From a $1,000 boat to electric tractors and more, these are the wildest EVs I tested this year
Here at Electrek, I have the dubious honor of testing the more fringe offerings on the electric vehicle spectrum. Instead of the newest Tesla or Rivian, you’ll often find me on the newest electric motorcycle, boat, or non-road-worthy electric contraption.
This year was no different, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here are the top five weird, wild, or just plain lovable electric vehicles I tested in 2023.
A $1,000 electric boat ordered direct-from-China
Believe it or not, this is the real deal. I even have the $1,080 receipt to prove it. I bought the world’s cheapest five-seater fiberglass electric boat and brought it all the way over from China.
The tale was long and not for the faint of heart, and ultimately cost me significantly more than the original $1k purchase price when I had to pay for freight, customs, taxes, drayage, etc., but it was well worth it in the end.
On delivery, I finally received a massive wooden crate and got to work unboxing my new pleasure craft.
It took a serious amount of work just to get the thing out of the crate, and even then I had some assembly on my hands followed by wiring in my own batteries. But it ultimately worked out quite well, and a few days later I was easing that boat into the local pond like an old man into a warm bath.
The underpowered motor could barely maintain 3 knots, partially due to the half-submerged propellor trying to push nearly as much air as water, but the boat was still a delight to putter around on. The fiberglass isn’t beautiful, but is still surprisingly good for $1,000.
And of course, the boat makes a perfect platform for modification, of which I already have big plans. I have a new motor that should significantly increase the power and efficiency of the boat, as well as some solar plans in the works as well. Hopefully, 2024 brings that project to fruition, and we’ll finally be able to see what this boat is capable of with a little more power in her stern. Stay tuned for that update!
Testing a Citroen Ami
The Citroen Ami is far from new or spectacular, at least if you live in Europe. But seeing as I don’t, the chance to rent one on vacation meant that I could finally experience all that a street-legal European tiny car has to offer.
My wife and I spent a week exploring the Greek island of Santorini purely by Ami, using that little micro-car for all of our daily travel and sightseeing.
Instead of renting a loud and obnoxious ATV like most of the tourists seemed to do, we were relaxing in a similarly fast and powerful (i.e. not either of those things) little four-wheeled vehicle.
Sure, it had some oddities. The symmetrical design took some getting used to, as did the lack of ABS and the spartan interior. And finding charging outlets on a Greek island isn’t as easy as it sounds (and it doesn’t sound easy, either). But for a simple and easy-going ride, it was a great way to get around and indeed replaced the need for a “real” car for us.
I don’t think it’d work great for a family of five. But fortunately, we’re living it up on Team No Kids and have enjoyed using two-seaters and one-saddles for most of our vacation shenanigans. If you’re one of a maximum of two people and need to get around at purely city speeds, a microcar like a Citroen Ami has a lot of pull!
Testing out an electric wheel loader
When it comes to backyard construction equipment – stuff smaller than a massive backhoe or bulldozer – there just aren’t many options. If you want to go electric, there are even fewer options.
And yet I somehow still managed to find one of the best, and only, options out there for electric heavy machinery designed for the average Joe.
Or perhaps more accurately, I found two of the best options: the Nesher L880 and L1400 electric wheel loaders.
These 2,500 lb and 4,500 lb machines are surprisingly effective for all sorts of smaller-scale jobs. I don’t think they’d fit the needs of a major contractor doing 8 hours of heavy-duty construction work every day. But I did do a full discharge test of moderate intensity work (moving pallets and digging in dirt/mulch/sand) and got an approximately 6-hour run time on the L1400.
For everyone from hobby farm operators to private land owners, these feel like a good option for right-sized machinery that come with all the advantages of electric vehicles. The operating costs are almost zero (charging costs around $1.50 to $2.00 depending on local rates), maintenance is nearly zero, and they are much quieter to operate. You’re also not breathing in diesel fumes for hours at a time.
I can definitely see how electric is the future of the construction industry, even it is more than likely going to start on the smaller end of the spectrum. I don’t think we’ll see an electric D9 bulldozer for a few more years, but you can already get a great electric mini-loader or tractor today.
Riding around in a Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic UTV
The off-road industry may not be going electric as quickly as the automotive industry, but there are already some great options. Chief among them is the Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic, an electric side-by-side that combines decades of Polaris engineering with the electric prowess of Zero Motorcycle’s drivetrains.
Polaris incorporated those motorcycle drivetrains into their top-of-the-line UTVs, adding several key changes along the way to make them even more robust.
The result is a seriously fun and hard-working platform that can tend to the ranch all week and then go muddin’ for fun on the weekend. Having tested the vehicles on multiple occasions, most recently when visiting the Huntsville, Alabama factory where they’re made, I can tell you firsthand how well they work.
With a powerful drivetrain and up to two electric motorcycle batteries, long-range and high power combine for the best of what utility vehicles are designed to do: get the job done.
To see what it was like to test these vehicles, check out my riding experience video below!
The Lectric XP Trike turns an electric bike into an electric vehicle
Electric bicycles will always be my first true love, but this is the year that I fell head-over-heels in love with electric tricycles, too.
There are great offerings in the industry, including highly engineered models like the RadTrike and ultra-budget offerings like the Viribus, but the Lectric XP Trike takes the cake as the best bang-for-your-buck option with a great design and excellent performance for a killer price.
I was able to put the trike through its paces, starting from the first unboxing to full use cases. Even right from the start, the XP Trike is easy to use by arriving fully assembled. From there, the comfortable design offers great performance with an industry-leading battery capacity and a powerful mid-drive motor setup.
It’s not the most elegant mid-drive, opting for a hub motor mounted centrally in the frame, but it creates a great setup with a rear differential and even comes with handy features like hydraulic disc brakes complete with a parking brake.
Not everyone is ready to switch from two-wheels to three, but I did enjoy the extra stability and the fun ride. Sure, e-trikes are more prevalent among older riders, but even as a thirty-something, I still love riding the hell out of that thing!
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Tern has just unveiled a new pair of electric bikes in collaboration with Airstream, and they might be the most “on-brand” accessories an RV owner could dream of.
The two-bike collection includes special edition versions of Tern’s Vektron S10 and HSD P5I e-bikes. Those two models are already well-loved e-bikes in the urban mobility world, known for their bulletproof designs and rugged everyday rider build quality. But now they come wrapped in Airstream’s signature polished aluminum aesthetic and are purpose-built for life on the road… or more accurately, life off the road.
The new Vektron S10 Airstream by Tern is a premium folding electric bike that combines compact stowability with full-size performance. It folds down in seconds and tucks neatly into an Airstream trailer or tow vehicle.
And it’s not just a pretty new face, either. This is still a Bosch-powered, cargo-capable workhorse that can haul groceries or even a kiddo on the rear rack.
The second model, the HSD P5I Airstream by Tern, is a compact electric cargo bike that’s essentially a small pickup truck disguised as a bike. You get serious utility in a short, nimble package. It’s ideal for campsite errands, runs into town, or cruising around a rally site.
Both models use Bosch’s Performance line drive system with pedal assist up to 20 mph (32 km/h), and they tap into Tern’s impressively deep accessory ecosystem so you can spec them out with front racks, passenger seats, panniers, and more. The Vektron S10 Airstream is priced at $3,699, while the HSD P5I Airstream rolls out at $5,099.
According to Steve Boyd, Tern’s GM for North America, “folding e-bikes and compact e-cargo bikes make the perfect addition to the RV lifestyle.” And frankly, it’s hard to disagree. When you’re parked for the night, your trailer isn’t going anywhere, but your e-bike sure can. Whether you’re headed to the nearest trailhead, grocery store, or lakeside picnic spot, these e-bikes let you leave the truck behind and ride in style.
I’m always hearing from RV owners about how an e-bike – or usually a pair of them – completely changed the game for them by giving them easy mobility beyond where they can reach with their rig.
Airstream’s CMO Mollie Hansen says the company wanted to give owners a better way to explore and make memories, and this partnership with Tern fits right into that mission. The idea is to extend the sense of freedom you get from your trailer onto two wheels, and maybe even spark a little envy from the folks camped next to you.
The design of the bikes was led by The Show Design Co., and the team had plenty of direct contact with real Airstream owners during testing, including a visit to the Airstream International Rally in Sedalia, Missouri. According to company president Mike Milo, the bikes proved to be a hit. And now they’re heading to their official debut at this year’s Airstream Club International Rally in York, Pennsylvania (August 23–28), where owners will get free demos.
Electrek’s Take
This collaboration makes a lot of sense to me, and it’s almost surprising it didn’t happen sooner. Airstream and Tern are both brands with serious design chops and practical roots. Folding e-bikes and cargo e-bikes already dominate the RV world because of how easy they are to transport and how useful they are once you’re parked. Add in some Airstream polish and now you’ve got the official e-bike of campfire coffee runs and last-minute beer missions.
Of course, these aren’t budget bikes by any means, but they’re built to last. When someone tells me they want a bike that is built to haul and they don’t mind paying a bit extra for something higher quality, I always tell them to go to Tern. These bikes are just built to a higher standard, literally. I say that if you want a bike that looks like it’s built tough, get one of those ridiculous Hummer fat tire e-bikes. If you want something that’s actually built tough, you get a Tern.
Now, if they could just also build one that looks like a mini aluminum trailer for e-bikes, we’d really be in business. They’re close… Tern already has a bicycle tow kit!
Ok… now, after spending time making AI generate that image, I really want to build that thing!
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (right) and India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar enter a hall for their talks at Zinaida Morozova’s Mansion in Moscow on Aug. 21, 2025.
Alexander Zemlianichenko | Afp | Getty Images
India and Russia agreed Thursday to expand bilateral trade ties, signaling that U.S. tariff pressure on New Delhi over Russian oil purchases is unlikely to derail their partnership.
India currently faces additional tariffs of up to 50% on goods shipped to the U.S., after the Trump administration escalated tariff threats in response to its substantial imports of Russian energy.
The India-Russia relations had been among the “steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War,” Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at a joint press conference in Moscow.
Both countries vowed to boost bilateral trade, including increasing India’s exports of pharmaceuticals, agriculture and textiles to Russia to help reduce the current imbalance, Jaishankar said.
Bilateral trade between New Delhi and Moscow reached a record $68.7 billion for the year ended March 2025, with India’s increased oil imports contributing to a $59 billion deficit.
Other plans include sending Indian workers with skills in IT, construction and engineering to help Russia address its labor shortages, Jaishankar added.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector and Russian oil shipments to the Indian market are “making wide strides.” Both sides remain committed to implementing joint energy production projects in the Russian Far East and the Russian Arctic shelf, among other sites, he said.
“This strategic partnership … contributes to regional security and stability, which is undeniably important considering the challenging international circumstances that we are operating under,” Lavrov added.
Western governments have imposed sanctions on Moscow, arguing India’s increased imports helped bankroll Moscow’s war in Ukraine. New Delhi has pushed back, saying the U.S. administration requested the purchases to keep the markets calm, while pointing to the U.S. and European Union’s continued trade with Russia.
Russian embassy officials in New Delhi reportedly said Wednesday that oil shipments to India will continue despite U.S. pressure, adding that Moscow hoped a trilateral meeting with India and China would take place soon.
“Despite the political situation, we can predict that the same level of oil import [by India],” Roman Babushkin, the charge d’affaires at the Russian embassy in India, told a press briefing.
“Russia has been a close strategic partner of India since the 1970s and the Trump administration’s tariff threats are not going to change that,” said Daniel Balazs, a research fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
“On the contrary, it might even act as a catalyst,” Balazs added, prompting New Delhi to agree to a trilateral meeting that Moscow sought to broker with China.
India was the second-largest buyer of Russian oil, importing 1.6 million barrels per day in the first half of this year, up from 50,000 bpd in 2020, though still trailing China’s 2 million bpd imports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Washington has not placed secondary tariffs on China for its Russian oil purchases. When asked about China’s role in Russian oil purchases, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that Beijing’s imports were considered to be less egregious because it had already been a major buyer even before Russia invaded Ukraine.
By contrast, Washington has escalated criticism of India in recent days, accusing the nation of profiteering from cheap Russian crude and threatening higher tariffs on Indian goods.
Ceasefire on the line
Trump’s true agenda appears to have little to do with Washington’s stated goal of curbing Moscow’s oil revenues, but extracting leverage from these trading partners, according to several geopolitical experts. These include securing a trade deal with New Delhi while pushing Putin for a ceasefire pact in Ukraine.
Last week, Trump rolled out a red carpet to greet Putin on his first visit to the U.S. in about a decade, sharing a ride with him in the presidential limousine to the venue. The meeting was held in Alaska, which was once a part of Russia.
The meeting did not appear to have produced meaningful steps toward a ceasefire in Ukraine and the Russian government has reiterated its opposition to any short-term ceasefire deal with Ukraine.
Speaking at the joint news briefing Thursday, Lavrov said he had briefed Indian officials on those talks.
“India’s approach continues to emphasize dialogue and diplomacy as essential to resolving differences,” Jaishankar said.
The storm hit. The power’s out. With all the damage around you, it looks like you might be without power for a few days (at least). But you planned for this. You have a home backup battery. What happens now?
If you’re considering a home backup battery, or you already have one and haven’t needed it yet, you might be wondering what you’re supposed to do when the inevitable happens. The good news is: you probably won’t have to do much at all.
Whether you’ve got an industry standard like the Tesla Powerwall, one of the new GM Energy Storage Bundles, or any of the other excellent home battery systems on the market, from your point of view they’ll function in pretty much the same way.
Step 1: do nothing
Modern home batteries are paired with an automatic transfer switch. That’s a switch, usually installed near your home’s electrical panel, that allows you to go from grid power, to battery, and back. And, because it’s automatic, you don’t have to do anything at all.
The instant the grid goes down, the automatic transfer switch recognizes the loss of power and automagically disconnects your house from the grid, seamlessly connecting it to your backup battery instead. Your lights stay on, the refrigerator keeps humming, and whatever else you’ve chosen to back up just keeps on keeping on. In some cases, the transition to battery power happens so smoothly that you might not even realize the neighborhood’s lost power, not noticing the neighbors’ dark windows until you step outside.
When the power comes back, that side of the switch gets energized, and it does its thing again, only in reverse – switching you back from battery to grid power and intelligently re-charging the battery in anticipation for the next blackout.
How long will my battery last?
Unfortunately, this is one of those questions that doesn’t have an easy answer. In the simplest terms, if you have a small battery and try to keep the AC running, you might run out of juice in a few hours. On the other hand, if you have great big battery and save its electrons for just the barest essentials (a few lights, a laptop, and a phone or radio, for example) you might never run out of power.
To put some numbers to that, a 31 cu. ft. Samsung RF32CG5400SRAA stainless steel refrigerator is rated at 785 kWh/year. That works out to about 2.15 kWh/day. Factor in 20-40% higher energy needs for warmer temperatures, a few daily door openings, defrost cycles, inverter losses, etc. and you’re looking at 18-22 kWh of usable battery capacity to keep that thing running for a full week on battery power. Now do that same math for every appliance you deem a “must have,” then do the “nice to haves,” and on down the line.
That doesn’t even address the other form of “last,” and whether you’re looking for a ten- or twenty- year battery solution.
What you need to do, in other words, is talk to the experts. Let them know what appliances you need to keep running, how long you want to prepare for, and let them do the math to help determine which battery solution is right for you.
I’ve included a video that covers the process of picking a solar battery from EnergySage (a trusted affiliate partner), below, and invite you to share some of your own backup battery-picking experiences in the comments.
How to pick a solar battery
Original content from Electrek.
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