Connect with us

Published

1 year ago

on

When I recently took a trip to China to see the world of electric micromobility, I was greeted with a wide range of personal electric vehicles. From e-bikes to e-scooters and even e-dirt bikes, I saw it all. But one of the most interesting examples, and clearly the most divergent from our own vehicles in the West, was what I saw while touring Wuzheng’s electric three-wheeler factory.

I know, I know. This isn’t what most of us think of when we hear the words “farm truck.” Trust me, I get it. I spent the first couple decades of my life in the southeastern US, a good ol’ southern boy. I grew up running through cornfields, barrel racing, and taking dates to watch the tractor pulls and demolition derbies at the county fair. In other words, I know rural living and what it means to work with your hands as a way of life. My current truck may be far from the typical work truck you’ll see on most farms and ranches, but I get it.

And so, while taking the bullet trains that cut through extremely rural areas of China, I was amazed to see both sights I recognized well and things that were completely new to most Westerners. At the end of the day, farmers are farmers. Their farmers may swap out our worn-out ball caps for their wider conical straw hats, but they put in the same long days in the fields that we do. More interesting to me though, was what they were using instead of our work trucks.

In the vast landscapes of rural China, electric three-wheeled vehicles seem to have become an indispensable part of daily life for farmers and workers. There, these vehicles are valued for their affordability, versatility, and efficiency.

Farmers use these electric trikes for a wide range of tasks, from transporting their harvests to local markets, to carrying fertilizers, tools, and crops across their fields.

The compact size and robust design of these vehicles make them ideal for steering around the narrow and often unpaved rural roads that characterize much of China’s countryside – places larger trucks would struggle to navigate. And without the need to buy or store expensive diesel, they can charge them up cheaply anywhere they can run an extension cord.

To see how these types of electric three-wheeler farm trucks are built, I went to visit the factory of one of the largest three-wheeler producers in the country, Wuzheng.

The company knows a thing or two about farm equipment. They’ve been building gas and diesel tractors and farm equipment since 1984, with their first combustion engine three-wheeler coming out around that time. They’ve since switched their three-wheelers over to electric drive, which makes them more reliable and requires less maintenance. Plus, they cost significantly less to own and operate with the reduced maintenance and lower fuel costs of electric vehicles. That reduced cost of ownership is a major reason I saw so many electric three-wheelers all over rural China and used on almost every farm I passed through.

One of the key reasons for the widespread adoption of electric three-wheelers among rural Chinese communities is their cost-effectiveness. Traditional vehicles like tractors or trucks are often prohibitively expensive for small-scale farmers and rural workers. In contrast, electric trikes are significantly cheaper to purchase and maintain. Additionally, the cost of electricity used to charge these vehicles is substantially lower than that of gasoline or diesel, making them an economically sustainable option for daily use. This affordability extends the mobility and operational range of rural workers, enabling them to transport heavier loads over longer distances with minimal expense.

The design is also optimized for daily work. The bed is lower than a typical pickup truck bed, making it easier to load, especially over the long side rails. The three-wheelers usually have tailgates and side gates, allowing them to convert into flat-bed trucks in seconds. The bed almost always tilts, turning them into dump trucks when necessary.

Visiting Wuzheng’s factory gave me a lot of insight into how the company is able to produce hundreds of thousands of these electric three-wheelers every year.

At this single factory, just one of many in Wuzheng’s sprawling grounds, there were a pair of assembly lines running side-by-side. Both lines cranked out electric three-wheelers, with one producing open-top variants and the other producing models with fully enclosed cabs.

Both styles are popular for different use cases, and the underlying frame and components are largely the same. To create both, the company begins with the raw materials in another massive warehouse next door. There, giant spools of steel sheets are cut and stamped into the sheet metal panels surrounding the vehicle.

At the same time, steel tubes are cut, formed, and welded into the frame and subassemblies of the three-wheelers.

The jobs are done mostly manually, with different workers specializing in different aspects, from manning the cutting and forming machines to welding the individual frame members and cab panels. Unlike some other factories we’ve seen with increased levels of automation, the process seems to be completed largely with human workers instead of robotics. As automation is still sweeping across the Chinese manufacturing industry, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more robotic operations added in the coming years.

From there, the frames and bodies are passed on to the coating and painting stage, where they begin to take on their recognizable forms.

The bare chassis almost resembles what we’d consider a ‘normal’ truck body, and it’s not until that single front wheel is added that the trike character shines through.

And that’s exactly what comes next, as those chassis move on to the assembly lines. Here is where they turn from a pile of parts into fully-functional work vehicles.

A series of stations equipped with gantry cranes lower major sections of the vehicles into place as workers manually mount the components.

From there, the vehicles are finished with Wuzheng’s branding and then driven right off the end of the assembly line into the staging yard ahead of final testing and loading onto trucks to distribute them across the country.

Wuzheng has hundreds of dealers spread around the country, and as one of the largest electric three-wheeler makers, sells hundreds of thousands of these machines every year.

But before two different styles of the company’s machines could make it onto a truck for delivery, I got the chance to borrow them for a few minutes and have my own joyride around the complex.

The first model I tested was an open-top variety, which represents the majority of electric three-wheelers you see in rural areas of China. It’s also the most cost-effective, since you don’t have the extra expense and complexity of an enclosed cab.

Without doors, it’s easy to hop on and off repeatedly, which you very well may be doing as you ride around fields and tend to any number of tasks.

These are usually rated for carrying many hundreds of kilograms and sometimes even over a metric ton (2,200 pounds). Riding around with an empty bed was obviously not taxing the machine, so I asked several of the company’s employees to hop aboard with me. Even with four adult men (or three adult men and one man-child journalist), the performance was unchanged.

And that make sense, since it’s common to see these electric three-wheelers loaded high with heavy cargo such as farm crops, or used for delivering bulk products like cases of heavy bottled drinks. They regularly carry hundreds of kilograms of goods, and so they’re built with torquey electric motors to handle that load.

Next, I hopped into an enclosed vehicle. This time, the cab included doors and a weather-sealed interior. Interestingly, the handlebars for the single front wheel were replaced by a steering wheel. Since you couldn’t see the single wheel in front of you, it really felt more like a standard four-wheeled vehicle from the inside.

Again, the power was more than sufficient, and it handled quite nicely. Neither machine had a particularly sophisticated suspension setup, but they were perfectly fine for riding around the bumpy complex we were touring.

The enclosed version obviously offers a big advantage during inclement weather, allowing riders to stay dry during rain or even use air-conditioning during hot summers.

The main question most people are probably wondering about is stability. We all know that three-wheelers aren’t as stable as four-wheelers, so what about tip-overs?

I can tell you that from testing the vehicles myself and doing parking lot donuts, I never felt like I had any issues with rollover. The machines put their heavy batteries low on the chassis, and the motor is mounted even lower on the axle.

That means the machine’s center of gravity is so low that you’d probably have to hit a hairpin turn at speeds faster than these are capable of to actually roll one.

This isn’t like the electric tricycle e-bikes I often cover, which can easily lift a wheel in sharp turns. For those, you’ve got a rider that weighs more than the machine sitting high up above the centerline axis. With these Chinese farm trucks, your rider is a small fraction of the total vehicle weight, which is designed to keep a super low center of gravity and optimize stability. When the majority of your weight is axle height, tipping the vehicle over is quite a chore.

Visiting Wuzheng’s factory and experiencing this style of work vehicle firsthand was an eye-opening experience. Electric three-wheeled vehicles like these have become a crucial tool for Chinese farmers and rural workers due to their affordability, efficiency, environmental benefits, and practicality.

As rural China continues to modernize and seek sustainable development, these vehicles will likely remain a cornerstone of daily life, facilitating agricultural productivity and improving the quality of life for millions of people across the countryside. With prices starting at less than the equivalent of a thousand US dollars, these vehicles are a much more affordable and accessible option for average working families.

And just because they aren’t shaped like the farm trucks we’re used to, doesn’t mean they don’t move the same bales of hale or bushels of corn. They just do it with fewer wheels on the ground and more wind in your hair.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Environment

EcoFlow’s Halloween Sale adds Monthly Madness promotions with up to 65% discounts, extra savings, 3x EcoCredits from $249, more

Published

1 hour ago

on

October 30, 2025

By

EcoFlow's Halloween Sale adds Monthly Madness promotions with up to 65% discounts, extra savings, 3x EcoCredits from 9, more


Our Green Deals today is being headlined by EcoFlow’s switched-up Halloween Sale with Monthly Madness promotions lasting only for the next two days with up to 65% discounts, bonus savings, 3x EcoCredit rewards, and more. Among the expanded lineup, we spotted the brand’s new DELTA 3 Max Portable Power Station coming with a FREE trolley at a new $721 low. Speaking of switched-up sales, Rad Power Bikes has not only extended its Haul-o-ween Sale, but is also offering up to $200 discounts/bundles on select e-bikes alongside some extra savings on e-bikes and accessories – all starting from $89. We also have Autel’s MaxiCharger Home 50A Level 2 EV Chargers in either a wood grain or blue colorway at $404, as well as a one-day-only snow shovel deal, and many soon-to-end deals on power stations waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals from last week that are collected together at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s exclusive camping-ready Bluetti power station deals, the new low on Heybike’s Tyson Uni-body e-bike, 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 has switched up its ongoing Halloween Sale to include its Monthly Madness promotions for the last two days of October, complete with a bonus 5% sitewide savings code, a free gift promotion with orders over $1,000, member-only deals (sign-up is free), 3x EcoCredit rewards, and the chance to cash them in for additional savings. Among the expanded lineup, as well as the member-only deals, you can find the brand’s new DELTA 3 Max Portable Power Station with a FREE trolley at $721.05 shipped, after using the code 25EFHWAFF at checkout, which beats its Amazon pricing by $78. This is one of the brand’s latest releases that hit the market at the end of September carrying a $1,499 MSRP, which we saw taken down to $759 with the launch savings while spending most of the time at $799 over at Amazon. Now, for the next two days, you’re getting even more savings as a total $778 is cut from the tag, landing it $38 under our previous mention at a new all-time low price. Head below for more on this new backup power solution and the expanded lineup of deals.

Upgraded from the DELTA 3 Classic model, EcoFlow’s new DELTA 3 Max power station starts improvements with a doubled 2,048Wh LiFePO4 capacity over its predecessor, which you can expand up to 10,240Wh by using extra batteries for the DELTA 3, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, or DELTA 2, giving it a nice array of modular versatility. It produces up to 2,400W of power output (surging up to 3,400W) to devices connected to any of its nine port options, broken down into four ACs, three USB-Cs, one USB-A, and one car port. It brings four ways to recharge its own battery, with a standard AC outlet taking 68 minutes to reach 80%, which is how long a gas generator would also take, while utilizing its max 500W solar input can get you back to 80% in 3.43 hours of sunlight, and also benefits from the brand’s alternator charger.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

***Note: The prices for this Halloween Monthly Madness Sale below have not had the extra 5% savings factored in (which doesn’t work with select offers like the flash sale items), so be sure to use the code 25EFHWAFF at checkout to score the best deal!

EcoFlow’s Halloween Monthly Madness member-only deals:

EcoFlow’s Halloween Monthly Madness power beast deals:

EcoFlow’s Halloween Monthly Madness wicked watts deals:

EcoFlow’s Halloween Monthly Madness Sale also has a promotion that gives you a 15% bonus savings when buying any two add-on accessories, which you can view at the bottom of the main sale’s page here.

man and woman riding Rad Power RadRover 6 Plus e-bikes through forest

Rad Power has both extended and condensed its Haul-o-ween Sale, with one e-bike seeing a $200 discount, while the brand’s RadWagons get a FREE accessory of up to a $200 value – plus, a bonus 15% discount on select models and gear for military, first responders, teachers, and other qualified GOVX members. During this sale, we’re seeing the continuance of the brand’s RadRover 6 Plus Step-Thru Fat-Tire e-bike at $1,399 shipped. This is a popular multi-terrain commuter that normally goes for $1,599 in full, though we’ve regularly seen it dropped down between $1,399 and $1,299, with some falls to $1,199 earlier in the year before tariffs began stiffening up the market. For only a handful of days more, you can jump on it for your needs with $200 cut from the price tag at the third-lowest rate we have tracked to date.

If you want to learn more about the RadRover 6 Plus, or browse the full lineup of deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this extended sale here.

man charging EV with Autel wood grain MaxiCharger Home 50A Ev charger

Save $165 on Autel’s stylish MaxiCharger Home 50A level 2 EV chargers in wood or blue colorways at $404

Autel’s official Amazon storefront is offering its MaxiCharger Home Level 2 50A EV Charger, in either a Wood Grain or the Prime-exclusive Sierra Blue colorway, at $403.75 shipped. Both of these normally go for $569 in full, with the Sierra Blue colorway spending far more time at that rate than the Wood Grain variant, which saw discounts to $455, $425, and a one-time appearance of its $399 low back in January, whereas the Sierra Blue’s $399 low was last seen in 2024. You’re looking at a $165 markdown on these two colorful charging solutions, which lands them both at the second-best prices we have tracked, though this is an annual low for the Sierra Blue model in particular.

If you want to learn more about these EV chargers, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

man uses Greenworks 80V 12-inch snow shovel in front of home

Get the 80V Greenworks 12-inch snow shovel with a 2.0Ah battery and rapid charger at $250 for today only

As part of its Deals of the Day, and following right behind yesterday’s one-day snow blower deal, Best Buy is now offering the Greenworks 80V 12-inch Cordless Brushless Snow Shovel with a 2.0Ah battery and rapid charger at $249.99 shipped, which also matches Amazon’s pricing. Normally going for $350 in full here, as well as directly from Greenworks’ website, where it is currently priced, it’s been regularly seen instead down between $300 and $275 over 2025. While we have seen it go lower in the past, for the rest of the day, you’re looking at a $100 markdown that lands it amongst the lowest prices we’ve seen from Best Buy, letting you bulk up your arsenal to tackle snow-clearing needs in the upcoming months.

If you want to learn more about this snow shovel’s capabilities, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

jackery power stations with spooky pumpkin and bats
woman carries Anker powercore reserve power station towards car near lake

Best Fall 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.


Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google
Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Kia launches a ‘full-scale attack’ as its first EV storms into Japan’s forbidden land

Published

2 hours ago

on

October 30, 2025

By

Kia launches a 'full-scale attack' as its first EV storms into Japan's forbidden land

Kia-first-EV-Japan

Kia is officially entering the forbidden land after unveiling its first vehicle in Japan. The PV5 will spearhead Kia’s “full-scale attack” on the Japanese market as it looks to take on Toyota, Honda, and Nissan on their home turf.

Kia launches its first EV in Japan, the PV5

At the Japan Mobility Show on Wednesday, Kia declared its foray into the Japanese market. The PV5, Kia’s first electric van, will serve as a vanguard as it looks to break into Japan’s auto market.

Domestic automakers like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan account for about 90% of new car sales in Japan, making it nearly impossible for foreign automakers to compete.

Kia sees an opportunity to capitalize on Japanese brands that have been slow to transition to EVs, focusing on hybrids instead.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

After unveiling the PV5 in Japan for the first time, Kia said it’s launching a “full-scale attack” on the Japanese EV van market. Kia said the decision comes as demand for EV vans and other electric vehicles is expected to pick up, driven by the Japanese government’s policy to convert 30% of new car sales to EVs by 2030.

Sang Dae Kim alongside the Kia PV5 Passenger (Source: Kia)

Last year, Kia signed a contract with Sojitz, a leading trading company in Japan, to sell electric vans in the country.

Kia and Sojitz are establishing a new business, “Kia PBV Japan,” to establish a local distribution network across the region.

Kia-first-EV-Japan
Kia PV5 display at the Japan Mobility Show (Source: Kia)

Over the next year, Kia plans to add eight dealers and 100 service centers. Kia will launch the PV5 Passenger and Cargo models in Japan in 2026, but more variants are set to follow shortly after. The PV5 WAV, a wheelchair accessible version, and the larger PV7 will arrive in 2027.

Kia-first-EV-Japan
Kia PV5 Passenger (left) and Cargo (right) Source: Kia

“Kia’s entry into Japan is significant in that it goes beyond simply launching new cars and introduces a new form of mobility to Japanese society,” Sang Dae Kim, head of Kia’s PBV business, said.

The PV5 is already rolling out across Europe and South Korea, but Kia has much bigger plans. In addition to Japan, Kia plans to launch the PV5 in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa in 2026.

By the end of the decade, the company aims to sell 250,000 electric vans a year. Japan is expected to be a key market with limited electric solutions in the commercial space. Kia said the PV5 can “also address social issues such as increased logistics, labor shortages, and regional transportation gaps.”


Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google
Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Toyota’s solid-state EV battery dreams might actually come true

Published

4 hours ago

on

October 30, 2025

By

Toyota's solid-state EV battery dreams might actually come true

Toyota-solid-state-battery-EV

Toyota is still on track to launch its first solid-state battery-powered vehicle within the next two to three years. An executive confirmed Toyota’s timeline at the Tokyo Motor Show this week.

Toyota’s first solid-state battery-powered EV is on track

Earlier this month, Toyota said it aims to “achieve the world’s first practical use of all-solid-state batteries in BEVs” after securing a new partnership with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. to mass-produce the new battery tech.

Toyota has been hyping up solid-state batteries for nearly a decade. It was initially planning to launch them in 2020, but the launch was pushed back to 2023, then to 2026. The new tech is still a few years away, but Toyota insists it will become a reality.

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Keiji Kaita, president of Toyota’s Carbon Neutral Advanced Engineering Development Center, confirmed it’s “sticking on the schedule” to introduce its first solid-state battery-powered EV by 2028.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Kaita added that solid-state batteries are “very important in the future,” promising to nearly triple driving range while cutting charging time in half.

Toyota-solid-state-battery-EV
Toyota CEO Koji Sato reveals the Corolla Concept at the Japan Mobility Show (Source: Toyota)

“For the all-solid-state battery, the characteristic is high power, compact, and long range,” Toyota’s executive explained at the event (via Autocar).

However, as to which vehicle it will debut in first, remains a mystery. “Whether it will be a Lexus or Toyota, we will leave that to your imagination,” Kaita said.

Toyota-Corolla-EV
The Toyota Corolla EV Concept (Source: Toyota)

While solid-state batteries offer the potential for drastic improvements in driving range, charging time, and output, Toyota said they will also reduce emissions with less environmental impact.

“We will try to reduce the carbon footprint, and the key here is reducing the CO2 output in the process of manufacturing the material. But the most important thing is producing a battery whose life is longer,” Kaita explained at the event.

Toyota-solid-state-battery-EV
Toyota EV battery roadmap (Source: Toyota)

According to Hiroki Nakajima, Toyota’s chief technical officer, solid-state batteries could, “technically speaking,” be used in its current EV platform. However, the tech is better suited for a dedicated platform.

Toyota recently revealed a solid-state battery pack prototype, claiming it can deliver 745 miles of range (1,200 km) and charge in under 10 minutes.

To make it a reality, Toyota is partnering with several major Japanese firms, including Idemitsu Kosan, to mass-produce solid-state EV batteries.

Toyota-solid-state-battery-EV
Idemitsu’s value chain for solid electrolytes used in all-solid-state EV batteries (Source: Idemitsu)

Idemitsu announced plans earlier this year to build a large-scale production plant for lithium sulfide, a key raw material used in all-solid-state EV batteries. Once complete, the facility will be capable of producing 1,000 metric tons of lithium sulfide annually. Idemitsu aims to begin mass-producing all-solid-state batteries in 2027.

The partnership is part of Japan’s broader strategy to wean itself off of China and South Korea to establish a domestic supply of EV batteries.

Toyota-first-all-solid-state-EV
Toyota-first-all-solid-state-EV

Toyota is one of a few companies investing a combined 1 trillion yen ($7 billion) to build electric vehicle batteries in Japan.

To maximize range and efficiency, Toyota plans to reduce the height of the battery housed under the vehicle to 120 mm. In high-performance EVs, it could be reduced to as low as 100 mm. Toyota previewed the design in the Corolla Concept, which debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show on Wednesday.

Electrek’s Take

Toyota has been making bold claims about solid-state EV batteries for nearly a decade now. Will it finally bring the new battery tech to market?

Toyota insists it’s still on track to launch them in 2027 or 2028, but how many times have we heard this before? Until we see prototypes out for testing and real-life results, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Meanwhile, others are already testing solid-state batteries on the road. Mercedes announced that it put “the first car powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the road” in February. And then, just last month, Mercedes drove an EQS equipped with solid-state batteries for nearly 750 miles (1,205 km).

Mercedes also considers solid-state batteries to be a “game-changer” for electric vehicles. It plans to put the battery tech into series production by the end of the decade.

Nissan also recently took a big step toward commercializing all-solid-state EV batteries after prototype cells reached performance targets set for mass production

CATL and BYD, which account for over half of global EV battery sales, plan to introduce solid-state batteries around 2027, with mass production closer to 2030.

In August, SAIC MG claimed the new MG4 was “the world’s first mass-produced semi-solid-state” electric vehicle to hit the market.

If Toyota wants to be among the first, it had better get moving.


Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google
Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending