Month: June 2024

You can even charge your EV in a pinch. | Image: EcoFlow

EcoFlow just released its new Delta Pro 3 portable solar generator that can scale to power your entire home during a blackout, a van or RV’s electrical system, or a party at the beach. It can even add a few extra miles to your EV in a pinch.
The Delta Pro 3 improves upon the very capable Delta Pro I reviewed in 2022 with even more storage capacity, more powerful inputs and outputs, reduced noise, and a wider wheelbase that should make moving this 115 pound (52Kg) battery a little bit easier.
As a home backup solution, a single Delta Pro 3 (DP3) battery can scale from 4kWh of LFP capacity to 12kWh when stacking two 4kWh expansion batteries. Notably, it can power both 120V and 240V appliances with up to 4000W of output (8000W peak). That’s enough to power just about any appliance in the house, including induction ovens, cooling and heating systems, well pumps, and refrigerators.

You can also link the DP3 units together for even more power and capacity. Three maxed-out DP3 units connected to an EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2 can provide a whopping 12kW of output and 48kWh of storage. That’s enough capacity to power the average US home for about a day and half, or much longer if you’re only powering critical devices.
It can also replace noisy (but much less expensive) diesel generators by plugging directly into your home’s circuit via an inlet box or manual transfer switch. The DP3 has an IP65 rating, so it should be protected when caught in the rain.

Image: EcoFlow
Off-grid power.

The DP3 battery can be charged in several different ways, including 1000W and 1600W solar inputs, an AC wall charger at either 1800W (120V) or 3000W (240V), a Level 2 EV charger (with adapter) at 4000W, or EcoFlow’s own Dual Fuel Generator. It can also be charged in a van, pickup, or RV when paired with EcoFlow’s Alternator Charger (800W) or very slowly from a 12V cigarette socket. It also supports multi-charging by combining a few inputs together for up to 7000W of fast charging.
Outside the home, the Delta Pro 3 can also be used to power RVs and vans. It has a TT-30R outlet, which provides 120V / 30A to power a vehicle’s entire electrical system, including heavy loads like an air conditioner and microwave. The DP3 also has a 12V / 30A Anderson port to power a rig’s low-voltage DC devices like lights, USB sockets, and portable fridge. That makes this all-in-one solution an attractive alternative to complicated multi-component van build-outs.

Image: EcoFlow
Boondock for longer without a noisy generator.

Importantly, the DP3 is very quiet, which is critical for use in small living spaces. EcoFlow claims it operates at less than 30dB when operating under 2000W thanks to improved thermal management brought over from its even higher capacity Delta Pro Ultra series. That means it should be whisper quiet when keeping your fridge, MaxxFan, and lights powered alongside your Starlink internet system.
The Delta Pro 3 is priced at $3,699 per unit, which is discounted to $3,199 today through July 23rd. The price jumps to $6,298 (or $5,498 through July 23rd) when combining a DP3 with one expansion battery. It’ll be available in Europe and the UK later in September.

You can even charge your EV in a pinch. | Image: EcoFlow

EcoFlow just released its new Delta Pro 3 portable solar generator that can scale to power your entire home during a blackout, a van or RV’s electrical system, or a party at the beach. It can even add a few extra miles to your EV in a pinch.

The Delta Pro 3 improves upon the very capable Delta Pro I reviewed in 2022 with even more storage capacity, more powerful inputs and outputs, reduced noise, and a wider wheelbase that should make moving this 115 pound (52Kg) battery a little bit easier.

As a home backup solution, a single Delta Pro 3 (DP3) battery can scale from 4kWh of LFP capacity to 12kWh when stacking two 4kWh expansion batteries. Notably, it can power both 120V and 240V appliances with up to 4000W of output (8000W peak). That’s enough to power just about any appliance in the house, including induction ovens, cooling and heating systems, well pumps, and refrigerators.

You can also link the DP3 units together for even more power and capacity. Three maxed-out DP3 units connected to an EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2 can provide a whopping 12kW of output and 48kWh of storage. That’s enough capacity to power the average US home for about a day and half, or much longer if you’re only powering critical devices.

It can also replace noisy (but much less expensive) diesel generators by plugging directly into your home’s circuit via an inlet box or manual transfer switch. The DP3 has an IP65 rating, so it should be protected when caught in the rain.

Image: EcoFlow
Off-grid power.

The DP3 battery can be charged in several different ways, including 1000W and 1600W solar inputs, an AC wall charger at either 1800W (120V) or 3000W (240V), a Level 2 EV charger (with adapter) at 4000W, or EcoFlow’s own Dual Fuel Generator. It can also be charged in a van, pickup, or RV when paired with EcoFlow’s Alternator Charger (800W) or very slowly from a 12V cigarette socket. It also supports multi-charging by combining a few inputs together for up to 7000W of fast charging.

Outside the home, the Delta Pro 3 can also be used to power RVs and vans. It has a TT-30R outlet, which provides 120V / 30A to power a vehicle’s entire electrical system, including heavy loads like an air conditioner and microwave. The DP3 also has a 12V / 30A Anderson port to power a rig’s low-voltage DC devices like lights, USB sockets, and portable fridge. That makes this all-in-one solution an attractive alternative to complicated multi-component van build-outs.

Image: EcoFlow
Boondock for longer without a noisy generator.

Importantly, the DP3 is very quiet, which is critical for use in small living spaces. EcoFlow claims it operates at less than 30dB when operating under 2000W thanks to improved thermal management brought over from its even higher capacity Delta Pro Ultra series. That means it should be whisper quiet when keeping your fridge, MaxxFan, and lights powered alongside your Starlink internet system.

The Delta Pro 3 is priced at $3,699 per unit, which is discounted to $3,199 today through July 23rd. The price jumps to $6,298 (or $5,498 through July 23rd) when combining a DP3 with one expansion battery. It’ll be available in Europe and the UK later in September.

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Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

You know how Sony’s making a electric car with Honda that’s coming in 2026? Sony Honda Mobility is now letting journalists seriously touch its Afeela prototype — and play with a Gran Turismo video game version of the car while sitting inside the actual machine.
That’s why I drove to PlayStation’s North American headquarters last week, to try an Afeela inside an Afeela and touch the things we couldn’t touch before. But I got a bit more than I bargained for!
Here’s my quick 50-second video of the experience, and a short list of the new things I’ve learned.

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A post shared by The Verge (@verge)

1) Don’t expect test drives anytime soon.
No, before you ask, they didn’t let me drive the actual Sony Honda car. I grabbed the wheel and pushed the pedals, but they did nothing — in game or otherwise. “We will provide journalists with the opportunity to test drive as soon as possible in line with the vehicle development schedule,” reads a statement from Sony Honda Mobility via third-party spokesperson Glenn Mandel.
I’m hearing test drives aren’t coming this year — next year is possible — but it might even be 2026 before a journalist gets behind a working wheel.
2) There’s now a physical button to let you open the door.
There used to be two ways to open the prototype’s door from outside. You could press a button in the Afeela’s smartphone app, or let a camera system open it for you after it recognizes your face. The latest prototype has a third method, though: a physical button mounted underneath the window that can send the same signal. I pressed it, and it worked great. Sony Honda is still deciding how to authenticate you, though — reps couldn’t say if it would use a keyfob or some sort of digital car key like UWB to know it’s you nearby.

Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
That’s me pressing the door opening button. Not clear what the strip above it is.

3) The Afeela won’t let a driver see what’s on the passenger’s screen.
The Afeela’s extra-wide screen is one of its most striking features, but Sony Honda doesn’t plan to let the driver see the entire thing while in motion. Instead, it’ll use some sort of privacy filter to wall off the passenger’s section of screen so they can continue to watch without distracting the driver.

“Specifications for mass production have not yet been decided, but we plan to install a mechanism that cannot be seen from the driver’s side while driving so that the driver can drive safely,” SHM tells us.
4) There probably won’t be an actual PS5 inside.
I played Gran Turismo 7 on the Afeela’s screen, streaming wirelessly from a nearby PS5 using Sony’s PS Remote Play app. There isn’t an actual PS5 console in the car, and there’s currently no plan to change that. In January, Sony Honda Mobility president and COO Izumi Kawanishi told me it was still undecided whether a real PS5 would appear, but SHM is now “assuming remote play instead of installing a PS5 console.”
It’s also not clear if you’ll be able to use the Afeela’s own steering wheels and pedals to play anything.

5) The Afeela’s “personal agent” might prompt you with questions.

Sony Honda inked a deal with Microsoft last year to create a “conversational personal agent” for the car, and while there’s no firm details yet on what that actually means, I’m hearing the goal is for the car’s AI to prompt you with questions after attempting to anticipate your needs.
“We are considering the possibility of two-way communication between people and cars, and we are also developing an interactive personal agent using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service in collaboration with Microsoft,” writes SHM when I ask. “We believe that since it will grow depending on the user, we will be able to communicate according to the user’s preferences.”
6) There’s a good reason Sony Honda didn’t let us touch the car at CES.
I go over this in the video, but many pieces of the prototype are currently just mockups, not functional yet. That includes fancy things like the digital side mirrors and rear view mirrors, but also mundane bits like turn signal stalks, sun visors, glove and storage compartments, and most parts of the touchscreen user experience.
I could scroll around a map of Las Vegas, but couldn’t tap on any of the pins; I could scrub through a playing video and sling it to the driver’s or passenger’s side of the screen with a gesture, but couldn’t fire up a lot of other features on the touchscreen or in the companion smartphone app. I’m not dinging SHM, though; Sony Honda has been completely transparent that this is a prototype, and has a couple more years to figure it all out.
7) The Afeela doesn’t necessarily need to be a rolling Sony ad.
Yes, the current prototype has a ridiculous digital billboard across its front bumper that displays Sony properties like Spider-Man and Horizon Forbidden West, and lets you tune the car’s digital motor sound with noises inspired by Sony properties up to and including the Crunchyroll anime streaming service. But a spokesperson tells me Sony Honda is looking to partner with non-Sony entities too — and I was able to display any text I liked on the bumper screen just by typing it into the phone app.

Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
The prototype Afeela’s screen can display text of your choice.

I chose “The Verge,” of course.

Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

You know how Sony’s making a electric car with Honda that’s coming in 2026? Sony Honda Mobility is now letting journalists seriously touch its Afeela prototype — and play with a Gran Turismo video game version of the car while sitting inside the actual machine.

That’s why I drove to PlayStation’s North American headquarters last week, to try an Afeela inside an Afeela and touch the things we couldn’t touch before. But I got a bit more than I bargained for!

Here’s my quick 50-second video of the experience, and a short list of the new things I’ve learned.

1) Don’t expect test drives anytime soon.

No, before you ask, they didn’t let me drive the actual Sony Honda car. I grabbed the wheel and pushed the pedals, but they did nothing — in game or otherwise. “We will provide journalists with the opportunity to test drive as soon as possible in line with the vehicle development schedule,” reads a statement from Sony Honda Mobility via third-party spokesperson Glenn Mandel.

I’m hearing test drives aren’t coming this year — next year is possible — but it might even be 2026 before a journalist gets behind a working wheel.

2) There’s now a physical button to let you open the door.

There used to be two ways to open the prototype’s door from outside. You could press a button in the Afeela’s smartphone app, or let a camera system open it for you after it recognizes your face. The latest prototype has a third method, though: a physical button mounted underneath the window that can send the same signal. I pressed it, and it worked great. Sony Honda is still deciding how to authenticate you, though — reps couldn’t say if it would use a keyfob or some sort of digital car key like UWB to know it’s you nearby.

Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
That’s me pressing the door opening button. Not clear what the strip above it is.

3) The Afeela won’t let a driver see what’s on the passenger’s screen.

The Afeela’s extra-wide screen is one of its most striking features, but Sony Honda doesn’t plan to let the driver see the entire thing while in motion. Instead, it’ll use some sort of privacy filter to wall off the passenger’s section of screen so they can continue to watch without distracting the driver.

“Specifications for mass production have not yet been decided, but we plan to install a mechanism that cannot be seen from the driver’s side while driving so that the driver can drive safely,” SHM tells us.

4) There probably won’t be an actual PS5 inside.

I played Gran Turismo 7 on the Afeela’s screen, streaming wirelessly from a nearby PS5 using Sony’s PS Remote Play app. There isn’t an actual PS5 console in the car, and there’s currently no plan to change that. In January, Sony Honda Mobility president and COO Izumi Kawanishi told me it was still undecided whether a real PS5 would appear, but SHM is now “assuming remote play instead of installing a PS5 console.”

It’s also not clear if you’ll be able to use the Afeela’s own steering wheels and pedals to play anything.

5) The Afeela’s “personal agent” might prompt you with questions.

Sony Honda inked a deal with Microsoft last year to create a “conversational personal agent” for the car, and while there’s no firm details yet on what that actually means, I’m hearing the goal is for the car’s AI to prompt you with questions after attempting to anticipate your needs.

“We are considering the possibility of two-way communication between people and cars, and we are also developing an interactive personal agent using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service in collaboration with Microsoft,” writes SHM when I ask. “We believe that since it will grow depending on the user, we will be able to communicate according to the user’s preferences.”

6) There’s a good reason Sony Honda didn’t let us touch the car at CES.

I go over this in the video, but many pieces of the prototype are currently just mockups, not functional yet. That includes fancy things like the digital side mirrors and rear view mirrors, but also mundane bits like turn signal stalks, sun visors, glove and storage compartments, and most parts of the touchscreen user experience.

I could scroll around a map of Las Vegas, but couldn’t tap on any of the pins; I could scrub through a playing video and sling it to the driver’s or passenger’s side of the screen with a gesture, but couldn’t fire up a lot of other features on the touchscreen or in the companion smartphone app. I’m not dinging SHM, though; Sony Honda has been completely transparent that this is a prototype, and has a couple more years to figure it all out.

7) The Afeela doesn’t necessarily need to be a rolling Sony ad.

Yes, the current prototype has a ridiculous digital billboard across its front bumper that displays Sony properties like Spider-Man and Horizon Forbidden West, and lets you tune the car’s digital motor sound with noises inspired by Sony properties up to and including the Crunchyroll anime streaming service. But a spokesperson tells me Sony Honda is looking to partner with non-Sony entities too — and I was able to display any text I liked on the bumper screen just by typing it into the phone app.

Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
The prototype Afeela’s screen can display text of your choice.

I chose “The Verge,” of course.

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