The Current News- February 24, 2023

Hello, dear readers and riders! Welcome to the last installment of our EV news ‌roundups for February. This week, we’ll cover the world’s fastest eVTOL, a stunning new concept from Zero, and the EV industry’s darker side. As always, please send any leads to stephanie@thevintagent.com. Let’s roll.

Zero’s New Concept is Straight from the Future

Zero Motorcycle unveiled its newest e-Motorcycle concept, giving us Sci-Fi vibes. Called the Zero SR-X, the bike was built in partnership with Bill Webb of HUGE Design. “The SR-X concept bike strives to hit a design sweet spot for the near future of electric motorcycles by combining clean lines and disciplined design-detailing with the aggressive stance and raw performance found in modern liter bikes,” Webb explained.

Meet the New eVTOL Racecar

Alauda Aeronautics recently released a new design concept for a track-racing-inspired eVTOL. The company claims that its new hydrogen-powered aircraft, the Airspeeder Mk4, is the fastest in the world. What sets the Mk4 apart from other eVTOL is its in-house designed gimballed thrust system controlled by an AI-powered flight controller that adjusts the craft’s four-rotor pairs mounted on 3D-printed gimbals. “It handles less like a multi-copter and more like a jet fighter or Formula 1 racing car.” Alauda Aeronautics states.

Colibri M22 is a Folding e-Moped that Travels 125 Miles on a Single Charge

Designer Petre Georgescu recently revealed his latest innovation, the Colibri M22. The foldable e-Moped can travel 125 miles (200km) on a single charge and is highly customizable. Without the battery, the bike weighs only about 66 pounds and can reach speeds of up to 31mph. The Colibri M22’s off-road setting allows riders to explore trails less traveled and has a top speed of almost 60mph.

Volvo Preps for Electric 20-Ton Wheel Loaders

Volvo Construction Equipment is launching an electric retrofit program in Europe for its 20-ton L120H wheel loader. The company will swap out diesel engines with 240kWh batteries in partnership with Parker Hannifin. As a result, the large vehicles will have near-silent operations and five-hour runtimes. They can be fully charged in less than two hours.

EV Industry Workers Are Dying

WIRED recently published an article covering the dark side of the EV industry. Journalist Peter Yeung spoke to dozens of workers at the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) and found that they worked up to 15 hours daily, earning less than $25. The article reveals that working conditions at IMIP are “dangerous and deadly” and that companies are “putting profits over people’s lives.” Indonesia’s nickel sector also has devastating environmental impacts, with hundreds of thousands of trees being cleared for smelters, mines, and supporting infrastructures.

Meet Tesla Semi’s Little Sister

Watt Electric Vehicle Company’s new eCV1 lineup of panel vans and electric trucks looks a lot like the Tesla Semi, only smaller. The vehicles are based on the company’s Passenger and Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES), are powered by 110kWh batteries, and have 290 miles worth of range.

MIT Media Lab is Developing a Self-Driving e-Trike

MIT’s City Science research group is working on a self-driving tricycle that can be summoned on demand.

Are EV Pickups Harming the Planet?

The New York Times published an article exploring electric pickups’ environmental impact. While the electric versions produce up to 50% fewer emissions per mile than combustion engines, they are still much dirtier than you think, especially when the full life cycle from production to destruction is considered: just like oil production and internal combustion vehicles.  Since Americans like everything bigger, the 6000+lb behemoth EV pickups use a lot of electricity, putting them on par with small cars in carbon production per mile.