This portable 100W 18V solar panel has 18W USB-C built in for $114 (Reg. $230) in New Green Deals
Jump-start your off-grid power setup with ROCKPALS’ portable 100W 18V solar panel, which is on sale for a new low of $114 today. Normally $230, this discount makes now a great time to pick up this versatile portable solar panel. You’ll find a traditional DC output to charge normal solar batteries, but it also packs 18W USB-C and 24W USB-A natively so you can plug in smartphones and more, no adapter needed. We also have a wide selection of Tesla and e-bike discounts in today’s New Green Deals, so you won’t want to miss that either.
Head below for other New Green Deals that 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.
ROCKPALS 100W portable solar panel has built-in 18W USB-C
The official ROCKPALS Amazon storefront is offering its Foldable Portable 100W Solar Panel for $113.99 shipped once you clip the on-page coupon. Down from $230, it just dropped to $154 at Amazon and today’s deal marks a new all-time low that we’ve tracked at Amazon. This solar panel is perfect for jump-starting your off-grid setup. It can convert up to 23.5% of sunlight into solar power and the panel can produce up to 100W of 18V power. It’s compatible with a wide range of power stations and batteries thanks to using a 5.5×2.1mm DC jack. On top of that, it packs a 24W USB-A and 18W USB-C port to charge your portable electronics without any other adapters needed. Plus, it’s lightweight at 9.5 pounds and folds up to a compact size that’s less than 18×18 inches for easy storage as well.
Save $650 on Segway’s Ninebot electric GoKart PRO at its second-best price of $1,650
Amazon is now offering the Segway Ninebot Electric GoKart PRO for $1,650 shipped. Normally fetching $2,300, you’re looking at the second-best price to date following a $650 discount. This is $50 under our previous mention and delivering a notable chance to save for unwrapping some electric kart action come Christmas. Geared for riders weighing up to 220 pounds, the Ninebot GoKart PRO can handle zipping you or the kids around the block at up to 23 MPH top speeds with a 15-mile range. Its durable design can also be folded down for transportation, and pairs with other features like an electric brake, integrated headlights, and taillights. You can also detach the included Ninebot S MAX which powers the experience for a self-balancing scooter ride alongside the go kart fun.
On the more affordable front of putting some gokart action underneath the Christmas tree, Amazon is also marking down the Segway Ninebot S GoKart kit to $1,239.97. This package is down to one of the best prices ever from its usual $1,550 price tag and arrives with $310 in savings attached. It isn’t going to be quite as capable of a cruising machine as the Pro version above, but can handle hitting 10 MPH top speeds with a 13.7-mile range. This Ninebot S model is geared towards riders up to 220 pounds, and can also convert between the four- and two-wheeled configurations.
SWFT VOLT e-bike packs 32 miles of riding for $600
Best Buy is offering the SWFT VOLT E-Bike for $599.99 shipped. Down from a $900 list price, we’ve seen it fall to as low as $500 in the past, but that was way back in January. This is among the best pricing that we’ve seen since. Ready to let you get to and from work without using a single drop of gas or oil. It can travel at up to 19.8 MPH and the built-in battery can last for as long as 32 miles before it’s time to plug back in. The pedal assist mode on SWFT’s VOLT will let you balance between your legs and the built-in motor making the e-bike go forward without having to exert as much effort. This pedal assist function also means that when the terrain gets hilly, the bike can take the hard part out of biking, making it so you don’t have to change how hard you’re pedaling.
New Tesla deals
After checking out the portable solar panel on sale above, if you keep read, you’ll find a selection of new green deals that will make your Tesla experience better in multiple areas. From storage to keep recordings on to phone mounts, car chargers, and anything else we can find, it’ll be listed below. Each day we’ll do our best to find new and exciting deals and ways for you to save on fun accessories for your Tesla, making each trip unique. For more gift ideas and deals, check out the best Tesla shop. Keep reading on for e-bike, Greenworks, and other great deals.
New e-bike deals + electric scooter discounts
You can use an e-bike or electric scooter for fun, exercise, or even transportation to and from work or the coffee shop. We have several people here that will regularly commute to coffee shops or offices on their e-bike, as it cuts down on fossil fuel usage as well as allows them to enjoy some time outdoors on nice sunny days. Below, you’ll find a wide selection of new e-bike deals and electric scooter deal in all price ranges, so give it a look if that’s something you’d be interested in picking up. As always, the newest e-bike deal and electric scooter discounts and sales will be at the top, so shop quick as the discounts are bound to go away soon.
Additional New Green Deals
After shopping the portable solar panel on sale above, be sure to check out the other discounts we found today. These new green deals are wide-ranging from outdoor lawn equipment to anything else we find that could save you money in various ways, be that cutting gas and oil out of your life or just enjoying other amenities that energy-saving gear can bring. As always, the newest deals will be at the top, so shop quick as the discounts are bound to go away soon.
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Environment
Rivian confirms new purple exterior color called ‘Borealis’ and is exploring interior scents
After nearly a year of speculation online, Rivian has confirmed it will begin offering a new purple exterior color, and we now have the name – Borealis. Inspired by its own community, Rivian’s latest color will be available for a limited time on select variants and arrives as part of a broader design initiative focused on sensory experiences.
Welp, Rivian is actually offering purple EVs.
We had a feeling that this news might be coming at some point, and the confirmation has been nearly a year in the making. Earlier in 2025, some Redditors in the Rivian community started posting images of what appeared to be a purple R1S Quad out in the wild.
We covered the news about 8 months later when fresh images once again emerged of the same truck and the same dealership plates. We could confirm there was at least one purple Rivian, still owned and operated by the American EV automaker, in existence.
What we could not confirm was whether the Grimace-mobile was a one-off or a hint at plans for a new exterior color option. At the time, representatives for Rivian said they could not comment on speculation, but also did not dismiss any indications that a new purple exterior could be in the works.
This morning, Rivian made its presence known at Collins Park during Art Week Miami Beach, where it has set up a multi-sensory exhibition that includes scent, touch, and, of course, the sight of the new Borealis purple exterior. Check it out.
Rivian to offer customers a purple exterior option
During Art Week Miami Beach 2025, which kicked off earlier this week, Rivian has unveiled an exhibition called “Rewilding the Future,” an “immersive exploration of the natural systems” that shape Rivian’s design process.
This multi-sensory exhibit will expose visitors to a range of experiences, including a tactile “touch” where they can create their own objects from recycled and upcycled materials. Rivian also shared that it is exploring scents and has developed one for the exhibit highlighted in The Scent of Terrain. Visitors can first deconstruct the unique scent by smelling the individual top, mid, and base notes in glass flasks before sniffing an oil that combines them all into one sensory experience. Liz Guerrero, Sr. Director of Marketing Experiences at Rivian, elaborated:
Scent is uniquely memorable and we want to get to a place where we have a scent that becomes synonymous with the Rivian brand, sparking that amazing recall that you almost don’t realize you have. This is the next step in the learning process, and we’re excited to see the response.
It is unclear whether there is a specific goal in mind for Rivian’s scent-tric “learning process,” but it could involve brand-specific aromas inside or outside its EVs. Perhaps that new car smell will be “Terrain,” or you will be able to buy some Rivian cologne next holiday season. Rivian has not confirmed any of this, although we did request more information on its plans to integrate scent into design (or not).
Last but not least, Rivian’s Miami exhibit is focused on sight – more specifically, the public debut of its new Borealis purple exterior color. Per Rivian:
This color is a dynamic, deep velvety purple that shifts with the light and captures the essence of the aurora borealis, nature’s most spectacular light show. The inspiration for Borealis came directly from our community. During a 2024 solar event, a group of Rivian owners shot photos of their vehicles glowing under the surreal, purple-washed sky and it captured our design team’s imagination. Borealis pays homage to the spirit of exploration that defines our owners and celebrates the unexpected beauty found in mother nature.
In addition to Borealis, Rivian also debuted a new 20″ All-Terrain Burnished Bronze wheel (pictured above), available exclusively on its new Quad-Motor R1 lineup. As for the purple, Rivian said it is available to customers now on Tri and Quad configurations, but only for a limited time.
The Borealis debut is just one of several color stories being told at the Rivian art exhibit, and those purple EVs will be joined by the automaker’s R1S Quad Miami Edition, which will be on display at Miami Rivian Spaces in Aventura and Brickell beginning today.
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Tesla has received a brutal reality check from Germany this week. The country’s closely watched TÜV Report 2026 has not only ranked the Tesla Model Y as the absolute worst car for reliability in its age group but noted that it has the highest defect rate of any vehicle tested in the last ten years.
It’s a tough look for the world’s best-selling car, though the details paint a more nuanced picture than just “the car is falling apart.”
The TÜV Association (Technischer Überwachungsverein) is the organization responsible for mandatory vehicle safety inspections in Germany. These aren’t just consumer surveys; they are rigorous mechanical exams that every car must pass to remain road-legal.
In its latest “TÜV Report 2026,” which analyzed 9.5 million vehicle inspections, the Tesla Model Y came in dead last among all cars in the 2-to-3-year-old category.
According to the data, 17.3% of Model Ys failed the inspection with “significant” or “dangerous” defects. For context, the average failure rate for this age group is roughly 6.5%. The Model Y didn’t just fail; it failed spectacularly, posting the worst score TÜV has seen in a decade.
The Model 3 didn’t fare much better, landing in the third-to-last spot with a 13.1% failure rate.
So, what is actually breaking?
According to the report, the main culprits are the same ones we’ve been hearing about for years: suspension components and brakes.
TÜV inspectors flagged frequent issues with axle suspension parts, such as the notorious control arm bushings that have plagued Tesla owners for a long time. They also found significant problems with brake discs. Because EVs use regenerative braking for most deceleration, the physical friction brakes rarely get used. In Germany’s wet climate, this leads to rust and corrosion on the discs, causing them to fail safety inspections even if they “work” mechanically.
Lighting defects were also a major contributor to the failure rate.
In stark contrast, other EVs performed exceptionally well. The Mini Cooper SE had a defect rate of just 3.5%, and the Audi Q4 e-tron sat at 4.0%, proving that this isn’t an “electric vehicle problem”—it’s a specific Tesla problem.
Electrek’s Take
We need to separate the signal from the noise here.
First, let’s address the brakes. Failing a safety inspection because of rusty brake discs is a known issue for all EVs, but it seems to hit Tesla harder. If that’s the case, we should look into why that’s happening.
While it’s technically a “defect” in the eyes of TUV as it doesn’t achieve the required safety standards, it doesn’t mean the car is unreliable in the sense that it will leave you stranded. That said, Tesla owners should be careful. I enjoyed one pedal driving more than anyone, but I do make an effort to use my brain regularly. You don’t want to have a problem with them when you actually need them.
The suspension issues are a different story.
We have been reporting on Tesla’s suspension problems for years. They have been NHTSA investigations about it and recalls. It is disappointing to see that even on 2-to-3-year-old Model Ys, these parts are still failing at an alarming rate. When nearly one in five cars is failing its first mandatory inspection, you can’t just wave that away as “FUD.”
The good news is that Tesla’s powertrain is solid and doesn’t contribute much to the poor reliability rate.
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