Seattle launches cute little electric street sweepers into its bike lanes
When it comes to keeping streets cleared, most cities pretty much have it under control (despite everyone’s claim that their city is the worst). But when you shrink streets down into bike lanes, suddenly large-format conventional street sweepers can find themselves squeezed out. That’s why Seattle has recently turned to mini-models to keep its bike lanes cleared.
The miniature electric street sweepers are an innovative approach, helping Seattle not only provide safer cycling infrastructure in the city but also keep it well maintained to encourage more riders to use it.
The mini-EVs function similarly to large industrial street sweepers you’ll often see crawling along city streets, but have a smaller form factor that make them perfect for narrower areas like bike lanes.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) recently completed a test run using Schmidt’s eSwingo 200+ electric compact sweeper, and is now performing a longer test to determine its feasibility and durability in the city.
SDOT announced on its blog that it is planning to conduct four to six more pilot projects later this year, and next year to continue testing and operating new electric equipment such as this mini electric street sweeper.
According to the department, “These vehicles will help with a wide range of efforts, which may include street sweeping, bike lane inspections and spot repairs, and potentially other construction tasks.”
It’s not the first time we’ve seen electric mini-sweepers head to the bike lanes.
Earlier this year, Ann Arbor decided to buy their own compact electric street sweeper to perform maintenance on the city’s network of bicycle lanes.
At just 48″ wide (122 cm), Ann Arbor’s mini-sweeper wasn’t fast at just 15 mph (25 km/h), but came with a 62 kWh battery giving it a nine-hour operating time. That meant it could work all day, then recharge at night with a standard J1772 connector for Level 2 EV chargers.
Electrek’s Take
Such small street sweepers are likely to continue playing a pivotal role in preserving the cleanliness and safety of bike lanes as more cities address the growing need for safe, well-maintained bicycle lanes.
Unlike larger roads where vehicles can naturally push away debris or allow them collect in the unused portions of intersections, bike lanes are more prone to the accumulation of gravel, glass, twigs, and other small debris that can pose hazards to cyclists. These impediments increase the risk of accidents by causing cyclists to swerve suddenly or experience tire punctures.
Small street sweepers, with their compact design, can easily navigate the narrow confines of bike lanes, ensuring they remain free of debris. By maintaining clear and clean bike lanes, cities not only enhance safety for cyclists but also encourage more people to consider cycling as a viable mode of transportation, further promoting eco-friendly commuting.
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Elon Musk haters have vandalized dozens of Tesla Cybertrucks being held ahead of delivery at a parking lot in Florida.
As we previously reported, Tesla has briefly halted Cybertruck deliveries due to a problem with its windshield wiper motor.
This has resulted in Tesla accumulating Cybertruck held before delivery at many locations around the US.
Over the last few days, I have been sent half a dozen videos of people dumbfounded about finding parking lots filed with Cybertrucks.
When I received this one from the OnlyinDade account, I thought this was just another one of these videos, but there was more to it:
People who seemingly dislike Elon Musk have decided to vandalize dozens of Cybertrucks sitting in a newly leased parking lot in Fort Lauderdale.
It’s unclear if the ‘f*ck Elon’ graffiti is easily removable or if there’s actual damage to the vehicles.
Electrek’s Take
Without justifying this really dumb act, because there’s no justifying it, this is an example of “Elon is Tesla, and Tesla is Elon.”
Technically, all these vehicles are Tesla’s property – though they are already meant for customers, they just haven’t changed hands yet. It makes no sense to vandalize Tesla’s property because you dislike Elon, but a lot of people see Tesla, a publicly held company, as Elon and Elon as Tesla.
That’s partly Elon’s own doing.
Again, I’m not trying to justify this. It’s obviously the wrong thing to do and ultimately, it will just radicalize his fans even more.
But it does show that Elon is becoming an increasingly polarizing individual and it is problematic to have such a divisive person as the head of such an important company as Tesla.
How about we just don’t vandalize private property. That’s a good standpoint to build on.
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Nissan is the latest victim of BYD’s “liberation battle” against gas-powered cars. After BYD’s aggressive price cuts this year, Nissan is shutting down a factory in China as it struggles to keep up.
As is the case for many legacy automakers, China is a critical sales market for Nissan. Nearly a third of Nissan’s global sales and net profits are from China.
After slipping out of the top five automakers (by market share) in China in 2022, Nissan’s woes are worsening. Nissan’s sales fell 16% in China last year and the trend has continued into 2024.
Nissan’s sales fell another 2.8% last month, with 64,233 vehicles sold in China. The company cut guidance by 23% last year, with 800,000 vehicle sales expected in fiscal 2024. According to Nikkei, Nissan will do so with one less factory.
Nissan is closing the doors to its plant in Changzhou as the factory is building more cars than it can sell.
The facility accounts for about 8% of Nissan’s production capacity in China, with an annual capacity of around 130,000 units. According to the report, the plant shuts down on Friday.
Under its joint venture with China’s Dongfeng Motor, Nissan has eight plants in the region. Its total annual capacity is around 1.6 million, double Nissan’s projected sales figures for fiscal 2024.
Nissan shuts down China plant amid BYD’s EV price war
The plant shutdown comes as Nissan struggles to keep up in an increasingly competitive China EV market.
China’s largest automaker, BYD, kicked off a “liberation battle” against ICE vehicles earlier this year. The goal is to continue taking market share from gas-powered cars with lower-priced EVs. So far, it seems to be working.
BYD has drastically cut prices while introducing lower-priced EV models. Its cheapest, the Seagull EV, starts under $10,000 (69,800 yuan).
BYD’s CEO, Wang Chaunfu, said EVs have entered “the knockout round” and that the next two years will be critical for automakers to catch up.
With lower-priced, more advanced models hitting the market, BYD sees joint venture brands (like Nissan’s) market share falling from around 40% to 10% in China.
Nissan isn’t the only legacy automaker feeling the heat. Japanese rivals Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Honda have also pulled back in China amid slumping sales.
Meanwhile, BYD looks to expand its global footprint after outgrowing China’s EV market. BYD is closing in on a deal for a plant in Mexico that would be among the biggest in the country. The company expects to sell 50,000 vehicles in Mexico this year.
BYD is also expanding on Nissan and Toyota’s home turf. According to data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association, BYD accounted for over 20% of Japan’s EV imports in January.
With longer-range, lower-priced models rolling out, BYD’s momentum is expected to continue. China’s leading automaker is also expanding into new segments like pickups (check out the new Shark PHEV), mid-size electric SUVs, and luxury.
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Tesla scrapped promotional financing on the Model 3 Long Range this week after it became eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit.
As Electrek reported on June 17, Tesla and the IRS confirmed that the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive is now eligible for the full tax credit. Today, Tesla is pricing the EV’s upfront purchase price at just $34,990 – $1,000 more than the Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive – including the federal tax credit and an estimated five-year gas savings of $5,000.
The Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive still doesn’t qualify for the federal tax credit because it uses LFP battery cells from China.
The Model 3 Long Range is now listed at 6.39% APR on loans up to 72 months. The Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive continues to offer 1.99% APR for 36 months with a 60-month option at 2.99%.
Even though the Model 3 Long Range is now $7,500 cheaper, the higher interest rate is a bit of a party pooper, as it eats up potential savings. The folks at CarsDirect estimated that on a five-year loan, thanks to the 6.39% interest rate, the Model 3 Long Range has more of a $4,200 advantage than a $7,500 advantage.
If you’re eligible for the federal tax credit, the Model 3 Long Range is cheaper than before but costs around $3,200 more to finance through Tesla than last week. CarsDirect suggests comparing your options carefully if you’re shopping for a Model 3 Long Range.
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