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A new startup coming to Austin is changing the electric vehicle game in the form of the Grunt, the Stag and the Beast.
Volcon, an all-electric powersports manufacturing startup, is working on filling a gap in the powersports market and making outdoor adventures sustainable again. After purchasing 53 acres of Austin land for its headquarters, the dream is becoming a reality.
The company, which is still crowdfunding through WeFunder, is currently the only fully-electric outdoor powersports vehicle company in the industry and said it aims to be the "Tesla of the $10B outdoor powersports industry."
The company will offer three weird-looking vehicles:
The Grunt
Big tires and a small body are the defining features of this diverse terrain motorcycle. Starting at $5,995 reserved, the grunt will get you to its top speed, 60 mph, in six seconds with a 100 mile range, 70 feet per pound of torque and features swappable batteries so you can spend more time riding. The grunt is expected to become available in April or May 2021.
The Stag
volcon.com
A more practical option, the stag has two seats and 150 miles of range. Volcon is offering the stag in both two and four wheel drive options, both of which will take you zero to 60 in five seconds, with a top speed of 70 mph and 300 pound-feet of torque. The stag starts at $14,995 but isn't even available for reservation yet.
The Beast
volcon.com
If you just can't drive a vehicle without a truck bed, Volcon has you covered with the beast. This "beast" gives you double the torque of the stag, 600 pound-feet, a top speed of 80 mph covering a range of 150 miles and it will get you zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds. The Beast will cost you a pretty penny, $24,995, but you'll be able to feel the wind through your hair.
Production for the Stag and the Beast isn't expected to start until late 2021 in Austin. Through WeFunder, Volcon is offering equity in the company for investments of $1,000 and up.
Though these new vehicles aren't on the market, or even guaranteed to hit the market, if the grunt does well, expect to see these funky vehicles hitting the great outdoors soon.
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Popular
Tinder use soared alongside other popular dating apps during the pandemic and is expected to continue to grow.
What may be more intriguing, however, is that many apps anticipate more growth into 2022. Hinge expects to double its revenue by the end of 2021, while Tinder has announced several new features to meet new demands in time for what some are calling a "third surge" of COVID-19.
Vaccinated Austinites who had been eager for "Shot Girl Summer"—a season of in-person dating, going out and making up for time lost—may have to get back on the apps, at least partially, as cases rise higher than they've been since February and mask recommendations reenter the picture.
Austin-area resident Chloe Mohr, a 22-year-old recent college graduate, had sometimes used Tinder before the pandemic. While the app wasn't a supplemental replacement for deeper connections during stay-at-home orders, it did help her stay in the dating game and continue meeting new people.
"Using dating apps during the pandemic was easy when wanting something casual or entertaining," Mohr, who now works in marketing, said.
Chloe Mohr turned to Tinder more during the pandemic to stay connected to people. (Chloe Mohr)
Sixty percent of members came to Tinder because they felt lonely and wanted to connect with people, a Tinder study revealed, and chats were 32% longer during the pandemic.
But dating during a pandemic is no walk in the park when there's fear about contracting COVID, Mohr said. She had fears at the beginning
Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and OkCupid have responded to the new dating criteria, adding vaccination badges to profiles in partnership with U.S. and British governments.
In order to meet the demand for a stricter screening process and the superficial nature of swiping, Tinder has also introduced new features that allow users to add videos to their profiles and chat with others before they've even matched.
The new add-ons could be beneficial for the app as interest continues to swell—Google searches for "dating" have hit a five-year high, according to NPR.
But the future of dating could be vastly different—and stay different—even well into the next decade.
According to a Ypulse study, 43% of dating app users said the apps made them feel less lonely in the pandemic. Even post-pandemic, 40% of Tinder users say they plan on video-chatting with their matches before they meet, and being honest, authentic and respecting boundaries have become big talk on the app in the past year.
While it's unclear how the pandemic will shape dating for good, signs show that Austin residents and those nationwide may lean on dating apps once again if social distancing returns to the norm.
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