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Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) residential customers can now take advantage of incentives in the thousands off the price of qualifying GM Energy home charging and energy management products. GM has joined PG&E’s vehicle-to-everything (V2X) pilot program, enabling energy customers to bundle their GM Energy systems and eventually get paid to supply excess energy back to their local grid.

While this particular incentive program only applies to certain customers of PG&E, it is big news for the growing segment of home energy management solutions, including energy storage systems, solar panels, and bidirectional EV charging.

GM Energy, the home and commercial charging solutions arm, spun out from Ultium Charge 360 three years ago, is establishing itself as a leader in that segment. In the summer of 2023, GM Energy launched its initial portfolio of Ultium Home products, which consisted of three separate bundles complete with vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging capabilities.

In May of 2024, GM Energy showed off the capabilities of its energy management products by powering an entire mansion using the products and a Chevy Silverado EV. Since then, GM Energy has expanded its business to all 50 United States, giving EV owners nationwide access to its portfolio of energy management products, which also includes two versions of an energy storage system (ESS) called PowerBank, which was introduced last October.

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With a growing lineup of home energy management and EV charging solutions, GM Energy is working alongside PG&E to expand its reach by incentivizing those customers to implement said technologies and explore more sustainable solutions. There may also be an option for vehicle-to-grid capabilities, which could be an absolute game-changer in how we use and manage our daily energy.

PG&E Charging
Source: GM Energy

PG&E customers can save $4,500 on GM Energy charging

GM shared that now that it has joined PG&E’s V2X pilot program, those energy customers in Northern and Central California can take advantage of incentivized pricing on specific charging and power hub products.

Customers who enroll in the Vehicle-to-Everything pilot program can receive up to $4,500 off the price of GM Energy home products, such as its Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) Bundle, which includes a PowerShift EV charger and V2H Enablement Kit or the all-encompassing Home System, which includes bidirectional EV charging plus a GM Energy PowerBank, Home Hub, and Inverter.

GM Energy’s products also currently qualify for federal tax incentives, so PG&E customers can get a robust energy management setup complete with EV charging for upwards of $5,000 off. GM Energy Vice President Wade Sheffer spoke about these savings opportunities:

For Northern California customers looking to take more control of their home energy, this program with PG&E represents a great opportunity. For utilities, legislators, customers and others, this pilot is an opportunity to see the full value of our V2H technology beyond just providing power to a home during power outages. This can be a tool that helps overall grid resiliency and showcases the unique advantages of EVs while, in the future, may even reduce the overall total cost of EV ownership.

In exchange for the incentives, GM Energy and PG&E plan to study charging data from customers to evaluate the potential of bidirectional charging and its ability to support electrical grids by flushing excess energy from those storage devices (EVs, PowerBanks, etc) during peak energy demand.

The goal is to scale bidirectional c,harging installations to more PG&E customers and eventually throughout all of California to demonstrate the energy freedom and financial benefits it can provide to all customers. Mike Delaney, Vice President of utility partnerships and innovation at PG&E also spoke:

PG&E is leading the way to enable vehicle-grid-integration technology creating a path for EVs to power customer homes, ultimately benefiting all Californians. We are proud to continue leading this electric renaissance as we collaborate with automakers and some of the world’s top innovators to pioneer bidirectional charging technology where EVs have the potential to offer greater reliability, resiliency and cost savings.

To begin, the following GM EVs will be eligible for the V2X program, but the American automaker plans to add all 2025 model-year EVs soon:

You can learn more about the PG&E pilot program and bidirectional charging on GM Energy’s website and enroll here. GM also provided more details of the capabilities of its home energy management products in the video below:

Source: GM Energy

Electrek’s take

While this particular incentive program only applies to customers from one energy company in a single state, PG&E is a behemoth in California, and it’s encouraging to see it at least exploring the possibility of bidirectional charging enabling vehicle-to-grid capabilities.

Anyone who will lend an ear has heard me go on and on about how the energy companies should be shaking as more energy management power (and freedom from the grid) is being put into the hands of individual homeowners. I can easily imagine a world where most homeowners have an EV paired with solar panels on their roof and some sort of power bank in their garage. They can charge their vehicle and power their home during peak hours using free energy from the Sun and/or store it to sell back to energy companies via V2G.

Say you’re going out of town for a week and you know you won’t need your car or the energy you’ve gained from solar. Flush it back to the grid when everyone is home from work at night and booting up Netflix, and you’ll get some money back on your monthly bill!

It’s a no-brainer to me, and I see V2G as inevitable. That said, I feel most energy companies will fight tooth and nail to at least slow that transition down to maintain their energy monopolies as long as possible. That’s why it’s refreshing to see a company like PG&E at least open to possibility… especially since it’s an energy company that’s not exactly known for its moral fiber (see Erin Brockovich).

California often serves as a crystal ball into the future for the rest of the US, so this pilot program, albeit small, is a step forward in full-scale integration throughout the state and into additional ones. We must wait and see what the data brings before anything becomes a bonafide standard for energy customers. Still, this program does offer a sweet little taste of a future in which sustainable energy becomes widespread… not because it’s the right thing to do unfortunately, but because it will save everyone money.

Well, maybe not the energy companies, but they will continue to do just fine.

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BMW ups the ante with the fastest, most powerful electric maxi-scooter

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BMW ups the ante with the fastest, most powerful electric maxi-scooter

BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.

The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.

The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.

But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.

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The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.

There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.

BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.

With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.

Electrek’s Take

I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.

Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.

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I found this cheap Chinese e-cargo trike that hauls more than your car!

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I found this cheap Chinese e-cargo trike that hauls more than your car!

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.

Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!

I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!

Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.

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To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.

Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!

Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.

The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.

The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!

I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.

That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.

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OPEC+ members agree to larger-than-expected oil production hike in August

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OPEC+ members agree to larger-than-expected oil production hike in August

The OPEC logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen in front of a computer screen displaying OPEC icons in Ankara, Turkey, on June 25, 2024.

Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

Eight oil-producing nations of the OPEC+ alliance agreed on Saturday to increase their collective crude production by 548,000 barrels per day, as they continue to unwind a set of voluntary supply cuts.

This subset of the alliance — comprising heavyweight producers Russia and Saudi Arabia, alongside Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates — met digitally earlier in the day. They had been expected to increase their output by a smaller 411,000 barrels per day.

In a statement, the OPEC Secretariat attributed the countries’ decision to raise August daily output by 548,000 barrels to “a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals, as reflected in the low oil inventories.”

The eight producers have been implementing two sets of voluntary production cuts outside of the broader OPEC+ coalition’s formal policy.

One, totaling 1.66 million barrels per day, stays in effect until the end of next year.

Under the second strategy, the countries reduced their production by an additional 2.2 million barrels per day until the end of the first quarter.

They initially set out to boost their production by 137,000 barrels per day every month until September 2026, but only sustained that pace in April. The group then tripled the hike to 411,000 barrels per day in each of May, June, and July — and is further accelerating the pace of their increases in August.

Oil prices were briefly boosted in recent weeks by the seasonal summer spike in demand and the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which threatened both Tehran’s supplies and raised concerns over potential disruptions of supplies transported through the key Strait of Hormuz.

At the end of the Friday session, oil futures settled at $68.30 per barrel for the September-expiration Ice Brent contract and at $66.50 per barrel for front month-August Nymex U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude.

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