For years I’ve followed progress of the STREEK cargo trike, a fascinating-looking electric cargo carrier from Japan. This utility-focused electric bike relies on a tilting-frame design with a rare tadpole trike setup, which is a more stable design that we rarely see in the electric trike market. And now this uniquely Japanese creation is making the long journey across the Pacific to the US, thanks in part of to the e-bike brand Vvolt.

The STREEK cargo trike is the brainchild of Envision Incorporated, a “forward-thinking design firm based in Yokohama, Japan, dedicated to developing innovative mobility solutions that blend utility and sustainability.”

It’s not a stretch to call them forward-thinking, as you can see how unique the STREEK appears in the market. Its innovative design has lent itself to jobs in a wide range of applications for diverse industries that all rely on rapid mobility.

With a fully-suspended front end that also tilts in the turns, the STREEK cargo trike is much more stable feeling than most other cargo trikes on the market.

In fact, it is designed to ride more like a two-wheeled bike, yet offers the advantages of stability and storage that come with larger three-wheeled designs.

The bike features a modular design that includes a single or dual-tier storage system, ensuring a large cargo capacity while maintaining a compact form factor. Intended for urban use, the small wheels and tighter turning radius make it ideal for navigating complex areas where mobility is critical.

Its unique “surround loop frame” allows for flexible cargo arrangements, enabling users to both load items onto the lower platform and suspend them from the upper frame. 

“STREEK’s unique design, with features that make it ideal for use in Japan’s cities and for adventures outside, has attracted attention all over the world. This partnership with Vvolt is an exciting opportunity to bring STREEK to e-mobility fans in North America,” said Harry Uden, president of Envision Incorporated.

Vvolt is excited for the opportunity, as the company’s Founder and CEO Kyle Ranson explained. “We’re thrilled to work with Envision Incorporated to adapt their innovative STREEK design for the US market. Its tilting suspension and multi-level cargo storage make it perfect for the growing demand for sustainable and efficient urban mobility, and it’s an incredibly unique design with huge potential,” said Ranson.

While the Japanese version of the e-bike uses a 250W-rated mid-drive motor and is limited to under 25 km/h (15 mph), it’s not yet known if the US version could be upgraded to take advantage of less restrictive e-bike regulations.

We’ll have to wait and see for more information on the specifications of the US version and potential pricing.

Until then though, let us know what you think of the STREEK cargo e-trike in the comments section below!

Images via: @streek_ecargo⠀

BYD went on a hiring spree over the past few months as sales and profits reached new levels. With momentum building, China’s EV leader is drastically ramping up production and expanding its workforce to meet the higher demand.

After selling a record 1.1 million new energy vehicles (EVs and PHEVs) in the third quarter, BYD’s net income surged to $1.6 billion (RMB 11.6 billion) on revenue of $28.2 billion (RMB 201.1 billion). Both were new quarterly records.

It was also BYD’s first time surpassing Tesla in revenue, which posted $25.47 billion in Q3 revenue. However, BYD’s figures include plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models and EVs.

As vehicle sales continue gaining momentum in China and overseas, BYD went on a major hiring spree to help fuel the expansion.

According to BYD’s executive vice president, He Zhiqi (via Reuters), the company hired nearly 200,000 new employees between August and October. BYD also ramped up production by close to 200,000 units to meet the higher demand.

BYD goes on hiring spree as sales, and profits surge

BYD’s dominant performance continued after vehicle sales topped 500,000 for the first time last month.

The company sold 500,525 passenger vehicles in October, 310,912 of which were PHEVs and 189,614 were EV models. Through October, BYD’s NEV sales topped 3.25 million, with 1.87 million being PHEV models.

With 1,169,579 all-electric models sold through the first nine months of 2024, BYD is still slightly behind Tesla in the global EV race with 1,293,656 vehicle deliveries.

BYD sold another 189,614 EVs last month, bringing its total to 1,359,193. Since Tesla does not report monthly figures, we will have to wait until the Q4 numbers come out.

Although BYD is widely recognized for its extremely affordable vehicles, like its best-selling Seagull, which starts under $10,000 (69,800 yuan), China’s EV leader is rapidly expanding into new segments.

Electrek’s take

With new pickup trucks, mid-size smart SUVs, luxury models, and electric supercars launching, BYD’s recent hiring spree should come as no surprise.

With an influx of competitive models entering China, BYD is looking to key overseas regions like Southeast Asia, Europe, and South and Central America to drive growth. The company opened its first manufacturing plant in Thailand this summer, with several more planned in Hungary, Turkey, Brazil, and Mexico.

Starting as a battery maker has given BYD a drastic advantage as the industry shifts to electric vehicles. Not only does it build batteries for its vehicles at a low cost, but BYD also sells them to rivals like Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

BYD also owns most of its supply chain, driving down costs further. For its popular Dolphin, BYD makes every component in-house except the windows and tires.

After it stopped building gas-powered models in 2022, BYD’s quick shift to electric models is paying off. With aggressive price cuts and new lower-priced models, BYD has declared a “liberation battle” as it aims to continue taking market share from ICE vehicles.

Fresh off a $500 million investment from Toyota, eVTOL air taxi developer Joby Aviation has taken its aviation technology to Japan for the first time to demonstrate sustainable flight capabilities for its business partner, which you can view in the video below.

Joby Aviation ($JOBY) continues to advance in the growing yet nascent segment of eVTOL air travel by demonstrating the capabilities of its technology and garnering huge financial support from its investors.

Joby completed its first flight with a pilot onboard in October 2023, which quickly led to a demonstration in New York City ahead of full-fledged eVTOL air taxi operations planned for sometime in 2025.

Early believers like Toyota Motor Corporation, who joined the eVTOL fold in 2019, have invested hundreds of millions in funding. Toyota, which remains the largest OEM in Japan, has deployed dozens of its engineers to work alongside Joby’s team to support the aviation company in designing its eVTOL factory and manufacturing processes in preparation for high-volume production in the US.

Last month, Toyota nearly doubled its previous investments in Joby Aviation, providing $500 million to help the company reach certification and scale production of its eVTOL air taxis. To build on its partnership, Joby took its experimental eVTOL air taxi to Japan for its first international demonstration flight above Shizuoka with a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji as its backdrop.

Over the weekend, Joby Aviation completed a demonstration air taxi flight above Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Shizuoka, Japan, without a pilot present onboard.

The event, attended by executives from both companies, including Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, marked the first time the air taxi had flown internationally. It demonstrated a vertical takeoff followed by a horizontal flight above Japan. Per Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bivert:

Our first overseas flight marks a significant milestone on our journey towards making clean air travel an everyday reality. We share Toyota’s vision for the future of mobility and are honored to have had the opportunity to present a glimpse of that future through our flight in Japan.

In addition to Toyoda and the Motor Corporation’s executive vice president and chief technology Hiroki Nakajima, other major stakeholders and representatives from Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau were in attendance for the air taxi flight demonstration, which can be viewed below.

Following the test flight in Japan, Joby and Toyota intend to continue their long-term business agreement to bring eVTOL air taxi travel to the masses. Toyota’s most recent investment in the aviation company will help it establish a manufacturing alliance to support its first phase of eVTOL commercialization. Here’s the test flight video: