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For nearly a decade, utility companies have been targeted by companies and individuals selling a particular kind of snake oil. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think a lot of these people are acting maliciously (I’ll get to that in a minute). In fact, I think a lot of these people have the best of intentions at heart — there’s just a problem in the way they look at the world, and that’s this: they’re wrong about what the utility companies’ role in the transition to EVs needs to be, and there is a whole lot of incentive for them to stay wrong.

How We Got Here

Before we talk about how we got here, we need to talk about what “here” is. Basically, we exist in a world that is still very much influenced by pressures that started way back in 2008 and 2009 when the housing market collapsed, fuel prices soared, and carmakers were desperate to sell new cars and trucks to just about anyone who could still buy them. The flex-fuel Dodge Ram pickups (Ram was still part of Dodge back then) had “Runs on Corn!” written in broad strokes across the windshield while they baked in the Napleton Northlake Dodge parking lot.

It was a wild time, for sure, but it was the first real shake to the ever-growing US car market that many of us had lived through, and it was very much the dawn of the EV startup. There was Tesla, there was Fisker, there was Aptera, heck, there was even Paul Elio and his goofy tadpole thing. Everyone was pushing for 40 MPG or 50 MPG cars, hybrids were in the limelight, and nobody back then really knew if it would be biofuels or hydrogen or battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) that would win the day.

Now, as I type this, it’s obvious that BEVs won. It wasn’t so much that BEVs won, though. It was Tesla that won, and every other carmaker has been forced to participate in the electric future that Tesla created. And, to their credit, just about every one of them — with a few notable holdouts, like Toyota and Mazda — have jumped into the BEV race with both feet, committing to a majority electric future by 2030, if not a fully electric one … and the environmentalists are pushing this as a huge win.

The EV Future Is Not An Environmentalist Victory

No to Climate Death! Used under CC License.

Read that heading again, carefully. This isn’t an article that’s claiming EVs are worse for the environment than internal combustion (those articles are complete and utter bullshit, anyway). What this is is an article that hopes to explain that Tesla — and, by extension, all EVs — didn’t win because they are better for the environment. The EVs won because they are better cars.

That’s it. That’s the reason. Electric cars are better cars. Electric cars are succeeding as a product, in other words, not as an ideology.

It’s not the planet. It’s a sad fact, but almost no one cares about the planet. Even in a liberal Utopia like Portland, Oregon, headlines about record heat waves hover over pictures of JetSkis leaping over the waves and scantily-clad women on motor yachts enjoying mojitos. Hardly the picture of doom and gloom that you’d expect from a burning planet facing record heat waves, record droughts, and a global pandemic that’s still churning out thousands of newly-stuffed body bags every day, you know?

You know.

The Consultants Get Paid

Screencap from Breaking Bad.

The success of Tesla has given the internal-combustion stakeholders a bloody nose, and the environmentalists and activists — even the most well-meaning among them — have done everything they can to draw attention to that fact. As such, the sharkiest sharks have had no choice but to smell the blood in the water, and find a way to cash in. Who are they? Consultants.

While the environmental activists are working hard to change the way that people think about cars with talk about “average commutes” and “savings calculators” and “cradle to grave emissions” and “educating the public about the benefits of EVs” to anyone who will listen, the consultants have found someone who is not just willing to listen, but who is willing to reach into some very, very deep pockets when they’re done listening. That someone is the utility companies.

Utility companies, almost without exception, have millions of captive customers who must pay them every month or risk their health, their jobs, or more. That also means they have millions of dollars to play with. Combine that huge budget with pressure from policy makers and those very same, well-meaning environmentalists, and you end up with a large company that has a large PR incentive to spend large amounts of money on large projects — projects like getting people to buy more EVs! (Maybe even large ones!)

The first problem is that even the most well-meaning and sincere among the policy makers and activists typically have no idea how the car business works. Like, none. Not even a little bit. They don’t know about floorplans or co-ops or CSI scores or allocations — and they certainly, as a group, have no idea how those things can conspire against a dealer or salesperson who might very much want to sell you an electric car, but who literally cannot, through no fault of their own.

The second problem is that very few people at the utility companies understand how the car business works, either, but they at least know enough to know that they don’t know enough, and that’s where the consultants swoop in and convince the utilities that it’s their job — no, their mission — to convince people to buy electric cars.

To aid in that mission, the consultants have created a cottage industry of certificate programs, expensive training seminars, and online buyers’ guides that are terrible at convincing people to choose a perfectly reasonable EV instead of a loud and emotional Hemi-powered monster, terrible at their stated mission of helping dealers to sell cars, and terrible at showing people how an electric car can fit into the lives, today, but that are very good at convincing utility companies to transfer money from their bank accounts to the consultant’s.

They got it wrong, and that was the elephant in the room right now that everyone was afraid to talk about at that “big” EV web conference took part in last month. The environmentalists and activists who wanted the utility companies and policy-makers to engage in conversations with John Q. Public about “wheel to well emissions” and change the way people make decisions about cars got it 100% wrong. EVs aren’t succeeding because people are changing the way they think, they’re succeeding because they’re meeting new car buyers where they’re at today with body styles, performance figures, and capabilities that are more in line with what mainstream Americans are already buying, which also includes easily knowing how and where to fill up. The EV evangelists got it wrong, and the consultants took advantage of their political clout in order to siphon money out of the utilities. Full stop.

TL;DR: environmentalists and activists lobbied utility companies to become more visibly “green,” and the consultants took advantage of that by convincing the utility companies that it’s their job to sell cars, when it’s actually their job to sell electricity.

Selling Electric Fuel

Image courtesy Western Electric Co., circa 1915.

Utility companies sell electricity, plain and simple. But, they’ve had such a captive market and such a strong natural monopoly on their primary product that almost no one involved in a utility company’s day-to-day even thinks about selling electricity.

Want to see someone flounder? Ask someone at a utility company why you should buy electricity from them.

It seems like an asinine question, doesn’t it? A given, even, that you must buy electricity — but that wasn’t always the case. At the turn of the last century, though, it was a legitimate question. My own home outside of Chicago still has gas fixtures in it, for gas lights. There are pictures of lamplighters on the streets right outside, and the reason those gas lamps aren’t lit tonight is that, once upon a time, someone sold electricity to the people of this neighborhood.

Electricity is a superior product, and it succeeded because it was cleaner than gas and oil, sure, but I’d weigh that at about 10% of the reason why. The reasons that weighed heavier were many. The electric lights burned brighter, the smell of burning fuel oil was gone, the hassle of refilling oil lamps was eliminated, there was no smoke to stain the walls or ceilings, either.

That was it. That was the reason: electric fuel was better fuel. It succeeded as a product and not an ideology.

Image courtesy Chicago Edison Co.

Fast forward a hundred-odd years, and electric fuel is still better fuel. The electricity pushes cars to highway speeds faster than gasoline can, that gasoline smell that sticks to your hands is gone, the hassle of pumping gas into the car every few days is eliminated by at-home charging, and there are no harmful tailpipe emissions, either.

What’s more, electricity is cheap, it’s familiar, and it is absolutely everywhere. Sure, there may not be a 20 minutes-to-200 miles fast charger on every street corner (yet), but there very much is a power outlet that will, given time, charge your electric car, and every new electric car sold is a new car that needs electric fuel.

That’s it. That’s the difference. An electric car is just a regular car that you fill up with different stuff, and the utility companies, environmentalists — and every other stakeholder, come to think of it — would be better served by understanding that they’ll never “advance” or “accelerate” EV adoption by getting people to change the way they think about cars, but they may have a chance by getting people to change the way they think about the fuel that they’re putting in their cars.

Not dirty. Clean!
Not hard to find. Everywhere!
Not an expensive luxury. Affordable!
Not for hippies and tree-huggers. For everyone!
Not a sacrifice for a better tomorrow. Better for me, now!

Once the utility companies understand their role, they can start affecting real change, and let the dealers do what they know how to do best: sell cars that people want to buy to the people that want to buy them. And if that means that one or two of these opportunistic “consultants” has to find a different 9-5? So much the better.

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First post-launch savings on Segway’s new Xafari and Xyber e-bikes, EcoFlow DELTA Pro 400W solar bundle at new $2,199 low, more

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June 2, 2025

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First post-launch savings on Segway's new Xafari and Xyber e-bikes, EcoFlow DELTA Pro 400W solar bundle at new ,199 low, more

We’re starting off this week’s Green Deals with the first post-launch savings on the new Segway Xafari and Xyber e-bikes starting from $2,200. Right behind it, EcoFlow is kicking off hurricane season with up to 55% discounts on a sizeable collection of power stations, complete with bonus savings, select 2x EcoCredit rewards, and some lower-than-ever member-only pricing, including the DELTA Pro Solar Generator bundle with a 400W panel at a new $2,199 low. Lastly, we have two mowing deals, with the first being the EGO 56V 21-Inch Cordless Electric Select Cut Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Kit that includes 7.5Ah and 5.0Ah batteries back at its $600 low. You could also automate your lawn care with Segway’s Navimow i Series of RTK Robot Mowers that are getting rare price cuts starting from $849. Plus, there’s all the rest of the hangover Green Deals from last week in the links at the bottom of the page, collected together in our Electrified Weekly Roundup.

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.

Segway’s new Xafari and Xyber e-bikes with Apple Find My, proximity locking, more get first post-launch savings from $2,200

Segway is celebrating Father’s Day with surprise price cuts of up to $300 on the brand’s two new e-bikes for the first time. Through June 15, you’ll be able to hop aboard the Xafari e-bike for $2,199.99 shipped, while the Xyber e-bike sits higher at $2,999.99 shipped. These two models normally go for $2,400 and $3,300, respectively, since the brand raised the Xyber’s price due to tariffs on May 1. The discounts we’re seeing here are the first post-launch cash savings, bringing the Xafari back to match its preorder launch pricing, while taking the Xyber back to its original MSRP.

Praised by Segway as the model “for everyone, yet far from ordinary,” the Xafari e-bike is an all-terrain cruiser for riders of different ages and skill levels. It comes equipped with a 750W rear hub motor paired with a removable 936Wh battery to hit 20 MPH top speeds (in as fast as 5.2 seconds) for up to 88 miles on a single 6-hour charge with its 12 PAS levels activated (supported by a torque sensor). Comfort is the main focus here, with ergonomic positioning, 80mm front/70mm rear suspension, an adjustable compression damping and lock-out fork, and 26-inch by 3-inch all-terrain tires – all adding to a smoother riding experience. There’s also the adjustable-height saddle with quick-release and an adjustable stem, a rear-mounted cargo rack, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, front and rear lighting (including brake lighting), an integrated multi-color smart TFT display with a 20W USB A/C port, and more.

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Of course, one of the biggest additions to Segway’s e-bikes, is the inclusion of the brand’s Intelligent Ride System. This gives them some high-end smart features like Airlock wireless proximity security, an alarm system, Apple Find My, GPS, adaptive pedal assistance, and plenty more. You can get the full rundown on these features in our original CES 2025 launch coverage here.

Speaking of the Xyber e-bike, which sports the same Intelligent Ride System features as the above model, it is the mid-range, light EV that is perfect for speed freaks, as it can go from 0 to 20 MPH in just 2.7 seconds, and keep climbing up to a 35 MPH top speed when set in race mode. It’s been given a monstrous 6,000W direct-drive motor and a 2,880Wh dual-battery setup, letting it carry you for up to 112 miles on a single 4-hour charge. There are 12 levels of pedal assistance here, as well as three different modes for throttle-only riding.

It’s been equipped with an inverted dual-crown fork at the front alongside a classic swing-arm design at the rear – plus, the coil-sprung, hydraulically damped front and rear suspension for added comfort on uneven terrain. You’ll also find Tektro hydraulic disc brakes here for stopping power, with the whole thing sitting atop two 20-inch by 5-inch tires with flat-resistant inserts, among other top-notch features. One thing to note here, though, is that Segway has specified this current model to be an unclassified e-bike for maximized performance over on-road or non-permitted trail riding, with a road-legal model that meets regulations coming later in the year.

You can get the full details of all the many features on these e-bikes in our original launch coverage from CES 2025 here.

EcoFlow power stations

Power essentials through hurricane season with EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro 400W solar bundle at new $2,199 low

With the calendar having stepped into June, so too have we officially stepped into 2025’s hurricane season, and EcoFlow is offering up to 55% off backup power solutions through June 8 to help you prep, complete with extra savings. Among the lineup, we spotted several continuing member-only deals that have increased savings from the brand’s two-day May Madness event, like the well-regarded DELTA Pro Solar Generator bundle with a 400W panel for $2,199 shipped, which doesn’t benefit from the 5% bonus savings, sadly, but does benefit from 2x EcoCredit reward points. This package would normally run you $4,898 at full price, which we’ve seen go as low as $2,299, most recently during last week’s short-term May Madness discounts. This is a 55% markdown that cuts $2,699 off the going rate, landing it $100 lower than ever for the best new price we have tracked. It’s even coming in $200 under Amazon’s current pricing.

One of the brand’s larger modular backup solutions, the DELTA Pro is ready to power you through trips in nature, at gatherings and events, or during emergencies with its starting 3,600Wh LiFePO4 capacity. What’s great is that with future investments (expansion batteries), you can expand it all the way up to 25kWh. Through its 14 output ports, it dishes out a steady stream up to 3,600W, surging to 7,200W for larger needs.

It recharges its own battery cells fairly quick, with a wall outlet putting it back to full in about 1.8 hours, or you could do so in 2.8 hours when taking advantage of its maximum 1,600W solar input. There’s other ways to top off its levels, including generators, with an auxiliary car port, and more. You’ll also get the full array of smart controls you would expect through its companion app via either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

EcoFlow’s other Member-only deals:

To browse the entire lineup of EcoFlow’s June Disaster Sale follow this link to our full coverage here, with plenty of savings on in-house and out-of-house power solutions at up to 55% off – plus, the bonus 5% extra savings that are not stackable with the above member-only pricing.

EGO 56V 21-inch cordless electric select cut self-propelled lawn mower

This EGO 56V 21-inch cordless select cut self-propelled mower kit with 7.5Ah and 5.0Ah batteries back at $600 low

Amazon is offering a return low price on the EGO Power+ 56V 21-Inch Cordless Electric Select Cut Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Kit that comes with 7.5Ah and 5.0Ah batteries at $599.99 shipped. This newer model hit the scene at the top of last year and is coming off its $998 full price here today. March of last year was the last time we spotted this low price, with the discounts in the time since only going as low as $700. You’re now getting a second chance at the best price we have tracked for this package, which equips you with plenty of power to cover lawn care needs at home with $398 in savings.

It’s one of the best times of the year to consider trading your gas guzzler for a more eco-friendly electric means to tackle lawn care, and this cordless mower from EGO comes with more power than we usually see. Just using the 7.5Ah ARC battery provides enough juice for up to 60 continuous minutes of runtime, with the 5.0Ah battery being a convenient way to extend that time for longer jobs. The included 550W charger can bring these batteries back to full in up to 60 minutes, letting you use one while charging another for near-endless runtimes.

Aside from the six-position cutting height levels (from 1.5 to 4 inches) and three-in-one functionality (bagging, side discharging, mulching), you’ll also be getting the brand’s select cut system here, giving you more customization options for different needs. Thanks to this setup, the blades are interchangeable between lower mulching blades and high-lift bagging blades. Mobility is far easier as the self-propulsion does most of the work for you – plus, annoying pull strings are a thing of the past with its push-button start.

segway navimow i series robot lawn mower

Segway’s Navimow i Series of RTK robot mowers get rare price cuts starting from $849 in Father’s Day savings

Through Father’s Day, Segway is offering rare 15% discounts on its Navimow i Series Robot Lawn Mowers, with the i105 model down at $849 shipped and matching at Amazon, while the i110 model is down at $1,099 shipped and only available on the direct site. These models don’t often see many discounts from their $999 and $1,299 price tags compared to its H series counterparts, with the last price cuts we saw being on the i105 model back during Black Friday when prices dropped to its $799 low. You can grab them here at the second-lowest price we have tracked for the i105 and the lowest price we’ve seen on the i110 model, giving you $150/$200 in savings while automating your lawn care routine.

While it doesn’t sport the fanciest of bells and whistles like Segway’s new X3 Series of robots, which are now officially available for online purchase, the brand’s Navimow i Series are the smaller and more affordable option for those on tighter budgets, with the i105 model covering up to 1/8 acres and the i110 model covering up to 1/4 acres on a single charge. Keep in mind that these robots can stop progress to recharge at their station, picking up where they left off after finishing. One of the standout designs here is the trading of perimeter wires for RTK positioning paired alongside AI-assisted mapping through its 140-degree FOV camera.

The brand’s Exact Fusion Location System 2.0 is the name of the game, working with the AI to utilize satellite navigation to keep track of the robot’s position regardless of how complicated your yard/garden layout is or how much tree coverage there may be. This feature also doubles as a security measure, allowing you to track the robot’s real-time location while it works or in case of theft. Through its companion app you’ll have access to its full array of other smart features too, like setting schedules, marking off-limits zones, and customizing the 3D mapping routes/settings – and it has the memory for 12 different zones.

There’s two other big robot lawn mower deals running right now on new models, with the ECOVACS Goat RTK Robot Lawn Mowers currently getting up to 25% off discounts on three models starting from $900. There’s also the highly advanced Anker eufy E15 and E18 Robot Mowers that do away with RTK positioning and boundary wires for pure vision FSD navigation, getting $300 discounts and a $100 free gift.

Best Spring 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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Elon Musk had already canceled $25k Tesla weeks before denying it publicly

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June 2, 2025

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Elon Musk had already canceled k Tesla weeks before denying it publicly

When Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly denied a report that Tesla had canceled its work on the $25,000 “Model 2” despite the project ending weeks prior, Tesla executives were “alarmed” by Musk’s public lie, according to a new report by Reuters.

In April 2024, Reuters reported that the long-awaited $25,000 Tesla, nicknamed “Model 2” by the public, had been canceled.

Immediately after the report, Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded, stating “Reuters is lying (again).”

However, when he made this statement, Musk knew that the report was correct, and that he had cancelled the project weeks earlier.

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This new information comes from a report by Reuters today, citing company documents and the standard “people familiar with the matter.”

The public denial caused confusion among Tesla executives, some of whom wondered if the project was back on, or who were concerned that customers may delay purchases waiting for a product that they and Musk knew would never come.

It also concerned executives due to an agreement Musk made with the SEC which required a lawyer to oversee his Tesla-related tweeting activities, after he had previously been caught misleading investors into thinking he had secured funding to take Tesla private.

Musk’s lie about the $25k Model 2 project stopped a decline in TSLA stock, which had slid by 6% so far that day, and the stock recovered partially by the end of the day. Given the market-moving nature of the statement, and the subject matter of being about Tesla’s future plans, it was thought that this would be another clear violation of Musk’s settlement with the SEC.

Musk’s history attacking truth

Musk has a long history of taking umbrage with the press and government regulators, and getting in public fights with people for the smallest of slights. These attacks are often immature, as in the examples of his lewd statements about the SEC, or an unnecessary attack on a rescue diver.

Reuters has been one of his main targets, but he has generally shown disdain for the media, and this attitude isn’t new.

In 2018, he floated the idea of creating a website to rank “truth” in media, proposing the name “Pravduh.” The idea came after a series of negative reports about Tesla, making it clear that the effort was less about truth, and more about Musk feeling slighted about recent coverage.

In a similar vein to his attacks on Reuters, he and the Tesla board recently denied a WSJ report that they were seeking a replacement for Musk as CEO. Musk responded personally, stating that it was an “EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS” for WSJ to publish a “DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE and fail to include an unequivocal denial,” even though WSJ reached out to Tesla and was given no comment beforehand.

One of the reasons WSJ couldn’t get comment beforehand is because Tesla dissolved its PR department years ago. Companies keep PR departments so that press can have a clear a consistent idea of a company’s position on the matter, and so that journalists can reach out to the company for comment beforehand. Musk’s anger at WSJ for not including a denial from a department that he himself dissolved suggests that perhaps he relishes the opportunity to strike out against the media, as his own actions have been responsible for the lack of communication between Tesla and the media.

He even targeted us here at Electrek after we published a true and fair article critiquing Tesla’s plan to charge owners $1,500 for hardware they already bought. After our report, many other media reported the same story, and a few days later Tesla lowered the price to $1,000 (when it still should be zero, and at least one owner has prevailed in small claims due to our report).

Immediately after Tesla lowered the price of the upgrade, we found that Elon Musk had blocked our site’s account on Twitter, and also blocked my colleague Fred Lambert, who was not involved in reporting the story. We were also banned from future Tesla events due to our true and fair report.

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Nissan’s new $17,000 EV scores early in China as orders surge, but is it enough?

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June 2, 2025

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Nissan's new ,000 EV scores early in China as orders surge, but is it enough?

Nissan-N7-EV-orders-China

The N7 is surprisingly stylish and affordable, starting at under $17,000 in China. A month after launching, Nissan’s new EV has already secured over 17,200 orders, but will it be enough to keep pace in China?

Nissan’s new N7 EV secures 17,215 orders in China

After launching the N7 on April 28, Dongfeng-Nissan announced the electric sedan set a record, racking up 10,000 orders in 18 days.

Nissan’s joint venture partner in China said the N7 became the “fastest joint venture pure electric car” to reach the 10,000 mark.

According to the latest update, Nissan’s new EV now has 17,215 orders in China. Dongfeng Nissan revealed in a social media post on May 31 that N7 orders are still on the rise, 35 days after hitting the market. To keep the momentum going, the company is offering a limited-time promo worth up to 19,888 yuan ($1,400) by placing an order.

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A video circulating on social media (via CnEVPost) reveals order data from a company executive, showing that 13,746 of the orders have locked-in vehicle configurations.

Nissan's-new-EV-orders-China
Dongfeng Nissan N7 electric sedan (Source: Nissan)

The N7 starts at 119,900 yuan in China, or about $16,500. It’s available with two LFP battery options, 58 kWh or 73 kWh, providing a CLTC range of 540 km (335 miles) and 625 km (388 miles), respectively.

Measuring 4,930 mm long, 1,895 mm wide, and 1,487 mm tall, the electric sedan is slightly longer than a Tesla Model 3.

Inside, the N7 is equipped with smart tech and features, including Momenta’s smart driving system. Nissan claims it’s “the industry’s first-tier high-end intelligent driving system,” offering high-speed navigation assistance, full-scenario intelligent parking, and more.

Nissan N7 EV Trim Starting Price
Nissan N7 510 Air 119,900 yuan ($16,500)
Nissan N7 510 Pro 129,900 yuan ($17,800)
Nissan N7 625 Pro 139,900 yuan ($19,200)
Nissan N7 510 Max 139,900 yuan ($19,200)
Nissan N7 625 Max 149,900 yuan ($20,500)
Nissan N7 electric sedan price by trim (Source: Dongfeng-Nissan)

It even comes with a few fun add-ons you won’t find on a typical Nissan, such as a smart refrigerator that can cool or heat drinks.

Electrek’s Take

Nissan’s new N7 looks nice, and it’s competitively priced, but can it keep up in China’s intensifying electric vehicle market? BYD is crushing rivals with extreme price cuts and new models, which seem to appear every week.

Its new electric sedan, the BYD Qin L EV, had over 10,000 in sales its first week on the market, and it starts at 119,800 yuan ($16,500).

Even Mazda, another Japanese brand struggling in China, is seeing early success. After launching the EZ-60 last month, Mazda’s electric SUV secured over 20,000 orders.

Are these orders binding? Typically, companies in China report orders that are non-refundable with a deposit, but some offer a few days’ grace period. We will find out soon as companies begin releasing sales results.

Nissan is already struggling to turn its business around. The company announced last month it’s cutting 20,000 jobs globally and closing several factories as part of a restructuring.

What do you think? Can Nissan’s new EV keep up in China? Or, are the early orders deceiving? Drop us a comment below and share your thoughts.

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