This country plans to give free electric motorcycles to all current motorcycle riders
We’ve covered plenty of tax incentives and rebates to make electric motorcycles and other EVs more affordable. But this is the first time we’ve seen a country give out EVs for free as a way to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
The title of the first country to make such a bold move goes to Uganda, where President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni made the announcement during his year-end national address.
According to Museveni, the government will provide electric motorcycles as a trade-in for any Ugandans currently riding ICE-powered motorcycles.
The Ugandan government won’t have to fund the large program itself, as news reports quoted the president as attributing the capital to “investors”:
We have agreed with some investors, to take away the petrol ones and give the owners the electric ones. This swap will save motorcycle operators 50% of the cost.
Those investors will reportedly be granted licenses to operate charging and battery swap stations, which would be used to recoup their investment.
The electric motorcycles are domestically-produced Ugandan models that generally retail for around 5 million Ugandan Shillings (approximately US $1,350).
They’re commonly used by boda bodas, which are motorcycle taxis that are popular in much of Africa. Whereas in someplaces you might hail an Uber or Lyft to go meet up with friends, in Uganda, it is common to hop on the back of a motorcycle taxi and be quickly whisked to your destination (though Uber actually also operates a boda boda service in Uganda — go figure).
Many African nations have pushed to electrify these large motorcycle fleets, but Uganda’s announcement marks the single largest program yet designed to replace all ICE-powered motorcycles in a country.
In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, electric motorcycles are likely to help support the independent motorcycle taxi operators with lower operating costs. Ugandan Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Monica Musenero, put the operational cost savings as even higher than the President’s figures:
These bikes are 60% cheaper to operate than the current ones because they don’t take fuel. Charging the motorbike takes a very small fraction. They don’t have a lot of serviceable parts and the operator gets a lot more money. Because they are made here, we are taking care of safety measures and local circumstances. For example, if it is stolen, it will report to us and we will be able to switch it off. If you try to remove parts, it will report. This will enhance security of the motorcycle.
The motorcycles are designed for urban operation and, thus, don’t have very long ranges. A single charge is capable of providing around 70 km (43 miles) of range.
For that reason, the motorcycles rely on a network of charging and battery swap stations. Companies, like Zembo, already operate over a dozen charging and swapping stations in the country’s capital of Kampala.
According to Musenero, additional stations are already going up to reach further out of town.
Three have already been set up along Masaka road in Buwama, Lukaya and Masaka city. The most expensive component of the electric motorcycle is the battery and to this, the rider doesn’t have to own the battery. They will be leasing the batteries. When running low, the rider will go to the next charging station to change it and pay some money to get another one and leave the one which is low at the station.
The model sounds somewhat similar to Gogoro’s well-known battery swapping electric scooters. Riders don’t actually own the battery but, instead, subscribe to Gogoro’s battery swapping plan that allows them to swap at local battery stations.
There are thousands of such battery swap stations in Taiwan, and Gogoro is quickly expanding the model internationally.
Museveni added that other electric vehicles will also be receiving incentives to encourage rapid electrification.
As he explained:
We are working on plans to shift to electric buses, electric cars and electric motorcycles. The shift in transport vehicles is not only in respect of motorcycles. It also involves the buses, cars, mini-buses, pick-ups, etc.
Electrek’s Take
This is an interesting way to create an incentive to replace polluting vehicles with efficient EVs. Instead of incentivizing the end customers with discounts, like we normally see in the West, Uganda is somehow incentivizing the companies that make the motorcycles and operate the battery swap stations.
It’s sort of like the old razor and cartridge model — get the razor handle for free and become a razor cartridge shopper for life. But in this case, it’s sort of a win-win-win, in that Uganda reduces pollution, motorcycle owners reduce their costs, and motorcycle/battery companies get a huge influx of customers to use their battery swapping stations.
I just hope the math works out here because it almost sounds too good to be true.
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Nexamp just pulled off something that could speed up clean energy deployment across the US – and potentially lower costs for everyone. The Boston-based solar developer just finished building three new solar farms in Maine and Massachusetts. But instead of waiting on the utility to handle all the grid hookup work, Nexamp did it themselves.
That might not sound groundbreaking at first, but in the world of renewable energy, it’s a pretty big deal. Normally, utilities are in charge of any grid upgrades and interconnection work needed before a new solar project can start sending power to homes and businesses. That process can be very slow and expensive.
Nexamp’s new approach, called “self-performance,” flips the script. It lets developers take on some of that work, like ordering and installing equipment, so they don’t have to sit around waiting for the utility to schedule it. That means solar farms can get online faster, which gets clean power to the grid sooner and keeps project costs in check.
The three projects that kicked off this self-performance effort are:
- Hartland Solar – 1.2 MW DC in Hartland, ME
- Barre Road Solar – 1.3 MW DC in New Braintree, MA
- Summit Farm Solar – 2.6 MW DC, also in New Braintree
Nexamp didn’t go rogue – they worked closely with Central Maine Power and National Grid on the interconnection designs, safety standards, and technical specs. But by handling the actual procurement and construction, Nexamp had way more control over cost, timing, and supply chain headaches.
“Self-performance lets us take much greater control over interconnection procurement and construction,” said Daniel Passarello, Nexamp’s lead consulting engineer for grid integration. “We can move much of the interconnection work forward at the same time as the solar farm build instead of treating them as separate. That helps us bring projects online faster and stay closer to budget.”
It also helps that Nexamp already has solid relationships with suppliers. Instead of going through multiple layers of utility procurement, they can go straight to the source, fast.
That kind of streamlining is exactly what the solar industry needs right now. Community solar is booming – as of the end of 2024, nearly 8 gigawatts of it have been installed across the US, according to the the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and that number is expected to almost double by 2030. But bottlenecks in the interconnection process slow things down.
Sara Birmingham, VP of state affairs at SEIA, called Nexamp’s move a step in the right direction. “We must modernize and streamline the interconnection process to keep pace with fast-growing demand,” she said. “Self-performance is one of several innovative approaches that can accelerate project timelines and lower costs, which benefits all ratepayers.”
Read more: Walmart and Nexamp are rolling out 31 solar farms in 5 states
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When Genesis first previewed its full-size electric SUV, the coach doors were one of the biggest highlights. It looks like it will actually make its way into the production vehicle. A Genesis GV90 model was spotted in the US for the first time with coach doors, offering a glimpse of the upcoming ultra-luxury SUV.
Genesis GV90 spotted with coach doors in California
We got our first look at the full-size luxury SUV after Genesis unveiled the Neolun concept at the NY Auto Show last March.
Genesis said the concept was its “ultra-luxe vision of luxury SUVs,” and it wasn’t kidding. When it arrives, it will be sold as the GV90 as the brand’s new flagship vehicle.
The GV90 is not just a pretty-looking luxury SUV. It’s also loaded with Hyundai’s most advanced software and tech. According to Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis’ head of creative design, “it’s the epitome of timeless design and sophisticated craftsmanship.
Last month, we got a sneak peek of the interior after a production-ready GV90 was caught in California. Although somewhat toned down from the original concept, the cabin still featured many of the same elements.
Another Genesis GV90 was recently spotted in California, with actual coach doors. The new images from KindelAuto (via TheKoreanCarBlog) show a camouflaged vehicle with a hinge at the rear, where the coach doors will open.
Genesis said that B-pillarless coach doors are now feasible in production vehicles, like the GV90. However, don’t expect it to come standard on all models.
The feature will likely be reserved for higher-priced trims. We’ve seen other variants, featuring traditional doors, that are being tested in the US and Korea.
Genesis is expected to launch the GV90 in mid-2026. We will learn prices and final specs closer to launch, but the flagship electric SUV is set to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform.
Hyundai said the platform is designed for EVs across all segments and will “provide a 50 percent improvement in driving range” compared to current EVs. It will also support Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capabilities and OTA software updates.
Source: KindelAuto, TheKoreanCarBlog
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Elon Musk has finally confirmed that Tesla’s new ‘affordable’ electric car is just going to be the Model Y in a cheaper format.
Musk has ended months of speculations and misinformation, which he partly created, about Tesla’s upcoming cheaper electric vehicle model.
Since last year, Tesla has guided “launching new affordable models” in the first half of 2025.
We are past the first half of 2025, but Tesla confirmed yesterday that the “first build” of the new model was produced in June, and it will launch later this year.
During the shareholders’ call following the earnings results yesterday, Tesla was asked about what the new affordable model would look like. Tesla’s CFO, Vaibhav Taneja, initially stated that they wouldn’t disclose details about the design, but then Musk interrupted him and said, “It’s a Model Y.”
It’s hard to hear exactly on the call because he talked over Taneja, but he said, “the cat is out of the bag” and confirmed that the new vehicle is simply a Model Y.
Electrek has been reporting on this fact all year. We have known for months that Tesla’s upcoming “new affordable models” are Model 3 and Model Y with a stripped-down interior with fewer features, like no rear screen, and cheaper materials:
However, this fact was not accepted in the Tesla community because CEO Elon Musk falsely denied a report last year about Tesla’s “$25,000” EV model being canceled.
The facts are that Musk canceled two cheaper vehicles that Tesla was working on, commonly referred as “the $25,000 Tesla” in early 2024. Those vehicles were codenamed NV91 and NV92, and they were based on the new vehicle platform that Tesla is now reserving for the Cybercab.
Instead, Musk noticed that Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y production lines were starting to be underutilized as the Company faced demand issues. Therefore, Tesla canceled the vehicle programs based on the new platform and decided to build new vehicles on Model 3/Y platform using the same production lines.
Now, only the new Cybercab is going to be based on the new unboxed platform.
During the conference call last night, Musk stated that the primary goal of the more affordable Model Y is to expand the market by making the vehicle more accessible to a broader audience. He suggested that it will go on sale in Q4.
Electrek’s Take
Finally, we can put this to rest. I think we can expect something similar to what Tesla did with the Model 3 in Mexico.
I think we can expect changes, such as using cloth materials instead of vegan leather, no rear display, no ambient lighting, and a lesser audio system.
In the case of the Model Y, Tesla may consider dropping some exterior lighting features, such as the light bars.
I wouldn’t be surprised also to see some powertrain changes. Maybe a less powerful RWD motor.
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