Weird Alibaba: Who wants this cheap 33 ft electric cherry picker straight from China?
Some of you who follow this tongue-in-cheek series may know that I’ve long sought after an electric aircraft from Alibaba to bestow upon it the dubious honor of being featured here. I’ve gotten close, but no cigar. I still haven’t caught my white whale this week on China’s largest online shopping platform Alibaba, but they say if you’re going to shoot for the stars, then you’d better aim for the lowest one. And that’s what I plan to do with my very own electric aerial work platform. Or as we called them as kids, cherry pickers.
Apparently these things go by a lot of names. Cherry pickers, aerial work platforms, bucket trucks, mobile elevating work platforms, bad ideas on wheels, etc.
But they all have two things in common: They drive around and the stick people where the gods didn’t intend them to get to.
And for a mere $5,000, this Chinese electric cherry picker could be mine, lifting me to heights of 10 meters (33 feet) with the same fuel source running through my e-bike and your Tesla: electricity! Think of all the sleeping giants you can sneak up on with this silent stalker of the skies.
I assume these Alibaba specials require some basic level of training, but if SONDORS can ship electric motorcycles without even the hint of an instruction manual, then why can’t I just figure out an electric articulating arm crane on my own?
Alibaba’s finest electric lift
The cool thing is that the 10-meter version is just the beginning. These bad boys come in a model line that goes all the way up to 18 meters (59 feet)! At that height, it might be worth reading the instruction manual, lest you suffer the same fate that our graphics guy seems to think will befall me.
Amazingly it only takes a 4,000 watt motor to power the various hydraulic pumps and rams on this massive children’s toy. Considering that’s around the same power of the motor in my mini Chinese electric pickup truck, I’d say that’s pretty impressive for such a little motor.
But don’t let the low power of this Alibaba electric lift fool you. This thing was made for getting stuff done, I tell ya! When the next hurricane comes and your neighbors are all out of power, you’ll get the last laugh when the next morning you’re up there plugging stuff in and jamming high voltage wires wherever they look like they should go.
You know why they make telephone poles so high, don’t you? It’s because they don’t want us seeing all the cool stuff they keep up there. Well now that we can all buy our own elevated work platforms, those utility men are going to have build even higher ivory towers, now aren’t they?!
There are a thousand and one uses for these things.
Hang the most awesome Halloween decorations. Clean your gutters yourself. Save a kitten from a tree without bothering the fire department. Put another more annoying kitten up IN a tree. Hey, some of them have it coming.
I’d say the sky is the limit, but that just isn’t true anymore, now is it?
The next time you need help changing the lightbulbs in your lofted ceiling, you know who to call. I’ll be there in a jiffy with my Alibaba special to help you out for the cool price of $5,000. I gotta pay this thing off somehow!
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The Mockingbird Solar Center, Ørsted’s largest solar project globally, is now online, next to protected prairie donated by the renewable energy giant.
This massive 468-megawatt (MW) solar farm is set to power 80,000 homes and businesses, providing a major boost to the Texas grid.
But the launch of Mockingbird Solar isn’t just about clean energy – it’s also about restoring precious ecosystems. Ørsted has donated 953 acres of the Smiley-Woodfin Native Prairie Grassland, which sits next to the solar center, to The Nature Conservancy. The donated land is now the Smiley Meadow Preserve, a protected area for tallgrass prairie that’s home to more than 400 species of grasses and wildflowers.
Tallgrass prairies are some of the rarest ecosystems in the US, with less than 1% of Texas’ original tallgrass prairies still in existence. Tallgrass prairie does a lot of heavy lifting for the environment, including storing carbon, preventing floods, and providing crucial habitats for pollinators.
“Native prairies are the rarest landscapes left in Texas – so much so that many people have never seen one,” said David Bezanson, land protection strategy program director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas. He added that preserving Smiley Meadow will not only conserve one of the best prairie remnants left but also help restore other prairie habitats and boost regional biodiversity.
The Mockingbird Solar Center, a half-billion-dollar project, is part of Ørsted’s $20 billion push to expand renewable energy production across the US. Beyond generating electricity, it will inject $75 million into local property taxes, benefiting schools and other public services. The project also created over 550 construction jobs and will continue to be supported by operations staff moving forward.
Ørsted worked with US companies, including First Solar, for solar panels and partnered with local businesses like Drake Construction and Pfifer Farms for construction materials. It also gave more than $50,000 to local volunteer fire departments in Roxton and Brookston.
With Mockingbird Solar now up and running, Ørsted has more than 6 gigawatts of onshore wind, solar, and battery storage projects either in operation or being built across the US.
Read more: Ørsted got a huge Tesla battery storage system for the world’s single-largest offshore wind farm
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Jeep’s first global luxury electric SUV will arrive at US dealerships any day. Despite its $72,000 price tag, lease prices for the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV start at just $599 per month.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV lease prices
After unveiling its first global electric SUV, Jeep’s CEO said the Wagoneer S “marks a new chapter” in its storied history.
Jeep claims the Wagoneer S packs “exhilarating performance.” With 600 hp and 617 lb-ft of torque, the big-body SUV can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. Its 100 kWh battery pack also gives it a driving range of over 300 miles.
The electric SUV is unmistakably still a Jeep, but it did get several upgrades to distinguish it as an EV. The grille is now enclosed without the need to cool a massive engine, giving it a sporty, more modern look.
Jeep revamped its design with a new illuminated seven-slot grille with ambient cast lightning. It also fine-tuned its profile, adding flush door handles, a rear wing, and integrated fins for better airflow.
The first Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition models get exclusive dark accent design elements like 20″ Gloss Black Wheels.
Inside, the electric SUV is loaded with the latest tech and connectivity, including a best-in-class 45″ of usable screen space. The setup includes a 12.3″ center screen and an exclusive 10.25″ interactive front passenger screen.
Jeep already announced that the 2024 Wagoneer S EV will start at $71,995, but now the company has revealed lease prices for the first time.
According to Jeep, the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition can be leased for $599 per month for 36 months (10,000 miles per year). The deal includes $4,999 due at signing and a $7,500 EV incentive. However, you may want to act fast, as Jeep’s offer is only good until December 2, 2024.
| Jeep Wagoneer S vs Tesla Model Y | Starting Price | Range | Lease Price |
| Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition | $71,995 | +300 miles | $599/mo |
| Tesla Model Y RWD | $44,990 | 320 miles | $299/mo |
| Tesla Model Y AWD | $47,990 | 308 miles | $399/mo |
| Tesla Model Y AWD Performance | $51,490 | 279 miles | $599/mo |
In comparison, Tesla Model Y RWD lease prices start at $299 for 36 months with $2,999 down (10,000 miles). The Performance AWD model starts at $599 per month. In an end-of-year promo, Tesla also offers 3 months of free Supercharging and Full Self-Driving.
Ready to drive off in your new electric SUV? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to view offers on the Jeep Wagoneer S and Tesla Model Y at a dealer near you.
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