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Sony Honda Mobility, the joint electric vehicle venture, has significant plans to compete in the growing EV market. Although the JV doesn’t have an EV model to show yet, the partners are already looking for ways to challenge top EV makers like Tesla by centering it around entertainment, which Sony is known for.

Sony has been teasing its Vision S EV concept for several years as it inches closer to a commercial launch. The tech company has insisted on having superior entertainment and software that can provide the building blocks for technology like autonomous driving.

Meanwhile, Sony’s CFO said the company would not be “making batteries or vehicles” by themselves. Instead, they were focusing on establishing a partnership with an existing automaker.

In June, Sony and Honda established a joint venture with the intention of building a new electric vehicle company called (you wouldn’t have guessed it) Sony Honda Mobility.

Although Honda has been relatively late to the rapidly expanding EV market, the automaker has stepped up its efforts recently. In October, Honda revealed its first mass-market EV SUV, the Prologue, set to make its US debut in 2024 using GM’s Ultium platform.

The new Sony Honda Mobility JV is planning to release its first EV in 2025, and despite not having a brand strategy, the company is already looking at ways to utilize its strengths to compete with the best.

Sony-Honda-Mobility-EV
Sony Vision S concept (Source: Sony)

Sony Honda Mobility EV to include top-tier entertainment options like PS5

In a new interview with Financial Times, Sony Honda Mobility leaders explained how the JV could leverage Sony’s powerful technology to challenge EV competitors like Tesla.

Senior Vice President of Sony’s AI robotics business and COO of Sony’s new business venture, Izumi Kawanishi, explains how adding content and entertainment services to the EV can help them compete, stating:

Sony has content, services and entertainment technologies that move people. We are adapting these assets to mobility, and this is our strength against Tesla.

He adds that “Tesla is not providing any content services,” and that including a PlayStation 5 in the Sony Honda Mobility EV is “technologically possible.”

Leaders from the newly established joint venture insist that the company’s electric vehicles will focus on entertainment, as new CEO, Yasuhide Mizuno, explains:

We will develop a car as hardware that will cater to the entertainment and network we would like to offer.

Electrek’s Take

It’s no surprise to see Sony leveraging its entertainment and content to “upgrade” the driving experience. However, some sort of autonomous driving ability will need to be included to truly take advantage of the entertainment.

To that extent, Kawanishi adds:

To enjoy the space in your car, you have to make it a space where you don’t need to drive. The solution for this is autonomous driving. Autonomous driving will have to evolve considerably from the current level to get to that point, and it will take time for that to happen.

With this in mind, Sony Honda Mobility adding entertainment options is one way to gain a competitive advantage in the EV market. Still, for it to be usable, the technology will most likely need more time to develop.

Even if you are able to play your favorite video games, if the car doesn’t drive itself, it will only be functional for passengers or while you are pulled over.

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Save up to $570 on Lectric e-bike bundles, Rad Power flash sale, EVOLV e-scooter special, and more

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Save up to 0 on Lectric e-bike bundles, Rad Power flash sale, EVOLV e-scooter special, and more

Today’s Green Deals are jam-packed once more with EV sales to get you geared-up for the cruising months ahead, led by Lectric eBikes’ 5-year anniversary celebration that is taking up to $570 off select e-bikes, like the XPedition Single-Battery Cargo e-bike at $1,399, while also giving away choices of five add-on accessories. It is joined by Rad Powers’ latest flash sale that is dropping the RadRunner 2 Utility e-bike to $1,299 and also offering free accessories on two other models, as well as a rare special from EVOLV that is dropping the PRO V2 Electric Scooter to its $1,799 low. Plus all of the other days’ Green Deals that are still going.

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.

Lectric takes up to $570 off e-bike bundles

Lectric eBikes is currently celebrating its five-year anniversary, and wanting to extend the celebrations to its customers, has launched a new limited-time sale that is offering five free accessories along with your purchase of either an XP 3.0, XPedition, or XP Trike e-bike. A standout amongst the bunch is the XPedition Single-Battery Cargo e-bike for $1,399 shipped. Down from its usual $1,933 price tag, we only saw it fall to this price for a short-lived period in March before rising to stay at $1,475 since, but today’s deal is bringing things back to the all-time low once more. You’ll find the dual-battery model down to the second-lowest $1,699 rate. It should also be noted that you’ll automatically see the discounted rate once the e-bike and the accessories have been added to your cart.

The Lectric XPedition e-bike was designed for those who are always on the go – especially folks like parents dropping off and picking up their kids from school or delivery drivers who need long travel ranges. It comes equipped with an upgraded 750W rear hub-motor (1310W peak) alongside a 48V battery that carries the e-bike up to 75 miles on a single charge (150 miles with dual-battery), hitting speeds of 20 MPH using only the throttle and up to 28 MPH with the five levels of pedal assistance. It comes with a variety of features to enhance your ride: the integrated cargo rack, custom puncture-resistant tires, hydraulic mineral oil brakes paired with 180mm rotors, a headlamp, taillights, fenders on both wheels, and a backlit LCD display that gives you all the real-time performance data.

Rad Power RadRunner 2 Utility e-bike now $1,299

Rad Power Bikes has launched a flash sale through May 8 that is giving you three varying deals on three different e-bike models; either a $100 off discount or free accessories. The first of these deals is on the RadRunner 2 Utility e-bike for $1,299 shipped. Usually fetching $1,399 since the company lowered prices across its lineup of models, we’ve seen this e-bike included in most of the company’s holiday sales as well as several flash sales throughout the months, often falling to $1,299, but we have seen one instance of the price dropping further to the $1,199 low. Today’s deal is a solid $100 markdown off the going rate that lands at the second-lowest price we have tracked.

Carrying the mantle as Rad Power’s jack-of-all-trades model, the RadRunner 2 comes equipped with a 750W brushless-geared hub motor and 672Wh battery that propels it to a max speed of 20 MPH and travels up to 50 miles on a single charge. It features a four-level pedal assist with a low-profile cadence sensor, and a simple control panel that gives you the battery’s charge level and allows you to adjust pedal assistance settings. It also comes stocked with a rear-mounted cargo rack that offers a 120-pound payload, puncture-resistant fat tires, a standard LED headlight, and an integrated taillight with both brake light and flash mode capabilities.

The second deal is on the RadRunner 3 Plus for $2,099, which comes with a free accessory worth up to $100. This model comes with a 750W rear hub motor and 672Wh battery that hits a max speed of 20 MPH for 45+ miles on a single charge. It has been upgraded with one extra pedal assist level and offers much of the same array of features as the above deal, with the added bonus of fenders for both tires and a full digital display.

The RadTrike e-tricycle is also receiving a free accessory as part of this sale, albeit a pre-designated large basket for front-side mounting for $1,599. It comes with an equally powerful motor as the above models, but with a smaller 480Wh battery that only reaches a max speed of 14 MPH for a much longer 55+ miles of travel range on a single charge. You’ll also get the full list of features from the above deal as well to round out the package.

This flash sale will continue through May 8, with the discounts on the RadRunner 3 Plus and RadTrike being automatically applied in cart when you add both items to your cart. You can browse through Rad Power’s included accessories here. And head over to our Green Deals hub to look through all the other e-bike brands that are having spring sales, as well as deals on power stations, electric tools, water heaters, and more.

Three different frames with the EVOLV PRO V2 Electric Scooter against the night sky with city skyline in background, within post for Lectric 5-year anniversary sale that has the XPedition Cargo e-bike at $1,399

EVOLV PRO V2 Electric Scooter hits $1,799 low

EVOLV is offering a $200 off special on two of its electric scooter models, like the popular PRO V2 Electric Scooter for $1,799 shippedafter using the on-page promo code PROV2-ROCKS at checkout. Down from its $1,999 price tag, we’ve seen a few different discounts drop over the last year on this particular model since its release, all of them falling to the same $1,799 low during major holiday shopping events like Black Friday and Christmas sales. Today’s deal is no different, coming in as a solid $200 markdown that lands at the lowest price we have tracked.

The PRO V2 e-scooter comes equipped with dual 1,200W motors (2,600W peak) and a 52V battery that carries the scooter up to a max speed of 44 MPH for up to 37 miles on a single charge. You can also upgrade to the Pro-R V2 model for an additional $300 ($500 normally – the above promo code works for this upgraded model as well), boosting your motors to 1,400W of nominal power each and extending travel distance up to 50 miles on a single charge. They both feature front and rear spring suspension, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, a front fender light, a taillight, running lights, turn signal lights, an IP54 water-resistance rating, and a smart center display – all with a foldable design for easy storage and transport when not in use.

The second model included in this special sale is the CORSA Electric Scooter for $2,635 shippedafter using the on-page promo code CORSA-ROCKS at checkout. This model also sports dual 1,200W motors (but with a 4,800W peak) and a larger 60V battery that hits 44 MPH for up to 37 miles on a single charge. It comes with 11-inch tubeless street-style grippy tires, front and rear shock suspension, dual hydraulic disc brakes, twin Halo LED headlights, in-deck lighting, twin LED taillights, turn signal lights, and a large center display.

Spring e-bike deals!

Other 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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US updates EV tax credit rules, enabling more electric cars to be eligible

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US updates EV tax credit rules, enabling more electric cars to be eligible

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated the EV tax credit rules today with new requirements that should enable more electric cars to become eligible.

Even though it has been in effect for over a year, the US has still been frequently updating its reformed federal incentive for electric vehicles.

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the final rules for the program.

The reform launched in 2023 brought many important changes, primarily removing the limit of 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer and adding eligibility criteria for EV buyers and EV MSRPs to limit the tax breaks for the rich to buy expensive vehicles.

Those changes were intended to address the program’s fairness, but the Biden administration also introduced new protectionist initiatives at the same time.

It required for the vehicles to be assembled in North America to get the credit. It also requires gradually higher percentages of battery materials and components to be produced in North America and in countries with free trade agreements with the US.

This last part has been the most problematic one for automakers. They have been scrambling to both try to trace the source of all their battery materials, through initiatives like the battery passport, and to move sourcing to North America when feasible.

Because of those difficulties, the treasury department and IRS have decided to relax some of those rules, especially regarding the sourcing of graphite, electrolyte salts, binders, and additives, until 2027.

This should enable more electric vehicles to keep access to the tax credit until 2027 as the requirements are starting to become substantial quickly:

In the meantime, many automakers and battery suppliers are investing in North American sources for these materials and their processing.

With graphite for example, GM and Panasonic both invested in Nouveau Monde Graphite, which aims to be a new source of processed graphite in North America.

Currently, only 22 out of the 104 electric vehicles for sale in the US are eligible to the tax credit. More EVs are expected to become eligible as automakers start to adapt to the new rules.

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This German startup is pioneering recyclable wooden wind turbine blades

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This German startup is pioneering recyclable wooden wind turbine blades

In a first, German startup Voodin Blade Technology just installed wooden blades on a prototype wind turbine.

Voodin Blade Technology made the 9.3-meter (63.3-foot) wooden blades specifically out of laminated veneer lumber (LVL), and installed them on an existing wind turbine in Breuna, Germany, near the city of Kassel.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, about 85-90% of a wind turbine is made of materials that can be commercially recycled. But blades are the exception, as they’re made of fiberglass and carbon fiber bound together with epoxy resin, which is difficult and expensive to break down. Voodin says its LVL blades are 100% recyclable.

The company makes its LVL blades with automated computer numerical control (CNC) milling machines that use code to create complex 3D shapes. The technology can be used for manufacturing any type of blade – no molds are needed. It’s efficient, cheaper, and locally made, reducing transportation costs and emissions.

What’s more, Voodin Blade Technology asserts that LVL is even more durable than the composite materials typically used to make turbine blades. Company cofounder Jorge Castillo said:

We have conducted hundreds of laboratory tests during the past two years to perfect the blade material. According to all our tests, our blades are even more durable than the existing fiberglass blades, as they show fewer fatigue characteristics and are proven to endure all kinds of onshore weather conditions extremely well.

In addition to testing its prototype turbine, Voodin is now building new prototypes with larger 60-meter (197-foot) and 80-meter (262-foot) blades.

Read more: The world’s tallest wooden wind turbine is now online


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