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After just over six months on the road, two Teslas have driven around the world powered by electricity – including an entire family, with 3 young children, in a Tesla Model 3. But for one of the drivers it’s nothing new, as this was actually his fourth round-the-world trip in an EV – the first being way back in 2012.

80edays is the brainchild of Rafael de Mestre, the aforementioned owner who just finished his fourth round-the-world journey in an EV.

It started in 2012, when he heard about a pair of engineers navigating around the world in a Citroen C-Zero, a rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV, one of the early EVs of the modern era. de Mestre, however, owned a Tesla Roadster, the car that jump-started the modern EV moment, and thought there’s no way he was going to let a Citroen be the first around the world.

So, off he set in a self-declared “race” against the other team, wanting to beat them and be the first. After plenty of trials and drama, in a time when there were scarce public charging locations to be found even in advanced nations, and before Supercharging existed, de Mestre ended up winning the race and becoming the first to complete an electric circumnavigation of the globe. You can still find his driving and charging route here.

Despite the lack of infrastructure for his first race, and still-lacking infrastructure in many parts of the globe since, de Mestre likes to say “wherever there is light burning, you can find a charge” – and he carries a comically-crowded trunk full of custom charge adapters to make sure he can do this anywhere around the globe.

Since then, de Mestre has achieved the feat multiple times, often recruiting teams to go with him. In 2016, the trip included 9 Teslas, 1 Denza (a BYD/Daimler joint brand) and a Hungarian-made electric bus – though de Mestre drove a much more comfortable Tesla Model S that time, rather than his tiny Roadster.

A photo with all the teams from 2016 in China

In 2022, he set off again in his Roadster, and we caught up with him as he passed through California. This journey was notable for including what de Mestre believes is the first zero-emission transatlantic trip by car, as he shipped the Roadster in the cargo hold of a wind-powered cargo ship, which barely fit due to the car’s exceptionally small size.

And in 2024, he and a Czech family – Zdenek, Hanna, Max (11), Damian (8) and Laura (6) Martinek – took their Model S and Model 3, respectively, around the world. They started on April 24 of this year, and finished on November 3 under the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona – where de Mestre, who was born in Catalunya, has always started and ended his trips.

They were joined at times by other drivers who took on parts of the route, like a Kia Niro which joined to Morocco, but these two cars were the only finishers of the entire circumnavigation.

The “guest” Kia Niro joined the trip to Morocco

The most significant achievement of this trip was the inclusion of an entire family of five this time, all within a single Tesla Model 3. In 2016 a father and his adult daughter finished the trip, but there hadn’t been any full families or children on previous instances of 80edays until now. The trip set an Official World Record for first round-the-world trip in an electric car by a family, and longest trip in an electric car in a family.

The Martineks’ Model 3. The cargo box attaches to the tow hitch, which is available on EU-spec Model 3s

Now, the Model 3 is a fine-sized car, with plenty of room for five passengers and impressive cargo space for a mid-size sedan… but then add all of their stuff, and send them around the world, and it’s quite impressive that that was all possible in a single normal-sized car. The car used an additional cargo box attached to the tow hitch, but this was lost due to border difficulties in China, so the family had to manage with just the car’s default cargo space (so much for the Americans who think their chihuahua needs an entire third row for itself…)

The group was in New Jersey for the 4th of July this year

de Mestre also set a record for longest-driven trip in an electric car, at 42,015km, crossing 36 countries along the way. And each of his EVs have now done two trips around the world, seemingly the only two EVs to have done not just one, but multiple circumnavigations. The latter of which, the Model S, started the trip with over 600,000km (372k miles) on the odometer.

The Teslas return home to the Tesla factory in Fremont, CA

Along the way, the group met with local Tesla clubs in many areas, and with friends around the world from previous trips de Mestre has taken. They also gave presentations about EV driving in some places that are a little more off the beaten path, particularly central Asia.

On this trip, we also caught up with the crew briefly for lunch when they passed through Los Angeles and gave them a quick ride in a Waymo, which was everyone’s first time in a truly driverless vehicle and inspired some fun reactions from the kids. (Read more about a tougher test we gave Waymo on a chaotic Venice Beach weekend here)

de Mestre’s Model S when we met up with him in Los Angeles

The group was in good spirits at the time, but was about to hit the lowest point of the trip – significant difficulties with both shipping and customs getting the cars to China. Due to customs, they had to give up a lot of their luggage, including the Model 3’s external cargo holder. One of de Mestre’s repeated goals with this project is to create a more open world, with fewer borders, and freer movement and more cooperation across them, after experiencing so much frustration during his various trips.

Central Asia proved the most challenging part of the trip

Between these troubles and the international nature of climate change, de Mestre has largely decided that borders are a roadblock to solving many of the world’s problems. When two countries are polluting across borders, rather than working together to solve the problem, what will often happen is that each one blames the other and does nothing to improve the situation – all the while, the global problem continues, and everyone is worse off for it. Cooperation is the answer, not isolation.

Visiting a tree planted in Andorra during a previous 80edays trip

And speaking of climate change: on the same day the group finished their trip in Barcelona, the city felt the devastating effects of climate-affected storms which have been hammering Spain’s eastern coast recently, and came to Barcelona yesterday with floods that have disrupted transportation and have killed hundreds in the region over the past week. Not only were these storms made more common by climate change, but their intensity was increased, with more precipitation which overloads infrastructure that was built for a more normal climate, which we as humans are rapidly moving away from due to the combustion of fossil fuels.

Which puts a point on this whole exercise: despite that this is obviously an unnecessary, fun thing to do, it’s still making some important symbolic points. We have cleaner transportation options available to us today, and we are only making them harder to implement by putting up borders and reducing cooperation between nations. de Mestre and the Martineks have shown us all, once again, that there are better options available to us – we need only start taking them.

And finally, I’ll ask the same question I’ve been asking since 2012, with more and more evidence building every day: Who says you can’t roadtrip in an EV?

You can learn more about the trip and see pics & vids on instagram at @80edays_official, find Zdenek and his family at @tesloukolemsveta (mostly in Czech language), or support the project (which had significant cost overruns due to border processing issues) through Rafael’s Patreon. There’s a writeup of the trip here, and more info on 80edays’ website.

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Podcast: New Tesla Model Y unveil, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, more

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January 10, 2025

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Podcast: New Tesla Model Y unveil, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, more

electrek podcast

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

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BYD’s new Han L EV just leaked in China and it’s a monster

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January 10, 2025

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BYD's new Han L EV just leaked in China and it's a monster

BYD-Han-L-EV

The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.

What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far

We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.

BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.

The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.

BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.

BYD-Han-L-EV
BYD Han L EV (Source: China MIIT)

To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).

BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.

BYD-Han-L-EV
BYD Han L EV (Source: China MIIT)

At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).

Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.

Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT

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Tenways’ new chain-drive CGO600 Pro e-bike returns to $1,399 low, ALLPOWERS New Year sale, Camplux water heater lows, Anker, more

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January 10, 2025

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Tenways' new chain-drive CGO600 Pro e-bike returns to ,399 low, ALLPOWERS New Year sale, Camplux water heater lows, Anker, more

Today’s Green Deals are closing out the week by headlining Tenways’ new 8-speed CGO600 Pro e-bike that is getting $118 in free gear while down at its $1,399 low during the brand’s New Year sale, with the other models seeing similar offers. We also have New Year savings from ALLPOWERS across a collection of power stations and bundle packages, with bonus gifts and extra 10% off promotions – all starting from $89. For folks struggling to enjoy shower time, Camplux’s 18kW and 27kW Electric Tankless Water Heaters sitting at their lowest rates from $240 for the time being. We also spotted a further drop in price on Anker’s SOLIX C200 DC 60,000mAh Power Bank Station to its all-time low of $100 too. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals can be found in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s phase 2 of EcoFlow’s New Year sale, the $1,000 in savings on LG’s all-in-one washer/dryer combo, 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.

Tenways returns new 8-speed CGO600 Pro e-bike with free gear to $1,399 low in New Year sale ($500 off)

Tenways is wishing folks a happy 2025 by launching a New Year flash sale that is bringing back some Black Friday pricing while the month is still fresh, complete with price cuts and extra savings in promo code form. The most notable model benefitting from this sale is the new CGO600 Pro 8-speed chain-drive e-bike for $1,399 shipped, after using the promo code HAPPY2025TW at checkout to save the extra $200. This new model was released back in October carrying a $1,899 price tag, which cut down costs in the brand’s Black Friday and Christmas sales – first to the $1,399 low, next to $1,599. That same low price is returning again today for the second time, saving you $500. Tenways’ more veteran belt-drive CGO600 Pro e-bike is also down at $1,399 shipped, after using the promo code, its second-lowest rate sitting $100 above its Black Friday low. There are also extra savings for medical providers, military members, first responders, and teachers, with verification slashing an additional $150 off your purchase.

Ideal for folks who enjoy active cycling but also want the option for electric support, Tenways’ CGO600 Pro e-bike weighs in at just 37 pounds, making it very manageable in urban environments. You won’t find any throttle on this model, as the cut-down weight partly comes from the smaller 350W rear hub motor and 360Wh battery, which still provide significant support via four PAS levels (activated with a torque sensor) that cover your efforts for up to 53 miles on one charge, topping out at 20 MPH speeds.

As stated before, Tenways offers two drivetrain options for the CGO600 Pro e-bikes – either the Gates carbon belt drive for quieter operations or the new 8-speed Shimano drivetrain (which also gets the brand’s newest motor too). Aside from those big differences, you’ll enjoy the same features elsewhere on the bikes, with internally routed cables for a streamlined look, LED lighting, puncture-proof tires, Tektro dual-piston hydraulic brakes, and a compact OLED display for controls. You’ll also be getting $118 in free gear in the form of lightweight mudguards and a kickstand.

***Note: The prices below have had the additional $200 promo code factored in – but be sure to use it (HAPPY2025TW) at checkout to maximize savings!

Tenways New Year flash sale e-bike discounts:

  • CGO800S Step-Thru Commuter e-bike: $1,599 (Reg. $1,999)
    • 20 MPH for up to 53 miles
    • Turn-signaling and color display
    • comes with $227 in free gear
  • AGO X Step-Over Urban e-bike: $1,799 (Reg. $2,499)
    • 20 MPH for up to 62 miles
    • Shimano 10-speed drivetrain
    • comes with $307 in free gear
  • AGO T Step-Thru Premium e-bike: $2,499 (Reg. $2,699)
    • 20 MPH for up to 62 miles
    • Enviolo stepless shifting hub
    • comes with $178 in free gear
ALLPOWERS New Year power station sale

ALLPOWERS is helping folks prep for the rest of the year with its New Year sale through January 26 that is taking up to 48% off its backup power units, with orders also getting an additional 10% struck from the price thanks to the promo code AF2025 being used at checkout, as well as some bonus gifts. One of the brand’s best-selling solar generator packages, the R2500 Portable Power Station paired with a 200W solar panel has been dropped to $1,043.10 shipped, after using the promo code AF2025 at checkout for the additional 10% in savings. This combination would normally cost you $1,599 at full price, with this sale dropping it lower than we’ve ever seen direct from ALLPOWERS. While we have seen it go lower at third-party dealers over on Amazon, this is still a solid $556 in savings, dropping it amongst the lowest tracked rates there.

As we’ve seen with similar sales, aside from the 10% off promo code for your total order, ALLPOWERS is also giving away free gifts at certain thresholds while its New Year sale continues. You’ll receive a free 100W solar panel on orders over $1,800 or a free 200W solar panel on orders over $2,800.

Ready to cover your trips out of the home or even support appliances through blackouts, ALLPOWERS’ R2500 power station offers a 2,016Wh LiFePO4 capacity housed within a streamlined formfactor. It’s capable of power output up to 2,500W regularly through its 14 port options, able to peak up to 4,000W for larger appliance needs. There are four ways to recharge the unit’s own battery, with an AC wall outlet taking 1.3 hours to refill its capacity, or you can solar charge in 2 hours with its maximum 1,000W solar input connected. That timeframe can be cut down further to just one hour if you take advantage of its dual AC and solar capabilities, or you can hook it up to your car when you’re in a bind to fill it by the other means.

***Note: The additional 10% in savings has not been factored into the prices below, as the discount takes the percentage off your cart’s entire order – don’t forget to use the code AF2025 for the best prices!

ALLPOWERS best-selling New Year sale bundles:

ALLPOWERS best New Year sale power bank/station deals:

ALLPOWERS best New Year sale expansion power deals:

ALLPOWERS best New Year sale solar generator bundles:

ALLPOWERS New Year sale add-on deals:

Camplux electric tankless water heaters

Keep it steamy with Camplux’s 18kW and 27kW electric tankless water heaters at lowest prices from $240

Through its official Amazon storefront, Camplux is offering its 18kW Electric Tankless Water Heater at $239.99 shipped. This unit would normally cost you $350 at full price, with discounts often keeping prices above $280, aside from the one previous drop to the $240 low at the end of summer. Today’s deal is cutting $110 off the going rate, giving you a second chance at the lowest price we have tracked.

Nothing beats a nice hot shower, especially in the middle of winter. Camplux’s 18kW unit not only ensures things stay steamy, but its compact form factor ensures far less space is taken up compared to traditional water heaters. Once installed, according to Camplux, you won’t have to “wait more than 3 seconds to get plenty of hot water,” with the fast-heating low-consumption heating rods boasting “efficiency up to 99.8% and saving 60% water heating costs for your home.” There are plenty of safety protections built right in, like against overheating, anti-dry heating, water-electricity separation, and more. Do keep in mind though that it requires a minimum 0.66GPM water flow to activate, as well as two double-pole 40A breakers, a wire gauge of 2 x 8 AWG, and a 3/4-inch NPT connection.

Of course, depending on your home’s size and the number of people expected to use the shower, or even how many water sources will be supplied from the unit, you may want to consider something bigger. Right now, you can instead grab the Camplux 27kW model down at a new low of $259.99, a drop from its usual $450. Not only does it promise round the clock hot water delivery, but it’s also rated for multiple points of use over small models.

Anker SOLIX C200 DC power bank station

Anker’s new SOLIX C200 DC 60,000mAh power bank station falls to $100 low

Anker’s official Amazon storefront is offering a return to the best rate on its latest SOLIX C200 DC 60,000mAh Power Bank Station going for $99.99 shipped. Normally this newer model would run you $170 at its full rate, which has seen a few discounts since releasing a few months ago, the biggest of which saw a drop to the $100 low with Cyber Monday savings. With this deal coming in today, you’re getting another shot at its Cyber Monday pricing, saving you $70 as it returns to the lowest price we have tracked. It even beats out Anker’s direct website right now, where it is priced at $110.

Anker’s SOLIX C200 DC power bank station is a smaller and more compact version of the brand’s new C300 DC and AC models, coming in with a slightly smaller 60,000mAh/192Wh LiFePO4 capacity. It delivers up to 300W of output power to your devices through its five port options (two USB-As, one 140W USB-C, one 15W USB-C, one car port). You can refill the units own battery via three ways, with its 140W USB-C port giving you an 80% charge in 1.3 hours through a wall outlet, or you can utilize up to 100W of solar input or the car port for 80% in 1.6 hours.

You’ll also find the larger 90,000mAh C300 DC and C300 AC models matching their direct Anker discounts at Amazon for $180 and $200 at the moment. Not only are you getting the expanded 90,000mAh LiFePO4 capacity here, but they also come sporting different variations of built-in lights for camping trips. You can get the full rundown on its other capabilities in our launch coverage here.

Best New Year e-bike 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.

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