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From now through August 2, Costco members can save $1,000 on a 2022 Bolt EV and EUV, $3,000 on a 2020/2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, and $2,000 on a Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric. Those deals and much more have been added to our updated best Electric Vehicle prices and leases.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV

The redesigned 2022 Chevrolet Bolt lineup started trickling onto dealership lots a few weeks back with a starting price that’s thousands less than its predecessor. MSRP for the 259-mile 2022 Bolt EV is only $31,995, and the slightly larger 247-mile Bolt EUV is priced at $33,395, so the last thing anyone might expect is a $1,000 cash incentive this early in the game. What is expected (unfortunately) are dealerships that find no shame in trying to squeeze another $1,000 out of their customers. While conducting our nationwide search for electric vehicle lease deals and discounts, we ran across a number of dealers adding a $995 “market adjustment” over the MSRP of in-stock 2022 Bolt EVs and EUVs. These ridiculous offers can be ignored since the vast majority of Chevrolet dealers are listing what they have in stock at MSRP. In fact, we even found several dealerships already offering discounts on 2022 Bolt models. Quirk Chevrolet in Massachusetts ($1,000 off on a Bolt EV), Rydell Chevrolet in California ($500 off on a Bolt EV), Mike Anderson Chevrolet in Illinois ($1,575 off on a Bolt EUV), and Chevrolet of Columbus in Ohio ($1,112 off on a Bolt EUV) all seem to be good places to start shopping.

GM carbon neutral
Chevy’s 2022 Bolt EV and EUV

Thinking of leasing rather than buying? According to the payment estimator on Chevrolet’s website, the 2022 Bolt EV will set you back $420(nice)/month plus tax and license for three years on a 10,000 mile per year lease. The slightly larger Bolt EUV leases for a bit more at $453/month. Applying the $1,000 Costco incentive might trim $30/month off of these figures, but the resulting cost would still be significantly higher than the manufacturer lease offers on affordable 200-mile EVs from Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia.  However, we did find a couple of California dealers with relatively attractive lease offers that might be worth considering. Mission Bay Chevrolet in the San Diego area is offering a three-year lease on a 2022 Bolt EV at $259/month, $2,999 at signing before tax and license, which calculates to a palatable effective cost of $335/month. Stevens Creek Chevrolet in the San Francisco area is advertising $189/month, $5,999 at signing, which translates to an effective cost of $350/month. Costco membership is required for either of these deals. Check for availability and deals on a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV or Bolt EUV in your area.

2020/2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Prospective buyers that have been waiting to score killer deals on the outgoing first-generation Bolt EV may have missed the sweet spot, which started in March and ran through early May. At this point, most Chevy dealers we track have either sold out or zeroed out their discounts on remaining inventory, so the starting point of negotiation at most dealerships is simply MSRP minus factory incentives. The good news is that the factory incentives are still hefty, currently at $10,000 for a 2020 and $9,000 for a 2021, plus an additional $1,000 bonus cash incentive on particular in-stock vehicles. Piling on the $3,000 Costco member-only incentive takes the total cash back up to a range of $12,000 to $14,000, which should lower the cost of buying a 2020/2021 Bolt EV to well under $30,000 before tax and license.

2020 Chevy Bolt

We did find more than a handful of dealer discounts on a 2020/2021 Bolt, ranging from about $1,500 off to over $3,000 off before any of the above mentioned factory incentives. The total discount at some of these dealers can be well over $16,000 for Costco members. As far as lease deals, Quirk Chevrolet in Massachusetts and Simi Valley Chevrolet in California have great lease offers with an effective cost that’s under $200/month before tax and license. Check for deals on remaining 2020/2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV at a dealership near you.

2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric

Outside of loyalty incentives, Costco’s $2,000 incentive is the first we’ve seen on the 208-mile Volvo XC40 Recharge since its introduction earlier this year. With an MSRP of $55,300, this compact luxury SUV that seats five can now be had for just under $46,000 by Costco members that enjoy a tax bill high enough to take full advantage of the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit. That’s about $7,000 less than its closest competitor, the 326-mile Tesla Model Y, which is a cost difference that can be compelling to a buyer that doesn’t need the impressive segment-leading range of the Model Y, or perhaps prefers Volvo’s relatively mainstream styling. This all-wheel-drive XC40 Recharge is no slouch – it moves from 0 to 60mph in a very respectable 4.3 seconds, slightly quicker than the base Model Y. Its top speed is limited to 112 mph versus the Model Y’s 135 mph.

Dealer discounts on the XC40 Recharge are still few and far between, but that has been improving lately. We’ve seen advertised discounts range from $1,000 to nearly $4,000 at dealerships in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and California. On lease offers, Weston Volvo Cars in Florida is the first Volvo dealership to make our list of electric vehicle lease deals with a fantastic offer of $499/month plus tax for 36 months, $999 plus tax and license at signing. With an average monthly cost of $513/month, Weston Volvo handily beats the XC40 Recharge 3-year factory lease terms of $599/month, $4,099 at signing, which works out to an average monthly cost of about $696/month. Costco members can apply their $2,000 incentive to these terms to effectively reduce the average monthly cost to around $650/month with no dealer discounts. Interestingly, this just happens to be slightly more than the average lease cost of a Model Y, which rings in at $633/month before tax and license.

Current members that have been with Costco since May 31, 2021, qualify for these limited-time incentives that expire on August 2, 2021. Not a member? If you’re planning to buy a new electric vehicle soon, a $60 annual membership could pay off in thousands. Consider that Costco has run these special auto incentives for years. Since January 2020, Chevrolet’s Bolt EV and Audi’s e-tron have each been included in these special offers three times, and Volvo has participated twice. As a side benefit, you’ll be able to enjoy a $1.50 hot-dog-and-a-Pepsi along with $4.99 rotisserie chickens as many times as you want while you wait for that coveted incentive to show up.

As always, be sure to check our monthly survey of best electric vehicle lease deals and best electric vehicle discounts. Information is current for manufacturer lease offers, Chevrolet dealer offers, and Volvo dealer offers. We are currently gathering dealer data from dealerships of other marques, so please check back throughout the month for additional updates.


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Robin Kaye: American Idol TV executive and her husband shot dead inside their Los Angeles home

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Robin Kaye: American Idol TV executive and her husband shot dead inside their Los Angeles home

An American Idol TV executive and her husband have been found dead in their LA home.

Robin Kaye was a music supervisor on the long-running reality TV series.

The bodies of the 70-year-old and her husband Thomas were discovered after officers conducted a welfare check at their home.

Both had died from gunshot wounds.

Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas. Pic: Facebook
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Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas. Pic: Facebook

Detectives say Raymond Boodarian has been arrested in connection with their deaths.

It is alleged the 22-year-old had burgled their property while they were away on 10 July – killing the couple upon their return.

According to Los Angeles Police, there were “no signs of forced entry or trouble” at the property.

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Ms Kaye was an industry veteran – and had previously worked on shows including Lip Sync Battle and The Singing Bee, as well as several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.

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Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles
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Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles

In a statement, an American Idol spokesperson said: “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her.

“Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”

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Action taken to stop ticketless Oasis fans from watching this week’s shows in Manchester

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Action taken to stop ticketless Oasis fans from watching this week's shows in Manchester

Huge steel fences have been erected to prevent ticketless fans from watching the Oasis reunion tour in Manchester.

Liam and Noel Gallagher will resume their sold-out run of shows – their first since 2009 – with a performance at Heaton Park tonight, and two more on Saturday and Sunday.

While tens of thousands bought tickets for Oasis’s first two shows last weekend, crowds gathered to glimpse the large screens above the stage in the distance – in an area dubbed “Gallagher Hill” by some on social media.

People walk past a temporary security fence erected ahead of concerts by Oasis in Heaton Park on 1 July. File pic: Reuters
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People walk past a temporary security fence erected ahead of concerts by Oasis in Heaton Park on 1 July. Reuters file pic

Manchester City Council has now said more steel fences have been erected around parts of the park to prevent ticketless fans from watching the gigs, and to protect nature in the park.

“After taking stock of how the first two nights went, additional measures have now been deemed necessary and will be in place for the next three concerts,” it said.

“The erection of the fencing has a dual purpose – both to protect the environment from further damage and to dissuade people from gathering there.

“The necessary measure means the concert will no longer be visible from this area.”

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Friday: Excited fans at Oasis homecoming gig

The fences will cover a large area of the hill within the park’s cattle field, which is being developed as a new woodland area with around 300 young trees planted.

The council added that there would be no facilities for people without a ticket, and said the event area is “double-walled with solid high security fencing all the way round”.

More than 2,000 event security staff and police officers will also be on duty around the site “to ensure both the safety and wellbeing of ticket-holders and that only those who have tickets access the concert”, it said.

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John Hacking, the council’s executive member for employment, skills and leisure, also said in a statement that “unfortunately our hand has been forced in having to put these additional measures in place”.

He added: “Our advice to music fans who don’t have tickets for the concerts is to head into the city centre instead.

“The whole city is going all out to celebrate and help everyone have a good time.

“We’ve got some fantastic things going on with a real party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy, whether they’ve got tickets for the Oasis gigs or not.”

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MasterChef presenter John Torode sacked

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MasterChef presenter John Torode sacked

MasterChef presenter John Torode will no longer work on the show after an allegation he used an “extremely offensive racist term” was upheld, the BBC has said.

His co-host Gregg Wallace was also sacked last week after claims of inappropriate behaviour.

On Monday, Torode said an allegation he used racist language was upheld in a report into the behaviour of Wallace. The report found more than half of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated.

Torode, 59, insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of the alleged incident involving him and he “did not believe that it happened,” adding “racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment”.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic:PA
Image:
John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic: PA

In a statement on Tuesday, a BBC spokesperson said the allegation “involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace”.

The claim was “investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin”, they added.

“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said.

“We will not tolerate racist language of any kind… we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken.

“John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”

Australian-born Torode started presenting MasterChef alongside Wallace, 60, in 2005.

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Why Gregg Wallace says he ‘will not go quietly’

A statement from Banijay UK said it “takes this matter incredibly seriously” and Lewis Silkin “substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018”.

“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint,” the TV production company added.

“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”

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Earlier, as the BBC released its annual report, its director-general Tim Davie addressed MasterChef’s future, saying it can survive as it is “much bigger than individuals”.

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BBC annual report findings

Speaking to BBC News after Torode was sacked, Mr Davie said a decision is yet to be taken over whether an unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired.

“It’s a difficult one because… those amateur chefs gave a lot to take part – it means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show,” he added.

“I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision, and we’ll communicate that in due course.”

Mr Davie refused to say what the “seriously racist term” Torode was alleged to have used but said: “I certainly think we’ve drawn a line in the sand.”

In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity.

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