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The McMurtry Speirling, a tiny 1,000hp electric racecar known for smashing records, has now broken two new records in the same day, smashing a 20-year record at Top Gear’s test track and becoming the first(*) car to drive upside down.

The McMurtry Speirling is an interesting concept. Rather than working like the vast majority of other cars do, which simply send power to the wheels to drive the car forward, the Speirling sends some of its power to giant fans that suck air out from under the car, creating a vacuum effect.

At first glance this seems like a strange idea – why would you want to devote effort to pushing your car down, rather than forward?

What this does is increase the car’s apparent weight without increasing its mass. This means that the tires push down to the ground, sticking better, and giving you more contact patch to turn, accelerate or brake the vehicle. But since the car’s actual mass hasn’t increased, it isn’t any harder to accelerate in any direction – so you can just go faster.

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Most cars approach this concept by adding wings and other aerodynamic elements to the car to increase “aerodynamic grip,” channeling air upwards as the car increases in speed.

Some cars approach this more aggressively than others – Formula One vehicles, for example, have obscenely large aerodynamic elements all around the vehicles, giving them incredible grip at high speed. Engineers have long bragged that F1 cars could drive upside down, at top speed, where they produce more than 1G worth of downforce… the only problem would be getting there, because they produce less downforce at lower speeds due to their use of traditional aerodynamic elements.

But these traditional aerodynamic features vary in their “aerodynamic efficiency,” because if you’re pushing air upwards, that means you’re applying force to something other than making the car go forward, which adds drag and slows you down (overall, you still go faster – but not as much faster as you could without drag).

There’s only so much aerodynamically efficient work you can do with traditional aerodynamic elements, generally via lowering ride heights and adding diffusers or other underbody elements that help to keep air moving smoothly under the vehicle, thus lowering air pressure and turbulence underneath.

So, the goal is to try to find as much downforce as you can in the most aerodynamically efficient way, and to have as much of that downforce working at lower speeds as you can. And there’s one idea that can do this, which has gotten a little bit of play in the past, and that the McMurtry Speirling uses to great effect today: a “fan car.”

The fan car concept has existed in motorsport since the 1970s, first appearing with the Chaparral 2J, a boxy monstrosity which competed in 1970 but was outlawed from competition due to its obscene aerodynamic advantages. Later, Brabham brought a fan car to F1 in 1978 and won its first race by a huge margin, but the concept was also immediately banned from competition there.

By sucking air out from under the vehicle, it creates a low-pressure area underneath the car, which is then pushed downwards by higher-pressure air from above. To make this effect work, the Speirling has incredibly low ride height and side skirts around the vehicle, letting little air in to spoil the vacuum pressure it’s creating underneath the car.

The net effect is that McMurtry says the Speirling can create 2,000kg of downforce on a 1,000kg car – adding double the car’s apparent weight without a change in mass. So not only can it stick to the ground better, it could even theoretically do it upside down ( or maybe not so theoretically – more on that in a minute).

Besides making a lot of noise (100dB) and spewing a lot of dust out the back and making an electric car look like it has an exhaust – what this does is it lets the Speirling completely annihilate every car ever on several tracks it has appeared on. See our previous reporting on how it smashed the record at Goodwood in 2022 (including a bonkers video of it looking like a slot car as it does so). It’s also capable of going 0-60 in 1.4 seconds, which is much quicker than what traction limits normal cars to.

McMurtry added another track to its list today, setting a 0:55.9 second lap around Top Gear’s test track, a repurposed airport runway which has been used by the show to compare the laptimes of many vehicles over the year. The previous 59-second record was owned by Renault’s F1 car from 2004, the only car to ever drive a sub-minute lap around the track, and the Speirling’s time is 13 seconds quicker than the fastest road-legal car to take the track, the Aston Martin Valkyrie.

This also beats the fastest electric car around the track, the Ford SuperVan, a heavily modified Ford eTransit which we’ve covered winning performances of before. The SuperVan did the track in 1:05.3, so the Speirling is almost a full ten seconds faster. (We’d love to see what Top Gear could do with a Lotus Evija, though)

But that’s not the only record the Speirling set today. For some reason, the company decided to announce two records on the same day, with the latter being one that makes the dream of “a car that can drive upside down” a reality for the first time ever.

There’s a bit of an asterisk on that, because a similar stunt has been done before when Hot Wheels created a real-life loop-de-loop and two rally drivers drove their cars around it, thus driving upside down for a moment. But those cars didn’t actually sustain upside-down driving for any period of time, merely used momentum to get there (not to say it isn’t an awesome stunt).

The Speirling, instead, managed to rotate upside down and stay there for a full ten seconds, during which it accelerated and then stopped, showing that control of the vehicle is possible even while upside down. In contrast, the rally cars in the Hot Wheels stunt would have had zero control over the vehicle at the zenith of the loop since there are no upward forces acting on the car at that moment.

The stunt is unfortunately less impressive than we’d like to see – imagine how cool it would be to see the car driving at high speed while upside down – but given it was a world-first attempt, that building an actual upside down road and a method to get the car onto it would be quite difficult and expensive, and that there’s an actual driver inside whose safety needs to be taken into account, we understand the need for caution here.

Nevertheless, it’s bonkers to see a car, that thing that you see every day planted firmly onto the ground where it belongs, doing exactly 180º opposite of what it’s always been doing every other time you’ve seen it.

So now, that old idea about whether a high-downforce car can drive upside down is no longer theory, it’s reality. It may not have gone far or fast, but it did go, completely under its own power, completely upside down.

McMurtry says that it would like to go further from here – the company called this a “proof of concept” and “perhaps just the beginning of what’s possible.” “With a longer inverted track or a suitable tunnel, we may be able to drive even further,” said co-founder Thomas Yates today.

So… stay tuned for more?

But if you have a *normal* electric vehicle that obeys the laws of physics, why not charge it at home using rooftop solar panels? Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage, for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here. – ad*

Watch the world’s quickest electric car drive upside-down in a world first

Watch the world’s quickest EV beat an F1 car and then drive upside-down

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EcoFlow phase 2 Mega Sale up to 65% off power stations, Hiboy launches U2 Pro e-scooter at $600 off, Goal Zero, more

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12 mins ago

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April 15, 2025

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EcoFlow phase 2 Mega Sale up to 65% off power stations, Hiboy launches U2 Pro e-scooter at 0 off, Goal Zero, more

Headlining today’s Green Deals is the second phase of EcoFlow’s ongoing Mega Sale, which is not only expanding the lineup of power station deals that are up to 65% off, but also continuing the EcoCredit rewards, adding bonus savings, and dropping prices on several units for new lows. Among them, we spotted the DELTA Pro bundle with two 220W solar panels and a protective bag going lower than ever to $2,279. Next, running as part of Hiboy’s Easter Sale, the brand is launching its new cargo-capable U2 Pro Electric Scooter with a 34-mile range at $600 off. Lastly, we have Goal Zero’s Sherpa 100AC 25,600mAh 100W Wireless AC Power Bank that features five port options, a wireless charging pad, and solar-charging capabilities at $200 alongside a counterpart model. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s ongoing Lectric XP Trike bundle, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

EcoFlow expands lineup with up to 65% off power stations during second phase of Mega Sale starting from $119

EcoFlow has shifted to the second phase of its ongoing Mega Sale through April 25, with up to 65% taken off power stations and solar generator bundles, complete with extra savings, EcoCredit rewards, and upcoming flash sale offers. One returning bundle that is dropping lower than ever is the DELTA Pro Portable Power Station that comes with two 220W solar panels and a protective bag for $2,279.05 shipped, after using the code 25EFMFAFF at checkout for a bonus 5% off. Normally fetching $5,096 at full price, we’ve seen this same bundle go as low as $2,374 in past sales, which is getting beaten out here today. With the bonus savings you’ll be scoring $2,817 off the going rate here, which lands the package down at the lowest rate we have seen to date.

Before we jump into the specifics of our headlining deal, let’s go over the bonuses we’re seeing during this Mega Sale’s second phase. First, while you would normally have to spend at least $2,500 to score the automatic 5% in extra savings, you can instead score it on orders under that amount thanks to the exclusive code 25EFMFAFF at checkout. From there, you’ll bump that amount to 7% off automatically on orders of $5,000 or more. There are some exceptions though, which you can get the full list of by hovering over the extra savings sections on the page. We’re also seeing the continued EcoCredit rewards here, with 3x the EcoCredits from purchases for standard members and 3.5x EcoCredits for Plus members.

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The EcoFlow DELTA Pro is one of the most popular and expansive options for backup power support from the brand, with this solar generator kit being quite the start-up for your needs that can be further invested in and built up over time. The LiFePO4 batteries start with a 3,600Wh capacity that you can further expand up to 25kWh with future investments in add-on equipment. Its 14 ports dish out 3,600W of power output, which will cover most appliances, with things surging up to 7,200W to ensure essential devices stay running.

Plugging the power station into a wall outlet will have the station’s battery recharged in 1.8 hours, or you can refill its capacity in 2.8 hours should you have the maximum 1,600W of solar input available (with the 440W here obviously taking more time). Keeping track of its settings and monitoring charging statuses doesn’t have to keep you nearby either, as the companion app gives you the full array of remote smart controls you’d expect, it just takes a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection.

***Note: The 5% sitewide coupon has not been factored in to the prices below, make sure to enter the code 25EFMFAFF at checkout to score the maximum savings!

EcoFlow’s Member-only deals:

EcoFlow’s member-only refurbished deals (use code MEM5OFF at checkout)

EcoFlow’s best second phase Mega Sale power station deals:

EcoFlow’s best second phase Mega Sale bundle deals:

EcoFlow’s other hot second phase Mega Sale bundles:

EcoFlow’s add-on accessory deals:

EcoFlow’s solar accessory deals:

EcoFlow’s other accessory deals:

You can browse the full lineup of EcoFlow’s second phase Mega Sale by following the link here to the landing page – and remember, you have through April 25 to take advantage of these deals. Be sure to also keep an eye out for the upcoming 24-hour flash sale offers too.

Hiboy U2 Pro electric scooter

Hiboy launches new cargo-capable U2 Pro e-scooter with a 34-mile range and 25MPH top speed at $900 ($600 off)

Running as part of its Easter Sale, Hiboy is launching its brand new U2 Pro Electric Scooter with a significant discount to $899.98 shipped along with a handy free device for its upkeep. This all-new commuting solution will carry a $1,500 price tag normally, but it’s hitting the ground today with the very first chance at cash savings here. You’ll be getting a 40% markdown while these savings last, cutting $600 from the tag and setting the bar for future deals down the road. What’s more, you’ll even be getting some free gear too, as it comes with a 2-in-1 tire inflator and vacuum device that is valued at $70.

Hiboy’s new U2 Pro Electric Scooter is cruising onto the scene with a sitting-oriented design that carries a 265-pound payload, as opposed to the usual standing frames we see from the brand. The 750W motor here peaks up to 810W in order to tackle inclines up to 20 degrees, delivering a top speed of 25 MPH. The 48V 13Ah battery provides enough juice to carry you for up to 34 miles on a single charge, with a 3.5-inch thick memory foam seat for added comfort during your journey. The whole thing comes with an IPX4 water-resistance rating that protects it from light rain, humid conditions, and other situations where it may be splashed with water.

This cargo-capable e-scooter comes with a larger footboard, which you could secure groceries or even a pet carrier to while also sporting an integrated rear cargo rack that can be further used for packages or to carry a passenger thanks to the inclusion of a removable cushioned seat. Among its other stock features, you’ll find 16-inch all-terrain snow tires that maximize grip on whatever surface your riding along, as well as a 125mm rear suspension, dual 160mm disc brakes, a 70 lux headlight, a break-activated taillight, a twist throttle, a key ignition, conveniently integrated controls along the left handlebar, and a large 7-inch display for real-time information at a glance.

Hiboy has added a banner to its main site stating that it will be increasing prices in the future, so be sure to check out the full lineup of deals in its Easter Sale while costs are still kept this low.

Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC power bank

Goal Zero’s Sherpa 100AC 25,600mAh 100W 5-port wireless AC power bank accompanies you anywhere at $200

By way of its official Amazon storefront, Goal Zero is offering a chance to score its Sherpa 100AC 25,600mAh 100W Wireless AC Power Bank at $199.89 shipped. This model, which is one of the few we’ve seen sporting an actual AC port, has been more recently keeping to $250 after falling from its original $300 MSRP back in 2024. While we did see it go as low as $177 during Black Friday and Christmas sales, it’s mostly stayed above $210 over the last year, with today’s deal providing a solid $50 markdown that lands it at the fourth-lowest price we have tracked – $23 above the low.

Coming in a durable anodized aluminum form factor with impact bumpers along its edges, the airline-approved Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC has been designed to accompany you anywhere while also being packed with a significant amount of port options for juicing up your essential devices. It totes a 25,600Wh capacity and among its many output options, you’ll find a 100W AC port that can surge up to 150W, a 100W USB-C port, a secondary 60W USB-C port, two USB-A ports, and it even provides 15W wireless charging to your smartphone. It can recharge its own battery at up to 60W speeds, taking two hours via a wall outlet while also providing up to 50W solar-charging capabilities that will refill the battery in three to six hours.

If you’re not really in need of the AC port option in the above model, you can save a bit more by going with Goal Zero’s counterpart Sherpa 100PD model for $159.89 shipped, down from $200. You’ll be getting much of the same performance capabilities for output charging and input recharging, with the difference here being fewer ports, specifically two USB-C ports and a 60W in/100W out USB-C port, as well as the 15W wireless charging.

Best New Year EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Bespoke British sports car manufacturer RBW EV Cars breaks ground on new US facility

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3 hours ago

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April 15, 2025

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Bespoke British sports car manufacturer RBW EV Cars breaks ground on new US facility

A relatively young, handcrafted British EV automaker, RBW EV Cars, is celebrating an $8 million milestone as it expands its vehicle production to North America to deliver its two flagship models to US consumers. These bespoke BEVs with British design heritage in mind look like they are extremely fun to zip around in. See more below.

RBW Electric Cars was founded in 2017 by Peter Swain, who spun the business out from his restoration company RBW Classic & Sports Cars after seeing the potential of EVs with modern technology designed within a classic car aesthetic.

Swain then established a cooperation with Continental Engineering Services (CES), which helped develop and build a “proof of concept” for BEV. One year later, RBW launched its first prototype, which was followed by a driving sampler in 2019 before the start of production of RBW’s first EV, the Roadster, in Britain in February 2020.

By January 2022, RBW had delivered its first Roadster EV to a UK client before securing an investment to scale its production processes in the summer of 2023. That following fall, RBW opened its new UK EV factory before officially launching its second model, the RBW GT, in December 2023.

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Now, RBW Electric Cars is moving across the pond, making good on plans announced a year ago to establish a second hub to operate and build in the US to provide BEVs for consumers in North America.

RBW EVs breaks ground on US production site in Virginia

Per an update from RBW EV Cars today, it has officially broken ground on its new US production facility, lo9cated in Danville, Virginia. Today’s milestone follows an update in late 2024 that RBW had secured a deal with the state to build its new $8 million state-of-the-art production facility.

When complete, the 29,000-square-foot US hub in the rendering above will be home to RBW’s EV assembly, sales, and marketing operations. It will also be the new home to the entire team at Spirit EV, which developed and provides the turnkey EV powertrain solutions used in both the Roadster and GT models. Swain spoke about RBW’s latest milestone and its collaboration with Spirit EV:

RBW EV Cars has dedicated nearly a decade to developing bespoke electric vehicles that honor classic British design while delivering cutting-edge electrification. From the beginning of its operation, the company has been focused on bringing a global EV platform to market that could transcend how automakers design and engineer their own platforms. This is where Spirit EV comes in. We will now have R&D facilities in both the UK and US.

According to RBW EV Cars, its US operations will be led by former NASCAR driver and Danville native Peyton Sellers. Sellers will oversee the production of the UK automaker’s left-hand drive versions of the Roadster and GT EVs, both of which are currently scheduled to see only 50 US deliveries each in 2025.

Both RBW EV models deliver up to 150 miles of estimated range, a top (limited) speed of 90 mph, and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 8 seconds. Brand new, built examples of the Roadster start at £108,000 ($143,00) in the UK. We don’t have US pricing yet, but RBW did share plans to unveil “additional product development initiatives and future vehicle lines” this coming fall.

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MAGA surrounds Tesla store with gas trucks in least effective counterprotest ever

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3 hours ago

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April 15, 2025

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MAGA surrounds Tesla store with gas trucks in least effective counterprotest ever

Tesla Counter-protest

MAGA protestors surrounded a Tesla store in California with their gas trucks in what has to be the least effective counterprotest ever.

When you need MAGA and Proud Boys to counter-protest for your brand, you know your brand is in trouble.

The ‘Tesla Takedown‘ movement is a grassroots movement that has been organizing peaceful protests at Tesla stores throughout the US.

Their goal is to encourage a boycott of Tesla, which they see as Elon Musk’s personal piggy bank to finance the rise of what they believe is Trump’s authoritarian regime and fascism.

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Every weekend for the past two months, they have been holding growing protests at dozens of Tesla locations across the US.

There have been quite a few altercations with Trump supporters counter-protesting, but we are now starting to see full-fledged counter-protests by MAGA supporters and even far-right neo-fascist groups, like the Proud Boys.

At Tesla’s store in Rocklin, California, MAGA came by the dozens to counter-protest a Tesla protest with a barrage of gasoline trucks in front of the store:

The problem in MAGA’s logic here is that their counter-protests might be just as effective at deterring potential buyers as Tesla Takedown’s protests.

Who wants to go through that to buy a car? Proud Boys members were also reportedly at the event. While there were some interactions between the Tesla protestors and counter-protestors, no significant incidents were reported.

Interestingly, not a single one of these MAGA counter-protestors had a Tesla vehicle. Based on the videos, they all showed up to support Tesla in gasoline trucks.

Electrek’s Take

I’m not gonna lie. I don’t know what timeline we are in right now, but it’s a pretty funny one. A bunch of MAGA climate-deniers and Proud Boys neo-fascists are showing up to “protect” Tesla against left-leaning protestors who see Elon Musk as using Tesla to finance the rise of fascism in the US.

Just a few years ago, I never thought I would write that.

It’s becoming harder for people to argue that Trump is not authoritarian and fascist, as his administration is now openly defying a 9-0 Supreme Court order to help bring back someone that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement admitted they mistakenly deported and is now in a foreign prison.

Defying a Supreme Court order is as authoritarian as it gets, and deporting people into a foreign prison without due process is fascist, giving weight to the Tesla Takedown argument that Musk, by financing Trump’s election, is financing the rise of fascism in the US.

Meanwhile, Musk recently admitted that his DOGE effort is not working. He first claimed he thought that he could cut $2 trillion. He decreased that to $1 trillion last year. Last week, he said that he now believes DOGE can save the US about $150 billion in 2026, when his DOGE mandate ends.

At the same time, Trump is talking about increasing spending and cutting taxes, which will increase the US deficit, which was the whole reason for DOGE.

It looks like Musk destroyed his reputation for nothing.

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