![It's an electric BMX bike! It's a skateboard! It's a DRYFT Board... something completely new [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/Electric-bike-skateboard-DRYFT-hero.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
It’s an electric BMX bike! It’s a skateboard! It’s a DRYFT Board… something completely new [Video]
A new company called DRYFT1 is sliding its way into electric mobility on the wheels of a new hybrid product that mixes a BMX bike with a skateboard. The DRYFT Board is a hybrid board cross (HBX) that has combined the best elements of BMX and skateboarding into a one-of-a-kind all-electric product that gives riders the freedom to freestyle on roads in ways we haven’t seen before. You’ve gotta see this thing in action in the video below.
DRYFT1 is a new company with roots in Venice, California, a renowned area it credits for inspiring its dedication to motion and creativity. The company is just coming out of stealth mode and is fully funded, reiterating to Electrek that this is “not a Kickstarter.”
DRYFT1 describes its company ethos in one word: “freedom.” Recreational riders in Southern California have already taken to land and sea with surfboards, bikes, and skateboards, many of which have gone electric.
However, DRYFT1 has created a new one-of-a-kind product that allows riders to paint their local pavement in a new way. Today, the company introduced its flagship product, the DRYFT Board, an electric bike and skateboard hybrid that looks like it brings a new level of fun and expression to an already creative mobility segment.
The design of the DRYFT Board may raise some eyebrows at first glance, but once you see what an experienced rider can do on it, you’re probably going to want to take on for a spin yourself.
DRYFT1 launches a unique electric bike/skateboard combo
Per DRYFT1, its new “board” is all about the slide. The BMX bike/skateboard hybrid has been equipped with an electric motor that replicates the indescribable glide of a drift and has opened up access to that feeling to anyone, anywhere. DRYFT1 described the goal of its product:
Taking the coveted feeling that was once limited to those in these worlds of action sports, pushing their limits of speed and friction, and bringing that sought-after movement to the slide to anyone.
With the heart of an e-bike and the soul of a flat-track motorcycle, the DRYFT Board arrives in a category all its own (just don’t call it an e-scooter). Its skateboard deck is comprised of bamboo, fiberglass, and carbon fiber to deliver durability and resilience through slides and other sleek maneuvers on the road.
It is powered by a 500W front hub motor that can propel the board up to 20 mph, and the bike/skateboard hybrid’s battery can deliver 17 to 20 miles of all-electric range. Those are important stats for commuting, especially in a straight line, but that’s not what the DRYFT Board was designed for.
The electric skateboard/bike hybrid features a custom-engineered independent suspension truck system made from aluminum alloy, complete with 51mm springs to enable controlled sliding, carving, and drifting. Those maneuvers stem from the board’s center caster wheel, which is supported by proprietary polyurethane edge wheels for grip and drift performance.
Riders can choose between two ride modes: “Slide Mode” for smooth sliding on the pavement, and “Carve Mode,” which locks the center wheel for smooth cruising. While sliding, carving, or just cruising, riders can control the speed and acceleration of the electric skateboard/bike combo with a right thumb throttle on the handlebars.
Other features include a front hydraulic disc brake and high-quality grip tape on the rear deck. DRYFT1 also designed the board to disassemble into two components for easier transport and storage. The DRYFT Board electric bike and skateboard hybrid debuts in two colors – “Dryft Blue” and “Asphalt Black.”
The Dryft Board is available for purchase at Dryftboard.com beginning today and is priced at $3,500.
As previously mentioned, it’s impossible to truly grasp the capabilities of this unique new form of electric mobility without seeing it in action, so we recommend checking out DRYFT1’s launch video below.
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Environment
Communication is now even more important to getting renewable projects off the ground, experts say
(From left) CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick moderates an IoT panel with Cenk Alper, CEO of Sabanci Holding, Christina Shim, chief sustainability officer of IBM, and Mitesh Patel, interim CEO and COO of SunCable International, at CONVERGE LIVE on March 13, 2025.
Renewable energy companies can shorten the long approval process needed for their projects by communicating better with stakeholders, according to experts.
Christina Shim, IBM’s chief sustainability officer, said sponsors need to focus on the business value — in addition to the environmental benefits — when discussing their projects.
“That being said … there are some triggering words now, depending on where you sit around the world, and I think the more that you can quantify business value for what you’re doing and tie it to, again, the business operations and business decision making, it’s only going to be more and more important,” Shim said Thursday.
“As long as the outcomes are the same, you just need to make sure that you’re communicating in an appropriate way with the right stakeholders.”
She compared it to how one might talk to a CFO, versus an investor, versus someone in procurement. “You kind of have to talk about things a little bit differently.”
Mitesh Patel, interim CEO and COO at SunCable International, agrees that adjusting communication for the right audience is crucial.
“For politicians, the voters are their constituency, not your project or not your company. You have to help them translate what benefits your project will bring to the constituents,” said Patel, whose company is developing a project to deliver solar energy from Australia to Singapore via undersea cables.
The project, called Australia-Asia PowerLink, is valued around $24 billion and expected to supply Singapore with 1.75 gigawatts of electricity — or around 15% of its electricity needs, according to the company.
The comments by Shim and Patel, who were speaking to CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick on a panel in Singapore, come as renewable energy projects often take many years to get off the ground.
A report from the Global Infrastructure hub, which is part of the World Bank’s Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility, noted the complex nature of preparation needed before an infrastructure project gets underway. It put the average project preparation time at 6 years but said it can take up to 14 years if the project is not planned properly.
Cenk Alper, CEO of Sabanci Holding, a Turkish conglomerate, said the biggest obstacle to getting renewable energy projects off the ground is often regulatory.
“The biggest problem is still government — the permits. Because from licensing to making a project ready, the total time is longer than the construction time,” he said.
The situation in Europe is worse, he added, citing a project where connecting to the grid took two years.
Alper said Western countries need to streamline the approval process for renewable energy projects, noting China has embarked on more projects in the last five years than the rest of the world combined.
A new study from the REPEAT Project led by Princeton University’s ZERO Lab warns that the repeal of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits could decimate the growing EV manufacturing sector.
The report “Potential Impacts of Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Repeal on US Vehicle Market and Manufacturing” clearly outlines the risks. The Princeton study states that repealing the IRA federal tax credits and the EPA’s clean vehicle regulations would sharply reduce EV demand.
Specifically, EV sales could drop around 30% by 2027 and nearly 40% by 2030 compared to sticking with the policies implemented by the Biden administration. That means the share of EVs among new cars sold would shrink dramatically – from about 18% to 13% by 2026 and from 40% to just 24% by 2030.
“While no one has a perfect crystal ball, this is our best attempt to survey available quantitative forecasts and develop an outlook on US EV sales,” explained the study’s project leader, Jesse D. Jenkins, assistant professor at Princeton’s Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Andlinger Center for Energy & Environment in an email. “The report is also the only analysis I’m aware of to date that draws the connection to US manufacturing as well.”
Here’s why this matters: The report points out that repealing these policies wouldn’t just slow down EV adoption – it could seriously derail the US manufacturing renaissance now underway. Up to 100% of planned expansions for EV assembly plants could be canceled or shuttered. Battery manufacturing would also take a huge hit, with between 29% and 72% of battery cell production capacity becoming redundant by 2025. That means factories under construction or those just coming online would be at risk.
To put that into perspective, an Environmental Defense Fund report released in January found that $197.6 billion worth of investments in EV and battery manufacturing have been announced at 208 facilities around the US, with two-thirds announced since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022.
It’s probably a good time to point out that, in order to qualify for IRA federal tax credits, EVs must be domestically assembled, use battery components that have been substantially domestically produced, and use critical minerals produced, processed, or recycled in North America or free trade agreement countries.
Why, then, is the Trump administration torpedoing an industry that’s achieving the very thing it says it wants to achieve, which is to boost domestic manufacturing and jobs?
And let’s not forget the broader EV supply chain – materials, parts, and component suppliers across the country would also suffer, though these effects haven’t even been fully quantified yet.
Bottom line: Repealing the tax credits and regulations wouldn’t just slow down EV sales – it would threaten the jobs, investments, and communities counting on America’s EV manufacturing boom.
Read more: Republican districts lose billions as clean energy cancellations surge
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The Optiq, Cadillac’s most affordable EV, just got a price cut. Despite being on the market for less than two months, GM cut lease prices by nearly $100 a month. Here’s how you can snag the deal.
GM cuts lease prices on Cadillac’s most affordable EV
Compared to Cadillac’s other electric vehicles, like the Escalade IQL, which starts at over $130,000, and the Vistiq, which has a price tag of over $77,000, the Optiq already looks like a steal at about $55,000.
Cadillac’s electric SUV arrived in January with lease prices starting at $489 per month. Although this was already its cheapest SUV (gas or EV), GM is making it even more affordable this month.
The 2025 Cadillac Lyriq is now listed at just $399 for 24 months with $4,929 due at signing. In less than two months, the OPTIQ’s lease prices have fallen by $90, or almost 20%. The deal is for the 2025 Cadillac Optiq AWD Luxury 1 with an MSRP of $54,390.
Cadillac’s lease deal runs through March 31. However, there are a few limitations you should know about. The deal includes a $2,000 loyalty or conquest offer.
The fine print states you must be a lessee of a 2020 model year or newer non-GM vehicle for at least 30 days. According to online car research firm CarsDirect, this extends to 2011 and newer electric vehicles from a competitor brands such as Tesla, Rivian, Porsche, BMW, Ford, and Honda, among several others.
At 190″ long, 75″ wide, and 65″ tall, the Cadillac Optiq is about the same size as the Tesla Model Y (187″ long x 76″ wide x 64″ tall).
Powered by an 85 kWh battery pack, the electric SUV has a driving range of up to 302 miles. With 150 kW DC fast charging, the Optiq can gain up to 79 miles of range in about 10 minutes.
| 2025 Cadillac Optiq trim | Starting Price (including destination) |
Driving Range (EPA-estimated) |
| Luxury 1 | $54,390 | 302 miles |
| Luxury 2 | $56,590 | 302 miles |
| Sport 1 | $54,990 | 302 miles |
| Sport 2 | $57,090 | 302 miles |
Inside, the Optiq features a massive 33″ infotainment and “segment-leading” cargo (57 cubic feet) and second-row space.
GM has been introducing new deals on new EV models all year. Chevy’s new Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs are all available with 0% APR with leases starting as low as $299 per month.
Ready to take advantage of the savings? We can help you get started. Check out our links below to find deals on GM’s most popular EVs in your area.
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