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Normally I’d say that alcohol and vehicles don’t mix – but in this case I think we’ve found a nice compromise. With a sober driver and a gaggle of tipsy riders in back, this 7-seater electric beer bike might be one of the weirdest ways to get your brew on. And since I found it on my favorite collection of ridiculous EVs on the internet, it’s a great addition as this week’s Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week.

What’s not to like here?!

Built on what appears to be a steel buggy frame, there’s a driver’s bench up front and space for drunk tourists in the rear.

Four of the six victims passengers get a set of bicycle pedals so that they can pretend they’re actually doing something productive while day drinking, and the last two can enjoy the comfort of a hard plastic bench seat to pass out on. At least the driver’s bench has some foam in it, but that rear bench looks like it’s made out of airplane tray tables.

I’ve got a sneaky suspicion those pedals do absolutely nothing, though it’d be pretty cool if they were actually connected to the drivetrain.

The real power comes from a 3,500W motor on the rear axle. It’s not huge, but this isn’t a particularly fast vehicle either. It only gets up to 25 km/h (15 mph), but the world goes by pretty quickly when you’re day drunk with a reaction time that can be measured in seconds.

The electric beer bike runs on a 48V system and has a massive 400Ah battery, meaning you’ve got a freaking 20 kWh battery! I think this beer bike might have more range than a Nissan Leaf!

It’s definitely got more beer capacity than a Nissan Leaf, that’s for sure. There are not one but two wooden casks, though I think that one in front might be fake. Something about having a steering wheel passing through it screams “not watertight” to me.

Realistically speaking, that rear keg is probably fake too. I’m not sure where the beer actually comes from, but there are a pair of taps on the world’s smallest (and most mobile) wet bar, so it must come from somewhere. Like manna in the desert, this electric beer bike is ready to roll up and rock your socks off right when the clock hits 5 PM. Or noon. Whatever. You’re on vacation.

I know this thing is probably meant for tourist towns (remember what those were like?) and other events, but I really want to just own one of these as a personal vehicle. Imagine pulling up to work in this. Or using it for an Uber. I really want to see that text message: “Hi Jim, your driver will be arriving shortly. Remember to check the license plate (123456) and the car details (blue Chinese Beer Bike). Have your mask on and enjoy your ride.”

How can that not be a five star ride every time?!

With lights, fenders and even an awning (wouldn’t want you to get sunburned while you’re getting drunk and dehydrated), there’s some nice thought put into this electric beer bike. Check out the short video clip above to see it in action!

I’m not saying this electric beer bike is worth the $6,500 that the vendor is charging for it. But I’ve also been known to buy crazy electric vehicles on Alibaba before, and this is tugging at my heart strings in a dangerous kind of way.

I might just need to become my local beer bike entrepreneur around town. With the right markup, how long can it take to recoup that startup cost?! I mean, I’d be kind of crazy NOT to but it, right? Right. Guys?

I just hope there’s a plan for how to get it home if the battery ever runs out or (more likely) the thing just breaks down. Somehow I don’t see six drunk college students being much help when its time to push 1,300 kg (2,900 pounds) of bike-car.

But at least we’ll have something to drink while we wait for the tow.


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Prosecutors call for 11-year jail sentence for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

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Prosecutors call for 11-year jail sentence for Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Federal prosecutors in New York are urging a judge to sentence Sean “Diddy” Combs to more than 11 years in prison.

Following the hip-hop mogul’s conviction on prostitution-related charges, they also want him to be fined $500,000 (£372,000), according to court filings.

Last week, defence lawyers urged a 14-month sentence. Due to time served, that would enable him to walk free almost immediately – following his arrest in September last year.

But he could, in theory, face up to 20 years in jail after being found guilty of two counts of transportation for engagement in prostitution. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Judge Arun Subramanian, a US district judge, is due to sentence Combs in Manhattan on Friday.

Sean "Diddy" Combs reacts after verdicts are read of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New
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Combs reacts after the verdicts are read in July

During his trial, prosecutors said Combs coerced two of his former girlfriends to take part in what were described as “freak offs”.

He was found guilty of transporting male prostitutes across state lines to take part in those events.

Both women testified that Combs physically attacked them and threatened to cut off financial support if they refused to take part.

However, while jurors believed Combs broke the law over using sex workers, they did not find the sexual encounters involving the women were non-consensual, which is what prosecutors had argued.

Combs was cleared of the more serious charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.

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In a written legal submission, his defence team has detailed “inhumane” conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.

They said the food sometimes contains maggots, that the rapper is routinely subjected to violence, and that he has “not breathed fresh air in nearly 13 months”.

They also said his “career and reputation have been destroyed”.

His legal team said Combs had been “adequately punished” already, was sober “for the first time in 25 years”, and had helped other inmates by creating an educational programme on business management and entrepreneurship.

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Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham will perform a headline show – and promise to remember Stephen Gately too

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Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham will perform a headline show – and promise to remember Stephen Gately too

Boyzone are reuniting for their biggest ever headline show next summer, inspired by the success of their recent documentary Boyzone: No Matter What.

Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham will perform live at Emirates Stadium, London, on Saturday 6 June 2026.

It will be the first time they’ve performed together since a five-night run at the London Palladium in 2019, and will be the largest show of their entire career anywhere in the world.

In January, a three-part documentary celebrated their success, as well as revealing the dark side of being in a boyband in the 1990s.

One of the biggest pop groups of the era, the five-working class lads from Dublin formed in 1993, put together by talent manager Louis Walsh. They broke into the UK charts the following year.

Six number one hits and five number one albums followed, with 25 million records sold across the world.

Stephen Gately’s untimely death back in 2009, as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition, means the full band will never again take to the stage, but the remaining band members say the show will be a time to remember Gately.

More on Ronan Keating

Read more: Ronan Keating on boyband fame in the 90s

Boyzone said: “We’ve been truly blown away and humbled by the response to the documentary this year. The love we’ve felt from fans all over the world has inspired us to create the ultimate experience together, headlining our own stadium show.

“The four of us can’t wait to stand together again and enjoy One For The Road.”

Ticket pre-sale kicks off on Tuesday 7 October at 9am, with remaining tickets going on general sale 9am on Friday 10 October.

With hits including Words, No Matter What and Love Me For A Reason, the band have four BRITs and an Ivor Novello award, and after reuniting in 2007, they performed four sell-out UK arena tours between 2008-2019.

Boyzone: No Matter What is available on Sky and streaming service Now

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Harry Potter author JK Rowling hits out at Emma Watson in fresh clash over transgender issues

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Harry Potter author JK Rowling hits out at Emma Watson in fresh clash over transgender issues

JK Rowling has accused Emma Watson of being “ignorant of how ignorant she is” amid their ongoing disagreement about transgender issues.

The Harry Potter films’ three central stars – Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint – have publicly backed the rights of transgender people in recent years, often distancing themselves from the author when asked about her in interviews.

Rowling, 60, has previously been accused of transphobia, which she denies.

Watson, 35, discussed her relationship with the writer on a podcast last week, telling host Jay Shetty: “I think it’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with.”

Rowling has now shared a more than 600-word post on X in response to Watson, in which she states: “Like other people who’ve never experienced adult life uncushioned by wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is.”

JK Rowling in 2019. Pic: AP
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JK Rowling in 2019. Pic: AP

The author went on to say the Hermione Granger actress is never going to need a homeless shelter or be placed on a mixed-sex public hospital ward.

The multimillionaire author said that “I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous” and therefore “understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women’s rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls without her privileges”.

More on Emma Watson

Rowling added that while she has found it “hard to shake off a certain protectiveness” towards the Harry Potter stars, who she has known since they were children, there was a “turning point” in her relationship with Watson in 2022.

She said this happened when Watson gave a Bafta speech saying “I’m here for all the witches”, which some saw as a criticism of the author’s beliefs on gender.

Emma Watson arrives at the Baftas in March 2022. Pic: Reuters
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Emma Watson arrives at the Baftas in March 2022. Pic: Reuters

The actress then asked someone to deliver her a handwritten note saying “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through”, the author claimed on X.

This came at a time “when the death, rape and torture threats against me were at their peak” and “Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames”, Rowling said.

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Watson has often publicly disagreed with Rowling.

In 2020, she was one of several Harry Potter stars who showed their support for the trans community when the author shared a series of divisive posts online.

“I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are,” the actress wrote at the time.

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