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We’re under a month from the official start of summer, and that means you’re likely starting to plan those warm-weather camping trips. Be sure to have ALLPOWERS’ 60W foldable solar panel in your camping bag, as it not only provides power to connected 12V DC batteries, but also has two built-in 2.4A USB-A ports to charge your phone or speaker too. Right now, the portable solar panel is on sale for $70, which is a 30% discount from its normal $100 price and also marks a new low that we’ve tracked. 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.

Get ready for summer camping trips

The official ALLPOWERS Amazon storefront is offering its 60W Foldable Portable Solar Panel for $69.99 shipped once you clip the on-page coupon. Today’s deal comes in at 30% below the $100 normal going rate and also marks a new all-time low that we’ve tracked here. Ready to help power your campsite, this portable solar panel outputs up to 60W of 12V electricity to connected DC batteries, but it also has two USB ports. Each port is capable of delivering 2.4A to connected devices which means you can use the solar panel to charge a phone, tablet, or portable Bluetooth speaker while completely off-grid.

When not being used, the solar panel folds up and is quite compact at 21 by 14 by 0.8 inches and weighs just 4.5 pounds. That makes ALLPOWERS’ solar panel super easy to bring to any campsite or to keep in an emergency kit. Whenever you need it, the solar panel simply unfolds and leverages the power of the sun to recharge devices or portable batteries. Plus, it’s IP66 waterproof so you can leave it out in the rain and not worry about the panel getting damaged.

Anker’s PowerHouse power stations hit best prices of the year from $187 (Reg. $250+)

Anker’s official Amazon storefront is now discounting a pair of its popular portable power stations. Headlining the savings this time around, the PowerHouse 256Wh is now down to $186.99 shipped. Normally fetching $250, you’re looking at a match of the 2023 low at 25% off. This is the first discount we’ve seen in over 2 months since our previous mention back in March, and is the lowest we’ve seen since last fall. Packing all of Anker’s usual portable power station perks into a redesigned package, this more recent offering arrives with an internal 256Wh battery. That pairs with a multitude of ports for refueling your everyday carry like two AC outlets, a 60W USB-C PD port, dual USB-A slots, and a car socket, all of which share 200W of power between them. An integrated LED light on the front and carrying handle make it an even better companion for camping, or just having on-hand for power outages at home.

Those who need an even more capable centerpiece to their campsite or tailgate will also find that Amazon is marking down Anker’s 757 PowerHouse 1229Wh at $949.99 after the on-page coupon has been clipped. Originally selling for $1,400, this model has more regularly been selling for $1,100 as of late. Today’s offer now enters with $150 in savings attached to beat our previous mention by $30 and deliver the best price of the year.

Delivering one of its most capable portable power station yet, this 757 model just launched earlier in the spring with the ability to dish out 1,500W of power over an array of ports for keeping all of the gear at the campsite, tailgate, or just around the house in a power outage. Alongside six AC outlets, there’s also a pair of 100W USB-C ports, four USB-A slots, and a typical car jack to complement the onboard display. We breakdown the experience a bit further in our launch coverage.

Schwinn’s Kettle Valley e-bike is made for warm weather riding

Amazon is offering the Schwinn Kettle Valley E-bike on sale for $1,265.72 shipped. Coming in at $434 off the normal going rate, today’s deal saves a total of 26% and makes opting for a e-bike this summer a slightly more cost-effective solution. This e-bike is perfect for taking to work or the park this spring or summer. It has 28-inch wheels and is made for riders that are 64 to 74 inches tall. There’s a 250W pedal-assist hub drive motor which gives you an extra boost whenever needed.

The motor in Schwinn’s e-bike is driven by the 375W battery which is rated to last up to 45 miles and easily be recharged with a standard 110V household outlet. There’s a 7-speed twist Shimano shifter which gives smooth gear changes and the mechanical disc brakes are an upgrade from the standard wheel hub pads that you often see on bikes. There’s also a low step-through frame which makes it easy to get on and off. Plus, being battery-powered means there’s zero oil or gas required to function here making this a green alternative mode of transportation while the sun’s out this spring and summer.

new green tesla deals

New Tesla deals

After checking out the ALLPOWERS 60W 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

If you’re looking to get out and enjoy the sunshine still after using your new electric mower, than we recommend you experience it than on another e-bike or electric scooter you just got at a fantastic price through one of our deals and sale below. You can use it 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 ALLPOWERS 60W 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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5 ways I use my Chinese electric mini-excavator that I didn’t expect

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5 ways I use my Chinese electric mini-excavator that I didn’t expect

When I first got my hands on a Chinese electric mini-excavator, I thought it would be a fun little machine for digging a few holes and moving some dirt around. What I didn’t expect was just how useful and versatile it would become – and how often I’d reach for it for jobs that I never initially planned on tackling with a compact electric digger.

As I’ve watched all the fun reporting on new electric excavators, I’ve looked on in envy at what the current state of the art is… if you’ve got a quarter million bucks burning a hole in your hefty pocket. They are amazing machines, but I feel like the kid sitting outside of the sandbox and looking in, never able to play with the toys myself. But as it turns out, as long as you don’t need a massive machine, a mini-electric excavator wound up offering me many of the same benefits.

These battery-powered machines are cleaner, quieter, and cheaper to run than their diesel counterparts, which is great. That’s exactly why I started with NESHER in the first place. But what really surprised me was how many odd jobs around my parents’ acreage my little NX2500 excavator managed to take over. Here are five unexpected ways I’ve been using my Chinese electric mini-excavator.

1. Trench digging for irrigation

This was actually one of the first “off-script” jobs I tackled. My parents needed to run some irrigation lines through their property for a new garden setup, and while I originally planned to help my dad out the old-fashioned way (with a trenching shovel and a lot of sweat), I had my first mini-excavator delivered only a month ahead of time, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

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I figured, “Why not?” and before I knew it, I was carving clean, even trenches in a fraction of the time. What would’ve taken an entire weekend by hand was done in about an hour or two, and with zero back pain. It’s a perfect example of how machines like this can turn exhausting, sweaty work into something you actually enjoy.

That picture was taken only part way through… that trench kept going to more planters further out!

Ever since I hurt my back a few years ago, a part of my rude welcome to how the mid-30s feels quite different from the mid-20s, I’ve been a little more aware of the kind of stress I put on my body. While I’m still quick to grab a shovel when I need one, the thought of hand trenching all day with a shovel versus an hour in the operator’s chair was a no-brainer.

2. Tree planting made way easier

Planting one tree is no big deal. Planting 10? Or 20? That’s starting to become a project. Planting 50? That’s a whole day with a shovel – or just a couple of hours with the mini-excavator.

The machine makes short work of digging perfect-sized holes, whether you’re dropping in fruit trees, palms, or trying to reforest a bare section of land.

Digging a hole and dropping the spoils on the sled

In the beginning, there was some trial and error, but I’ve learned that you can fine-tune your technique to get the hole shape just right, so the trees don’t settle awkwardly or too deeply. It’s still manual labor in a sense, since those joysticks don’t work themselves, but it’s a lot less manual than working the shovel all day!

I also found that I can use a simple yard sled to load the spoils onto, then use the UTV to drag it away to the spoil pile elsewhere on the property. If you don’t have a dump truck or mini-truck around, a yard sled is a cool little way to move heavy things easily by dragging them around.

3. Mulch moving machine

I hadn’t originally planned on using the excavator for this one, but I had a big pile of mulch that needed to get loaded into the back of my mini-truck to bring over to a planting area. Instead of shoveling it by hand or using buckets, I figured I’d see how the excavator would handle scooping and dropping. And it worked beautifully.

Is it a perfect loader bucket? Not really. But it does save a lot of time and effort compared to doing it by hand. For loose materials like mulch, compost, or even sandy soil, it’s a no-brainer.

Wild that all three of these machines are electric! We’re living in the future…

I still generally prefer to go with one of my loaders for bulk material like this, but in a pinch, the excavator can move 4-5x the amount I can per shovelfull, and each pass is a heck of a lot less exhausting on me!

4. Grading around trees for a shipping container pad

Here’s one I definitely didn’t expect to work so well. I had an area near some trees where I wanted to drop a shipping container. The ground was a mess – uneven, root-covered, and just generally not flat enough for the container to sit level.

I figured I’d give the excavator a shot at scraping and grading the area flat, and with a little finesse, it worked surprisingly well. It took some careful passes, and I wouldn’t call it laser-level precision, but it was more than good enough to get the container settled evenly and safely.

I’ve since put a second container next to it and built a roof structure between them, so now I have a 40×10-foot (12×3-meter) covered parking area between two shipping containers. I’d say it worked quite well!

5. Hoisting and lifting logs (and other heavy stuff)

Now this one’s a bit outside the box – and outside the manual. These machines aren’t really designed for lifting heavy objects the way a larger excavator or crane is, but they’re surprisingly capable if you’re smart about it.

I’ve hoisted several hundred pounds with mine, like awkward loads or cut log sections. A lifting strap slung over the bucket makes it easy to mount weird-shaped things, and you just have to be careful about swinging around too quickly.

I added a manual thumb attachment, and that proved to be a real game-changer. I can now pick up logs and branches, spin them around, and drop them into the bed of the mini-truck like a tiny mobile crane. Again, one or two logs are easy enough to toss by hand. But when a tree or two comes down after a storm and there are 20 or 30 logs, my back is going to thank me for not trying to toss each one by hand.

Final thoughts

It’s easy to write off these Chinese electric mini-excavators as toys or underpowered knock-offs. But after putting on real-world use for everything from planting trees to loading mulch and lifting logs, I can say they’ve proven themselves. No, they won’t replace a full-size backhoe or dozer, but they’re not trying to. These things are for the small jobs – the ones that wear you out if you try to do them by hand and don’t justify calling in a pro crew. They’re for the homesteaders, not the contractors.

Add in the fact that they’re electric – so you can run them in a garage or barn without worrying about fumes –and you’ve got a pretty compelling machine for landowners, landscapers, hobby farmers, or anyone who wants a quiet, capable, compact helper.

They aren’t without their downsides. Run times are only between 4-6 hours, and the roughly 1 mph (0.6 km/h) walking speed is excruciatingly slow when you need to travel to the farther flung areas of the property. But at least they’re relatively quiet and vibration-free, not to mention emission-free, for that long traverse!

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Slate poaches key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck

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Slate poaches key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck

Slate Auto, a new EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has poached a key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck factory in Indiana.

Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who got a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue after leaving the force.

He then worked a few years at Subaru and Wabash before joining Tesla’s manufacturing team at the Fremont Factory in 2020.

There, he became part of the Model Y production ramp and was quickly promoted to lead the Model Y General Assembly in Fremont in 2022.

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Reyes led Model Y GA, one of the most critical parts of vehicle manufacturing, for more than a year before being promoted again to lead new pilot processes at the factory.

Most recently, he led the launch of the general assembly line for the Model Y refresh.

The new engineering manager announced this week that he is leaving Tesla to join Slate:

A bit late on the post but after nearly 5 years working at Tesla in Fremont, I made the difficult decision to leave the Company and move closer to home with my family. It was an incredible experience being part of multiple line expansions and multiple Model Y program launches. Leading and managing the Model Y Refresh launch for GA in Fremont this year tested me professionally however we ultimately succeeded due to our amazing cross functional team collaboration. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such great people, and I will forever be proud and thankful for everything we accomplished together.

I will be taking on a new role as Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering at Slate Auto in Warsaw, In.

Slate emerged from stealth mode earlier this year to unveil a new type of electric pickup truck featuring modular customization and an affordable price.

The company raised over $700 million through two rounds of investments from several different investors, including Jeff Bezos. It is currently raising more, which basically guarantees that it will be able to reach production.

The startup acquired a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. It is currently converting to manufacture its electric pickup with a team from legacy automakers and also several former engineers and leaders from Tesla.

Rich Schmidt, an early Tesla manufacturing director, is the head of manufacturing.

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Genesis GV90 coach door system revealed in new patent

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Genesis GV90 coach door system revealed in new patent

Genesis is preparing to shake things up with its most luxurious SUV yet, the GV90. Thanks to a new patent filing, we are getting a detailed look at how its Rolls-Royce-style coach doors will work.

New patent reveals Genesis GV90 coach door system

When Genesis first unveiled the full-size SUV at the NY Auto Show last March, it wasn’t the stunning design or advanced tech that caught everyone’s attention. It was the coach doors.

Although we were worried it wouldn’t make it to the production model, like many concepts, the Genesis GV90 will be offered with coach doors.

The ultra-luxe electric SUV was first caught with coach doors earlier this year on a car carrier in South Korea. Just last month, the GV90 was spotted in California with a hinge at the rear to open the coach doors.

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After several new patents were filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for new door latching devices, we are getting a sneak peek at how they are expected to work.

The patents, titled “Cinching Device For Door Latches in Vehicle,” and “Door Latch Device for Vehicles,” give a pretty detailed explanation of how the Genesis GV90’s coach doors will operate. The “Door Latch Device” uses a door striker on the lower side of the door, which is opened or closed by a hinge unit.

Unlike traditional doors, which use the B-pillar for support, the device is attached directly to the door itself, allowing for hinge-like movement.

The cinching device works in a similar way. It’s also attached to the door and part of the vehicle. However, unlike most of its kind, Genesis found a way to use a single cinching device to control multiple units. Again, the device is used for B-pillarless doors that swing open.

Genesis already said that B-pillarless coach doors are now feasible in production vehicles. The patent reveals a glimpse into how the luxury automaker could make it a reality.

Genesis-GV90-coach-doors
Genesis Neolun ultra-luxury electric SUV concept (Source: Genesis)

Although the Genesis GV90 is expected to be offered with coach doors, they will likely not be standard. Other variants, with traditional door handles, have also been spotted testing in the US and South Korea.

Genesis is expected to launch the GV90 in mid-2026. It will be built at Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea. The flagship Genesis SUV is scheduled to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which the company said will “provide 50% improvement in driving range.” It will also be loaded with the latest technology, software, connectivity, and Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capabilities.

Source: USPTO

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