The Current News: Nov. 11, 2021

As part of the buildup to our Electric Revolution Live event in May 2022 (a follow-up of our Electric Revolution exhibit at the Petersen Museum), we are ramping up reportage on the EV scene via The Current.  It’s an ever-evolving, even frantic, landscape of electric vehicles, and it can be tough to keep abreast of all the latest bikes, batteries, and news constantly flooding the market. That’s why we’ve re-launched our weekly EV News Roundup to bring you cherry-picked stories that matter to you. 

Hey there, all of you readers and riders! Can y’all believe that we’re almost halfway through November? That means 2022 is right around the corner.  If that’s tough to wrap your head around, this week’s EV news roundup is sure to be a doozy. From an awesomely bizarre four-person e-Bike to an extreme e-Racing truck, this installment will astonish and amaze, and provoke thought with recent discussions around global battery/mineral supply, the a new geopolitical landscape.

As always, drop us a line at stephanie@thevintagent.com if you see anything you think we should cover.

Let’s roll!

A Weird and Wonderful Four-Seater e-Bike

Do you dig vehicles that are strange and unusual? Then check out this awesomely weird four-person e-Bike from Alibaba. Perfect for a party, this thing is powered by a 1,500W motor located in its rear wheels that’s powered by a 32Ah battery packing just under 2kWh. With a reported 50-mile range, a baby bumper, and two brakes, this bike is the ideal family EV.

McLaren Drops an Extreme e-Racing Truck

British automotive manufacturer McLaren is trying its hand in the world of e-Racing with the Odyssey 21, an all-electric SUV. Initially unveiled at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the SUV boasts the firm’s distinct papaya orange color palette and ornate detailing by artist Vic Lee. Extreme E is an all-electric off-road series that is made up of five races. The innovative motorsport’s goal is to explore the technological future of racing while raising awareness of sustainability and climate change. Moreover, the sport is inclusive, having all teams consist of both female and male drivers. “Our decision to enter extreme E will inform and enlighten our own journey of discovery and is underpinned by a clear imperative to accelerate McLaren Racing’s own sustainability which places carbon reduction, recycling and reuse and elimination of waste at its core,” the company stated on its website. The buggy-shaped Odyssey 21 is slated to compete next year and be driven by the renowned rally racer Tanna Faust.

Damon Starts Construction of Manufacturing/R&D Facility

e-Motorbike manufacturer Damon started construction this week on a new 110,000 square-foot manufacturing and R&D facility in Surrey, British Columbia. Slated to open next fall, Damon’s plant will employ hundreds of production and officer workers throughout the surrounding areas by 2025. Damon’s next-gen e-Motorcycles feature onboard AI to boost safety.

Big Red is Making Moves

While Honda’s EV battery will soon be part of a new Indian battery-swapping network, the company recently stated that it had much bigger plans for the future. Despite an initial focus on powering e-Motorcycles, Honda is now looking at ways to utilize its EV battery design as part of the public power grid with the goal of moving to carbon neutrality by 2050. Big ambitions, and the kind of thinking we need to implement now to reduce carbon emissions asap.

e-Bikes are the Most Popular EVs

EVs hit the New York Times yet again this week in a business piece that predicts the popularity of e-Bikes will not slow down anytime soon. With 130 million e-Bikes projected to be sold by 2023 worldwide, they are the EVs that are highest in demand, and widest in popular acceptance, even in EV-resistant countries like the USA.   Why?  Because they’re fun, and a near miracle in making bicycling easier and more accessible for those not dedicated to the Peloton.

Juiced’s Fat-Tire e-Bike Targets a Younger Crowd

With a nimble frame and affordable price tag, Juiced’s new fat-tire e-Bike is meant to target teens and young adults. Called the RipRacer, the bike is available in two versions, including the Class 2 with a 52V/10Ah battery that can reach speeds of up to 20mph and the Class 3, equipped with a 52V/15Ah battery with a top speed of 28mph.  That’s skirting the law defining ‘bicycle’, so perhaps there’s an app to bring the speed over 30mph…but we never said that, and would never encourage readers to exceed the speed limit, or the boundaries of their current reality, or Instagram’s willy-nilly posting restrictions.

New York Times Nails the Issues

This week, writer Steve LeVine summarized why ‘America Isn’t Ready for the Electric Vehicle Revolution.’ Give it a read: we’ve been saying it for years – the USA is the last bastion of resistance to EVs, and our politicians the deepest in the pockets of the petro industry.  While we’re used to the corruption, it has blinded those who could make a difference with legislative support on a transition to greener energy sources, to strategically place US industry in a competitive path.  Denial of climate change and looking backwards has given China an open door, and they walked right through it, currently owning 90% of the world’s capacity to process Lithium, 70% of the Cobalt, and 40% of the Nickel.  Thus, US and European manufacturers are completely vulnerable to shipping or supply chain issues from abroad, like pandemics or political issues, as .  In crude terms, China now holds the cards to future transport, and despite $7Bn in the recent US infrastructure bill allocated to support battery supply chain, nothing is included to address problems of mineral processing, or other critical issues like battery development and the absurd state of EV battery recycling at the moment.