Hello dear readers and riders! Before we dive into this week’s roundup, we wanted to draw your attention to some pretty exciting stuff happening over in Europe this weekend.
Reload Land, Europe’s first ever all-electric motorcycle festival, is taking place in Berlin, Germany from June 24 to 26. Exhibitors include both big-name brands, like Deus and Zero, and lesser-known EV companies, including Ovaobikes and Black Tea Motorbikes. It’s being hosted by our friends at Craftwerk Berlin, so if you’re over in Germany, be sure to check it out!
Reload Land is coming up this weekend. Look for more info on their webpage, and on their Instagram page.
If you know of any cool events or new EVs we should cover, drop us a line at stephanie@thevintagent.com. Now, without further ado, let’s roll into this week’s top EV stories.
Citroën’s Compact Khaki Buggy Sold Out in Minutes
The metallic khaki Citrôën Mehari EV was an instant hit, as is their base model. [Citrôën]
Earlier this week, French carmaker Citroën released a limited production run of their My Ami Buggy concept. While 1,800 customers wanted to scoop up their own khaki-green compact EV, all 50 buggies sold out in just 17 minutes. While the standard model costs about $9,200, the premium khaki buggy had a price tag of about $10,300. Over in Europe, Citroën has enjoyed mild success, selling around 21,000 models. Any person over the age of 15 can legally drive the My Ami on public roads because it’s classified as a quadricycle.
Audi to Recycle EV Batteries for e-Rickshaws
Finally, an automaker grappling with the major issue of battery recycling. Or, in this case, re-purposing the batteries for a low-demand vehicle. [Audi]Luxury automaker Audi has partnered with German-Indian non-profit Nunam to give used electric car batteries a second chance at life. Audi will recycle the batteries they use for test vehicles to power an e-tron rickshaw fleet. To do this, Audi is funding Nunam, which is bringing e-Rickshaws to India. The startup developed three rickshaw prototypes in collaboration with Audi’s training team. A pilot project is slated to hit the roads early next year.
Meet the World’s First Solar-Powered Production Car
It’s been mused for years, and there have been cross-country contests, but a solar-power car just might work for limited or slow runs. [Lightyear]Netherlands-based startup Lightyear just dropped the world’s first solar-powered production car. Dubbed the Lightyear 0, the vehicle will be able to drive over 6,800 miles a year without a charge thanks to its “double-curved solar array,” which takes up over 54 sq.ft. on the car’s roof, front, and rear. The EV is powered by four in-wheel electric motors that churn out a combined 174ps of power. It took over six years of research and development to make the Lightyear 0 production-ready. The company states that their car is the world’s most energy-efficient electric vehicle, only consuming 10.5kWh for every 62 miles traveled.
FedEx is Going Electric
Now you can lose your packages and go green as well as red! FedEx unveils its new fleet. [Fedex]Earlier this week, FedEx received their first batch of 150 Zevo 600 e-Trucks from BrightDrop. The vehicles are the first of a larger order that includes over 2,500 electric trucks. The vans, available in two different models, can travel up to 250 miles on a single charge. Walmart has taken notice of the startup’s vans and put in an order for some 5,000 vehicles.
Volvo Developed First Hydrogen Articulated Hauler
Haulin’ hydrogen: Volvo’s commercial truck division is a global heavyweight, and they’re looking towards a greener future. [Volvo]Volvo recently announced that they have partnered with PowerCell Sweden and a handful of research organizations to develop a hydrogen fuel-cell articulated hauler prototype. The construction dump truck will tip the scales at 35 tons, has a four-hour operating time, and will carry 12.5kg of hydrogen.
Stephanie Weaver is the EV Editor at The Vintagent, and a Philadelphia-based freelance writer. When she’s not locked to her laptop, she can be found riding horses and motorcycles.
Green my posterior , Even Hydrogen currently creates more greenhouse gases to produce than it saves ( remember I WAS an advocate for the technology )
And the Lightyear ? Pure unmitigated vaporware with a healthy dose of – If Its Dutch it Aint Much – ( remembering the pathetic disastrous joke of a Spyker ) BS
Fact is … the ONLY way to go green … is LESS … as in less motorized of any kind vehicles on the roads and skies .. less travel … smaller genuinely efficient homes ( a 32,000 sq ft green home is anything but green ) etc et al
LESS … the one thing we won’t do … and the ONLY thing that’ll work . Everything else is just an attempt to get into your back pocket and pacify you .
In the mean time .. might I suggest we dump this ludicrous column into the virtual trash bin where it and all so called Green propaganda … belongs … really … we’re already drowning in enough BS as it is ..