Connect with us

Published

on

The new Talaria MX5 Sting Pro electric dirt bike may have just celebrated the one-week anniversary of its launch in the US, but it’s already marking another less-joyous occasion: the first documented major battery fire in a Talaria.

Videos on social media show what is reported to be a Talaria MX5 engulfed in flames as the rider details how he had managed to put only 20 miles (32 km) on the new bike before it caught fire underneath him.

The fire was confirmed by Eric Hicks, the founder and owner of Luna Cycle, which is well known as the main US-based supplier of Talarias and other light electric dirt bikes as well as high-power electric bicycles. Luna Cycle is often credited with introducing Talaria-style electric motorbikes into the US, long serving as Sur Ron’s exclusive distributor in the country and introducing several Talaria models in recent years.

According to Luna Cycle, which sold the Talaria MX5 bike in question, “This is the first major Talaria fire, of any model, reported in the USA. We take this very seriously, and plan to address this concern with the utmost priority.”

Hicks explained that Talaria normally only uses a well-respected battery maker known as Greenway Batteries. Greenway is one of the main suppliers for many electric bicycle brands in the US and around the world.

In fact, Greenway Battery has been the primary supplier for Talaria and Sur Ron electric motorbikes for years, and Luna Cycle has been a distributor and authorized repair center for Greenway Batteries in the US for eight years.

As Hicks continued, “In those eight years we have not seen a Greenway pack cause a fire and it is a big reason Surron and Talaria products have been so safe.”

An example of a Greenway Battery similar to those used in Sur Ron and Talaria-style electric motorbikes

However, due to a “clerical error made by the Talaria team,” some Talaria MX5 electric motorbikes that were shipped to the US included a battery produced by another supplier known as Scud.

“After investigating the incident and the bike involved in this fire, Luna verified the MX5 that caught fire last night unfortunately had a Scud battery installed in it from Talaria,” continued Hicks. “We are not sure of the cause of this fire and would prefer not to speculate at the possible causes, whether faulty or due to external factors. Regardless of the cause, Luna stands behind every bike and product it sells, and this incident is unacceptable for both Luna, and our customers.”

Luna Cycle has since announced a series of steps intended to address concerns regarding these Scud batteries. The company will replace the batteries in any Talaria MX5 bikes that shipped with Scud batteries and has since cancelled or reversed shipments on orders currently being processed that contain Scud batteries. Those bikes will have their batteries swapped and will ship in the next few days.

Not all Talaria MX5 Sting Pro bikes shipped from Luna Cycle in the past week have Scud batteries, but those customers who did receive an MX5 with a Scud battery will be contacted directly by Luna to receive a replacement Greenway battery.

While lithium-ion battery fires are known in the electric bicycle industry, they are relatively rare in the US compared to the millions of e-bikes already on the road. Such fires are even rarer in the case of more premium models, both premium electric trail bikes like these Talarias and high-end electric bicycles.

The few documented cases of electric bike battery fires in the US are usually related to inferior quality batteries used in bottom-tier budget-class e-bikes.

Several cities and institutions have begun initiating rules and regulations requiring safety certifications such as UL-compliance for micromobility vehicles features lithium-ion batteries, furthering a growing trend towards higher safety in the industry.

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

Continue Reading

Environment

Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]

Published

on

By

Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]

Today was the official start of racing at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! There was a tremendous energy (and heat) on the ground at NCM Motorsports Park as nearly a dozen teams took to the track. Currently, as of writing, Stanford is ranked #1 in the SOV (Single-Occupant Vehicle) class with 68 registered laps. However, the fastest lap so far belongs to UC Berkeley, which clocked a 4:45 on the 3.15-mile track. That’s an average speed of just under 40 mph on nothing but solar energy. Not bad!

In the MOV (Multi-Occupant Vehicle) class, Polytechnique Montréal is narrowly ahead of Appalachian State by just 4 laps. At last year’s formula sun race, Polytechnique Montréal took first place overall in this class, and the team hopes to repeat that success. It’s still too early for prediction though, and anything can happen between now and the final day of racing on Saturday.

Congrats to the teams that made it on track today. We look forward to seeing even more out there tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some shots from today via the event’s wonderful photographer Cora Kennedy.

Stay tuned for more!

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

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News.

You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Continue Reading

Environment

Tesla sold 5,000 Cybertrucks Q2, Optimus is in chaos, plus: the Infinity Train!

Published

on

By

Tesla sold 5,000 Cybertrucks Q2, Optimus is in chaos, plus: the Infinity Train!

The numbers are in and they are all bad for Tesla fans – the company sold just 5,000 Cybertruck models in Q4 of 2025, and built some 30% more “other” vehicles than it delivered. It just gets worse and worse, on today’s tension-building episode of Quick Charge!

We’ve also got day 1 coverage of the 2025 Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix, reports that the Tesla Optimus program is in chaos after its chief engineer jumps ship, and a look ahead at the fresh new Hyundai IONIQ 2 set to bow early next year, thanks to some battery specs from the Kia EV2.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% 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

Tesla launches Oasis Supercharger with solar farm and off-grid batteries

Published

on

By

Tesla launches Oasis Supercharger with solar farm and off-grid batteries

Tesla has launched its new Oasis Supercharger, the long-promised EV charging station of the future, with a solar farm and off-grid batteries.

Early in the deployment of the Supercharger network, Tesla promised to add solar arrays and batteries to the Supercharger stations, and CEO Elon Musk even said that most stations would be able to operate off-grid.

While Tesla did add solar and batteries to a few stations, the vast majority of them don’t have their own power system or have only minimal solar canopies.

Back in 2016, I asked Musk about this, and he said that it would now happen as Tesla had the “pieces now in place” with Supercharger V3, Powerpack V2, and SolarCity:

Advertisement – scroll for more content

All of these pieces have been in place for years, and Tesla has now discontinued the Powerpack in favor of the Megapack. The Supercharger network is also transitioning to V4 stations.

Yet, solar and battery deployment haven’t accelerated much in the decade since Musk made that comment, but it is finally happening.

Last year, Tesla announced a new project called ‘Oasis’, which consists of a new model Supercharger station with a solar farm and battery storage enabling off-grid operations in Lost Hills, California.

Tesla has now unveiled the project and turned on most of the Supercharger stalls:

The project consists of 168 chargers, with half of them currently operational, making it one of the largest Supercharger stations in the world. However, that’s not even the most notable aspect of it.

The station is equipped with 11 MW of ground-mounted solar panels and canopies, spanning 30 acres of land, and 10 Tesla Megapacks with a total energy storage capacity of 39 MWh.

It can be operated off-grid, which is the case right now, according to Tesla.

With off-grid operations, Tesla was about to bring 84 stalls online just in time for the Fourth of July travel weekend. The rest of the stalls and a lounge are going to open later this year.

Electrek’s Take

This is awesome. A bit late, but awesome. This is what charging stations should be like: fully powered by renewable energy.

Unfortunately, it will be much harder to open those stations in the future due to legislation that Trump and the Republican Party have just passed, which removes incentives for solar and energy storage, adds taxes on them, and removes incentives to build batteries – all things that have helped Tesla considerably over the last few years.

The US is likely going to have a few tough years for EV adoption and renewable energy deployment.

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

Continue Reading

Trending