Last year I bought an electric chainsaw and abused it. Here’s what it looks like now
Back in August of 2024, I wrote about buying an electric chainsaw for the first time. It was a Father’s Day present for my dad, who has several acres of property to manage and is reaching the point where even his dad strength isn’t enough to hand saw all day. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the current state of electric chainsaws, but I was excited to put the new machine to work. Fast forward a full year, and I’ve got an update: we’ve abused the heck out of it – and it’s still going strong!
Over the past 12 months, this Ego Power+ 18-inch 56-volt electric chainsaw has seen more wood than a mom-and-pop lumber mill. I’ve cut through your standard backyard trees, gnarly old branches, telephone poles, construction lumber, and plenty of 2x4s.
We’ve basically started treating it like a general-purpose tool. If anything is fiber-based and currently of a size that is larger than it should be, the standard response is “go grab the chainsaw…”.
And not just on nice sunny days either – this saw’s been dragged through rain, dust, and mud. And more than once it’s been used in situations that absolutely should have killed it: fully underwater.
At my parents’ place, a good-sized tree had fallen into their lake after the last big storm and needed to be cleared out. We had been putting it off due to the size of the thing, but the water level was rising, and soon it was going to be swamped. One of the most recent times I went over to visit my parents, my dad and I decided it was time to finally tackle the job. Unfortunately, by then the water had risen to the point where the tree trunk was already half-submerged, creating a navigational hazard for all the weird little electric boats I’ve dropped in that lake.
We started by trying to just cut the exposed portion, and I figured we’d then put a long line on the UTV and see if we couldn’t just break the rest of it free. But that’s where my dad’s more hours on the saw than mine played a key role: knowing he could keep pushing it. My dad waded in with the chainsaw and absolutely went to town. He had that thing so deep in the water, cutting through the massive trunk that if it had been a gas-powered chainsaw, it would have literally needed a snorkel to keep running.
And yet, it worked. Not just worked – it powered through. We pulled it out, dried it off, and then it was on to the next job.
The battery life has stayed impressive, the power is still solid, and the chain hasn’t even needed a replacement yet (though I should probably give it a sharpening one of these days). I’ve lost count of how many logs this thing has ripped through, and it’s never let me down.
There is one minor downside worth mentioning: the chain tensioner has gotten a bit stiff. It used to adjust nice and easy, but now it takes a little more effort to tighten. It still works, but you’ve got to put a bit of muscle into it. That’s literally the only wear-and-tear issue I’ve noticed after a full year of borderline tool abuse.
I expected an electric chainsaw to be a convenient, eco-friendly option for light-duty work. What I didn’t expect was a rugged, waterproof (apparently), do-it-all beast that could handle nearly anything I threw at it.
So here’s the one-year verdict: I bought an electric chainsaw, I used it for everything I possibly could (and some things I probably shouldn’t have), and it still works like a champ. If you’re wondering whether an electric chainsaw can hold up over time – this one has more than proven itself.
And if I ever buy a second one, I’ll try to keep it out of the pond. No promises, though.
Author’s note: On reading through this again to proofread, it almost sounds like an ad, but I promise it’s not (those have big “Sponsored” labels on them and I generally steer clear of those). This is just a chainsaw I bought for my dad and we’ve been thrilled with it one year later.
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Tesla has confirmed that it is redesigning its door handles with electronic releases after people were left trapped inside its cars.
Earlier this week, we reported that the NHTSA had opened a new investigation into Tesla over children getting stuck inside cars after electronic door releases fail.
Tesla uses frameless doors with electronic door handles. The button to open the doors first causes the window to lower slightly, allowing the door to open. Then, it electronically unlatches, enabling the door to be swung open.
There’s also a manual latch, but it has been known to be somewhat hard to locate for people who didn’t read the owner’s manual, which is most people.
If there’s an electronic failure, especially after a crash, it can result in occupants having issues exiting the vehicle when they are in a state of panic.
Additionally, if a child is in the vehicle after a failure, it can be challenging for them to locate and use the manual release, which is what the NHTSA is now investigating.
Following the publicization of this long-standing issue this week, Tesla announced that it is redesigning its manual release.
Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer, said in an interview with Bloomberg that the automaker is going to combine the electronic and manual releases into one:
“The idea of combining the electronic one and the manual one together into one button, I think, makes a lot of sense. That’s something that we’re working on.”
The designer said that Tesla is already testing this in China.
It’s not a novel design. Toyota already has the same concept in some of its vehicles. The electronic button to release the door can also be pulled to activate the manual release, which works even if the car has no power.
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Environment
Hyundai reveals new EVs, hybrids, a midsize pickup, ultra-luxury vehicles, and much more
Get ready to see a lot more Hyundai vehicles on the road. The South Korean auto giant just revealed its most ambitious growth plan ever, packed with advanced new EVs and hybrids across nearly all segments. Hyundai is also launching its first midsize pickup and an extended-range vehicle (EREV) that promises to deliver over 600 miles (960 km) of range.
Hyundai bets on new EVs, hybrids, EREVs, and trucks
During its first CEO Investor Day held outside of Korea, Hyundai unveiled “its most ambitious growth strategy” in company history.
Hyundai is promising to lead the industry’s shift to electrification with a slate of new vehicles set to launch across nearly every powertrain and segment imaginable.
“In an industry facing unprecedented transformation, Hyundai is uniquely positioned to win,” José Muñoz, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said during the event held in New York on Thursday. Hyundai isn’t simply adapting, “We’re leading it,” Muñoz told attendees.
Hyundai plans to sell 5.55 million vehicles globally by 2030, including 3.3 million “electrified” vehicles, or about 60% of total sales.
With 18 new hybrids, including the first under its luxury Genesis brand, Hyundai expects “significant growth” in North America, Europe, and Korea.
Hyundai said the new vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, will be custom-tailored for buyers in its biggest markets.
Custom-tailored vehicles for the US, Europe, and China
In North America, Hyundai will launch its first midsize pickup by the end of the decade. Hyundai offers the Santa Cruz, which launched in 2021, but the company promises the new model is aimed at “the heart of the US market.”
Those in Europe will see the IONIQ 3, a smaller and more affordable little sibling to the IONIQ 5. It will feature a next-gen infotainment system, Hyundai said, specifically designed for drivers in Europe.
Hyundai announced plans to introduce its first extended range electric vehicle (EREV). Set to arrive in 2027, Hyundai said the new EREV will deliver an “EV-like driving experience with more than 600 miles (960 km) of range” that will use an added gas-powered engine to extend range.
Unlike traditional EREVs, however, Hyundai will use in-house batteries, which it promises will deliver “full EV power performance with less than half the battery capacity.”
In China, Hyundai will take on BYD and other automakers, leading the shift to EVs, with its new Elexio electric SUV. The Elexio SUV is Hyundai’s first locally produced electric vehicle using tech and software from Chinese leaders.
Wait, there’s even more
We will also see seven new high-performance “N” models added to the lineup by 2030. Hyundai aims to sell 100,000 N-branded vehicles by the end of the decade. The new IONIQ 6 N “will introduce a new paradigm for high-performance EVs,” the company said, with advanced new features and tech.
The luxury Genesis brand is celebrating its 10th anniversary with big growth plans over the next few years, including new EREVs, hybrids, and a flagship SUV.
The flagship Genesis electric SUV is expected to launch as the GV90, which we’ve seen out in public testing with ultra-luxury features, including coach doors.
Hyundai announced plans to ramp up production at its Metaplant America (HMGMA) EV plant in Georgia. With a new $2.7 billion investment, the company is creating 3,000 more jobs in Georgia. By 2028, Hyundai plans to build 500,000 hybrid and EV models at the facility annually.
By 2030, Hyundai expects over 80% of vehicles sold in the US will be made domestically. Its supply chain sourcing in the US will also increase from 60% to 80%.
Globally, Hyundai plans to add 1.2 million units to its production capacity by the end of the decade, including in the US, South Korea, and India.
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Electricity demand is skyrocketing across the Middle East and North Africa, and it’s being driven by two big factors: cooling homes and businesses in extreme heat, and making seawater drinkable through desalination. A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows just how dramatic the surge is. Electricity use in the region has tripled since 2000, and it’s expected to jump another 50% by 2035. That’s like adding the current combined electricity demand of Germany and Spain.
Cooling and desalination alone are expected to account for about 40% of that growth over the next decade. Urbanization, industrialization, the electrification of transport, and the boom in data centers are also adding to the load, according to the IEA’s report, “The Future of Electricity in the Middle East and North Africa.”
Right now, natural gas and oil overwhelmingly dominate power generation in the region, making up more than 90% of electricity supply. But that mix is changing. Many countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq, are trying to reduce oil-fired power to free it up for export. The IEA says natural gas will likely cover half the demand growth through 2035, with oil’s share falling from 20% today to just 5%.
Renewables are on the rise, too. Solar capacity is set to increase tenfold by 2035, growing by 200 gigawatts (GW), which would boost renewables’ share of the electricity mix to around 25%, up from 6% in 2024. Nuclear power is also expected to triple over the same period.
“Demand for electricity is surging across the Middle East and North Africa, driven by the rapidly rising need for air conditioning and water desalination in a heat- and water-stressed region with growing populations and economies,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. “To meet this demand, power capacity over the next 10 years is set to expand by over 300 GW, the equivalent of three times Saudi Arabia’s current total generation capacity.”
Meeting that demand won’t come cheap. Investment in the power sector hit $44 billion in 2024, and it’s projected to grow another 50% by 2035. Nearly 40% of that spending is expected to go toward upgrading grids, which currently suffer losses that are double the global average.
The IEA says grid upgrades and stronger regional interconnections will be critical for electricity security. Balancing renewables will also require more energy storage, demand-side flexibility, and enough gas-fired plants to cover when solar and wind aren’t available.
Energy efficiency improvements could ease some of the strain. For example, air conditioners in the region are less than half as efficient as those in Japan. Upgrading the ACs alone could cut peak demand growth by an amount equal to Iraq’s entire current power capacity.
If countries move more slowly on diversifying their power mix, according to the report, the stakes are high. Carbon dioxide emissions would continue to rise, and oil and gas demand for electricity could increase by more than a quarter by 2035, cutting export revenues by $80 billion and raising import bills by $20 billion.
Read more: 1 in 4 cars sold in 2025 will be EVs, and that’s just the beginning
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