When Alex Bowman, the most recent winner in the Cup series, partnered with the No. 48 Hendrick motorsports team to surprise crew chief Greg Ives, it was unexpected. The race car driver revealed a seafoam-colored throwback scheme to drive at the Darlington Raceway that pays tribute to Ives’ racing career in Super Late Models.

Sticking to priorities

After the surprise, Ives has confessed to NBC that the team caught him off-guard and expressed his dislike for unexpected gifts and tributes. Alex Bowman also told NBC how Ives could not comprehend what he was seeing at the moment and got emotional once he realized what it was. However, there is a lot more to the paint job story. After Ives’ first full season at the Super Late Models, he was looking for an equipment upgrade to lead him on his journey. “I was a quiet greaseball kid, who only thing he cared about was racing. That was my No. 1 priority. Not girlfriends. Not going to the movies with my friends,” he recalled. 

The right color scheme

On his way to his second season in Super Late Models, his father decided to spend $10,000 for a new car, and it meant a great deal to him. Ives’ car seller had insisted that he keep the color scheme, although he was perplexed as to why it mattered. When he pulled into Wisconsin International Raceway, he realized his car was similar to that Jimi Pagel, a renowned driver who passed away during a 1997 crash on the same course. Ives later got to know more about Pagel and continued with the seafoam color, keeping his designs simple. Very soon, it will be back on the Darlington Raceway on national TV for millions of fans. 

Alex Bowman adds that he lacked inspiration for his next event’s scheme when he considered Ives’ color and was given the go-ahead by Ally, their sponsor. He feels that the surprise was not just for Ives but for all his team members who were not familiar with its history.

Electric vehicles are big business in today’s automobile market. Despite being a cleaner way of driving, the price isn’t always competitive compared to conventional combustion engine vehicles. That may have all changed, however, thanks to the cheapest electric car in the world.

The Changli Nemeca

While some electric vehicles can cost several thousand dollars, the Changli Nemeca, from Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, costs just $1,200, making it the cheapest electric car in the world. You could reasonably expect to pay more for a golf cart, but you certainly get more than your money’s worth for this little car. It’s fully electric and provides drivers with a whole 1.1 horsepower.

Included Extras

You don’t just get a shell with a steering wheel, this car comes with some comforts that most other vehicles boast. The Changli comes with an MP3 player, and backup camera, to make sure you don’t drive into something while you park.

The suspension on the Changli is also better than what you would get on a golf cart, which can cost at least five times as much as this electric vehicle. In fact, the suspension is even more complicated than you would find on some pickup trucks.

More Than Basic

The braking system is incredibly simple, but that’s all it needs to be for the speeds the Changli reaches. This small electric vehicle boasts a curved glass windscreen, and it even has LED projector-beam headlights.

Owners of the Changli Nemeca can even enjoy a faux-leather interior to give them a sense of style on the road. The majority of the panels are made from steel, offering at least some protection while you are scampering down the road in the EV.

While you can’t expect too much from an electric vehicle that costs just $1,200, the Changli is full of surprises. Even including the shipping cost from China, it may prove to be a cost-effective way of getting hold of your very own electric vehicle.