My Tesla Cybercab launch predictions

Tesla holds its Cybercab launch event in Austin on September 3, and it’s being sold as a milestone. Here’s my prediction: it’s going to look a lot like the last time Tesla launched this car, back in October 2024.

Expect a big robotaxi fleet number as the headline, a steering wheel and safety monitor finally coming out, and almost nothing that touches the one thing actually holding the program back.

Renewables’ installed capacity to beat natural gas within a year – EIA data

Including new small-scale solar, renewables’ capacity is likely to surpass natural gas by summer 2027 or sooner, according to new data just released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), and reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.

BYD Q2 profit jumps 30% as record exports offset weak China sales

BYD posted its first quarterly profit increase in more than a year, with second-quarter net profit rising 29.8% to 8.2 billion yuan ($1.22 billion) as a record surge in exports offset a weak Chinese market.

The rebound ends four straight quarters of profit declines and reverses the 55.4% collapse BYD reported just three months earlier.

Volkswagen unveils the first California EV camper, and it’s based on the ID. Buzz [Images]

The ID. California Cruise is Volkswagen’s first fully electric California camper. Based on the ID. Buzz, the camper van comes with a bed, window blinds, and other camping gear.

Private equity bribed Trump $1M, then got $900M for a methane terminal

The largest benefactor of the Interior Department’s most recent illegal wind buyout is an Australian-American billionaire whose private equity firm will receive $900 million in exchange for a stake in a methane gas terminal in Louisiana. The near-billion-dollar buyout comes after the same billionaire gave a $1 million bribe to the originator of the deal.

Wheel-E Podcast: Powerful Bafangs, cops on Sur-Rons, Qronge, more

This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new e-bikes from Flit and SONDORS (yep, that one), testing a battery charging cabinet and the Qronge e-moto, London cops riding Sur-Rons, and more.

Qronge X1 Spark L Review: Does a $1,299 Sur-Ron Light Bee alternative cut the right corners?

If you are late to the pre-teen suburban e-moto scene, we’ve been wading through the exploding market of low-cost Sur-Ron competitors over the past months. While we can all debate the safety and legality issues these bikes bring, the reality is that they are incredibly popular and useful for those who can get around their neighborhoods and back roads and are comfortable hitting speeds up to and above 40mph. Enter the low cost $1299 Qronge X1 Spark L.

Ontario airport set to spend $5.5 million on electric ground support equipment

California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) has been awarded a $~4.15 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand its zero emission infrastructure and add more electric ground support equipment (GSE).

Port of Los Angeles commits $200 million to zero emission equipment

The Port of Los Angeles has secured a new, 30-year lease with Yusen Terminals, with the marine terminal operator fully committed through 2056 in a deal that paves the way for an fresh, $200 million investment in zero-emission cargo-handling equipment. (!)

130-ton electric works 4,000 feet beneath the surface of the Earth [video]

Swedish mining company LKAB is putting a pair of massive, 130-ton electric Scania haul trucks to work at its Malmberget iron ore mine – which happens to be more than 4,000 feet below the surface of the Earth.