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Could you quickly explain how geothermal energy works, and where it is particularly useful?

Geothermal heating and cooling is done by using a heat pump to move heat between the ground and a home or building. The term ‘heat pump’ may be unfamiliar, but heat pumps are actually ubiquitous in modern life: refrigerators are heat pumps, as are air conditioners. Both refrigerators and air conditioners use electricity to move heat from one place to another: in this case, from the inside (of the fridge or building) to the outside.

Geothermal heat pumps are similar, but instead of only moving heat in one direction, they are bidirectional. This allows them to both heat buildings and cool them. And instead of moving heat from the building to the outside air, like an air conditioner does, they move heat between the building and the ground.

This matters because heating your home is most urgent and essential when it’s very cold out, which is precisely when there is the least amount of heat in the outside air. And cooling your home is most urgent and essential when it’s very hot out, exactly when it would be most difficult to reject heat from your home into the outside air. This is why air conditioners are so difficult for the electricity grid: they operate least efficiently exactly when everyone uses them most, on the hottest days of the year.

Geothermal heat pumps sidestep this problem by exchanging heat with the ground instead of the outside air. The ground maintains a mild temperature year round (which is the average air temperature over the course of the year in that location). Because of this, even on the hottest or coldest days, geothermal is still extremely efficient and effective.

Geothermal heating and cooling tends to work best in places where it gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer. This is because these climates require a lot of heating and cooling, and it’s in these places that geothermal has the most advantage over air source heat pumps, which exchange heat with the air outside (air source heat pumps are essentially air conditioners that can run in reverse to do both heating and cooling.)

Dandelion geothermal

You have a cost example between oil, natural gas, and propane on your page, s0 how do you think these costs are going to develop the next 5 years?

In the Wall Street Journal last week there was an article about options traders betting on a return to $100 oil. I can’t predict oil prices over the next five years, but oil prices have been relatively low since I co-founded Dandelion in 2017, so I bet oil prices are more likely to rise over the next five years than they are to fall. In terms of how geothermal costs are going to develop in the next 5 years, I think 10% lower YOY is a good estimate.

What different forms of geothermal are there, since we see geothermal in the context of residential housing as well as in big commercial plants? 

Geothermal can refer to harnessing energy from the earth’s core, the type Iceland is famous for, but this is not what Dandelion’s geothermal heat pumps do. The heat that geothermal heat pumps collect from the relatively shallow surface is actually stored sunlight, not energy from the earth’s core, so despite the name ‘geothermal,’ geothermal heat pumps are actually using stored solar energy.

Dandelion geothermal

How did you learn about the potential of geothermal, and what convinced you to co-found the company?

I learned about the potential of geothermal heating and cooling from a colleague at Google, Bob Wyman (I started Dandelion as a project at Alphabet’s X before spinning it out as a startup). He made a compelling case that widespread geothermal heating and cooling was the most important climate intervention we could take in the US, but that, despite that, geothermal heat pumps were getting approximately no attention.

It was an audacious claim, but he had detailed data and logic backing it up, so his argument captivated me and motivated me to learn more.

That interest developed into co-founding Dandelion when I became convinced that, 1) Geothermal heat pumps have a critical role to play in offsetting carbon emissions from buildings; 2) They align the customer’s financial interests with society’s best interests; 3) The market potential is gigantic; and 4) The barriers that have prevented geothermal heating and cooling from scaling in the past are addressable.

Is there a certain story behind the name Dandelion?

Dandelions have a taproot that can grow as deep as ten feet into the ground. Even if you cut the flower off at the surface, the taproot can regenerate a new one. Similarly, geothermal ground loops extend far into the ground and they last for as long as the home itself. So after 20 years, when it’s time for the homeowner to replace their heat pump, they can just swap it out with another one and connect it with those same ground loops.

There is something very satisfying about the fact that each time we install ground loops in a yard, that home will have access to geothermal heating and cooling forever. Or at least, as long as that home exists.

If you look back to the investment the company received, did the investment landscape and interest in geothermal change visibly in the last few years?

The investment landscape for clean tech has changed dramatically since I co-founded Dandelion in 2017. In 2017, very few investors and even fewer mainstream VC investors were interested in clean tech. Now it seems like there is widespread interest. This makes sense to me because investors have seen that clean tech companies like Tesla can offer massive returns, and the political and business trends suggest clean tech will be a huge part of the future.

Could our readers get out and buy geothermal right away, and in which states (if we’re talking about the US) would it make the most sense (on average)?

Geothermal makes the most financial sense for homeowners who are paying a lot for heating and cooling today. Typically, these are homeowners in cold climate states, especially those using heating fuels like fuel oil or propane.

Some states and utilities also offer generous incentives for geothermal heating, such as NY, CT, MA, SC, and VT, among others.

Most readers will likely be able to find a company that can install geothermal heating and cooling in their area, but the cost may be high. Dandelion exists because we see a need to make geothermal heat pumps more affordable and the process of getting them easier for homeowners, and we look forward to being able to extend that work to more and more places over time (today Dandelion works in NY, CT, and VT).

What is your main competition, and how is Dandelion different?

Our primary competition today is inertia, which is to say conventional heating and cooling options. When it’s time for homeowners to replace their furnace or boiler, many homeowners seek the recommendation of their contractor, who is likely going to recommend the products and brands he or she is most familiar with (typically furnaces and boilers).

Our challenge is to raise awareness of geothermal heating and cooling. We’re different from other geothermal heating and cooling providers because we do residential retrofit at scale. This has let us leverage the fact that we’re serving hundreds of homeowners in a given area to get all of our homeowners better pricing on their equipment and the installation. We’ve also focused on streamlining the customer experience to make the experience of getting geothermal simple and straightforward.

If you could found the company over again, what things would you do differently today?

So many things! Hard to overstate how many things! But here are a few:

  1. I would have looked for mentorship even earlier. I was incredibly fortunate to get connected with Dan Yates, the cofounder and CEO of Opower, about a year into the company, and he had a transformative impact on Dandelion and on me as a leader. If I could have learned even a fraction of what he taught me sooner, I would have saved myself and others a lot of stress during those early years!
  2. I wouldn’t have assumed partners, subcontractors, or anyone else except Dandelion would solve the problems we needed to solve to make the business work. When I started the company, we had a model that assumed local HVAC contractors would sell and install geothermal for customers on behalf of Dandelion. It didn’t take us very long to realize that given these activities were so central to our mission of making geothermal heating simple and affordable, we couldn’t outsource them to others.
  3. I would have been less tolerant of underperformers. I think this is a hard lesson for many new managers, but at the beginning of Dandelion when I was still relatively new to managing a team, I spent an outsized portion of my time and energy dealing with the most difficult employees. With many hard lessons behind me now, I invest the bulk of my time with the highest performing employees, because they are the ones that will build the business and carry us furthest toward our mission.

What other cleantech and general development do you find particularly interesting or fascinating? What would you love to get involved in more but don’t have the time?

I’m an advisor to a startup called Noon that’s inventing a way to use cheap, abundant materials to store a lot of energy at a very low cost. While clean tech history is littered with battery failures, I find Noon exceptionally compelling because it’s one of those bets that could change everything if it works.

If you could suggest a particular law (cleantech or otherwise), what would you suggest?

An extension of the Investment Tax Credit for at least a decade at 30%. This would go such a long way in allowing critical clean technologies like geothermal heat pumps to scale.

Are there some companies you’d really like to work with, but haven’t quite gotten through to yet? Maybe some employees or shareholders are reading this and can reach out! 🙂

We are working with quite a few utility companies across NY, CT, and now VT to offer geothermal incentives for homeowners to transition from furnaces and boilers to heat pumps. These programs have been very successful: they’re good for utility companies because homeowners who use geothermal will typically use more electricity, especially on off-peak times, like night and winter. Geothermal heat pumps also dramatically reduce summer peaks. It’s good for homeowners because it makes geothermal heating and cooling more affordable. We are always looking for additional utility companies to work with, to make geothermal heating and cooling available in more states.

Are you hopeful for humanity, and what would need to happen to make you more hopeful?

I am very hopeful. We have very real challenges to solve, but for the average person, life on this planet has never been better than it is right now. Life expectancy has increased more since 1900 than it had in the preceding 8000 years, and the quality of our lives has astronomically improved with electricity, refrigeration, antibiotics, sanitation, genetically modified crops, the internet, and so many other world-changing innovations that are only a hundred or so years old.

I think it’s likely humanity will continue its pattern of successfully innovating our way out of our biggest challenges.

All images courtesy Dandelion

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Tesla deploys its first Superchargers owned by 3rd-party in the US

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November 20, 2025

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Tesla deploys its first Superchargers owned by 3rd-party in the US

Tesla Supercharger owned by 3rd party

Tesla has officially deployed its first Supercharger station owned by a third party in the US, a step in the automaker’s effort to accelerate the charging infrastructure growth while reducing capital expenditure.

The new station, located at a Suncoast Charging in Land O’Lakes, Florida, consists of 8 stalls and is now open to the public.

While Tesla has previously sold Supercharger hardware to other networks – most notably BP Pulse back in 2023 – this site represents a different model.

The station is owned by the host but fully managed by Tesla, meaning it appears and functions exactly like any other Supercharger in the navigation system and app, maintaining the seamless user experience Tesla owners, and now non-Tesla owners, are used to.

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Tesla’s official charging account confirmed the deployment in a post on X today:

This move falls under Tesla’s “Supercharger for Business” program, where property owners can purchase the hardware and pay for installation while Tesla handles the operations, maintenance, and billing.

Up until recently, Tesla owned and operated almost all of its Supercharger network, which has been the company’s most important moat.

However, as the network opens up to non-Tesla EVs with the adoption of NACS (North American Charging Standard), Tesla is transitioning from a purely closed ecosystem to a major energy and service provider for the broader EV market.

By allowing third parties to put up the capital for the stations while Tesla retains control over the software and customer experience, the company can likely deploy stalls much faster than if it were solely reliant on its own balance sheet.

Electrek’s Take

This is a smart move.

We have been saying for years that while the Supercharger network is Tesla’s greatest asset, it is also a capital-intensive beast to feed. Tesla has installed over 70,000 Supercharger posts globally, but to support the millions of EVs hitting the road (both Tesla and NACS-adopting rivals), the network needs to grow exponentially, not linearly.

Tesla’s Supercharger growth has declined since Musk fired the entire charging team, just to rehire many of them after.

Allowing third parties to own the assets solves the capital bottleneck. It’s similar to the franchise model used by gas stations or even fast-food chains – with the main difference being that Tesla owns the pump rather than the gas as the electricity still comes from the electric utilities.


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Hyundai’s 641 HP electric sports car is here, but it will be limited [Images]

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November 20, 2025

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Hyundai's 641 HP electric sports car is here, but it will be limited [Images]

Hyundai-electric-sports-car-limited-US

The IONIQ 6 N made its North American debut on Thursday, but Hyundai said it will be sold in limited quantities in the US.

Meet Hyundai’s electric sports car, the IONIQ 6 N

Hyundai said the IONIQ 6 N “redefines the EV driving experience” after unveiling it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

After launching it in South Korea last month, Hyundai’s electric sports car made its official North American debut at the LA Auto Show on Thursday.

The IONIQ 6 N is Hyundai’s first fully electric sports car and the second EV, following the IONIQ 5, to receive the “N” performance badge. With the IONIQ 5 receiving global recognition as one of the most awarded performance EVs, Hyundai looks to build on it with its latest model.

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Based on a dual motor, all-wheel drive (AWD) powertrain, the IONIQ 6 N packs a monstrous 641 HP and 568 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0 to 60 mph time in just 3.2 seconds.

Hyundai's-electric-sports-car-limited
The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N (Source: Hyundai)

That’s when N Grin Boost and N Launch Control are active, two of the many fun features that unlock the full potential of the vehicle by optimizing power and torque.

N Grin Boost provides a 10-second power boost while the Launch Control feature adjusts torque for maximum traction and acceleration.

Hyundai-IONIQ-6-N-EV-limited
The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N (Source: Hyundai)

Other fun features like N e-Shift and N Active Sound + simulate the sounds and jerk feeling of an internal combustion engine. Hyundai even added an N Track Manager for a customized on-track experience and N Drift Optimizer, for, well, that one’s pretty self-explanatory.

Inside, the IONIQ 6 N features Kia’s new ccNC infotainment with dual 12.3″ driver display and navigation screens with an exclusive N steering wheel and N badging throughout.

Hyundai-IONIQ-6-N-EV-interior-US
The interior of the Hyundai IONIQ 6 N (Source: Hyundai)

Measuring 194.3″ in length, 76.4″ in width, and 58.9″ in height with a wheelbase of 116.7″, the IONIQ 6 N is about the size of a Porsche Taycan, but it’s expected to be about half the cost.

With an upgraded 84 kWh battery, the IONIQ 6 N can recharge from 10% to 80% in as little as 18 minutes using a 350 kW fast charger.

Kia will reveal the projected driving range and prices during a media launch, so check back soon for updates. In Korea, it’s rated with a WLTP range of 291 miles (469 km).

Given that the current highest-priced IONIQ 6 Limited trim starts at $51,100 in the US, you can expect the N variant to start at around $65,000 to $70,000. It will begin arriving at dealerships in 2026, but Hyundai said the IONIQ 6 N will be available in limited quantities in the US.

Along with the launch of the IONIQ 6 N, Hyundai is introducing a range of N Performance Parts for its N-branded vehicles in the US, including the IONIQ 5 N and Elantra N.


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Official Black Friday deals just got even better – up to 70% off with new lows from Anker SOLIX, Segway Navimow + Ninebot, Jackery, more

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November 20, 2025

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Official Black Friday deals just got even better – up to 70% off with new lows from Anker SOLIX, Segway Navimow + Ninebot, Jackery, more


With Amazon having officially kicked off its Black Friday event, we’re seeing many of our favorite brands following suit with updated/expanded lineups of deals – and all the posts we’ve collected for you today feature tons of great returning and new low prices. Leading the group is Anker’s SOLIX Black Friday Sale, which has increased savings up to 70% on power stations, bundles, and accessories, with offers like the latest F3000 Portable Power Station hitting a new $1,199 low (while also getting a FREE protective cover). Behind it is Segway Navimow’s Black Friday event with up to $700 discounts, bonus savings, and new low prices on its robotic lawn mowers – including the first-ever savings on the newest X3 series, all starting from $664. There’s also Heybike’s Hero 750W Mid-Drive All-Terrain e-bike at a new $2,099 low, Segway’s expanded Black Friday EV sale with returning low prices, and even four of Jackery’s newest power stations that are beating out the brand’s direct holiday sale with new low prices on every model, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals that are collected together at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Mango Power Black Friday power station sale, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Anker’s expanded SOLIX Black Friday Sale increases power station savings up to 70% with new lows starting from $150

Anker SOLIX has launched the next phase of its ongoing Black Friday Sale with increased savings up to 70% across its power stations, bundles, and accessories, giving us the best prices we have seen all year – complete with free gifts with select purchases and at certain price thresholds. Among the expanded lineup, you can score the latest F3000 Portable Power Station starting solo at $1,199 shipped and coming with a FREE protective cover ($99 value), matching in price over at Amazon, though you won’t get the cover there. This new model has been on the market since June carrying a $2,599 full price tag, which we’ve seen go as low as $1,399 up until today. Now, with its Black Friday event in full gear, you’re getting an additional $200 discount to a new all-time low price, giving you a total $1,499 in savings this holiday season. Head below for the full rundown of deals while they’re around.

***Note: We’re seeing a continuation of the four tiers of FREE gifts during Anker’s expanded Black Friday Sale when you spend $2,500 or more, giving you bonus solar panels and power stations. Another thing to remember is that despite saying this sale ends on November 27, Anker regularly extends savings through and past Cyber Monday, so we might just see further deals added in the coming weeks, but there’s no telling for sure.

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If you’re looking for well-rounded backup power support for trips and home backup alike, and don’t want to shell out the money for the more expansive F3800 units, you’ll find a proper companion in Anker’s SOLIX F3000 power station. It kicks off at a 3,072Wh LiFePO4 that can expand up to 24kWh (with bundles available below), and is one of the newer models boasting passthrough charging capabilities when plugged up to a gas generator during grid failures and the like.

It provides a steady output up to 3,600W that can double to 7,200W for greater home backup needs when two stations are linked together, dishing out power to devices, appliances, and more through the 11 output ports (including a TT-30R port for RV backup). On top of the gas generator option previously mentioned, you can also top off the battery using a standard AC outlet or with up to its maximum 2,400W solar input.

Anker’s SOLIX F3000/F3800 Black Friday deals:

Anker’s SOLIX F3800 Plus Black Friday deals:

Anker’s SOLIX essential backup and RV Black Friday deals:

Anker’s 1kWh SOLIX camping-ready Black Friday deals:

Anker’s under 1kWh SOLIX camping-ready Black Friday deals:

Anker’s SOLIX electric cooler Black Friday deals:

You can also find Anker’s SOLIX Black Friday Sale discounts on expansion batteries, solar panels, and other accessories by heading to the main page here.

Black Friday banner with Segway Navimow robotic lawn mowers

Get up to $700 Black Friday savings on Segway Navimow robot mowers, including first discount on new X3 series – from $664

Segway Navimow has officially launched its Black Friday Sale with up to $700 savings (including a bonus sitewide 5% savings code that you can get here) on three of its robotic lawn mower series – one of which being the first-ever savings on the latest X3 series after hitting the market back in spring. These are advanced autonomous assistants that you can hand off mowing duties to, with designs that can cover anywhere from 1/8 acres to 2.5 acres on one full charge – with these robots able to return to their stations and recharge before picking back up, rinsing and repeating until complete. As I mentioned, this is the first-ever savings you can score on the newest X3 series, while the i105 model and the i110 model are hitting new all-time and annual lows thanks to the extra savings you’ll get using the provided promo code – all starting from $664.05 shipped for the i105, which beats out the Amazon pricing.

To see this full Segway Navimow Black Friday lineup of deals (including the bonus savings code), be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

man riding Heybike Hero 750W mid-drive all-terrain e-bike over grass

Heybike increases Black Friday savings on its Hero 750W mid-drive all-terrain e-bike to a new $2,099 low, more

As part of Heybike’s ongoing Black Friday Sale, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the brand’s premium Hero Carbon-Fiber Al-Terrain e-bikes, with the 1,000W rear hub e-bike keeping down at $1,899 shipped, while the 750W mid-drive e-bike is getting increased savings to $2,099 shipped. Normally fetching $2,599 and $3,099 outside of sales, we saw the 1,000W model drop down to its $1,899 low for the first time last month, with this sale retaining that pricing while increasing the savings on the 750W model that comes in $200 lower than we’ve ever tracked. All-in-all, you’re looking at the best prices we have tracked on these higher-end e-bikes, giving you $600 and $1,000 savings while upgrading your ride to handle any terrain you come across.

If you want to learn more about the differences between these two e-bikes, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

Segway electric scooters and e-bikes for Black Friday Sale

Segway’s official Black Friday sale now live: Best price of the year on latest e-scooters, e-bikes, more starting from $150

Segway has switched gears into its official full Black Friday Sale period, expanding the lineup of EV deals we’ve been seeing up until now alongside increasing savings for the best prices of the year. One notable model returning to its best price is the ZT3 Pro All-Terrain Electric Scooter at $849.99 shipped, which matches in price over at Amazon. While it carries a $1,300 MSRP directly from the brand, you can more often find it only fetching $1,000 at full price, with this all-time low price having only appeared during July and October’s Prime Day sales events. You’re getting another shot at $150 off the going rate (and $450 off the MSRP), giving you multi-terrain conquering commuting/joyriding power at the best price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this all-terrain e-scooter, or browse the massive expanded lineup of deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this full Black Friday Sale here.

Four Jackery power stations being used to power various devices

Jackery’s Explorer 1000, 2000, 3000 V2 + 5000 Plus power stations are all hitting new Black Friday lows from $332

Wellbots is undercutting the Black Friday Sale pricing from Jackery on four particular power stations, giving you new low prices during the biggest holiday shopping season. Starting off at the smallest of these units for camping and moving up to whole-home backup companions, you can find the Explorer 1000 V2 Portable Power Station down at $331.55 shipped, after using the on-page promo code JACK5 at checkout, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $17 and Jackery’s direct pricing by $67. It’s been initially dropped from its full $799 price to $349, which goes $17 lower thanks to the bonus savings code, which provides an up to $467 markdown to a new all-time low price. Be sure to check out the other new low prices below while they’re still around.

If you want to browse the full lineup of new low prices on these power stations, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

Best Fall EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.


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