Range Energy’s electric trailer helps egg farm improve mpg by ‘up to 70%’
Range Energy’s electric trailer, which allows fleets to effectively hybridize by adding a battery and motor to the trailer, has been put into service by Petaluma Egg Farm to improve efficiency of its diesel shipping fleet by 50-70%.
The concept behind Range Energy’s trailer is relatively simple. Instead of the diesel-engine tractor having to do all the work to pull the trailer, Range adds a battery and motor to the trailer to help it push its own weight forward, effectively cutting the amount of weight the diesel engine has to pull and therefore increasing efficiency.
It sounds like a bit of a hack, but the purpose behind it is that electric tractors are quite expensive and are still ramping up in production. Meanwhile, trucking companies already have working diesel tractors that could be expected to have many years of life left, and aren’t necessarily excited to scrap their expensive tractors for an expensive new electric one.
While the swap works out for many companies, especially if it fits into the fleet buying timeline and a company is ready to replace its diesel trucks, there are other fleets that might benefit from an easier, more short-term drop-in solution.
And that’s what Range Energy’s trailer provides, because it doesn’t require any sort of retrofitting of the diesel engine, it’s just a pick-up-and-go solution.
It works with what Range calls the “smart kingpin,” which is packed with sensors to tell the trailer how hard the tractor is pulling. It then adds its own torque proportional to the amount the tractor is asking for, making loads feel lighter.
We got a chance to see a demo of it in action at ACT Expo last year, and let me say, it was one of the coolest demos I’ve experienced.
Since then, Range has had its trailer validated through independent testing, which said it can improve efficiency by 36% in average use cases. Given that fuel costs are a large part of any trucking company’s outlays, and that diesel fuel burned in heavy duty vehicles creates an outsized portion of smog-forming pollutants, this is a quick way to get some real improvements.
The trailer can also be used on electric trucks as an impromptu “range extender,” essentially just adding a larger battery carried by the trailer, in addition to whatever amount of energy storage the tractor has onboard.
There are some other companies with a similar solution, including a company called Trailer Dynamics in Germany. But the US and European markets are different, so there’s room for both in this realm.
Petaluma Egg Farm improves mpg by “50-70%” with electrified trailers
The news today is that Range Energy’s trailer has been put into service in a real-world test, including taking advantage of its large battery for refrigeration. Refrigerated or “reefer” trucks are used widely throughout the industry, but this is the first order Range has gotten for its electrified reefer solution.
The company in question is Petaluma Egg Farm, a family-owned business that serves Northern California grocery stores. It ordered and will deploy 10 of Range’s trailers over the next 12-18 months.
The order follows a successful pilot by the farm which it ran in July, testing the trailer on routes between 100 and 440 miles, and also on city distribution routes consisting of more than 15 delivery stops.
During the trial, the trailer had 100% uptime, and did not need any additional time for charging beyond typical downtime. Range says it delivered “up to 70%” mpg improvements. We followed up on that (since it sure seems like “up to” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there), and were told that “average” improvements tallied between 50-70% – but this is highly dependent on a number of factors, so take it with a grain of salt, especially given that the third-party test above showed 36% improvements on a standardized route.
Nevertheless, it shows that in this real-world circumstance, the trailer has worked well to reduce fuel costs for the company in question. And on routes that are perhaps easier-than-average, improvements better than 36% are possibly.
Electrek’s Take
We’ve been quite interested in Range Energy ever since demoing their system at ACT Expo and talking to their leadership.
While the system isn’t fully electric – the Range trailer is electric, but is still driven by a diesel tractor – it’s still a great way to drop in to a fleet and get an improvement right away.
We’d rather have everyone go all electric, which they will in the longer term. But in the short and medium term, this will still reduce pollution quickly.
The one thing we’re worried about is what Range will do once every truck already is electric. There’s still some use for these trailers in those circumstances, as they might fit into an ecosystem where tractors can be sold with a relatively smaller amount of energy storage for shorter routes that don’t need much energy, and then Range trailers can be added to those tractors for longer routes.
But this does feel like a more niche application. However, Range’s leadership seems to have good heads on their shoulders, and they’re a quickly moving company, so we think they’ll be able to figure something out.
Regardless, in the short term, this is quite a boon and we’d love to see more of these out there in the wild. Good on Petaluma Egg Farm for taking the initiative here.
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Lexus is bringing the sports car back, but this time the LFA will be fully electric and will be developed alongside the Toyota GR GT and GR GT3. Here’s our first look at the EV sports car.
Meet the electric Lexus LFA Concept
The LFA is making a comeback as a low-slung, fully electric supercar. Lexus unveiled the new LFA Concept on Friday, calling it a next-generation battery-electric (BEV) sports car.
Lexus said the LFA name “embodies the technologies that engineers of its time should preserve,” adding it’s “not bound to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.”
The electric LFA is being developed alongside the Toyota GR GT and GR GT3 race cars. Although it will share core technology and other components, including the GR GT’s all-aluminum frame, the new LFA will arrive with a unique design and advanced interior thanks to its electric powertrain.
Inside, the EV sports car features a yoke-style steering wheel, first showcased on the RZ electric SUV. The minimalist design is intended to create “a uniquely immersive environment,” according to Lexus.
At 184.6″ long, 80.3″ wide, and 47″ tall with a wheelbase of 107.3″, the electric Lexus LFA concept is about the size of many modern-day supercars, including the Aston Martin DB12 and Ferrari Roma.
The LFA EV will be centered on three key elements, shared with the GR GT, including a low center of gravity, a light but sturdy frame, and optimized aerodynamics.
Lexus has yet to reveal full details, aside from confirming the new LFA will be fully electric. With Toyota claiming it plans to launch its first solid-state battery in a high-performance vehicle by 2027, will the Lexus LFA be the one to debut it? We will find out more shortly.
While the new Lexus LFA is surprisingly an EV, Toyota is sticking to its roots with the GR GT, which will be equipped with a hybrid system that still uses a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo engine and a single electric motor.
Toyota announced similar plans to continue launching gas-powered vehicles under its new ultra-luxury Century brand.
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Environment
Tesla launches ‘Standard’ Model 3/Y in Europe with aggressive pricing to stop bleeding sales
Tesla has officially launched new “Standard” trims for both the Model 3 and Model Y in Europe after launching them in North America. The automaker is aggressively positioning these stripped-down models to undercut competitors and arrest a painful sales slump in the region, with the Model 3 now starting at an impressive €36,990 in Germany.
As we reported recently, Tesla is facing a tough quarter in Europe. Registration data from November showed sales down 12.3% year-over-year, but the reality is even starker: if you exclude Norway, which is soaring due to incentives going away at the end of the year, Tesla’s sales in the rest of Europe have plummeted by over 36%.
To counter this, Tesla updated its online configurator today with these new entry-level options that significantly lower the barrier to entry, albeit with some notable compromises in features.
The Model 3 Standard: breaking the €37k barrier
The new Model 3 Standard is priced at €36,990 in Germany, France, and Italy. This is a massive psychological breach of the €37,000 mark, putting it well within swinging distance of mass-market ICE vehicles and undercutting key electric rivals.
In the Nordic markets, the pricing is equally aggressive:
- Norway: NOK 330,056
- Sweden: SEK 449,990
Despite the lower price, the specs remain impressive. The Model 3 Standard is rated at 534 km (332 miles) of WLTP range. It achieves 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.2 seconds.
Priced significantly lower than the next cheapest Model 3, like in North America, the new Model 3 Standard is a much better offer than the Model Y Standard,
The Model Y Standard: a tougher sell
The Model Y also gets the “Standard” treatment. It is now listed at €39,990 in the main European markets.
Tesla lists the Model Y Standard with the same 534 km WLTP range as the Model 3 Standard.
Like in North America, the proposition here is not as attractive as with the Model 3 Standard. It is closer in price to the ‘Premium’ version and, on top of losing almost 100 km of range, the Standard version comes with many fewer features.
De-contenting: What do you lose?
To hit these price points, Tesla had to cut costs. We are seeing a new level of “de-contenting” that is new for the brand. Tesla has always been known to cut costs aggressively and remove features it deemed not useful, but in this case, it cut things close to the bone.
Here is what is gone compared to the Premium/Long Range trims:
- Seats: The full vegan leather is replaced by “partially textile seats”.
- Rear Screen: The 8-inch rear display introduced with the Highland refresh has been removed.
- Comfort: Heated rear seats are no longer included.
- Audio: The system is downgraded to 7 speakers, removing the subwoofer and amplifiers.
- Wheels: The alloy wheels are gone, replaced by steel wheels with plastic aero covers.
That’s on top of the more obvious exterior changes, such as removing the light bars, updating the front end, and losing the panoramic roof.
The Competition
This move puts Tesla in a fiercely competitive position against the influx of Chinese EVs and legacy European automakers.
- Volkswagen: The VW ID.3 Pure has recently seen price cuts bringing it to around €29,760 in Germany with bonuses, but the Model 3 offers significantly more range and space. The ID.4 Pure, a direct Model Y competitor, sits around €40,335 , making the Model Y Standard slightly cheaper and arguably better specced in terms of software and charging network.
- BYD: The Chinese auto giant is Tesla’s main headache right now. The BYD Atto 3 is priced at €37,990 in Germany. The Model 3 Standard now undercuts it by €1,000, while the Model Y is only €2,000 more expensive for a much larger vehicle.
- Volvo: The successful EX30 starts around €36,000–€39,000 depending on the market. Tesla could threaten the higher end of the demand for this one.
As you can see, there’s some room for Tesla to work.
Electrek’s Take
There is no denying that Tesla is hurting in Europe. We always said that this was due to a combination of a stale lineup facing increased competition and what we’ve called “brand toxicity” stemming from Elon Musk’s political activism.
I’m actually a fan of the “Standard”/ de-contenting idea in the sense that it offers more options. Not everyone needs a rear screen or heated seats in the back.
However, I do worry about the value proposition, especially with the Model Y. The Model 3 makes a lot more sense to me.
I think this should help Tesla in Europe. It could stop the bleeding and help Tesla form a bottom in Europe.
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![Meet the Kia Vision Meta Turismo: Could this be the EV8? [Images]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/12/Kia-Vision-Meta-Turismo-side.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Kia is celebrating its 80th birthday with a bang. The new Kia Vision Turismo concept offers a glimpse of what will likely arrive as the EV8. Here’s our first look at it.
The Vision Meta Turismo is more than a concept car. It’s “Kia’s vision for a new era of mobility,” and what will likely become the EV8.
Kia unveiled the futuristic concept car during an event in Korea on Friday, celebrating the brand’s 80th anniversary.
Several high-profile executives were in attendance, including Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Euisun Chung and Kia’s president and CEO, Ho Sung Song.
The Vision Meta Turismo concept pays homage to the 1960s era of long-distance touring, blended with Kia’s bold “Opposites United” design theme showcased on its latest electric vehicles, such as the new EV4, EV5, and EV6.
Although details are still pretty slim at this point, the concept car is expected to fill the EV7 or EV8 spot when it arrives in production form.
The low-riding GT looks like an electric successor to the Stinger, similar to the Polestar 5, with a sporty silhouette and aggressive front end.
Inside, the Kia Vision Meta Turismo offers a “lounge-inspired interior” with futuristic digital tech, unique design elements, and a spacious layout.
The yoke-style steering wheel “reimagines the next-generation intuitive driving interface,” Kia said. It’s equipped with three different digital modes: Speedster, Dreamer, and Gamer, which use an AR Head-Up Display (HUD) to create an immersive, personalized driving experience.
Featuring smart glass that’s integrated into the vehicle, the AR HUD projects graphics in front of the driver “as if they are floating above the road in three dimensions.”
Given Kia has already confirmed plans to cover nearly all segments, from the EV1 to the EV9, the concept is expected to be named either the EV7 or EV8 when it launches.
A flagship EV8 GT could be a lower-cost rival to the Tesla Model S or Porsche Taycan, opening a new market for Kia.
Kia said it will reveal full details about the concept car in the near future, so check back soon. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
What do you think of Kia’s sporty concept car? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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