Why this electric ‘car’ the size of two motorcycles should be on your list
Let’s just face it, America. We’ve got a weight problem. No, not that weight problem. It’s the size of the cars. The best-selling vehicles in the US are all of the biggest, heaviest, and most oversized models available. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A new crop of tiny electric cars is changing the game and offering options we’ve never had before. Err, actually, I probably shouldn’t call them “cars”.
I’m talking about Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs), the official term for what many people call Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs).
Earlier this week, Eli Electric announced that it was opening pre-orders for its Eli ZERO, an electric vehicle so small that you can fit four of them in the same parking spot used by a large SUV. In fact, the little EV is roughly the size of just two motorcycles parked side by side.
That should make sense because just in the same way motorcycles are designed with the bare necessities to carry a single passenger, LSVs are generally the same idea, but for two passengers (or occasionally four passengers).
And at just US $11,900, the Eli Zero is finally an LSV that is affordable compared to most of the offerings we’ve seen in the past. Sure, I love me a nice GEM. But those suckers start at $15k, and the price jumps to $25k when you add doors and a lithium-ion battery upgrade. To put it lightly, Eli is making waves with a new electric microcar that is priced at half of the previous main competition.
So how can these motorcycle-sized electric vehicles be priced at less than half the cost of even the cheapest electric cars available in the US? Because they’re not really cars, essentially.
As LSVs, these are classified as motor vehicles, but not in the same way as passenger cars. They have their own not inconsequential set of regulations but don’t have to meet higher standards such as highway crash testing ratings, etc.
They’re also not nearly as powerful, since they are federally limited to just 25 mph (40 km/h) top speeds. As long as they meet the regulations and can be certified as street legal, they’re allowed on nearly any road in the country that has a posted speed limit of 35 mph (56 km/h) or less. That’s most of the roads in any city, which is why they’re so popular as urban vehicles.
And don’t think that since they aren’t cars, that you won’t get a car-like experience. The Eli Zero, for example, has a pile of features that should be familiar to any car owner, such as heat and air-conditioning, reverse camera, parking radar sensors, keyless unlocking/starting, power steering, and more. You even have the option of installing a Sony infotainment center with CarPlay or Android Auto integration.
The point is, LSVs may not be very fast, but for places where you’re not going to be driving very fast anyway (i.e. cities), the top speed just doesn’t matter that much. In Manhattan, for example, the average speed of traffic is just 7 mph (11 km/h). What’s more important is the size, the price, and the convenience.
When it comes to size, you just can’t beat LSVs. They’re small enough to park just about anywhere, and they don’t take up much space in your garage (if you’re lucky enough to have one of those ‘garage’ things in a city).
The pricing also makes them incredibly affordable as a replacement for a real car. Not only are they cheaper to buy outright, but they’re also much cheaper to own. They likely have reduced insurance costs (depending on your state), and the electricy cost to charge them pennies… literally. A full charge on many of these models might be slightly over one dollar, though most people don’t start from a completely empty battery. That means that a recharge likely costs you roughly the amount of loose change you’ve got dangling around in the bottom of your pocket. The cost of one single solitary gallon of gasoline would put around 200 to 300 miles of range into that Eli Zero, for example.
And lastly, let’s talk convenience. Owning an electric car is already fairly convenient because you don’t have many of the same maintenance concerns as combustion engine cars. But an LSV is even easier since you don’t even have the complicated systems that keep Teslas spending so much time at the service center. You get a few nice features like keyless ignition, but these aren’t the same rolling supercomputers as modern cars, meaning you’re giving up your self-driving and other high-tech features in exchange for reduced complexity.
The average city dweller is already on the fence about whether or not to even own a car, mostly due to the inconvenience of car ownership in the city. But if you can get the convenience of having your own weather-sealed ride yet don’t have to figure out how to park a boat downtown, then suddenly the equation becomes a lot more intriguiging.
And for suburbanites who are trying to decide on whether or not to get that second car, perhaps an LSV is the right choice. I generally recommend an electric bike as a replacement second car, but I understand that many people simply don’t want the two-wheeled lifestyle. If you can get something the size of two bikes, but that has glass and metal around you, (not to mention DOT seatbelts and anti-lock brakes), then perhaps an LSV is the right compromise.
There are simply so many advantages here, and I’ve barely scratched the surface. For now, these are still largely seen as quirky little vehicles, and I get it. They are quirky. But that’s also part of the fun charm. Most Cybertruck owners won’t admit it, but they bought that monstrosity because it was quirky and unique, just in a different way. Quirky vehicles can be fun because they mix things up, solving the same transportation problem in a new and fun way.
As the pool of available LSVs in the US grows, so too will the demand. The numbers are already growing, albeit slowly. I’ve touted the Eli ZERO several times in this article, largely because it’s fresh in the news (I’m not connected to the company, and I have no financial incentive – I just like the thing). But there are other models out there. The previously mentioned GEMs have offered solid LSV solutions in the US for decades. Wink Motors is a fairly new startup with interesting offerings, and has a new model coming to the US soon. Several golf cart makers have LSV versions, though they’re open-air vehicles that don’t have many of the same advantages of enclosed microcars. But the point is, there are more options than ever before.
Now, if we could just get the US government to get it together and include LSVs in the federal tax incentives for electric vehicles, that’d be something! These are electric vehicles, just smaller ones. And if the US truly cares about all the benefits of electric vehicles, then helping people turn these things into daily drivers with four-figure price tags will go a long way.
So here it is, the end of my rant. There are a lot of cars on the road, but few can match the utility per pound that LSVs offer.
If you live in a city and have been looking for an affordable electric car, here it is, in all its glory. And there it goes, at no faster than a federally-limited 25 mph.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company will remove “safety monitors” from the passenger seats of Tesla’s Robotaxi vehicles in “about three weeks,” which would mean we’d see completely driverless Teslas in the Austin area potentially by the end of the year – if that timeline sticks.
Tesla has been working on a system that would allow vehicles to drive themselves, which has been in “beta” release for over a decade now. It calls this system “Full Self-Driving,” despite the fact that the system does not currently drive itself.
That has not stopped Musk from consistently promising more and more of the system, despite its stagnating capabilities. Over the course of the last decade, Musk has consistently promised driverless vehicles within the coming year, with deadlines consistently passing by without achieving that goal.
One of those promises has been the creation of a driverless taxi network, which Tesla used to call “Tesla Network” and is now calling “Robotaxi.” The idea originally came with the promise that owners could use their cars to make money by running them as taxis, but that hasn’t panned out.
Tesla did roll out its own version of a taxi network, though, in Austin, in June of this year. While it’s done a few cool things, the cars each have a “safety monitor” in the passenger seat who can take control at any time, which means the cars aren’t truly “driverless” since there is an operator, they’ve just been moved to the passenger seat.
In the time since Robotaxi’s rollout, it’s made quite a few mistakes and had a high crash rate. But Tesla also delivered one fully unoccupied vehicle from the factory to a local buyer, which was a cool (and, as yet, still unique) stunt.
Throughout the year, Musk has claimed loudly that the system would improve rapidly, stating that by the end of the year Robotaxis would be available to half of the US population (they are not) and that Tesla’s fleet would grow by more than 10x by the end of the year (it has not).
But now we have another bold prediction from Musk, stating that the safety monitors will be out of a job by the end of the year.
During a videoconference at a hackathon event for xAI, one of Musk’s other companies (which he is trying to get Tesla shareholders to bail out), Musk was asked a question about the barriers to unsupervised full self-driving. Musk answered:
Unsupervised is pretty much solved at this point. There will be Tesla Robotaxis operating in Austin with no one in them, not even anyone in the passenger seat, in about three weeks. I think it’s pretty much a solved problem, we’re just going through validation right now.
The “three weeks” timeline is familiar to longtime Tesla followers. Over the years, Musk has often promised fixes or software updates in “two weeks,” and they often take longer than that.
Three weeks is a lot closer than the “next year” promise that we’ve heard so many times for full autonomy, but given its proximity to the oft-inaccurate two-week timeline, we’re not sure these vehicles will actually be ready in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Nevertheless, it’s a closer timeline than Musk has usually given, so there may be truly driverless Teslas operating sometime soon™.
Also, reading the statement more closely, it sounds like they won’t necessarily remove safety operators from every vehicle, but some vehicles. This could be similar to the singular driverless vehicle delivery that Tesla did – a PR stunt, rather than a full rollout. We’ll have to wait and see.
Tesla’s main competitor in the robotaxi space is Waymo, which has been operating truly driverless vehicles for several years now. The company has also been operating autonomous, driverless vehicles in Austin since March of this year.
Musk went on to talk about future improvements to Tesla’s software and hardware in his answer.
The company is currently on hardware previously deemed HW4, though to cash in on the AI stock market bubble, it now refers to that system as AI4. He said that AI5 will be 10-40 times better than HW4 and go into volume production in 2027, with AI6 coming soon after.
Musk’s mention of future hardware improvements neglects one important aspect of these improvements, which is that for every hardware improvement Tesla puts into its fleet, the more vehicles it will have to upgrade later.
Tesla long promised that its vehicles had all the hardware for self-driving, which means it’s going to have to upgrade a lot of cars – and there are court cases around the world seeking to force the company to do so. Together, these lawsuits and other potential challenges could mean billions of dollars in liabilities for the company.
Musk then closed his statements by claiming that “our” goal is to “to understand the meaning of life and… propagate consciousness out to the stars,” which is not Tesla’s goal. Tesla’s actual goal is to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. He may have been referring to xAI’s goal, but given the answer was about Tesla, perhaps he was confused (or perhaps he doesn’t care about Tesla anymore, and isn’t a good CEO for the company as a result…)
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VW’s retro-tastic minivan hasn’t been the sales success the company might have wanted, and a lot of that has to do with the van’s sky high price tag. Now, VW is asking: will a $10,000 discount be enough to create some buzz for the ID.Buzz?
Volkswagen is offering $7,500 in Retail Customer Bonus cash this month – up from the $2,500 the company offered its Black Friday customers – that, along with an additional $2,500 unadvertised dealer cash incentive that CarsDirect is reporting absolutely, definitely exists, adds up to a stout $10,000 total discount on the all-electric VW ID.Buzz … and that’s before you start haggling with your dealer over the MSRP.
It’s a lot
As much as I like the the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, its starting MSRP around $61,545 (incl. destination) puts it at nearly twice what you’d probably expect a minivan to cost if the last time you shopped for one was at a Dodge store. Still, that hefty price tag is some $20,000 higher than the baseline Toyota Sienna hybrid or Honda Odyssey.
That 50% higher price is a lot to swallow even if you do buy into the nostalgia. Still, the ID.Buzz is capable enough, and with ~230 miles of range and 282 hp on offer from its battery/electric motor combo – plus Supercharger access – it’s at least able to keep up with the minivan competition.
So, while that $10,000 discount isn’t going to turn the ID.Buzz into the second coming of the affordable, family-hauling Caravan, it does bring VW’s electric people-mover a little closer to earth. In fact, with a $50K price tag, it’s right in line with the average transaction price of a new vehicles. So, if nothing else, that reduced price could finally gives electric minivan buyers something to buzz about (I tried so hard to work that in, you guys).
If you’ve been shopping for a family-hauler and dig the retro vibe over something like the (excellent) Kia EV9, click through the link below and set up a test drive at your local VW dealer.
SOURCE: CarsDirect; images via VW.
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Peterbilt has jumped into the MD truck ring with the launch three new medium-duty electric trucks that deliver zero-emissions power, ultra-fast 350 kW charging, and proven, versatile platforms for delivery, utility service, and vocational upfitting.
The new Peterbilt 536EV, 537EV, and 548EV medium-duty trucks slot into the same versatile medium-duty segments the company’s fleets already know, but swap diesel power for latest PACCAR ePowertrain, with up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of torque available at 0 rpm. That big motor draws power from a variety of LFP battery packs and be fitted with ePTO options rated for either 25 kW (two-battery option) or 150 kW (three-battery option), making them suitable for that can be sized for daily delivery routes, urban utility work, and municipal fleets looking to cut both emissions and maintenance costs.
What’s more, the new Peterbilt’s flexible architecture allows for integration with existing PACCAR suspension bits to make 4×2 and 6×4 configurations, and any wheelbase of 163 inches or longer, and up to 82,000 lbs. gross combined weight ratings possible.
“[The new trucks are] optimized for the demands of the medium duty segment, the next generation of Peterbilt electric vehicles deliver excellent efficiency, rapid charging and versatile configurations elevating customer productivity across a wide range of applications,” said Erik Johnson, Peterbilt assistant general manager, Sales & Marketing.
In addition to all those goodies, the PACCAR EV tech continues to be top-notch, with the previously-mentioned 350 kW charging, regenerative braking, and industry-leading ergonomics.
Peterbilt’s new MDEVs ship with a blue accented crown and grille for a distinctive exterior look, as well as EV-exclusive panels on the side of the hood. The interior design features laser-etched trim panels on the EV-exclusive Magneto Gray interior, just in case the driver in the quiet, smooth, and stink-free cabin forgets they’re in an electric truck.
Electrek’s Take
Ignore the headlines. The death of the commercial EV market simply hasn’t happened, and won’t happen any time soon.
If you believe the engineers and analysts at MAN Trucks and Orange EV (and, you should), an EV like this can pay for itself in reduced fuel and maintenance costs even without incentives, then you should already know what I’m about to say: the future of trucking is 100% electric.
SOURCE | IMAGES: PACCAR.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you 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. It has 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 share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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