The US Interior Department today announced that an oil and gas lease sale for Alaska’s Cook Inlet will take place on December 30 – a concession made to Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) so that he’d vote for the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Oil and gas lease sale in Alaska
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a final notice of sale today for 958,202 acres off Alaska’s south central coast. The IRA directed BOEM to hold the sale by December 31, 2022.
In May, BOEM canceled the Cook Inlet sale, along with two Gulf of Mexico lease sales, citing lack of interest. Congress then directed BOEM to carry out the sale by the end of 2022.
In July, Manchin announced that he’d reached an agreement with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to vote for the groundbreaking $370 billion IRA climate bill.
In order to secure fossil-fuel advocate Manchin’s vote in the Senate, Schumer had to concede to Manchin’s demand that these oil and gas lease sales be resurrected alongside the escalation of clean energy deployment. Manchin said in a statement on July 27:
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 invests in the technologies needed for all fuel types – from hydrogen, nuclear, renewables, fossil fuels and energy storage – to be produced and used in the cleanest way possible. It is truly all of the above, which means this bill does not arbitrarily shut off our abundant fossil fuels. It invests heavily in technologies to help us reduce our domestic methane and carbon emissions and also helps decarbonize around the world as we displace dirtier products.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order that suspended new oil and gas lease sales in his first week in office. In March 2022, a federal court blocked Biden’s executive order. This is now the second oil and gas lease sale that the Biden administration has had to carry out.
On November 22, environmental law nonprofit Earthjustice wrote that there were alternate paths to the Cook Inlet and Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sales, and it’s actively campaigning to stop the Cook Inlet sale.
Steve Mashuda, managing attorney of Earthjustice’s Oceans program, said:
Legal scrutiny of the IRA shows that it does not bind us to fossil-fuel interests to the extent that many might believe.
While the IRA does require three offshore lease sales to be held, Interior has the responsibility and the discretion to make the right choices here: It should, for example, decide that any leases be conditioned with measures that protect people and wildlife and that limit greenhouse gases emitted from the resulting industrial activity.
Electrek’s Take
It would be better to have no more oil and gas lease sales, but we feel the Cook Inlet sale is not one to get seriously worried about. Earlier in the year, there was very little interest.
A lot of fossil fuel lease sales are procedural, and this may also be the case for Cook Inlet. The oil companies are sitting on roughly half of unused US public leases, and they’re not drilling due to lack of access to financing and supply chain shortages. We don’t see either of those things changing anytime soon. And if they do, chances are good that drilling won’t make sense financially, due to renewables becoming ever more inexpensive.
UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Sometimes on Alibaba, you find something that makes you stop, scratch your head, and wonder whether the designer started with a golf cart and added a pickup truck bed… or started with a farm truck and grafted on the front half of a golf cart. Either way, the end result is this glorious mashup of country club chic and back-forty practicality.
It’s also the perfect candidate for this week’s edition of the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week – a chance to dumpster dive through some of the coolest and most innovative EVs on the internet.
Up front, you’ve got what looks like your standard neighborhood golf cart – small tires, stubby hood, upright windshield, and a seating arrangement that says, “I could drop you off, but you’re carrying the clubs.”
But move your eyes toward the rear and suddenly you’re on a rural Chinese farm. It’s basically the epitome of the classic Chinese farm truck… and I’ve walked the line at Chinese farm truck factories. That short golf cart chassis has been stretched into a full-blown flatbed mini-truck, complete with drop-down side gates and a tailgate to turn it into a flatbed. It’s ready to haul hay bales, tools, or apparently, livestock (as our graphics department so tastefully demonstrated above).
Advertisement – scroll for more content
The pièce de résistance? That big, plastic laundry basket bolted to the hood with “SPORT” proudly embossed on it. Who needs a glove box when you’ve already got a whole hamper right in front of you? Perfect for golf balls, groceries, or the world’s most precariously placed toolbox.
Despite the hybrid identity crisis, the specs are no joke. Wel, ok – they’re a little funny. This little utility cart boasts a 72V, 1,500W rear-axle motor that can whisk you along at up to 38 km/h (about 24 mph). That’s quick enough to get you in trouble on the fairway or make a speedy feed run at the farm. It can even climb a 20-degree grade, meaning you’ll have no problem hauling a load of goat feed up your driveway. Range is listed at 70 km (43 miles), so you can spend all day zipping between barn and bunker without a recharge.
Weighing in at 317 kg (just under 700 lb), it’s heavy enough to feel stable but light enough that you could probably push it out of a sand trap with a couple of buddies if you really had to. It’s also got a key start, built-in speakers, and of course, that open-air cabin that’s perfect for warm days and questionable weather decisions.
And the price? Just $2,300… if you happen to be standing on the factory floor in China with cash in hand (or just $2,000 if you buy 100 of them!). That’s the factory floor (EXW) price, which means by the time you pay for shipping, import duties, and a customs officer’s confused glare, you’ll be spending a lot more to get one into your driveway. And with tariffs the way they are, now it’s around 40% more than “a lot more.”
Is it a golf cart? Is it a truck? Is it a lifestyle? Yes. It’s all of those things. And in a world where we usually have to choose between impractical fun and functional utility, this weird little contraption says, “Why not both?”
Whether you’re hauling mulch around your garden, running parts around a warehouse, or pulling up to the clubhouse looking like you just came from a tractor pull, this Alibaba gem has you covered. Just be prepared for the stares – not everyone is ready for the future of cross-genre utility vehicles.
A casual warning
As always, a friendly reminder before you start reaching for your credit card: don’t actually go buying one of these things. Seriously. These bizarre Chinese EVs are a blast to gawk at, but this column is just a lighthearted weekend stroll through Alibaba’s wildest listings. I’ve scored a few fun wins on the site, but I’ve also taken some expensive lumps (there’s an electric excavator scam story that has yet to be told…), so this is definitely not a shopping guide for anyone faint of heart or who values their hard-earned money.
Sure, some daring (or just plain stubborn) readers have ignored my advice and rolled the dice anyway, but please don’t be the one who ends up with a sad story and a thinner bank account. Consider this your official “you’ve been warned” notice.
For now, let’s just enjoy how wonderfully absurd it is that a golf cart–pickup truck hybrid even exists, and leave the gambling to the pros. Until next week’s weird Alibaba EV, this is Micah signing off.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Mercedes-Benz Electric G-Wagon (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
If you’ve been eyeing the all-electric G-Wagon, Mercedes-Benz just sweetened the deal – but only for a limited time.
According to a dealer bulletin, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology – AKA the electric G-Wagon – now comes with $9,500 in lease cash, up from last month’s $7,500. That’s a 27% jump in savings. The move comes just weeks before the $7,500 EV lease tax credit loophole closes on September 30.
Like most EVs leased in the US, the G-Class has been able to qualify for the credit even though it’s excluded from purchase incentives. That benefit is about to disappear, which likely explains why Mercedes is boosting the offers now.
The electric G-Wagon doesn’t come cheap. With a base price of $162,650, the $9,500 incentive amounts to only a 5.8% discount. The SUV also carries a steep advertised lease: $1,869 per month for 36 months with $14,613 due at signing. Factor it all in, and you’re really paying about $2,275 a month for 10,000 miles a year. Current Mercedes deals run through September 2.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
For context, the 2025 G 580’s lease money factor now sits at 0.00180, which works out to around 4.3% APR – lower than the standard rates previously on offer.
Performance-wise, the electric G-Wagon earns an EPA rating of 62 MPGe and an electric range of 239 miles. Not groundbreaking numbers, but for buyers who want the iconic G-Wagon experience with zero tailpipe emissions, this is it.
With federal lease credits ending soon, Mercedes appears to be betting that drivers looking for a last chance at big EV savings will jump now rather than later.
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
The Honda Prologue is a surprise hit. It was the second-best-selling electric SUV behind the Tesla Model Y in the second half of 2024. Now, used models are in high demand.
Honda Prologue leads used EV sales growth in July
After it delivered the first customer models last March, the Honda Prologue quickly became one of the most popular EVs in the US.
Throughout the second half of the year, Honda sold an average of over 5,000 Prologues every month. In November, it was the third best-selling EV, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
Honda’s electric SUV continues to be a top seller this year. Last month, it outsold the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai IONIQ 5. Since delivering the first Prologue model last March, Honda has now sold 52,500 units in the US.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
According to Cox Automotive’s latest EV Market Monitor report, used Honda Prologue EVs are selling faster than expected.
Used EV sales rose sharply in July to 36,670, up 23.2% from June and 40% compared to last year. Honda had the biggest increase in used EV sales, more than doubling (+103%) month-over-month. Hyundai (+61.3%) and Rivian (60.5%) ranked second and third.
Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)
Tesla led used EV sales last month, selling 15,903 vehicles, up 18% year-over-year. GM’s Chevy (3,499 units, +28.6%), Ford (1,967 units, +25.7%), Mercedes-Benz (1,724 units, -12.3%), and Nissan (1,659 units, +19.9%) rounded out the top five.
Although its market share slipped to 43.4% from 45.2%, Tesla remained the leader by a wide margin. Other luxury brands, including BMW and Audi, reported higher used EV sales in July, with increases of 43.87% and 38%, respectively.
2025 Honda Prologue at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Honda)
According to the report, used EV listing prices reached $35,263 last month, a 1.9% decrease from June. With a price gap of just $1,266, a record low, used electric vehicle prices are closing in on ICE vehicles.
New EV sales also picked up in July. With over 130,000 EVs sold, up 26% from June, the electric vehicle market share reached 9.1%, the second-highest to date.
Ahead of the $7,500 federal tax credit deadline, set to expire at the end of September, 11 brands posted their best EV sales of the year. The top five included Tesla, Chevy, Hyundai, Ford, and Honda. Volkswagen surged to sixth after electric vehicle sales surged 454% last month.
The Honda Prologue starts at $47,400, but with the credit, you can snag one for under $40,000 right now. Honda is also offering monthly leases as low as $159 in California and other ZEV states. In other regions, it’s still listed for as low as $229 per month.
2025 Honda Prologue trim
Starting Price*
Starting Price After Tax Credit*
EPA Range (miles)
EX (FWD)
$47,400
$39,900
308
EX (AWD)
$50,400
$42,900
294
Touring (FWD)
$51.700
$44,200
308
Touring (AWD)
$54,700
$47,200
294
Elite (AWD)
$57,900
$50,400
283
2025 Honda Prologue prices and range by trim (*Does not include $1,450 D&H fee)
Even Honda’s luxury brand, Acura, is selling more electric vehicles than expected. Through the first half of the year, the Acura ZDX outsold the Cadillac Lyriq, and it’s based on the same GM Ultium platform.
Sales are expected to continue picking up ahead of the deadline. As Cox Automotive highlighted, “July’s performance sets a strong precedent, and as policy support winds down, the market’s ability to respond to real-time demand and brand-level dynamics will be critical in shaping the next phase of growth.”
Ready to take advantage of the savings while they are still here? We’re here to help. You can use our link to find deals on the Honda Prologue in your area (trusted affiliate link).
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.