No, Honda didn’t just launch its first electric motorcycle (and you can’t buy it)
The electric motorcycle market is a small and highly interconnected one, with a limited amount of suppliers and an even smaller number of actual honest-to-goodness motorcycle manufacturers. While Covid-era progress led to a series of highly-funded rapid advancements and flashy announcements, the last few years have been hard on the industry as funding and excitement have both dwindled, resulting in a smaller number of big releases. So it makes sense that people would jump at news that Honda is now producing its first electric motorcycle and that you can already buy it. The only problem is that none of that is true – finally some real fake news.
In the last few days, a number of news outlets ran with a story claiming Honda was now producing and selling its first ever electric motorcycle, a bike known as the E-VO. While some articles presented a fairly grounded and accurate analysis of the situation, others jumped on the more clickbaity bandwagon.
Like many rumors, the story does have some truth to it. There is an interesting-looking cafe racer-styled E-VO bike that was just announced, and its logo does partially include a red Honda badge, but that’s where things start to go awry as some articles played a bit fast and loose with the facts.
The main issues with the story heard ’round the internet are that 1) Honda has already produced multiple electric motorcycles, 2) the E-VO isn’t really a Honda, and 3) you can’t actually buy the bike, at least not the way many headlines would have you believe.
To be fair, even Electrek wasn’t spared, with its own story repeating several dubious claims seen elsewhere around the internet, among other smaller mistakes such as a strange swipe at LiveWire for not producing DC fast-charging electric motorcycles, which it famously does.
But let’s break down each of the errors or flashy clickbait headlines that duped many journalists and electric motorcycle fans alike.
The first major issue is that the premise is wrong. Honda has built multiple electric motorcycles in the past, though generally smaller designs with step-through frames. The E-VO would be a new design direction, taking on an eye-catching cafe racer design, but let’s not forget that models like the all-electric Honda PCX Electric were launched back in 2018. In fact, Visordown strangely mislabeled a photo of a PCX Electric, referring to it as an E-VO in its own article a few days ago. (And to be fair, not everyone whiffed on this one, with outlets like RideApart and CycleWorld giving even-handed and accurate coverage to Honda’s e-moto efforts).
Second, this motorcycle isn’t even a Honda. If you look closer at the badging, you’ll see it’s labeled as “Wuyang Honda” with the first word obviously printed much smaller in the logo to obscure it in favor of Honda’s much stronger brand reputation. To put it simply, the E-VO is produced by the Chinese company Wuyang, in which Honda invested in as part of a joint venture. Wuyang-Honda is a Chinese company owned by the major Chinese automaker GAC. It does produce some Honda-developed motorcycles for the Chinese market (like the CB series, CBR, etc.), but it also produces its own domestic market-only models. The latter is what the E-VO is. It’s not a Honda and it’s not produced by Honda. It’s produced by Wuyang-Honda, which is a Chinese company partially funded by the Japanese company Honda to make money from the Chinese market. It’s similar to how Ducati doesn’t really make those Ducati electric bicycles, but rather engages in a licensing agreement that lets another company produce them and print a famous name on the side.
And that brings us to the third major issue glossed over in the E-VO launch – that you can’t really buy it. Well, some people can, but not you. At least, not unless you happen to be Chinese or living in China. As mentioned above, this isn’t a Honda motorcycle that you can buy at a Honda dealer. It’s a Wuyang motorcycle that was recently launched in China and only sold in China. It wasn’t designed for export and doesn’t meet any other international regulations or safety standards because it wasn’t designed for any other markets outside of China.
Electrek’s Take
I’ve been a fan of electric motorcycles for a long time, riding and covering them with excitement as I’ve watched the industry progress. I talk the talk and I walk the walk. I don’t even own a car, as my family gets around entirely on electric motorcycles, e-scooters, and e-bikes. I don’t intend to unfairly call out other news outlets or even my own colleagues, but I do think that accuracy in reporting on such a nascent industry is important.
Accuracy in reporting isn’t just about keeping the industry well-informed but also ensuring realistic expectations among the public. Just like all of those stories popping up a few years ago to the effect of “GM is producing a $14,000 electric pickup truck” turned out to be clickbait (they were electric mini-trucks produced in China, for the Chinese market, by Chinese companies in which GM invested), the E-VO has also turned into something of a white whale. For years, riders have begged major manufacturers like Honda to get on board with electric motorcycles. And so when there’s even an inkling of progress on that front, the story can get ahead of itself.
That isn’t to say that Honda won’t ever produce a full-sized e-moto or street bike. Perhaps the E-VO will sell well in China and Honda will look favorably upon Wuyang’s work there. But the moment when an honest-to-goodness Honda electric motorcycle lands is still years away, and no amount of wishful thinking or creative writing is going to change that.
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President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform moved a step closer to having a bitcoin exchange-traded fund available to everyday investors.
NYSE Arca, the all-electronic arm of the New York Stock Exchange that handles most ETF trading, filed on Tuesday to list a bitcoin fund linked to the president’s media company, the latest sign of Trump’s expanding push into the crypto world. Known as a 19b-4 form, the filing is required before regulators can decide whether to allow the fund to launch and trade on a U.S. exchange.
Called the Truth Social Bitcoin ETF, the fund is designed to track the price of bitcoin and offer a simpler way for investors to gain exposure without holding the asset directly. The filing follows an announced partnership between Trump Media and Crypto.com in March to bring a suite of digital asset products to market later this year, pending regulatory approval.
Those planned offerings include baskets of cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and Crypto.com’s native Cronos token, combined with traditional securities. The products will be branded under Trump Media and made available to global investors through major brokerage platforms and the Crypto.com app, which serves more than 140 million users worldwide.
Since the January 2024 launch of spot bitcoin ETFs, the market has swelled to more than $130 billion in total assets. BlackRock‘s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) accounts for the lion’s share, with nearly $69 billion in assets, making it the largest digital asset manager in the world.
Trump is the majority owner of Truth Social’s parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group, which has made a series of crypto-aligned moves in recent months — from trademarking digital asset products to unveiling a $2.5 billion bitcoin treasury plan last week in Las Vegas. If approved, the ETF would represent one of the most politically connected entries into the booming market for bitcoin funds.
WATCH: SEC Commissioner Peirce on dropping Binance case: We’re writing the rules first, then enforcing
The third of a quintet of West Virginia solar farms just came online, and while that’s a renewable milestone, there’s a disappointing hitch.
3 out of 5 West Virginia solar farms are online
FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison have launched a 5.75 megawatt (MW), 17,000-panel solar farm at Marlowe in Berkeley County. The new solar farm sits on about 36 acres of land along I-81 and the Potomac River – land that used to store ash from the retired R. Paul Smith Power Station.
In 2022, FirstEnergy wrapped up a major cleanup effort, pulling more than 3 million tons of ash from the site to be reused in cement manufacturing. With the landfill officially closed, the company cleared the way to turn the former waste site into a clean energy generator as part of its solar program. Fifty-four local union workers constructed the solar farm, which features US-made solar panels, a racking system, and electrical equipment.
It’s the third of Mon Power and Potomac Edison’s five solar farms that will generate up to 50 MW of clean energy combined. The companies completed their first solar farm at Fort Martin Power Station (18.9 MW) in early 2024, and their Rivesville solar site (5.5 MW) came online last fall. In total, the companies now have 30 MW of solar capacity.
Electrek’s Take
Combined, the five projects will create more than 87,000 Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) available for purchase by customers for 4 cents per kilowatt hour in addition to normal rates. Aside from the essential benefit of cutting carbon emissions, there isn’t anything else in it for customers, apart from spending, on average, an extra $40 or so a month out of the goodness of your heart to go solar. Heck, you don’t even get a T-shirt.
Mon Power and Potomac Edison – why are customers being charged MORE to buy into solar in West Virginia? That’s a stick, not a carrot. (And WV? Coal’s not coming back. It doesn’t matter what Trump says.)
But solar growth anywhere is something to be cheerful about, and solar energy in coal-state West Virginia is progressing. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, as of Q4 2024, 205 MW of solar is installed in West Virginia. So, it’s no surprise that it’s at the bottom – it’s ranked 49th in the US for the amount of solar installed. However, it’s projected to reach 40th place over the next five years with 1,064 MW, so at least it’s expected to improve.
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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Is the Kia EV4 GT the affordable electric sports car we’ve been waiting for? Kia’s first global electric sedan is about to get a sporty upgrade. After the EV4 GT was spotted in public, we’re finally getting a glimpse of the interior.
Kia EV4 GT spotted, revealing first look at the interior
The EV4 arrives as one of the most highly anticipated electric cars of 2025. After opening orders in Korea earlier this year, Kia will launch it in Europe later this year and the US in 2026.
Kia’s electric sedan starts at just 41.92 million won, or around $30,000 in Korea. Although prices for Europe and North America have yet to be revealed, the entry-level EV is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Despite its typical four-door design, Kia labels it as an “entirely new type of EV sedan” with a wide stance and fastback silhouette.
Although the EV4 already has that sports car look, Kia is about to introduce an upgraded GT variant that could be a true Tesla Model 3 Performance challenger.
Who could forget the EV6 GT? It hit the market in 2022 as “the most powerful Kia production vehicle ever.” With 576 hp, the high-performance EV could hit 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 secs, faster than the average Ferrari or Lamborghini.
With significant advancements in battery technology, powertrain, and other areas over the past few years, the EV4 GT will likely offer even more.
The EV4 GT was spotted outside Kia and Hyundai’s facility in Korea, and a few spy photos give us a glimpse of the interior for the first time.
The new video from HealerTV reveals a few interior upgrades the GT model will get over the standard EV4. As you can see, it resembles the EV9 GT interior almost identically. The only slight difference that we can see is the different material on the upper part of the seating.
Like the EV6 GT and EV9 GT, the EV4 GT will also include an adjustable ambient lighting feature, allowing you to customize the interior color and brightness.
Although it’s covered, the EV4 GT is expected to feature Kia’s new ccNC infotainment system. The panoramic curved display includes dual 12.3″ driver and navigation screens.
The exterior is likely to receive a more aggressive front-end design and larger wheels, similar to those of other Kia GT vehicles. Although the final specifications have yet to be revealed, the EV4 GT is expected to feature an all-wheel-drive (AWD) dual-motor powertrain.
In Korea, the EV4 is available in two battery options: 58.2 kWh and 81.4 kWh, offering a driving range of 237 miles or 331 miles (533 km). The GT variant is likely to use the larger 81.4 kWh battery pack, similar to other GT models.
Kia will launch the EV4 in the US next year, featuring a built-in NACS port to access Tesla Superchargers and an EPA-estimated driving range of up to 330 miles. Prices will be revealed closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000. The GT variant could cost upwards of $50,000 to $55,000, with the 2025 Kia EV6 GT starting at $63,800.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance starts at $54,990 in the US with 298 miles range and a 0 to 60 mph time in 2.9 seconds.
Will the Kia EV4 GT match it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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