This electric and solar-powered FLEX Rover is hitching a ride with SpaceX to study the moon
With its solar-powered electric Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) Rover, Venturi Astrolab is on a mission to move humanity forward by designing and building interplanetary vehicles designed to transport people and cargo. Venturi announced Friday that its FLEX Rover will be launched on an upcoming SpaceX mission as the largest and most capable rover to travel the moon.
A new solar-powered electric FLEX rover will study the moon
Venturi Astrolab was established in 2021 and includes a team of highly specialized former NASA, SpaceX, and JPL engineers with experience in planetary robotics, electric vehicles, spaceflight, and more.
The Venturi Astrolab is part of the Venturi Group, which has specialized in designing and building high-performance electric vehicles since 2000.
Venturi Group President Gildo Pastor envisioned the electric lunar rover program in 2019, creating Venturi Lab shortly after. The three companies (Venturi Group, Venturi Astrolab, and Venturi Lab) are collaborating on the FLEX rover initiative.
Venturi Group will bring its expertise in building high-performance batteries. Venturi Labs creates materials resistant to extreme temperatures and radiation, as well as high-performance solar panels, deformable wheels, and electronic control systems.
Meanwhile, Venturi Astrolab is designing the electric rover’s architecture, structure, and mechanisms, alongside developing its software and avionics, and assembly.
The Flex electric Rover features a deployable 3m² solar array that can stow away during high-intensity operations. The vehicle’s four-wheel crab-walk feature allows it to keep the solar panels facing the sun while driving while the energy is stored in the FLEX’s internal batteries.
Astrolab revealed Friday it has reached an agreement with SpaceX to transport the FLEX rover on an upcoming mission to the moon as soon as mid-2026.
Once landed, the FLEX rover will be the largest and most capable rover to touch down and travel on the moon.
More than a rover, FLEX is a logistics system
Jared Mathews, founder and CEO of Astrolab, says the team has “created much more than a rover for use on the Moon or Mars.” He explains:
We’ve created a logistics system that can accommodate a wide variety of cargo. We expect that this approach will help establish a permanent lunar outpost on the Moon at a lower cost and in less time than previously envisioned.
The FLEX rover includes a highly dexterous six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and remote science mast to pick up and examine objects. With the remote science masts stereo cameras, the rover can see the field in 3D.
In addition, a suite of sensors allows the FLEX can operate semiautonomously, allowing it to self-align with and pick up payloads.
SpaceX’s senior VP of commercial business added:
Developing sustainable outposts will require lunar logistics and transportation on the surface of the Moon, like what Astrolab offers. We look forward to working with the Astrolab team to deliver their FLEX Rover to the surface of the Moon.
Testing of the electric Flex Rover is ongoing, with the team testing a full-scale, fully functional prototype in the California desert last year. Astrolab says testing has continued in lunar analog sites and will continue throughout this year as it prepares for liftoff.
SpaceX will use the starship launch and landing system for the mission “as soon as mid-2026,” which it could get its launch license for within the next two weeks for. Learn more about SpaceX’s Starship launch here.
More details about the FLEX rover electric powertrain, battery system, and solar panels are expected soon. Check back for details.
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Compton, California, has unveiled 25 new electric school buses – the school district’s first – and 25 Tellus 180 kW DC fast chargers.
Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in southern Los Angeles County is putting 17 Thomas Built Type A and eight Thomas Built Type C electric school buses on the road this spring. In addition to working with Thomas Built, CUSD also collaborated with electrification-as-a-service provider Highland Electric Fleet, utility Southern California Edison, and school transportation provider Durham School Services.
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program awarded funds for the vehicles in the program’s first round. EPA also awarded CUSD funds for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.
“I can’t stress enough how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO of Durham School Services.
CUSD, which serves Compton and parts of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles, currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites. The district has a high school graduation rate of 93% and an 88% college acceptance rate. One in 11 children in Los Angeles County have asthma, which makes the need for emissions-free school transportation that much more pressing.
Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus
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After cutting lease prices by $200 this month, the Rivian R1S is now surprisingly affordable. It may even be a better deal than the new Tesla Model Y.
Rivian cuts R1S lease prices by $200 per month
Rivian’s R1S is one of the hottest electric SUVs on the market. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’re missing out.
With some of the best deals to date, now may be the time. Rivian lowered R1S lease prices earlier this month to just $599 for 36 months, with $8,493 due at signing (30,000 miles). The offer is for the new 2025 R1S Adventure Dual Standard, which starts at $75,900.
Before the price cut, the R1S was listed at $799 per month, with $8,694 due at signing. The electric SUV now has the same lease price as the R1T, despite costing $6,000 more.
The 2025 R1T Dual Motor starts at $69,900, essentially making it a free $6,000 upgrade. At that price, you may even want to consider it over the new Tesla Model Y.
Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series arrived with lease prices of $699 for 36 months. With $4,393 due at signing, the effective rate is $821 per month, or just $13 less than the R1S at $834. However, the 2025 R1S costs nearly $15,000 more, with the Model Y Launch Series price at $59,990.
Rivian is also offering an “All-Electric Upgrade Offer” of up to $6,000 for those looking to trade-in their gas-powered car, but base models are not included.
| Starting Price | Range (EPA-est.) |
|
| 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard | $75,900 | 270 miles |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Launch Series | $59,990 | 327 miles |
To take advantage of the Rivian R1S lease deal, you must order it before March 15 and take delivery on or before March 31, 2025.
The 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard Motor has an EPA-estimated range of up to 270 miles. Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series gets up to 327 miles.
Which electric SUV would you choose? Rivian’s R1S or the new Tesla Model Y? If you’re ready to check them out for yourself, you can use our links below to find deals on the Rivian R1S and Tesla Model Y in your area.
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Tesla says it can deliver new orders for the refreshed Model Y within two weeks in China. Is the automaker already experiencing a demand problem with the new Model Y?
Last month, Tesla launched the new Model Y in China. The vehicle features an updated design and new features that bring it closer to the recently refreshed Model 3.
Tesla has now started delivering the Long Range AWD updated Model Y in China this week.
But along with the start of deliveries, Tesla also opened orders for the non-Launch edition and the Standard Range RWD:
There were rumors coming from China that Tesla managed to get hundreds of thousands of orders for the new Model Y, which is not impossible since it would be just a few months of production for the best-selling EVs, but now Tesla’s updated configurator raised questions about these rumors.
Tesla says it can deliver a new Model Y RWD order placed today in “2 to 4 weeks” in China.
The Long Range AWD Model Y takes a bit longer at “6-10 weeks” for new orders.
Based on insurance data, Tesla’s deliveries in 2025 are currently down about 7,000 units compared to the same period last year.
Electrek’s Take
There’s no doubt that the Model Y changeover is going to hurt Tesla in Q1. The question is, by how much?
I am surprised to see that you can place an order right now and get on in just 2-4 weeks. It does point to soft demand for the RWD version, at least.
It’s going to be interesting to track deliveries through March. Tesla will need to deliver over 50,000 vehicles next month to arrive at similar levels as it did last year.
It looks like the production ramp is going well, so demand might be the bigger factor.
As for the Model 3, Tesla is already pulling all the demand levers in order for the sedan to contribute, but everything points to the new Model Y being the different maker.
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