I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted a vehicle more than the latest entry in the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column. That’s because this week we’re checking out a Chinese knock-off of an iconic little open-air buggy: the Mini Moke!
It may be small, but this 100 km/h (62 mph) fun-mobile would be a blast around the city or cruising to the beach.
Just a little background to get us started: The Mini Moke is a quirky and iconic vehicle with an interesting history dating back to the late 1950s. The British-made Moke was initially intended for military use as a lightweight, air-transportable utility vehicle.
However, it should come as no surprise that its small wheels and low ground clearance made it, well, less than effective for rough terrain. The British Army ultimately rejected the design. But after its military discharge, the Mini Moke found a new life as a civilian vehicle.
The fun little jeep-like runabout’s minimalist design with a simple open-top body, a small engine, and basic components shared with the classic Mini (created by the same designer) made it an affordable and popular choice for consumers in beach areas.
Over the years, the Mini Moke became synonymous with sun-soaked beach vacations and carefree driving. It has been produced around the world under various licenses, with its popularity peaking in the 80’s and 90’s followed by a steady decline ever since.
Lately though we’ve seen a resurgence of interest in Mokes, especially electric versions that don’t require the same level of maintenance as a small-engine classic Moke. There’s currently a trademark dispute raging between two manufacturers, the British company MOKE International (who claims to be the rightful owner of the original Moke trademark), and MOKE America, a Florida-based company who also produces Moke-style EVs.
Apparently China has seen these other countries trying to horn in on its intellectual property infringement shtick and said “hold my baijiu!” while they worked up their own Moke electric vehicle. And that’s what we see before us today, a Chinese Moke in all its tiny-wheeled glory.
But here’s the thing. Believe it or not, I think the Chinese might have done it even better. You see, the US version of the Moke is a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) that is limited to 25 mph (40 km/h). The British version hits twice that speed at 50 mph (80 km/h). But this Chinese version gets up to a whopping 62 mph (100 km/h)!
To be fair, that 62 mph is listed as the vehicle’s “max speed”, and there’s another “economical speed” listed at 31 mph (50 km/h). I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I assume they’re saying that while it can reach highway speeds, don’t be surprised if the batteries drain quicker than a lace bucket.
It’s unclear what the true range is, but the vehicle has a 21 kWh li-ion battery, so a city range of well over 100 miles (160 km) sounds within reason. To put that into perspective, the first generation Nissan Leaf came with a 24 kWh battery and had a city range of around 100 miles on a much heavier vehicle.
Speaking of which, this Chinese Moke weighs just 765 kg (1,686 lb). And it’s a four-seater with four-wheel-drive thanks to a pair of 10 kW motors. All told, that’s 20 kW or 27 hp, which isn’t bad for a small vehicle like this.
The only kicker is the price. At US $12,000 a pop, these are not cheap little EVs. You could get a street legal electric microcar in the US for that price, which brings up another point. These Chinese Mokes are certainly not street legal, so you’d be limited to cruising around off-road – which is the very use that the British army rejected them for so many decades ago. Though the nice gentleman with the robotic voice in the marketing video below seems to think they’d be legal in Europe.
Hmmm, I might just have to sit this one out, which is a bummer since an electric Moke would be an awesome vehicle.
Oh well, maybe I’ll find something more in my budget next week!
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How does a fully charged battery in under 100 seconds sound? China’s CATL, GAC Group, and JD.com revealed a battery-swappable version of the Aion UT that can swap batteries quicker than you can pump gas.
The Aion UT Super can swap EV batteries in 99 seconds
The new battery swap version looks about the same as the current Aion UT sold in China, but it’s equipped with CATL’s Choco-SEB battery packs.
CATL introduced the new battery packs in December that can be swapped for a fully charged one in under 100 seconds, making it just as fast as filling up a gas tank.
The new Aion UT Super draws power from a 54.036 kWh CATL LFP battery, providing a CLTC driving range of 500 km (310 miles). Drivers can swap, charge, or rent batteries at one of CATL’s Choco Battery Swap Stations. It also features a single electric motor with 134 horsepower (100 kW).
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Measuring 4,270 mm in length, 1,850 mm in width, and 1,575 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,750 mm, the electric hatch is about the size of the Volkswagen ID.3.
Don’t feel like swapping? The electric hatchback can still recharge from 30% to 80% in 26 minutes, the company said.
Inside, the setup is relatively simple, with a floating infotainment screen at the center and a smaller driver display cluster.
The new Aion UT Super will be sold exclusively on JD.com, also known as the “Chinese Amazon.” GAC opened blind pre-orders on Wednesday ahead of its official launch next week during the 11.11 shopping festival, China’s largest shopping event.
According to CarNewsChina, prices for the swappable Aion UT Super are expected to range from 100,000 yuan ($14,000) to 120,000 yuan ($16,800).
The Aion UT Super joins other Chinese EVs, including the Changan Oshan 520, that are rolling out with CATL’s 99 second swappable batteries. Several major brands in China, including GAC, Chery, NIO, FAW, and BAIC, are partnering with CATL to launch vehicles using its Choco-SEB batteries.
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Save up to $3,599 on a selection of Anker SOLIX early Black Friday power station doorbusters starting from $449
Anker SOLIX has launched its early Black Friday doorbuster promotions through the rest of the week, with a select collection of power stations getting up to 65% early-access discounts ahead of the full sale’s launch. One notable inclusion here is Anker’s new SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station dropping back to $1,399 shipped, beating out Amazon’s pricing by $100. Since hitting the market in June, this newer unit has carried a $2,599 full price tag outside of sales/discounts, with this all-time low having first appeared during last month’s Prime Day event and then repeating during the brand’s previous Halloween Sale. With these Anker SOLIX Black Friday Doorbuster deals, the all-time low is coming back around to provide $1,200 in savings so you can upgrade your backup support at the best price we have tracked. Head below for the full lineup of doorbusters ahead of the rush.
The Anker SOLIX F3000 power station is a great choice for folks who want more bolstered backup power support for campsites, tailgates, road trips, and even at-home emergencies – especially when considering its passthrough charging capabilities when connected to a gas generator. You’ll gain a sizeable 3,072Wh starting LiFePO4 capacity that can be further built up to 24kWh with additional add-on equipment.
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Through its 11 output ports (including a TT-30R port to cover RV needs) your devices and appliances will receive up to 3,600W of steady power. Alongside the new gas generator option to recharge while providing power elsewhere, you also have the options for a standard AC outlet or utilizing up to 2,400W of solar input.
EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra and DELTA 3 Ultra power stations get up to $2,779 exclusive savings to new lows from $949
We’ve secured some exclusive savings from Wellbots on two EcoFlow units that give you new low prices, like the largest DELTA Pro Ultra Whole-Home Backup Power Station coming with a FREE 400W solar panel at $3,599 shipped, after using the code 10BF9TO5 at checkout. While this station carries a $6,098 MSRP directly from the brand, it’s coming down at Wellbots from a $5,799 full price, with discounts having seen the price taken as low as $3,999 from EcoFlow and Amazon, while a previous exclusive deal back from April saw it go further to $3,799. Today’s exclusive deal drops costs further than we’ve tracked before, giving you a $2,200 price cut on the station alongside the $579 value of the free solar panel for a new all-time low price and $2,779 in total savings. You’ll also find the brand’s newest DELTA 3 Ultra Portable Power Station hitting a new low of $949 shipped, after using the exclusive code 150BF9TO5 at checkout. Head below to learn more about these two backup power solutions.
Save up to $1,650 on Jackery’s Explorer 3000 V2 and 2000 V2 power stations at exclusive new lows from $599
Right alongside the pair of exclusive EcoFlow power station deals we secured, Wellbots is also giving 9to5Toys readers exclusive new low prices on two Jackery power stations, including the newer Explorer 3000 V2 (AKA the HomePower 3000) Portable Power Station at $849 shipped, after using the exclusive code 150POWER9TO5 at checkout, with a separate hangover exclusive low price to pick it up with two 200W solar panels. It may carry a $2,499 MSRP since its release in May, but we’ve regularly seen discounts taking this station down between $1,699 and $1,499 in the time since, with Prime Day giving us a drop lower to $999, which is where the savings start here today. Using the exclusive code, you’ll be scoring a total $1,650 in savings off the MSRP that beats out all deals we’ve seen before, dropping things to a new all-time low price. There’s also the Jackery Explorer 2000 V2 Portable Power Station that is dropping to a new low of $599 shipped, after using the exclusive code 200POWER9TO5 at checkout. Head below to learn more about these backup power solutions.
Have fresh herbs in reach with this AeroGarden Harvest Elite 360 indoor hydroponic kit at a $100 annual low
Amazon is offering the AeroGarden Harvest Elite 360 Indoor Garden Hydroponic System at $99.99 shipped. It’s coming down off its $125 full price here, with discounts having taken the costs as low as $100 over 2025 when it’s not in and out of availability at Amazon. While we have seen it go lower in past years, the deal here still gives you a solid 20% markdown that cuts $25 off the tag, giving you the best price that we have tracked over the year while providing your kitchen with a handy means to grow your favorite herbs. Head below to learn more about this gadget and some alternate devices from the brand that are also seeing discounts.
This BougeRV rack attaches to your vehicle to carry up to 200 pounds of e-bikes with a tilting feature at its $300 low
Coming back to us through the official BougeRV Amazon storefront, you can pick up the 2-inch e-bike Rack Hitch with Ramp at $299.99 shipped for the second time that we have tracked. It carries a $500 MSRP, but has been hanging down at $450 since late October, which was also when we last saw the price drop down to this all-time low rate. You’re getting a second chance at this $200 total markdown here, which comes in just $16 above the current pricing of its e-bike-compatible variant that only sports a 150-pound payload over this model’s 200-pound payload.
Lectric XP4 Standard Folding Utility e-bikes with $326 bundle: $999 (Reg. $1,325)
Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes with $449 bundles: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
Heybike Hauler Single-Battery Cargo e-bike (new low): $899 (Reg. $1,413)
Best 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.
The Vogtle nuclear power plant is located in Burke County, near Waynesboro, Georgia in USA. Each of the two existing units have a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR), with a General Electric turbine and electric generator, producing approximately 2,400 MW of electricity. Two Westinghouse made AP 1000 reactors are under construction here.
Pallava Bagla | Corbis News | Getty Images
The Trump administration’s plan to spend tens of billions of dollars on Westinghouse nuclear plants could transform it into an independent, publicly traded company with the U.S. government as a major shareholder.
Under the deal, the U.S. government is granted a participation interest in Westinghouse and can require an initial public offering on or before January 2029 if the company’s value surges to $30 billion or more.
The government could become an 8% shareholder in Westinghouse under this scenario, said Cameco Chief Operating Officer Grant Isaac on the company’s third-quarter earnings call Wednesday. It is not entitled to a stake in Cameco or Brookfield under the deal, Isaac said.
Cameco would consider spinning out Westinghouse as an independent company in 2029 depending on the circumstances, the executive said.
“There is definitely a unique interest in investing just in Westinghouse,” Isaac said. “Cameco is a funny proxy for that. Brookfield’s probably an even funnier proxy to invest in just Westinghouse.”
Cameco is one of the largest uranium miners in the world and Brookfield is one of the biggest investors in energy generation.
“We’re going to keep all options on the table,” Isaac said. “This partnership agreement does not force us to leave Westinghouse in 2029. We don’t have to sell any of our share — or we may if the value of Westinghouse is so significant come 2029 when that window opens up.”
U.S. government financing
The government’s interest in Westinghouse vests only if it makes a final investment decision with definitive agreements to build new reactors in the U.S. with a total value of $80 billion.
The U.S. could use tools like Department of Energy loans or financing from “other jurisdictions” to finance the projects among other options, Isaac said.
“We’re assured that there is a lot of interest in investing this minimum $80 billion in order to begin the process,” the executive said.
Westinghouse has designed a big modern nuclear reactor called the AP1000 that the Trump administration wants to deploy across the U.S. to meet rising electricity demand from data centers and manufacturing. It generates a gigawatt of electricity, which is enough power for more than 750,000 homes.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in May that called for the U.S. to start construction on 10 large new nuclear reactors by 2030. Westinghouse CEO Dan Sumner said in July that the company would meet Trump’s call with the AP1000.
But Westinghouse has struggled in the past to deliver the AP1000 on time and on budget. It went bankrupt in 2017 from cost overruns at big nuclear projects in Georgia and South Carolina.
The first two AP1000 reactors in the U.S. came online at Plant Vogtle in Georgia in 2023 and 2024 but the South Carolina project was canceled.
Westinghouse was bought by Brookfield and Cameco in 2023, five years after it emerged from bankruptcy. Brookfield has a 51% stake in Westinghouse and Cameco owns 49% of it.
The nuclear industry needs a big order of reactors to stimulate the market and supply chains, Isaac said. The U.S. government is serving that role, the executive said.
“What the U.S. government has done is committed to step in and be that stimulant if you will, their commitment is to facilitate the financing,” he said.