Cheap mini e-truck? Flying electric boats? Top 5 wildest non-car EVs I tested this year
One of my favorite things about the electric vehicle industry is just how much diversity there is in the designs and types of EVs hitting the market. Part of that is due to the way electric drivetrains help break the mold of aging design constraints, but it’s also due to a new wave of forward-thinking engineers boldly pushing products in new and exciting directions.
As Electrek‘s resident tester of all things not-cars, I was fortunate enough to get behind, on top, and inside of some interesting and far-out forms of electric transportation. Here are the top five wildest and most awesome personal electric vehicles I tested in 2022.
Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic
The Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic blew me away. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I was grinning so big during my test ride experience that I thought my mouth would get stuck that way.
And the crazy part is that this isn’t meant to be some thrilling joyride – these are utility vehicles. They’re built for working hard day in and day out, towing trailers, hauling tools, and basically doing whatever utility side-by-sides do on countless farms, ranches, and work sites around the world.
And yet I still felt like I was flying along in an adult go-kart, slinging dirt in every direction when I pulled serious Gs around turns. I know it’s built for work, and it’s great at that. But it’s just so dang fun to drive, too.
The power is unbelievable, and yet the vehicle is still so quiet. That makes it perfect for hunters, nature lovers, and anyone else who wants to trek deep into the woods without disturbing the local fauna.
If you’re in the market for a UTV and want the benefits that electric drive has to offer, the XP Kinetic should be at the top of your list. Good luck getting one though. They sold out nearly instantly when they were unveiled late last year, and who knows when they’ll be able to produce enough of them to supply the current demand.
You’ll definitely want to see it in action in my video below, or check out my full review!
Arcimoto FUV
Why ride around on four wheels when three will do the trick? That’s the idea behind the Arcimoto FUV, which is something of an autocycle meets motorcycle-class regulations, creating a super-fun and high-power electric vehicle that turns heads everywhere it goes.
The tadpole trike design puts two wheels up front and makes it super stable. You’re also in a real bucket seat instead of a motorcycle style saddle, meaning sharp turns still make you feel secure, unlike a three-wheeled motorcycle where you have to lean way over to one side and counterbalance on turns. The Arcimoto FUV is about as car-feeling as you can get on three-wheels.
I had the good fortune of stealing one for a couple days while attending the Micromobility America 2022 conference in San Francisco this fall. There I used it as my main transportation to get around the city. From winding through downtown streets to flying across the bridges at top speed (which is just shy of 80 mph (130 km/h), the FUV was a blast. It basically felt like I was in a street-legal go-kart.
The J-1772 charging means I could pull up to any Level 2 public charger to top up my battery, and the dual seats gave me the option of either carrying a passenger or tossing my bags and other junk in the rear seat. There was also a small locking trunk in back that is big enough for a couple grocery bags or a backpack.
This isn’t the most practical EV I’ve ever seen, but it’s actually got more utility than an electric motorcycle since you can more securely carry passengers and even do some real grocery shopping or other light utility tasks with an FUV. I doubt it would be a good only vehicle for most people, but it would make a great “second car,” even if it’s not really a car.
For funsies, check out my video from my first test ride of an FUV last summer.
Candela C-8
Experiencing Candela’s flying electric boats feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Somehow I’ve been lucky enough to have two of those experiences in my lifetime. Last summer I tested the company’s first model, the Candela C-7. This summer I returned to the beautiful Stockholm archipeligo to take a spin on the company’s newest model, the Candela C-8.
The C-8 is a totally different beast. It still flies on a pair of computer-controlled hydrofoils, dropping the energy usage of the boat to a tiny fraction of that of other fossil fuel-powered boats or even V-hull electric boats. But there are major differences compared to the C-7.
The C-8 is larger, has a totally different motor (that is a work of engineering art), is designed for mass production, has a below-deck cabin for sleeping or that can be outfitted with a marine toilet or shower, and has an awesome rear day bed for lounging out on the water.
I was amazed at how easy it was to control the boat, though the simplicity on the pilot’s side is thanks to a super sophisticated hardware and software interaction between a flight computer and the C-8’s hydrofoils. It was all designed in-house by Candela’s engineers and works like a masterpiece of aviation meets maritime technology.
It’s a fascinating electric boat that you should see for yourself in my video below.
LiveWire S2 Del Mar
I tested a lot of awesome electric motorcycles this year, and it’s hard to pick just one for this list. The Energicas were insanely powerful. I had a blast going off-road on the new Zero DSR/X. Smaller e-motos like the Ryvid Anthem and CSC RX1E were each a hoot in their own way. Even the SONDORS Metacycle pleasantly surprised me. But there was nothing like throwing a leg over one of the most anticipated electric motorcycles of the last few years: the LiveWire S2 Del Mar.
LiveWire is the electric motorcycle brand spun-off by Harley-Davidson. It already has a great bike in the form of the LiveWire One, but that model was developed by H-D. LiveWire’s first independent electric motorcycle will be the S2 Del Mar, which isn’t even shipping yet but I somehow still convinced somebody that I was important enough to get a ride on one.
In fact, as far as I can tell I’m one of two journalists to test-ride the LiveWire S2 Del Mar so far, months ahead of its expected rollout. And since the other guy apparently didn’t know which way a motorcycle throttle twists, I’m still kind of thinking I’m it for any detailed reviews in 2022.
The LiveWire S2 Del Mar is largely known as the more affordable successor to the LiveWire One, coming in at closer to $17K, which isn’t cheap but surely will prove more accessible the $23K LiveWire One. And so I thought that the bike would be more toned down compared to the LiveWire One, but boy was I wrong! The S2 Del Mar is a beast in its own right.
The Del Mar has punchy acceleration that takes it up to 60 mph in just over three seconds flat. I think the official time is 3.1 seconds, but your butt won’t be able to tell the difference.
We don’t yet know the real battery or range specs since we’re still waiting on LiveWire to deliver the final details, but don’t expect the bike to be built for touring. I’m guessing we’ll see a battery capacity of around 10 kWh, meaning it will be plenty for commuter use but won’t be impressive when it comes to highway range. But that’s fine by me, since this bike feels like it’s all about the ride. It’s for cruising across LA, not cruising across the country. It’s a powerful bike that gives you all the sportiness you can fit into the city or suburbs, yet has the speed and power to handle the interstate as well – just not for long tours.
The comfortable seating position gives me legit roadster vibes that still carry trace amounts of H-D DNA, yet in an entirely new beast that will surely prove much more attractive to my generation.
Check out my test ride on the Del Mar below.
Chinese electric mini-truck
I can’t get enough of this little electric mini-truck, partly because it’s awesome, but also partly because it’s mine. It’s all mine! I bought it on Alibaba and imported it from China to the US, where it currently lives on my parents’ ranch.
It’s there because it’s not actually street legal, but it still works great as an off-road vehicle. Around the property it gets used for various chores like hauling yard waste, dragging the trash cans down the private road, filling and dumping top soil when planting trees (did I mention it has a hydraulic dump bed?) and just about everything else.
It’s not particularly powerful with around 5 kW of peak power, but that’s plenty for the small and lightweight truck that doesn’t need to go that fast anyway. It cost me $2,000 as the base price, though I put a bunch of upgrades in it before it left China that added to the price, bringing it up to about $3,500. But the larger battery, dump bed and air conditioning were all worth it.
Shipping was another $2,200 to get it to the US, but it was still worth it. A golf cart will run you $8,000-$10,000 these days, so this was better and cheaper. Locking doors, electric windows, real seats, glove box, backup camera, infotainment center and other creature comforts underscore what “real vehicle” this thing is. I’ve been using it all year and it has held up great. My parents have put even more miles on it than I have, and so far we haven’t had any issues.
We’ve even done a number of upgrades including knobby tires, a roof-mounted solar panel, and a planned bed liner (still in the works).
It may look silly, but it’s proven to be well worth the investment (and risk) of bringing it over!
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Environment
Shipping threats around Arabian Peninsula rising, largest global shipowners organization warns
Refrigerated containers of Maersk shipping lines are stacked at the container terminal of Bremerhaven port on April 22, 2025 in Bremerhaven, Germany.
Focke Strangmann | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The world’s largest direct-membership organization for shipowners, charterers, shipbrokers, and agents is warning that while it is still unclear how Iran will respond to Saturday’s U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the threat to commercial shipping in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula has risen.
“The Houthi threat against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has also gone up,” said Jakob Larsen, head of security at Bimco, which represents global shipowners. “The Houthis now threaten merchant ships with affiliation to Israel or the U.S., but attacks against merchant ships with other affiliations cannot be ruled out.”
Larsen said it is expected that U.S. warships and merchant ships affiliated with Israel or the U.S. would be the preferred targets for the Iranians.
In an email to CNBC, a Hapag Lloyd spokesperson tells CNBC, “We currently are still crossing the Street of Hormuz. Alert level is high, though, and things might change by the hour.”
Integrated logistics provider Maersk announced Friday it is temporarily suspending port calls to Israel’s largest container port, Haifa. The $4.2 billion cargo facility at Haifa, owned by Adani Group, has been a target of Iranian missiles but has not suffered any damage. Last week, Jugeshinder “Robbie” Singh, CFO of the Adani, debunked misinformation posted that the port was on fire from a strike on Iranian social media.
Bimco’s Larsen warned Iran could attempt a wider disruption of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz through attacks on merchant ships. Antiship missiles or drones of both airborne and surface types could be used in these attacks, he said.
“The laying of sea mines would constitute another dangerous development, but Iran’s intent to do so is questionable due to the risk to Iran-affiliated commercial ships and the risk of environmental disaster in case a ship is damaged,” said Larsen.
The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, is recognized as one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints. The inability of oil to traverse through the Strait of Hormuz, even temporarily, can ratchet up global energy prices, raise shipping costs and create significant supply delays. In 2023, oil flows through the waterway averaged 20.9 million barrels per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, accounting for about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption.
“Given the Iranian threat to U.S. military bases in the region, availability of warships for protection of commercial shipping is probably limited, especially for commercial ships with no affiliation to the U.S. or Israel,” Larsen said.
The Strait of Hormuz handles less than 4% of global container trade but the ports of Jebel Ali and Khor Fakkan are critical intermediary points for global shipping networks in the region.
The majority of cargo volumes from those ports are destined for Dubai, which has become a hub for the movement of freight with feeder services in the Persian Gulf, South Asia, and East Africa.
The conflict in the region has also sparked ocean freight rates to surge from Shanghai to Jebel Ali, the Arabian Gulf’s largest port.
Freight intelligence firm Xeneta said average spot rates have increased 55% month-over-month, prior to the conflict escalation between Israel and Iran. Rates are now $2,761 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU), a standard unit for measuring the capacity of container ships and volume of cargo.
On the tanker side, spot rates for very large crude carrier (VLCC) voyages between the Middle East and China are up 154% week-over-week. Rates on the long-range tankers’ (LR2) Middle East-Japan trade route are up 148% and Middle East-Japan very large gas carrier (VLGC) rates are up 33%.
The reason behind the increase in rates includes the added expenses on security measures, higher bunker fuel prices, and fuel costs as vessels use more fuel due to faster sailing through high-risk areas.
Marsh McLennan, the world’s largest marine insurance broker, noted hull and machinery insurance rates for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz have increased by more than 60%.
In light of the latest wave of defense measures, Bimco is encouraging shipowners to review their security risk assessments and carefully consider mitigation measures.
“Merchant ships in the area should consider reducing their exposure to threats from Iran, for example, by routing away from the Iranian coast,” said Larsen. “We also recommend that ships maintain close contact to naval forces in the area through UK Maritime Trade Operations, maintain strong vigilance and increased lookout, report suspicious sightings and events to UKMTO, and increase the resilience of ships to absorb damage by ensuring watertight integrity and readiness of damage control organization including firefighting capability.”
“Bimco never directly recommends shipowners to completely stay away from a conflict area. Such a decision should be taken by the shipowner, taking into consideration all relevant factors of the security risk assessment, including, for example, the threat, the ship’s vulnerabilities, and the risk acceptance level of seafarers, the shipowner, and the cargo owner.”
The Senate version of the repubilcans’ tax bill won’t just add trillions of dollars to the deficit through a massive giveaway to wealthy elites, it will also take the US Postal Service’s awesome new EVs and sell them off for pennies on the dollar, wasting money simply out of spite for vehicles that were already cleaning your air and making your community safer.
The Postal Service has used the same Grumman LLV vehicles for decades, produced from 1986-1994. So, some of these trucks are nearly 40 years old, and all of them are at least 30 years old.
The vehicles are showing their age – they get poor mileage, they break down often (or catch fire, as about 100 of the old gas guzzlers did last year), they emit significant pollution, and they have poor ergonomics.
So, in 2015, the USPS started the process of finding a replacement.
After many bids and back-and-forth (including startups going out of business), the USPS, led by Postmaster Louis DeJoy, picked Oshkosh’s “Next Generation Delivery Vehicle” (NGDV) as the next postal vehicle.
The vehicle has a goofy look to it, but it’s a goofy look for a reason.
The large window gives exceptional visibility, meaning the kids and pets that are likely to occupy residential areas are easier to see, and thus easier for drivers to avoid.
The low hood further enhances safety, by reducing damage done to a human body in a crash (unlike the land yachts which are so popular with consumers and have contributed to pedestrian deaths reaching all-time highs).
And the tall roof makes it easier for drivers to enter and exit, reducing strain on their bodies which means lower labor costs overall – less injury, drivers potentially being able to stay in their jobs longer, and so on.
But that’s just talking about the look of the vehicle – there are even more beneficial features, like much more cargo space, driver assistance safety features (around-view cameras, blind spot monitors and collision sensors), and air conditioning, something the original LLVs lacked (and which is only becoming more necessary as the planet heats up).
As for powertrain, the NGDV is available in both gas and electric options, with the gas version getting a paltry 8.6mpg (similar to the old LLVs), but the electric version being naturally much more efficient.
Electrification is a perfect choice for most delivery vehicles. These vehicles do set daily routes with lots of starting and stopping, in neighborhoods where people live and breathe, and return back to the same place every night. It’s an ideal application for EVs, for the vast majority of rotues.
Higher efficiency electric drive means money savings on fuel and maintenance for most routes. Overall, a highly electrified fleet was estimated to save taxpayers $4.3 billion over its lifetime.
But perhaps the most obvious benefit of electric mail trucks is the lack of pollution in the places where people spend most of their time: at home. (I don’t know about you, but my mail carrier’s broken truck stinks up the place every day, forcing me to close the windows as it fails to start half the time – and I’m pretty sure this is a common experience)
Despite these benefits, at first, USPS planned to buy only 10% EVs, with the remainder being gas. But after that announcement, several entities (including Electrek) pointed out that even by USPS’ uncharitable calculations, EVs would save money for the vast majority of routes (and that’s not considering health and environmental benefits).
Thankfully, reason prevailed over time, and the USPS gradually increased its plan such that it eventually said it would buy only electric trucks after 2026, with relatively few gas trucks acquired before then for the few routes that electric isn’t suitable for. It’s also supplementing those purchases with some off-the-shelf Ford E-Transits to function as delivery vehicles, with fewer custom features but an easier rollout as E-Transits are readily available.
The NGDV has suffered delays, but as the truck has finally started to roll out, it’s been enormously popular. When the truck started use last year in Atlanta, drivers immediately loved it. They loved the new features, better safety, and less stress on their bodies.
Republicans move to undo these improvements, wasting taxpayer dollars
And so, of course, republicans are now threatening this unequivocally good thing in a way that’s only going to cost taxpayers more money and ensure that your mail costs, the pollution you breathe in your home and the danger to your neighborhood all increase.
As reported by the Washington Post, Senate republicans are considering a version of the tax bill that would auction off these vehicles, at pennies on the dollar, seemingly simply out of spite for the program.
As usual, republican justifications for the billions of dollars in waste they’re proposing don’t stand up to even the slightest amount of scrutiny.
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul stated that the plan “aims to cut unnecessary costs and focus USPS on delivering mail and not achieving the environmental initiatives pushed by the Biden Administration.”
But Paul ought to know this is false, because he’s part of the Senate, the body that approved these vehicles in the first place in 2022 (and, if you remember your high school civics class as Paul apparently does not, the Senate is not part of the “Biden Administration”). Nor is the USPS directly part of any presidential administration, since it is an independent federal agency, and during the bidding process was headed by Louis DeJoy, who was appointed during one Mr. Donald Trump’s first stint squatting in the White House.
Paul should also know that the bidding process started in 2015, and thus that the majority of it occurred while nobody named Biden was in the White House in the first place.
He also ought to know that most of that money is already spent, and selling off items the USPS already owns for pennies on the dollar doesn’t “save” anyone any money. Neither does having to buy all new gas vehicles, with higher fueling and maintenance costs, to replace them – this is the very definition of “unnecessary costs.”
Worse, falling back to the old LLVs and restarting the bidding process for their replacement would take more time and cause more waste. And in the interim we’d be stuck with these “obsolete” vehicles which, as covered above, are inefficient, unsafe, lack features, and routinely catch fire. All of this gets in the way of the focus on delivering mail.
So, Paul is either lying or stupid, but given the letter after his name, we’re pretty sure it’s both.
The USPS rightly pointed out what a stupid idea this is, stating “The funds realized by auctioning the vehicles and infrastructure would be negligible. Much of infrastructure is literally buried under parking lots, and there is no market for used charging equipment” (hmm, tearing out charging equipment for no benefit at all? where have we heard that before…). It said this action “will seriously cripple our ability to replace an aging and obsolete delivery fleet.”
It further urged the Senate “to pause and consider the substantial harm this proposal would cause to the Postal Service and our customers, your constituents.”
But, given the republican party’s current direction, maybe that exhortation would backfire. Harm seems to be precisely what they want, as reflected in everything they’re doing these days.
If you do happen to be one of those constituents, particularly in a republican state, it might be worth giving your Senator a call and asking them to stop wasting your money and raising your mail costs by selling off money-saving vehicles that promise to clean the air of your community. Here’s where you can find their contact info.
Among republicans’ proposed cuts is the rooftop solar credit. That means you could have only until the end of this year to install rooftop solar on your home, before republicans raise the cost of doing so by an average of ~$10,000. So if you want to go solar, get started now, because these things take time and the system needs to be active before you file for the credit.
To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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