Electrek

On today’s portentous episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Harbinger CEO John Harris on-hand to talk through the brand’s new low cab forward EV and EREV trucks, the industry-first battery deal with Airstream, and a whole lot more!

Tesla Semi program lead Dan Priestley took Jay Leno on an extensive tour of the production-intent electric truck, revealing significant engineering details — including 1,000 lbs of weight savings that bring the 500-mile version to payload parity with diesel trucks.

The episode is packed with new technical information about the powertrain architecture, charging capabilities, and production readiness as Tesla prepares to ramp its dedicated Semi factory outside Reno, Nevada, to 50,000 units per year.

BYD is already seeing a flood of new EV buyers as gas and oil prices surge amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Today’s 9to5Toys Green Deals is headlined by Amazon beating Jackery’s spring sale on the Explorer 2000 v2 Portable Power Station, Anker SOLIX power stations and bundles at lows from $150, up to $720 off Lectric e-bikes, and Segway’s GT3 superscooter back down at its $1,500 low. Head below for a closer look at the details.

Head below for other Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek‘s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

The Department of the Interior, headed by a man who has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from oil companies, just declared it will spend $1 billion of your dollars to convince a French oil company, TotalEnergies, to stop development of affordable, reliable offshore wind and instead shift to expensive, unreliable liquified methane gas.

A newly published Tesla patent application describes a sophisticated dual-battery management system designed to integrate an auxiliary battery pack with a vehicle’s primary pack — including a configuration where the auxiliary battery lives inside a towed trailer.

The patent was filed in August 2024, months before Tesla officially cancelled the Cybertruck’s bed-mounted range extender, suggesting the automaker’s engineering team continued developing the underlying technology even as the original product was being abandoned.

Mercedes-Benz becomes the latest luxury brand planning to launch a new entry-level EV. Here’s what we know so far.

Donut Lab has now released five independent test reports from Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre on its solid-state battery — and not a single one addresses the two claims that actually matter: the 400 Wh/kg energy density and the 100,000-cycle life.

The Q1 2026 deadline that Donut Lab set for delivering production batteries inside Verge Motorcycles is eight days away. The latest report, a cycling test dated March 13, adds another data point — but the overall picture remains unchanged.

Kia revealed EV2 prices and final specs as orders are now officially open in Europe. The EV2 is cheaper than expected, with prices starting at just €26,600 ($30,500).

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a stark warning to riders of the Ridstar Q20 and Q20 Pro electric bikes, urging owners to stop using them immediately due to a serious fire risk. But in a troubling twist, the manufacturer has refused to cooperate with a recall.

Honda’s upcoming WN7 electric motorcycle may have just picked up a prestigious Gold iF Design Award, but the real story here is more than the accolades it’s what the bike represents for the future of mainstream electric motorcycles from legacy manufacturers.

EV enthusiasts and evangelists are always ready to answer their friends’ questions about going electric. Sometimes, they even get it right! In this series, we’re taking a look at some next-level EV questions that don’t always have easy answers, starting with: I drive my EV for work, but charge at home — how do I track charging costs?

Tesla and SpaceX have unveiled “Terafab,” a joint $25 billion chip fabrication facility in Austin, Texas, that Elon Musk claims will produce 1 terawatt of computing power annually. It would be the largest semiconductor fab ever built — by an absurd margin.

Musk took the stage at the defunct Seaholm Power Plant in Austin on March 21 to officially launch the project, calling it “the most epic chip building exercise in history by far.”

With almost 1,000 hp and a blistering 60 mph coming in just 2.4 seconds, Audi’s electric flagship super sedan made headlines and set performance records when it was launched back in 2024. Unfortunately for Audi, it didn’t set many sales records, and you can now buy the ridiculously rapid RS e-tron GT with more than $50,000 in discounts. (!)

Dutch logistics specialist Simon Loos announced a major order with Daimler Trucks’ Mercedes brand, purchasing 75 Mercedes‑Benz eActros 600 electric semi trucks and growing its BEV fleet to more than 200 units.

Indian ag and automaker Mahindra has launched a limited-run Batman Edition of its BE 6 Electric Origin SUV, calling it, “a production car that brings to life a rare fusion of cinematic heritage and modern luxury, inspired by Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed The Dark Knight Trilogy from Warner Bros. Pictures.”

UPDATE 21MAR2026: if you bought one last year, Mahindra could buy it back.

UK-based Zenobē backed up its ambitions of fleet electrification leadership by closing on its acquisition of California-based Revolv, signaling the company’s continued confidence in North America’s commercial EV market.

Autonomous construction tech startup Bedrock Robotics has just closed on a $270 million Series B funding round that brings total investment in the self-driving roller and excavator firm to more than $350 million. (!)

Vermont utility Green Mountain Power is expanding one of the country’s most exciting virtual power plant programs, adding a new battery lease program to its menu of home energy offerings that lets customers add backup power at little to no upfront cost.

Commercial fleets have been adopting electric vehicles for their long-term fuel and maintenance savings, but Benore Logistics has found another big benefit to making the switch: going electric is helping the company attract younger drivers – and keep them.

The US needs a lot more electricity fast, and one company thinks robots can help build it quicker.

Berkeley, California-based Terabase Energy says its next-gen Terafab automated solar construction system has finished field testing and is now ready to ship commercially. Terafab V2 brings autonomous robotics and AI into the way massive solar farms are built.

The new C-HR+ arrives in Europe as Toyota’s longest-range electric vehicle, with a WLTP range of up to 607 km (377 miles).

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 Tesla turning to energy, BMW i3 EV making a splash, Donut Lab update, and more.

The ultra-luxurious Genesis electric SUV will arrive later this year as the first vehicle to feature “Connect W,” a high-tech new system that’s expected to take the driving experience to the next level.