This awesome Chinese golf cart looks more like a mini-electric jeep
My regular readers will know that I’ve got quite a thing for golf carts. They’ll also know that I write a regular weekly column finding the coolest (and sometimes weirdest) electric vehicles in the massive online shopping catalog that is Alibaba. So when those things collide, well that’s what we call serendipity, folks! And that’s exactly what’s happened this week with the discovery of this fun jeep-like electric golf cart!
It’s not the weirdest thing we’ve ever seen in the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column, but it certainly does look like something that would turn heads in your neighborhood.
That’s because unlike the Club Car golf carts at the local gated retirement village, this bad boy looks more like a mini-jeep, or even a Moke-style vehicle.
It may have a bit of a comical countenance, but don’t judge this buggy by its face. What’s under the hood is actually fairly impressive.
The mini-jeep thing is powered by a 5 kW continuous-rated electric motor, which is actually more powerful than my 3 kW electric mini-truck that I use to tow my 5-seater boat. That 5 kW motor even enables regenerative braking, making this golf cart extra efficient.
The battery is big enough though that efficiency might not be that important. Under the front seat sits an utterly massive 9.2 kWh battery. The company says it is enough for a claimed 100 km (62 miles) of range but I suspect that the range could be even higher. Considering the top speed is only 50 km/h (31 mph), you’re just not going to be draining that battery very quickly.
And to make things even sweeter, that battery is a LiFePO4 unit, meaning it will last more than twice as long as most other Li-ion batteries. It also has the added benefit of being essentially fireproof.
Speaking of imperviousness to the elements of nature, the powerful charger is listed as waterproof. On the face of things, that sounds a bit odd. It’s not like my first thought when the rain starts coming down is “Oh goodness, I better run out in this downpour with an extension cord in my hand to plug in my electric golf cart!”
But hey, I’m not going to complain about parts being overly ruggedized or waterproofed!
Plus the electric golf cart even comes with a “humanized” electric instrument panel and thee-point seat belts. I only know what one of those two things is, but I’ll take ’em both!
And all of this is available for just a measly $9,998! Which, now that I think about it, isn’t really that cheap since most golf carts in the US cost that much anyway.
But of course then you’ll have to pay thousands and thousands of dollars in import taxes, tariffs, arrival charges, broker fees, customs fees, and of course sea freight to literally bring it over on the slow boat from China. So you’ll want to factor that into the price.
If you’re worrying about shipping, perhaps thinking “How could they possibly send this to me halfway around the world without scratching the paint?”, then don’t worry. This isn’t their first rodeo and they’ve got things covered, literally. The vehicle comes with its very own sheet of foam wrapping so you can rest assured that your new pride of a buggy will arrive with its shiny paint job intact.
Some real talk about Alibaba
As usual, let me add a little disclaimer here: It’s fun to window shop for all of these fun and weird vehicles online. But I don’t recommend anyone actually try to order one. Sure, I’ve done it myself several times. And a few people have followed in my footsteps. But it’s a major risk and you never know if you’re going to get ripped off, either on purpose or on accident.
While most of my purchases have gone well, I finally had my own horror story occur on a recent major purchase (which just happened to be my most expensive Alibaba purchase to date). The long story short is that what showed up in the 2,300 lb shipping crate is most certainly not what I paid a large sum of money for, but that’s another story coming for another day.
Suffice it to say that we should all enjoy looking at these fun and weird things, but I’m not suggesting anyone actually open their wallet.
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Environment
Podcast: Apple CarPlay in Tesla cars, VW on Superchargers, Toyota electric pickup, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.
Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.
Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.
Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.
Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:
We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.
Electrek’s Take
September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.
We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.
Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.
And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.
Read more: From $189 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in November [Updated]
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The Oshkosh-built Striker Volterra Electric Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighter (ARFF) packs advanced battery technology to deliver ultra-fast emergency response performance no matter how long it needs to be in action — and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport just put six of the awesome 6×6 machines to work!
Oshkosh has been manufacturing ARFF vehicles since it first launched the MB-5 for use by the US Navy back in 1968, and they’ve been pushing the envelope of disaster response performance ever since. The company’s latest ARFF, the Striker Volterra Electric shown here, features a slanted body with front bumper designed for maneuvering through the ditches and rough terrain they might encounter on a damaged runway. It’s also big — but it’s big for a purpose. Because ARFF vehicles don’t have to navigate the confines of city streets, they can be built bigger, carry more water, more rescue equipment, and more personnel than conventional fire trucks.
As the newest members of the DFW Fire-Rescue fleet, these Striker Volterra Electric ARFF vehicles represent a significant step in DFW’s broader plan to replace its legacy fleet with a modern, electrified response system, while also making DFW the largest Striker Volterra Electric ARFF fleet operator in the US.
“Enhancing performance by reducing response times is the key driver of transitioning to these new vehicles,” said Daniel White, DFW Fire-Rescue Chief. “The Striker Volterra vehicles are faster and more agile than our current fleet. Because they are also safe for our firefighters and conscious for the environment, this investment represents a rare win-win-win, delivering operational benefits while ensuring the safety of our responders and the community we serve.”
The Striker Volterra Electric 6×6 ARFF uses a proprietary Oshkosh electric powertrain and an electro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission (read: CVT) paired to an integrated diesel generator. The setup enables zero-emission electric operation during normal station entry, standby, and low-speed tasks, eliminating firefighter exposure to their ARFF’s diesel exhaust 99% of the time. For sustained high-power demands during active fire suppression, the system seamlessly draws from both the battery and generator, ensuring uninterrupted pumping power and performance without operator intervention.
“Our commitment goes far beyond delivering a vehicle,” said Travis Ownby, sales specialist with Siddons-Martin Emergency Group. “It’s about helping departments like DFW Fire-Rescue lead the way in operational excellence and sustainability. We’re proud to support their mission with the Striker Volterra Electric ARFF vehicles.”
The addition of the Striker Volterra Electric ARFF vehicles also supports DFW’s transition to fluorine-free firefighting foam in line with FAA guidance and the industry’s move away from PFAS-based agents for a more environmentally responsible response capability across the airport.
Electrek’s Take
With the relatively short distances driven and extreme loads involved, airports present a nearly ideal use case for battery-electric vehicles in general, and their immediate off-the-line torque, improved efficiency, and ability to operate much more quietly than diesels (facilitating emergency crews’ communications) could make all the difference in an emergency situation where lives are quite literally on the line.
Plus, as demand for on-road fossil fuels drops, airports and airlines (historically responsible for about 4% Earth’s global warming) are becoming a bigger and bigger slice of a rapidly shrinking pie when it comes to fossil fuel emissions. Or, as OshKosk put it, “As airports continue to prioritize sustainability and operational efficiency, the Striker Volterra electric ARFF stands out as a forward-thinking solution that meets today’s demands while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.”
It’s a bit pitchy, but I couldn’t agree more.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Oshkosh.
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