The Current News- September 7, 2022

Hello, dear readers and riders! We hope you had a great Labor Day weekend! Welcome to the first EV roundup of September. This week’s roundup promises to be a doozy, including an all-electric watercraft that can be turned into a campervan, a wooden balance bike, and Jeep’s plans to become the top zero-emissions SUV brand on the globe Please send your tips, questions, and feedback to stephanie@thevintagent.com. Let’s roll.

All-Electric Watercraft/Camper That Can Tackle Both Land and Sea

Have you ever dreamed of a campervan that can be turned into a catamaran? If so, the all-electric land-and-sea watercraft from German company Schneider Caravaning is right up your alley. Dubbed the Caracat 860, this innovative concept is an electric boat and trailer rolled into one. Available in three sizes that span from 21.7 feet to 28.2 feet, the Caracat needs to be towed by a truck but can propel on its own once it hits the water thanks to its 15hp outboard electric engine.

Eco-Friendly Kids’ Balance Bike with a Wooden Frame

Start teaching your kids about sustainability early on with an eco-friendly balance bike concept that features a wooden, fluid frame. The brainchild of designer Liam de la Bedoyere from Bored Eye Design, the “Sweep Bike” entices kids to learn how to ride. Seamlessly blending imagination with function, the Sweep Bike requires no pedaling, allowing children to learn how to balance their bodies the right way.

Hyundai’s New Luxury EV Brand Has Finally Arrived

South Korean automaker Hyundai will now take on Tesla and Mercedes while undercutting their prices with the arrival of its new luxury EV brand, Genesis. Their 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 sedan, soon to be available in several US states, cranks out 365 ponies and 516 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to its 87.2kWh battery, the Electrified G80 has a range of 282 miles. Best of all, the starting price is $80,920, making it a bargain in the luxury EV segment.

Jeep Aims to Be the World’s Top Zero-Emission SUV Brand

Jeep is taking the electric realm by storm with four new EVs rolling out in the next three years. The automaker’s ultimate goal is to become the world’s leading electric SUV manufacturer. “We are designing and developing the most capable and sustainable Jeep SUVs to date, on our path to becoming the leading zero-emission SUV brand in the world,” Christian Meunier, Jeep brand CEO, said earlier this week.

Hydrogen Might Save the Electric Grid

As the demand for EVs continues to rise, the need for a smarter electric grid has never been greater. Hydrogen might be the solution. A recent paper from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory takes a deep dive into such a plan, stating that off-peak electric grid capacity allows for the cheap production of hydrogen for better energy storage.
Do you think a plan like this could work?

Fresh Funds

• Ascend Elements, an engineered materials and lithium-ion battery recycling company based in the US, just received $50 million from SK ecoplant, the environmental leg of SK, Inc.
• Mobile EV charging network provider SparkCharge raised an additional $7 million to its Series A round. That brings the company’s total to $30 million.