more than 4%.
The International Energy Agency has forecast a surplus of more than 1 million barrels per day in 2025 on robust production in the U.S. OPEC revised down its demand forecast for the fourth consecutive month as demand in China remains soft.
A strong dollar also hangs over the market, as the greenback has surged in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.
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