The Auto Xone

Photo: National Express LLC Compton, California, has unveiled 25 new electric school buses – the school district’s first – and 25 Tellus 180 kW DC fast chargers. Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in southern Los Angeles County is putting 17 Thomas Built Type A and eight Thomas Built Type C electric school buses on the road this spring. In addition to working with Thomas Built, CUSD also collaborated with electrification-as-a-service provider Highland Electric Fleet, utility Southern California Edison, and school transportation provider Durham School Services. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program awarded funds for the vehicles in the program’s first round. EPA also awarded CUSD funds for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future. “I can’t stress enough how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level t...

By Joey Klender Posted on February 26, 2025 SpaceX is set to launch its eighth test flight of the Starship rocket this Friday. Ahead of the most recent test in what could be the most revolutionary spaceflight program since NASA’s Apollo, SpaceX is clearing the air about what went wrong during its previous test flight, which resulted in the loss of the second stage during its ascension. On January 16, SpaceX successfully launched Starship while also completing its second successful catch of the lower-stage booster. However, the flight did not go as smoothly as initially anticipated, as the company lost Starship’s upper stage roughly eight minutes and twenty seconds into flight. Now, the company is clarifying what happened that led to the demise of the upper stage, which SpaceX has identified with the recognition of “flashes” that occurred after vehicle separation. SpaceX completes second catch of lower stage, but loses Starship SpaceX says that a fla...

Aventon, one of the most well-known players in the US electric bicycle market, has announced the launch of its latest model, the Level 3. A smart e-bike designed for modern commuters, the Level 3 is packed with advanced security features, extended range capabilities, and comfort-focused components. It’s all part of the new Aventon Control Unit (ACU), which serves as the central brain of the smart bike, and helps it offer new standards in daily riding and commuting convenience. The Level 3 marks Aventon’s second e-bike equipped with the Aventon Control Unit, a smart bike technology system that provides a suite of advanced theft deterrent features. The ACU offers geofencing, GPS tracking, remote locking, and a passcode system, ensuring riders can park and leave their e-bikes with confidence. The real-time bike stats accessible through GPS tracking and a 4G connection also allow users to monitor their rides with ease. Built with intuitive g...

By Zachary Visconti Posted on February 25, 2025 The Tesla Cybertruck has earned a “Best Tech” award from one automotive publication, along with a major shout-out to one particular chassis feature that the company employed in a complete shift away from industry norms. On Tuesday, Motortrend called the Cybertruck the “Best Tech” winner for its chassis technology, and specifically for the electric truck’s unique steer-by-wire system . Unlike most vehicles, the Cybertruck features no physical connection or traditional steering column between the steering wheel and the front wheels, making turning and tight maneuvers more doable than in a traditional truck, let alone even smaller vehicles. As such, Motortrend highlights Tesla’s subtle “reinventing of the wheel” with the steer-by-wire system as making for a super-responsive steering experience, even being a somewhat-large pickup. “By completely removing the mechanical connection between the steering wheel a...

Image: Lennox Lennox Residential HVAC has launched an extreme cold climate heat pump that warms a house with low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant in temperatures as low as -20F. It’s called the  Dave Lennox Signature® Collection SL22KLV Cold Climate Heat Pump , and Lennox claims its efficiency levels are 150% higher at colder temperatures than standard heat pumps. In 2022, Lennox was the first company to complete the first phase of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump (CCHP) Technology Challenge, and the SL22KLV is a souped up version of the unit developed for that challenge. The heat pump, which pairs with a smart thermostat, uses a variable-speed compressor with Electronic Refrigerant Injection (ERI) to adjust the energy usage based on the outside temperature, which helps to lower energy costs. When the temperature drops, the ERI increases heating output efficiently. Advertisement – scroll for more content The SL22KL...

By Zachary Visconti Posted on February 23, 2025 Following a report that the U.S. government may be threatening to turn off SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet in Ukraine unless the country agrees to a minerals deal, Elon Musk has responded by saying that the reports aren’t true. On Saturday, a Reuters report cited three unnamed sources that claimed U.S. negotiators had brought up the possibility of turning off Starlink in Ukraine, after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a proposal earlier this month from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Starlink has played a crucial role for the military staying connected in the embattled country, and sources alleged that the officials were told in a meeting that the services could face an imminent shutoff. “Ukraine runs on Starlink,” one source said. “They consider it their North Star. Losing Starlink … would be a massive blow.” In a post on X on Saturday following the report, Musk denied the claims, sayin...

Lease deals get all the hype, but most people still want to own the car after they’re done making all those payments on it. If that sounds like you, and you’ve been waiting for the interest rates on auto loans to drop, you’re in luck: there are a bunch of great plug-in cars you can buy with 0% financing this February! Update 23FEB25 : added more fresh 0% deals. As I was putting this list together, I realized there were plenty of ways for me to present this information. “Best EVs ..?” Too opinion based. “Cheapest EVs ..?”  Too much research . In the end, I went with alphabetical order, by make. And, as for which deals are new this month? You’re just gonna have to read the article. Enjoy! Acura ZDX 2024 Acura ZDX Type S (Source: Acura) The new-for-2024 Acura ZDX uses a GM Ultium battery and drive motors,  but the styling, interior, and infotainment software are all Honda . That means you’ll get a solidly-built EV with GM levels of parts support and Honda levels of fit, ...