Author: kirklandc008@gmail.com

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-bike launches from the Lectric XPress2 to the Heybike Saturn, gigantic cargo e-bikes from Amazon, a deep dive into the Yozma IN10 Pro, Juiced’s Nomadix, and more. The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter. As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.…

Details have emerged about a tentative deal struck between Samsung and semiconductor employees who had threatened to strike. The deal reportedly makes some workers eligible for average annual bonuses of $340,000.The proposed 18-day strike had hinged on Samsung’s bonus cap for employees in the semiconductor division and followed a substantial rise in the possible bonuses available to employees of SK Hynix, another South Korean chipmaker enjoying a boom thanks to demand for AI components.Under the terms of the new deal, Reuters reports that all ​chip workers will receive 50 percent of their annual salary as a regular bonus in cash.…

It’s hard to keep up with the multitude of different platforms available in the armoury of giant car maker Stellantis, but the new STLA One promises to be its most important yet.  Announced during Stellantis Investor Day 2026, the STLA One architecture will be put into use for the first time next year, before growing into a “mega platform supporting 30-plus models and targeting more than two million units by 2035,” according to the maker. The parent firm of Fiat, Citroen, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Maserati and Alfa Romeo also revealed that STLA One is designed to cover B, C and D segments…

The electric car industry was, for a little while there, the new gold rush. It was relatively easy to get public or private funding for promising battery-powered vehicles like the Fisker Ocean, infrastructure support was growing, and investors were terrified of being left out of the next big thing. In retrospect, it’s obvious that this was an economic bubble. Of course, it was obvious five years ago, too (and it was especially obvious to Toyota). Fast, easy money is never sustainable, and the scrapyard is full of electric cars that were supposed to lead the industry into a new era.…

Gemini wants to talk. All the time. Google Google I/O 2026 kicked off this week, and to no one’s surprise, it was almost completely about AI.  To start with, Google is rolling out its “intelligent, AI-powered Search box” globally. Instead of just autocompleting your text, it uses AI to anticipate your intent and help you formulate questions. You will be able to use images, video files and entire Chrome tabs as direct search inputs. Its AI Mode, now powered by the new Gemini 3.5 Flash, will still live alongside it, for your follow-up questions/corrections. Google also introduced…

Despite putting the project on hold, Polestar is reportedly very close to finalizing its Porsche 911 rival. According to Edmunds reporting, development of the Polestar 6 is pretty much done, so even though the sports car has been delayed, it’ll be a very short journey from confirmation to production. Even before that happens, the Swedish EV manufacturer might be able to pay off the convertible’s development costs, repurposing the platform for use under a high-performance SUV to battle the Porsche Cayenne Electric. Base Trim Engine Electric Base Trim Transmission Single-speed Automatic Base Trim Drivetrain All-Wheel Drive Base Trim Horsepower 884…

The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. Back in April, I said goodbye to The Drive‘s 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport long-term tester. More specifically, it was my 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport, as I was the only one who drove it basically every single day for almost nine months. After 13,000 miles, it went back to the mothership to be auctioned off and find a new home. I’ve been doing this job for a little over a decade now, and that’s, by far, the longest…

Voyah Taishan X8 features Huawei’s 896-channel LiDAR and offers both PHEV and BEV powertrain options. The Voyah Taishan X8 measures 5,200 millimeters in length and starts at 292,900 yuan ($43,110). (Voyah Taishan X8. Image credit: Voyah) Voyah Automotive (HKEX: 7489), the premium subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor, has launched its highly anticipated Taishan X8 large five-seat sport utility vehicle (SUV), heavily equipped with technologies from Huawei. The Voyah Taishan X8 officially went on sale in China on Friday with a starting price of 292,900 yuan ($43,110). That is 10,000 yuan, or 3.3%, lower than its pre-sales price of 302,900 yuan announced…

The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. The Father of the Hellcats, Tim Kuniskis, just told journalists that Dodge “struggled through a very tough point in its product lifecycle. Last year, Dodge was selling one SUV, the Durango, and only one version of the Charger, two door only, and electric only.” Now the brand will “shift into second gear” Kuniskis said during Stellantis’ turnaround plan presentation on Thursday in Michigan. A crossover named GLH will serve as the entry point to the lineup while…

Hybrid demand has remained pretty consistent over the last few years, even as interest in fully electric cars seems to change with the weather. Toyota has not only been a pioneer in this space since the launch of the Toyota Prius (and even before that, if you want to count early concept cars like the G21), the brand has been the segment’s undisputed champion, selling 4.4 million of these vehicles in 2025 alone. With gas prices climbing as high as seven bucks a gallon in some areas, we wouldn’t be surprised to see that number snowballing through 2026, with hybrids…