Founder, Publisher, and Editorial Director of the 925, LLC publications.
Seth Weintraub is an award-winning journalist and engineer who won back-to-back Neal Awards from 2007–2010 during his three plus years covering Apple and Google at IDG’s Computerworld. From 2010-2011, Weintraub covered all things Google for Fortune Magazine, amassing an impressive rolodex of Google contacts and a love for Silicon Valley tech culture.
It turns out that his hobby – the 9to5Mac blog – was always his favorite, and in 2011, he went full time adding his Fortune Google followers to 9to5Google, in addition to adding the style and commerce component of 9to5Toys gear and deals site. In 2013, Weintraub bought one of the Tesla’s first Model S EVs off of the assembly line, which began his love affair with electric vehicles and green energy — this, in turn, became electrek in 2014. To cover the burgeoning world of drones and UAV’s led by China’s DJI, DroneDJ was born in 2018, and then more recently, Connectthewatts, SpaceExplored, and Blocktalk were all launched to cover connected fitness, space, and Blockchain/Crypto.
From 1997-2007, Weintraub was a Global IT director and Web Developer for a number of companies with stints at multimedia and branding agencies in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Madrid, and London before becoming a publisher/blogger.
Seth received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California with a minor in Multimedia and Creative Technology in 1997. In 2004, he received a Masters from NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s ITP program.
Weintraub is a licensed single engine private pilot, a certified open water scuba diver, and he spent over a year traveling to 60 cities in 23 countries. Whatever free time exists is now guaranteed to his lovely wife and two amazing sons.
More at About.me. BI 2014 profile.
Tips: seth@9to5mac.com, or llsethj on Twitter or link at top of page.
We’re still decompressing after an exciting last week at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix. While we’ve sponsored the event before, as the new title sponsor of the event, we decided to bring a team out and really go behind the scenes.
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LiveSurface, a high-quality design visualization Mac app, is launching an offer that Tesla Cybertruck wrap fans and fleet owners are likely to find very appealing – a free mockup of BYODesigns applied to the Cybertruck.
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We’re off to Topeka‘s Heartland Motorsports Park as the top North American engineering schools “scrutineer” their vehicles ahead of the big races this weekend. Along with all of the students, administration, and Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix staff, we’d like to thank our other sponsors: Tesla, Blue Origin, Heartland Motorsports Park, MathWorks, and Altair.
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There’s a lot to go over with Chevy’s Silverado EV, but what makes it really unique is the huge 200+kWh battery and the 450+ mile range that it provides. But that monster battery also has a few well disguised drawbacks, including putting the truck at a whopping 8500 lbs. Let’s dive in…
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Although it isn’t obvious, Rivian is the midst of a big transformation right now. Until recently, almost all of its sales have been in its high end, 4-motor pickup trucks. However, the company announced in its latest earnings call that it was switching its mix of output to favor its 7-seat R1S SUV which has much less competition currently and on the horizon. It is also spinning up 2-motor versions of its R1 vehicles which will cost significantly less with very little performance cost. Add to that a cheaper LFP battery pack due later this year and R2 models starting at $40,000 to be unveiled next year, and you’ve got an entirely different focus.
Coincidentally, ahead of getting my own R1S in 1-8 weeks, Rivian gave me a loaner to help my vacationing extended family get around town…
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After revealing the gorgeous little EX30 last week, Volvo gave us some access to the folks involved in crafting the vehicle, which allowed us to glean some details about the EV that everyone is talking about…
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Update: Deal closed
Sources tell Electrek that Rivian has been in talks to acquire the world’s most popular EV route planning service, Sweden-based A Better RoutePlanner, or ABRP for short. Financial details weren’t disclosed, but ABRP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Iternio, which lists a small employee count of under 10 people and 8 people on LinkedIn.
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2020-2022 Chevy Bolt owners, starting yesterday evening, began receiving messages that their high voltage battery/module replacements would no longer be happening. Instead, a software diagnostics tool would be used to verify if the batteries had problems before a replacement would be performed. As you might imagine, affected Bolt owners are up in arms.
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Perhaps it was a coincidence that Porsche unveiled its Mission X concept electric vehicle a mere week after Tesla’s Model S Plaid with Track Package took the electric Nurburgring crown from the Taycan. The first bullet point in the Mission X press release was:
“Be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife”
Or perhaps not. But now we’re getting a better look at the concept and can make our own assumptions on whether or not this thing, or some variant of it, will make it to production.
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In an NPR interview before the news of the big GM move to NACS charging, CEO Mary Barra hinted at something we here at Electrek have been jonesin’ for – a Chevy Bolt with an Ultium battery. A Boltium?! Let’s discuss…
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Volvo’s EX30 will also come in an off-roading cross country trim and hits the streets in 2024. The small ‘B segment‘ EX30 EV is a big deal for Volvo, and here’s why…
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Big Update here: Luna priced the Talaria XXX at $2995. It is safe to say this is a gamechanger of a electric moto bike.
Eric Hicks, the founder and CEO of LunaCycles, went onto Facebook last night to tease the next big (little) electric moto bike from the high-end manufacturer and importer. The “Talaria XXX” already has us salivating. There are no spoilers here, but let’s dive into what we know and can ascertain from what’s been teased…
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Update: Upway has graciously offered an exclusive to Electrek readers: $100 off a purchase of $500+ with code ELECTREK
Upway is a Gennevilliers, France-based startup ebike reseller with a super interesting sales model. The company takes overstock new ebikes from manufacturers, last year’s or floor models from bike stores, and even buys ebikes online (maybe yours!) to refurbish and sell at a 20-60% discount with a one-year warranty. It recently opened a US location in Brooklyn to add to its Paris and Berlin warehouse locations and invited us by for a visit…
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Volvo’s PR department has been drip-dropping its EX30 compact SUV imagery alongside the patent department and website design teams ahead of its June 7th reveal in Milan, Italy. Head below for the latest installment with some interesting interior shots…
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GM just announced the Cadillac Escalade IQ EV, which is a huge deal in automotive circles and comes coincidentally while Ford is having its Capital Markets Day announcing its own 3 row EVs.
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Taking place in Topeka, Kansas, from June 27 through July 2 at Heartland Motorsports Park, this year’s Electrek Formula Sun Gran Prix puts an international group of 22+ school’s solar vehicle teams against each other in an on-track race.
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GM – along with its earnings announcement this morning – also announced the end of the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV with the last cars rolling off the Orion assembly line “late this year”. This marks the end of the Bolt EV as the most affordable/capable EV in the US market and a pioneering electrification milestone.
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Autel, a Chinese company long known for making solid automotive supplies and diagnostic tools (and drones) recently jumped into the residential EV charger market with its MaxiCharger (currently $458). As an auto company with technology in its DNA, we hoped to see some innovation. And we did – but not where we expected.
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During a recent family trip to Southern California, Mercedes lent us two of their flagship electric vehicles. We picked up an EQS SUV at the airport, drove it around Los Angeles and to Big Bear Mountain and back, stress testing that huge battery against elevation and high speeds. Then, to switch it up, I drove the slightly less family-friendly but more fun EQE to destinations around LA for the second half of the week. Yes, $130K cars are so much more decadent than the Hertz vehicles we’d planned for, but here are my big takeaways.
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Like many autonomous driving systems, Ford’s BlueCruise (also called Lincoln ActiveGlide) has been a work in progress since we first used it on the 2021 Mustang Mach-E. Things have changed a lot in two years, however. For version 1.2, the following are the major new features that Ford is hyping and I am testing.
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You want a Sur Ron light motorcycle battery and power specs but put on a $1,549 kick scooter with an optional seat that makes it look like a mobility scooter on steroids? Today’s your lucky day…
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The news that Tesla officially allows other electric vehicle makers to charge on its Supercharger network is just a few hours old, but we’ve already gone out to one of the 10 Superchargers that are enabled to give our little Chevy Bolt some Tesla juice. Here’s how it went.
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Tesla overnight dropped the price of its CCS Combo adapter to just $175, making the prospect of fast charging at any DC fast charging station a relatively easy prospect for most Tesla owners.
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Ford today announced a significant move to LFP batteries for its electric vehicle line. The Dearborn company is tapping China’s CATL first for Chinese LFP batteries and then technology licensing for the previously rumored factory Ford plans to build in Michigan.
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