BILITI’s 3-wheeled electric delivery vans heading to the continent that needs them most
BILITI Electric has teamed up with e-commerce company JUMIA to deploy its three-wheeled electric vans for parcel delivery.
California-based commercial electric vehicle maker BILITI Electric and pan-African e-commerce giant JUMIA recently inked a partnership that will see these electric three-wheelers roll out first in Kenya.
There the electric tuk-tuks will be integrated into JUMIA’s existing fleet of delivery vehicles.
While we often see flashy new electric vehicles launching in the US or Europe, many areas of the world that often rely on smaller (and fewer-wheeled) vehicles are forced to play second fiddle.
In Africa, electrification has often leap-frogged traditional four-wheeled cars and trucks, instead targeting some of the most beneficial vehicles: two- and three-wheelers.
In this case, BILITI’s electric trikes will prove to be potent tools in helping JUMIA reduce the emissions of its delivery fleet.
Kenya is also uniquely positioned to help kickstart this type of electric vehicle adoption. In 2020, over 90% of the electricity used in the country was generated from renewable sources such as hydropower, geothermal, solar PV and wind. A year earlier, Kenya also reduced the import duty for fully electric vehicles followed by releasing a comprehensive strategy to increase the adoption of EVs.
As CEO of JUMIA Kenya Juan Seco explained:
“Leveraging technology to improve everyday lives in Africa is the first pillar of JUMIA’s sustainability strategy. We are committed to building a supply chain that will minimize the environmental impact of our operations. The introduction of these EVs to our last-mile delivery fleet of 3000+ vans is an integral milestone in our journey towards realizing our ESG objectives.”
The news comes after the successful completion of a pilot program by JUMIA, which resulted in the larger purchase of more BILITI Electric delivery vans.
And as BILITI Electric’s co-founder and co-CEO Rahul Gayam continued, it’s about saving costs as much as saving on emissions:
“We are thrilled about this partnership as JUMIA is a growing entity on its path to profitability. Last mile delivery costs account for 53% of the total cost of shipping. EVs help save on major costs compared to any internal combustion engine vehicle.”
The vehicles in question, BILITI Electric Taskman commercial delivery vans, are designed with large swappable battery packs.
They offer a range of 100 km (62 miles) per charge, and then the battery can be swapped out at a depot in less than a minute for a freshly charged battery.
The vehicles travel at speeds of 50 km/h (31 mph) and can carry large payloads of up to 500 kg (1,100 pounds).
Across BILITI’s entire production, the Taskman has completed over 35 million kilometers (22 million miles) and delivered over 24 million shipments around the globe.
The vehicles are currently being used by large companies such as Amazon, Walmart, BigBasket, Zomato, JioMart, Wasoko, and others. They’re currently in use in over 15 countries including the US, France, the UK, Portugual, Germany, Japan, Uganda, Kenya, Dubai, and India.
Miami, Florida residents may have even seen some blue BILITI Electric Taskmans rolling around with The Rounds sustainable home-goods delivery service after getting their US debut at last year’s LA Auto Show.
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The new CLA Shooting Brake is the first electric Mercedes vehicle available as an estate. It’s more spacious, more capable, and more high-tech than ever.
Meet the new Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake EV
Mercedes introduced the new CLA Shooting Brake on Tuesday, its first electric estate car. The Shooting Brake arrives as the second EV from the luxury brand’s new entry-level family of vehicles.
The electric wagon takes the best of the new CLA, which was revealed just a few weeks ago, and adds more space and capability.
It’s also bigger than the current CLA Shooting Brake, offering a more spacious interior. The new EV measures 4,723 mm in length, or 35 mm longer than the outgoing model.
With an extended wheelbase of 2,790 mm (+61 mm), the electric version offers 14 mm more headroom and 11 mm more legroom in the front. Rear passengers gain 7 mm of headroom but lose 6 mm of legroom compared to the current model.
Boot space is 455 L, which is 50 L more than the CLA sedan, but 30 L less than the outgoing Shooting Brake. However, it does include an added Frunk (front trunk) for an extra 101 L of storage space.
With all seats folded, overall storage space is 1,290 L. It also comes with standard roof rails, which Mercedes claims can easily fit surfboards or bicycles with a 75 kg (165 lbs) load capacity.
Inside, the new Shooting Brake is nearly identical to the CLA Sedan. It features the new Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) with its fourth-gen infotainment.
The setup includes a 14″ infotainment and 10.25″ driver display screens. An extra 14″ passenger screen is available. A trim piece with star-pattern graphics replaces it if not. All three screens are powered by the latest-gen chips and graphics from Unity Game Engine.
Powered by the new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture and an 85 kWh battery, the new Shooting Brake EV offers up to 473 miles (761 km) WLTP range.
It will be available in single and dual-motor powertrains. The base CLA 250+ Shooting Brake has 268 hp (200 kW) output and a WLTP range of up to 473 miles (761 km). Meanwhile, the dual-motor CLA 350 4MATIC Shooting Brake has combined 349 hp (260 kW) and a range of up to 454 miles (730 km).
Based on its 800V architecture, the new electric estate can add 193 miles (310 km) WLTP driving range within 10 minutes. Mercedes said that should be plenty to get from Geneva to Milan or Berlin to Hamburg.
Mercedes will introduce new EV variants in early 2026, followed by a 1.5 L hybrid model. Prices will be revealed closer to launch, but it’s expected to start slightly higher than the current model. The current CLA Shooting Brake starts at around €40,000 ($46,500) in Europe.
Following the new CLA and CLA Shooting Brake, Mercedes-Benz plans to launch two SUVs. Check back soon for more info on the upcoming lineup.
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Rivian today announced a partnership with Google Maps on a new navigation system for its electric vehicles.
Rivian will continue to offer its own customized navigation interface on the 15.6-inch center touchscreen, but the underlying data is now powered by (the Automotive SDK from) Google Maps instead of third-party alternatives. Rivian cites customer feedback in making this change:
Instead of doing some small incremental improvements, we wanted to profoundly change our solution so that we make it the best navigation solution in the industry by combining strengths from both teams.
End users will benefit from fresh Google Maps traffic and “much better” routing (with improved ETAs and rerouting) information that includes crowd-sourced reports about construction, accidents, and other road disruptions. Rivian will also now show Google Maps satellite imagery in a sizable upgrade.
Rivian has already been using Google Maps for place information (hours, photos, ratings, etc.) and will now let you “tap on places of interest right on the map and learn more about hours, reviews, and contact information with just a tap.” More broadly, Rivian builds on top of Android Automotive OS and offers YouTube, as well as Google Cast.
Whether you’re about to embark on a long road trip or just trying to find the quickest way to run errands around town, navigation should be seamless, accurate and helpful.
Rivian owners will continue to have vehicle and condition-specific range EV estimates, as well as detailed information about charging stops.
Meanwhile, this Google Maps upgrade comes with a new design language that Rivian says “celebrates natural spaces in its topography and colors —from green parks to deep blue lakes and oceans.” There are also enhancements to “glanceability and easier access to information.”
These updates are also coming to the Rivian mobile app. Specifically, users can see traffic and traffic incidents, place photos/descriptions and satellite view (with a Connect+ subscription). Destination and trip sharing remains available.
Rivian Navigation with Google Maps is beginning to roll out today.
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People look at iPhones at the Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York City on May 23, 2025.
Adam Gray | Reuters
Apple and miner MP Materials announced a $500 million deal Tuesday for rare earth magnets and the development of a recycling facility that will reinforce the iPhone maker’s U.S. supply chain.
MP Materials stock climbed 23%. Shares of Apple were marginally higher.
As part of the agreement, Apple will buy rare earth magnets created at the company’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Both companies will combine on a new rare earth recycling line in Mountain Pass, California. MP Materials plans to start shipping magnets in 2027.
“American innovation drives everything we do at Apple, and we’re proud to deepen our investment in the U.S. economy,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a press release. “Rare earth materials are essential for making advanced technology, and this partnership will help strengthen the supply of these vital materials here in the United States.”.
Apple said the deal will create dozens of new manufacturing and research and development roles.
Rare earth magnets are key components that make up everything from consumer electronics such as smartphones and computers to cars and renewable energy systems.
For years, the U.S. has worked on curbing its reliance on China, which dominates the global rare earth elements supply chain. MP Materials operates the only rare earth mine in the U.S.
Earlier this month, the Department of Defense became the largest shareholder in the rare earth miner, buying $400 million in preferred stock to improve rare earth magnet supply on American soil.
Apple announced a plan to invest more than $500 billion to beef up U.S. manufacturing capabilities earlier this year. The plan included a new factory for artificial intelligence servers in Texas.
Shares of MP Materials have nearly quadrupled since the start of the year, pushing the miner’s market capitalization to nearly $10 billion. The stock has nearly doubled over the last month.
WATCH: Pentagon invests in MP Materials, guarantees floor price for rare earth minerals
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