Volcon was founded to build electric off-roaders, but it’s not vying for a slice of the battery-powered pickup segment. It plans to build smaller, nimbler vehicles developed purely for adventure, including a motorcycle named Grunt.
Based in Texas, the company wants to inject electric technology into the world of Powersports, which still relies extensively on gasoline. Currently, the segment is dominated by companies like Honda, Polaris, and Yamaha. Outdoors enthusiasts looking for a zero-emissions alternative to the RZR will need to muster a little bit of patience, because Volcon’s first series-produced model, the aforementioned Grunt, will land with two wheels and no roof.
Preliminary specifications published by the company are impressive. Riding on fat tires that give it a foot of ground clearance, the Grunt offers 75 pound-feet of torque, a six-second sprint to 60 mph (which is also its top speed), and, significantly, a usable 100-mile range. Charging its battery takes two hours when using a regular household outlet — the same one that charges your phone — and the pack can be swapped in the field with basic tools in minutes.
It sounds like the Grunt can hold its own off the beaten path, but it can also travel under it. Volcon intriguingly claims the bike can be operated underwater, presumably without a snorkel, meaning it can function as a personal submarine if needed. Gasoline-powered motorcycles can’t do that, because the engine would suck in water instead of air. Keep in mind that, while the electric motor doesn’t need air, your lungs do, and oxygen tanks are not included.
Volcon will manufacture its two-wheelers on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, a city that’s quickly turning into a hub for electric vehicles now that Tesla has announced plans to build a factory there. Grunt production is tentatively scheduled to begin in the spring of 2021, and the company will start making a pair of side-by-sides named Stag and Best, respectively, later in the year. The Stag has two seats, while the Beast can carry up to four passengers.
Pricing for the Grunt starts at $5,995 before options. Adventurers who want to secure an early build slot can send the company a refundable $150 deposit, and $100 more gets you one of the first 50 bikes off the production line.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.