Tesla owner uses emergency solar to trickle charge after running out of battery in desert

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A YouTuber driving a Tesla Model X the entire length of the Americas ran out of battery in Chile’s Atacama Desert — the driest place on Earth — and had to deploy emergency solar panels on the side of the highway to survive.

The whole ordeal, captured on video, is a fascinating look at both the promise and the very real challenges of long-distance EV travel in regions where charging infrastructure remains sparse.

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Tesla launches ‘Robotaxi’ in Houston and Dallas with tiny geofences

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Tesla announced today that its “Robotaxi” service is now rolling out in Dallas and Houston, marking the company’s first expansion beyond Austin and San Francisco. The company shared maps of the two new service areas, which appear to cover small slices of each city.

The Houston geofence covers approximately 25 square miles, according to early user analysis of the maps, while the Dallas zone appears to center around the Highland Park area. For context, Tesla’s Austin geofence has grown to roughly 245 square miles after months of gradual expansion — but that took nearly a year to reach from an initial 20-square-mile footprint.

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YouTuber buys stripped Tesla Model 3 ‘go-kart’ for $2,000 — it still has 212-mile range

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A YouTuber bought a completely stripped-down Tesla Model 3 for just $2,000 — no body panels, no windshield, no seatbelts — and took it off-roading, drifting, and even jumping it. The wildest part? It still showed 212 miles of range on a full charge.

The video, posted by Remmy Evans, is a testament to both the durability of Tesla’s drivetrain and the questionable decision-making that makes YouTube entertaining.

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A 1,380 hp Volvo XC hybrid? The new Zeekr 8X makes it feel inevitable

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Packing just over 1,380 hp and up to 255 miles of all-electric range, the new, tri-motor, extended-range hybrid Zeekr X8 is redefining what buyers could and should expect from their next SUV – and parent company Geely’s global ambitions could mean the platform will make its way to North America. As a Volvo.

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MASSIVE 600 ton Liebherr mining excavator converted from diesel to electric

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In a move the company is calling breakthrough initiative, Lloyds Metals and Energy have successfully converted one of their massive, 650-ton class Liebherr R 996 excavators from diesel power to fully electric for the first time – and it won’t be the last!

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Yozma IN10 Review: $1200 somehow buys a 40mph ultra-capable mini electric dirtbike

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Every kid between 12 and 16 wants a Sur Ron-type Emoto this summer. The market has exploded to match that demand — and for riders on the smaller end of the size and budget spectrum, it’s hard to beat the Yozma IN10.

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In the UK, EVs are cheaper than petrol cars, thanks to Chinese competition

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It’s long been cheaper to own an electric car, due to lower fueling costs. But the upfront cost is now lower, according to UK’s largest auto-buying website Autotrader, and reported by The Guardian. And a large part of it is because of the availability of low-cost Chinese EVs, which are unavailable or subject to tariffs in many other countries.

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North America just got its first new kind of lithium refinery

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Mangrove Lithium has opened what it says is North America’s first commercial electrochemical lithium refinery, a 1,000-tonne-per-year plant in Delta, British Columbia, aimed at strengthening the continent’s EV battery supply chain.

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Podcast: GM Energy, Tesla HW3 reckoning, Ford reshuffles EVs, Donut Lab probs, more

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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla having its HW3 reckoning, Ford reshuffling its EV unit, Donut Lab being in hot water, and more.

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Hyundai’s first EREV spotted with an interesting design ahead of its debut

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The Santa Fe will launch as Hyundai’s first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) in 2027. With its official debut coming up, the Santa FE EREV was spotted with a unique design.

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