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New York City’s Department of Transportation has a novel idea for helping get the most common uncertified e-bikes off the city’s streets: let their riders swap them for a safer UL-compliant electric bike for free.

The program targets delivery workers on e-bikes, who are the backbone of the city’s critical food and parcel delivery services. Millions of people rely on such workers for timely deliveries, yet the low wages and brutal conditions of the job have forced many riders to seek out low-cost electric bicycles to perform the work—exactly the kind of e-bikes that are least likely to have received safety certifications.

The NYC DOT has already begun accepting applications for the new E-Bike Trade-In Program, which is open to delivery workers with non-compliant electric bicycles as well as the often-seen electric scooters/mopeds that don’t really qualify as e-bikes, despite their ubiquitous use in the industry.

Interestingly, the program even accepts gasoline-powered mopeds that are not able to be legally registered with the DMV, including those that lack VINs.

In exchange for trading in a non-certified vehicle, the delivery worker will receive a new UL-certified electric bike with a spare UL-certified battery.

There are a few requirements for eligibility. The worker has to have earned at least US $1,500 by working in the food delivery industry last year in 2024, live in one of the five New York City boroughs, be at least 18 years old, and own/use one of the eligible devices for trade-in.

The program is free to participate in with no additional cost for the delivery workers. However, the supply of free electric bicycles is described as “limited.”

Free e-bikes are not awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. If the eligible applicant pool ends up exceeding the number of free electric bikes available, the NYC DOT will use a lottery system to choose program participants.

Those wishing to apply can submit their applications anytime before the application window closes on March 10, 2025.

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Genesis is reportedly launching a luxury G70 EV sports sedan — Here’s what we know so far

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Genesis is reportedly launching a luxury G70 EV sports sedan — Here's what we know so far

Word on the street is the Genesis G70 is going all-electric. The luxury sports sedan is due for a complete overhaul, including a new look and a fully electric powertrain. Here’s what we know about the Genesis G70 EV so far.

Is Genesis launching a G70 EV sports sedan?

Hyundai’s luxury Genesis brand already offers three fully electric vehicles (EVs): the GV60, the Electrified GV70 SUV, and the Electrified G80 sedan.

This year, all are getting significant updates, including a longer driving range, a refined interior and exterior design, and even more luxury.

Genesis isn’t stopping here. The luxury automaker has even bigger plans in the works. According to Korea’s MotorsJason, the luxury sports sedan will be completely redesigned. The report claims the next-gen Genesis G70 will be exclusively sold as an EV model.

After the Kia Stinger GT1 EV project was put on hold, its launch was finally confirmed. Now, attention has shifted to its sibling, the Genesis G70.

Although the G70 was reportedly being discontinued, and plans for a hybrid were also scrapped, Genesis could revive it as an EV to attract younger buyers to the brand.

Genesis-G70-EV
Genesis Track Taxi Nordschleife models including the GV70, G70, Electrified G80, and GV60 (Source: Genesis)

The electric G70 could even earn a Magma performance model. The company’s product planning director said the G70 is an important car for younger buyers to experience the Genesis brand. He explained that the model’s future is being discussed every day on a global level, adding there’s still hope for the G70.

At 4,685 mm (184.4″) long, the 2025 Genesis G70 is about the size of a Tesla Model 3 (4,720 mm/ 185.8″). However, the electric G70 is expected to be slightly smaller and sportier. It’s expected to fill the gap with the Audi A5 coupe and convertible being discontinued.

Genesis-G70-EV
Genesis G70 Track Taxi Nordschleife model (Source: Genesis)

Like the GV90, its upcoming ultra-luxury electric SUV, the G70 EV will ride on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which will replace the current E-GMP.

Genesis is expected to unveil the GV90 by the end of the year (Here’s a look at it after it was spotted for the first time in South Korea). With the G70 EV still under development, it’s not likely to arrive until 2027 or 2028. Prices are expected to start at around 70 million won in Korea, or just under $50,000. Check back for more details soon.

Would you buy the electric Genesis sports sedan for around $50,000? Let us know what features you would want to see in the comments below.

Source: TheKoreanCarBlog, MotorsJason

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Chevron will slash up to 20% of its workforce as part of cost-cutting plan

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Chevron will slash up to 20% of its workforce as part of cost-cutting plan

FILE PHOTO: A Chevron gas station is seen in Austin, Texas, U.S., October 23, 2023. 

Brian Snyder | Reuters

Chevron will slash 15% to 20% of its workforce as the oil major implements a plan to cut costs, the company announced Wednesday.

The layoffs will begin this year with most of the cuts complete before the end of 2026. The job cuts are part of its plans to slash costs by between $2 billion and $3 billion by the end of next year, according to Chevron.

We do not take these actions lightly and will support our employees through the transition,” Chevron Vice Chairman Mark Nelson said in a statement. “But responsible leadership requires taking these steps to improve the long-term competitiveness of our company for our people, our shareholders and our communities.” 

Chevron shares were trading about 1% lower Wednesday. The stock is up about 8% this year.

The company missed Wall Street’s fourth-quarter earnings expectations, as its fuel business posted a loss of $248 million compared with a profit of $1.15 billion in prior year, as refining margins have fallen.

Its pending $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corp. is also tied up in arbitration with competitor Exxon Mobil, creating uncertainty about whether the deal will close.

Don’t miss these energy insights from CNBC PRO:

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Chinese car journalists are told not to be negative on Tesla as it sues customers and media

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Chinese car journalists are told not to be negative on Tesla as it sues customers and media

A new scathing report about Tesla just came out in China. It describes how the automaker is becoming trigger-happy, suing its own customers and the media while auto journalists are being told not to be negative about the American automaker.

To this day, Tesla is the only foreign automaker with a wholly-owned car factory in China, although Toyota is expected to follow in a few years.

Elon Musk made the deal happen with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials back in 2018. Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai became the company’s biggest production hub and its biggest source of revenue and profit.

Tesla would never be where it is today without Gigafactory Shanghai and the Chinese market.

Now, we learn that Tesla is willing to go to great lengths to protect that.

The Associated Press (AP) has just released a fascinating in-depth report about Tesla’s activities in China regarding customers and the media.

The report centers around a new perspective on the highly publicized battle between Tesla and one of its Chinese customers who claimed a brake defect, but it also goes deeper by highlighting a shift in Tesla’s approach to criticism in China.

AP found that Tesla sued “at least six car owners in China who had sudden vehicle malfunctions, quality complaints or accidents they claimed were caused by mechanical failures.”

Tesla also sued “at least six bloggers and two Chinese media outlets that wrote critically about the company.”

This is highly unusual behavior for an automaker.

The report also highlights the close relationship between Tesla and CCP officials, especially Li Qiang, the former party boss of Shanghai who is now China’s premier. He was involved in the Gigafactory Shanghai deal.

It’s not news that Tesla benefited from preferential treatment in China, but the report goes quite a bit further.

AP alleges that local media are instructed not to be negative on Tesla:

Tesla has profited from the largesse of the Chinese state, winning unprecedented regulatory benefits, below-market rate loans and large tax breaks. With a few pointed exceptions, Tesla has enjoyed largely ingratiating coverage in the Chinese press, and journalists told AP they have been instructed to avoid negative coverage of the automaker.

A reporter told AP:

“We were told by our editor that we should not write negatively about Tesla because it is a key company that was introduced and protected by the Shanghai government.”

The report also explains how Tesla wins about 90% of the court cases filed against the automaker by customers who claim a defect.

Many customers complained of Tesla’s lack of communication, leading to filing lawsuits.

If they file lawsuits, they lose, and if they complain publicly, they are the ones getting sued by Tesla and forced to pay the company and make a public apology.

Electrek’s Take

That’s quite a report. It gave a new perspective on Ms. Zhang’s case. Her case made it to Western media in 2021-2022, but never with the level of detail in this report.

The facts are she got into an accident. She claimed it was due to a brake failure. Tesla claimed it was due to a driver mistake.

She felt compelled to protest Tesla over what she saw as a serious safety issue. She was quite persistent with it. Tesla sued her and won because she had no way to prove that a brake defect had caused the accident. She was forced to pay Tesla and make a public apology.

But we also learned that Tesla claimed that other entities were backing her despite no evidence of that whatsoever.

I think there’s room for reflection on Tesla’s part here. Is this what it wants to be: a company that sues its customers and media over criticism?

Like some customers said in the report, Tesla could have avoided much that by simply having better communications with customers.

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