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John Deere has announced the signing of a strategic partnership with EGO and its parent company Chervon. Under the agreement, EGO’s lineup of over 70 battery-powered lawn care products will soon become available at John Deere dealers. This is wonderful news for consumers looking to abandon gas-dependent lawn work, but there is a tinge of capitulation in this deal we can’t overlook.

If you haven’t heard of John Deere, I’d wager you’re a visitor from another planet walking among the human race, or you grew up in Apple TV+’s Silo. Whether you or a childhood friend were raised around toy green tractors, or you’ve randomly had the slogan “nothing runs like a Deere” randomly pop into your head, there’s no denying the cultural influence of the green and yellow brand, especially for a company that builds mowers and backhoes.

Part of Deere & Company’s ($DE) global recognition comes from its impressive history. The company was founded in the great state of Illinois a head-spinning 186 years ago, where it remains headquartered today. In nearly two centuries in operations, John Deere has risen into the top 100 of Fortune 500 companies, but you don’t stay ahead by sitting still.

The company continues to innovate, introducing new technologies like autonomous tractors and has recently begun advertising a zero-turn electric mower (seen below). Although the veteran equipment manufacturer has made vows to introduce more electric products, it still sits like a Deere in the headlights of other companies like EGO, that are already selling dozens of all-electric lawn care products around the globe.

While John Deere slowly but surely(?) electrifies its smaller products, it has signed a partnership with EGO – a clear competitor, to help sell the latter’s products across its dealer network.

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John Deere selling EGO products is an interesting strategy

John Deere announced the new partnership with EGO earlier today, which will enable the sale of battery-electric products across the former’s network of dealers. The vice president of John Deere’s turf and compact utility business, David Thorne spoke to the new deal with EGO:

Simplifying the landscape management of properties is what drives us every day. We seek to provide our customers with a broad range of tools, which will now include a battery ecosystem that can be extended into a variety of property care solutions. Partnering with a leading electric solutions brand, like EGO, to provide top-quality battery-powered equipment will propel both John Deere and Chervon into a stronger market position to serve our evolving customers

Having expanded availability is a huge win for consumers and for the environment, as we’d like to hope more Deere customers go electric – at least with smaller equipment like mowers, weed whackers, etc. That being said, this is an interesting business decision by John Deere who keeps saying it’s developing its own electric products. Very few have yet to reach the market, however.

EGO, on the other hand, is already selling tons of products in over 100 countries and is arguably the number-one rated brand it battery-powered outdoor equipment – a title you’d think a name like John Deere would be working around the clock to snag.

According to a spokesperson for John Deere, EGO’s products will become available across its dealer network in the US and Canada beginning this fall. The company are also discussing the possibility of developing future equipment together. Until then, keep an eye out for EGO products at your local John Deere dealer.

Electrek’s Take

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em… or help ’em sell ’em?

By signing this partnership, I’d argue that John Deere is admitting it’s behind on electrification. It may very well be working tirelessly behind the scenes to get there, but it’s clearly not where it wants to be. Hence why the company just agreed to sell the products of a major competitor, arguably the best in the segment right now and most certainly the most popular.

My family uses a bunch of EGO products and they’re fantastic, in addition to being emissions-free. There’s no going back after them and I’m sure plenty of other people feel the same way. So what happens when someone goes to John Deere for a zero turn mower and picks the EGO version because it’s already available and highly rated? Do they abandon the Deere brand? Unlikely, but possible.

Also, back to the mowers, is John Deere going to try to sell its upcoming electric zero-turn mower alongside EGO’s? The fact that EGO has three different versions that are all already on the market shows how far ahead of John Deere the company already is in terms of electrification.

As I said before, this news is worth noting because it’s a win for electrification and alluring more consumers to give it a try. It’s also a win for EGO, which gains access to a huge, respected network in the industry. I guess it’s a win for John Deere in the sense that it will get some portion of sales made through its network, but I’m sure it would rather be taking 100% of those sales from loyal customers buying its own electric products. I could see John Deere eventually trying to flat out buy EGO too.

Better get moving guys, before the kids start riding around the yard on a toy mower from EGO instead of John Deere.

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Tesla’s Robotaxis are officially powered by human drivers as it launches ride-hailing in Bay Area

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Tesla's Robotaxis are officially powered by human drivers as it launches ride-hailing in Bay Area

Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ is now blatantly operated by human drivers as the automaker launches a ride-hailing service in the Bay Area through its ‘Robotaxi’ app.

When Tesla launched its ‘Robotaxi’ service in Austin, we noted how it was just for optics and the fact that it still uses “safety monitor” in the front passenger seats makes it a “supervised” system and therefore, not a level 4 autonomous driving system.

It’s basically Tesla’s consumer ‘Supervised Full Self-Driving’ (FSD), but with the supervisor moved from the driver’s seat to the front passenger seat.

The reason Tesla was able to do that is that Texas law allows it, and it looks better for them than having a driver in the driver’s seat. Instead, the “safety monitor” has access to a kill switch that can stop the car, something Tesla is not publicizing.

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Over the last few weeks, Tesla has been teasing the expansion of its Robotaxi in California despite not having secured any of the permits required for an automated driving system in the state.

Now, Tesla has expanded its service area in the “Robotaxi” app to the Bay Area, but even though it’s in the “Robotaxi” app, it is only calling it a “ride-hailing service” because there’s a driver in the driver’s seat of each car:

Tesla fans have applauded the automaker for covering such a large part of the Bay Area, bigger than Waymo’s coverage of the region, but to be clear, Tesla’s service right now is not comparable to Waymo’s in the Bay Area. It’s only equivalent to Uber.

In fact, it’s the exact same service as an Uber driver who owns a Tesla with Supervised FSD in the Bay Area.

Politico reported that Tesla still hasn’t applied for any of the required permits to operate autonomous vehicles in California, despite CEO Elon Musk claiming just last week that Tesla was waiting for regulators.

Documents from the California DMV and Public Utilities Commission revealed that the state agencies were concerned by comments from Tesla employees regarding the automaker’s imminent launch of its Robotaxi service in the state, despite not having obtained any authorization.

Tesla’s regulatory counsel quickly intervened to explain to the state that there’s no such plan and Tesla only plans to launch a ride-hailing service for “employees, friends and family, and select members of the public”, which is apparently what was launched today.

The automaker is not looking for “vehicle operators” in 9 other US cities to launch the same ride-hailing service, which it operates under its ‘Robotaxi’ app.

Electrek’s Take

This is so blatantly misleading. Tesla is trying to make the public think it is a leader in autonomous driving by launching its ‘Robotaxi’ service in cities while being powered by human drivers.

It’s FSD in consumer vehicles. That’s all it is, and we know that it gets about 500 miles between critical disengagement, based on the best crowdsourced data.

By not applying for an autonomous driving permit, Tesla is making sure that it doesn’t have to report any data to the state.

Why doesn’t Tesla want to do that? The only thing that makes sense is that it is not ready for it, and the data wouldn’t look good.

This is all for show because Waymo is starting to rapidly expand and making Elon Musk look bad after he has been claiming for years that Tesla is the leader in autonomous driving with no close second.

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Hyundai and Kia just got some relief from US tariffs, but billions are still at stake

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Hyundai and Kia just got some relief from US tariffs, but billions are still at stake

Hyundai said the new trade agreement was a “historic achievement” between the US and South Korea. Although Hyundai Motor, including Kia and Genesis, is getting some relief with lower US tariffs, it’s still expected to face billions in extra costs this year.

Hyundai and Kia score US tariff relief

After threatening tariffs as high as 25% on imported vehicles from South Korea, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US will instead enact a 15% tariff.

Hyundai’s executive chairman, Chung Euisun, who was in Washington for the final negotiations, called the agreement a “historic win.” The tariff rate is the same 15% on imports from Japan, putting Hyundai and Kia on a level playing field.

Although it’s better than 25%, the added tariffs are expected to cost Hyundai an additional $5 billion this year. The lower rate will still save Hyundai over $3 billion in costs, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Joanna Chen.

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Even before the $7,500 IRA tax credit for electric vehicles and other Biden-era policies were enacted, Hyundai was planning to grow its market share in the US, its largest market.

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Hyundai Motor America CEO Jose Munoz with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp at Hyundai Day (Source: Hyundai)

The Korean auto giant invested $7.6 billion to build its new EV manufacturing plant in Georgia, directly creating 8,500 jobs.

Hyundai and SK On’s $5 billion battery plant in the state will employ an additional 3,500 workers. It’s the largest economic project in state history.

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Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America grand opening (Source: Hyundai)

According to a study by the Center for Automotive Research, Hyundai’s new EV plant will help create over 58,200 new jobs in the area.

Earlier this year, Hyundai announced a record $21 billion investment to expand production in the US over the next three years. The investment will directly create around 14,000 jobs while ramping up the output of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles in the US. By 2028, Hyundai expects to generate over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the US.

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2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai Motor, including Kia and Genesis, saw its market share in the US rise to about 11% in the first half of 2025, up from 10.5% the previous year.

Since Hyundai builds the new IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9, its first three-row SUV in Georgia, both still qualify for the $7,500 tax credit. However, that’s set to expire at the end of September.

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2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)

After cutting lease prices again, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is now one of the most affordable EVs on the market, starting at just $179 per month.

The 2026 IONIQ 9 (check out our review of it) is available with leases starting at just $419 per month. To ease the transition, Hyundai is including a complimentary ChargePoint L2 home charger with the purchase or lease of any new 2025 IONIQ 5 or 2026 IONIQ 9.

Looking to test one out for yourself? You can use the links below to find 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and 2026 IONIQ 9 models in your area.

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Zero begins deliveries of its new low-cost electric motorcycles

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Zero begins deliveries of its new low-cost electric motorcycles

After kicking off production last month, Zero Motorcycles has now officially begun deliveries of its highly anticipated X Line models. The first wave of customers is taking delivery of their new Zero XE and Zero XB electric motorcycles, marking a major milestone for the company’s push into more affordable off-road and adventure EVs.

“The delivery of the first X Line bikes is a major milestone for Zero and for the future of off-road EV performance,” said Zero CEO Sam Paschel. “It’s the start of a new chapter in how adventure riding is experienced. With the XB and XE, we’re making electric motorcycles more accessible and approachable for riders everywhere.”

Zero first unveiled the X Line late last year, announcing the two-bike lineup aimed at adventure and trail riders. The XE and XB models were designed to be affordable new platforms, not just budget versions of Zero’s existing on-road bikes.

Both bikes are designed to be street-legal in Europe, but are intended only for off-road riding in the US.

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The two models were developed alongside Zero’s Chinese partner Zongshen to offer an approachable gateway to electric two-wheeled adventure, with lightweight frames, swappable battery packs, and plenty of power for getting off the beaten path. They’re also the most affordable models Zero has ever produced: the smaller Zero XB starts at just $4,395 in the U.S., while the larger, more powerful Zero XE comes in at $6,495.

At those price points, the X Line represents a big shift for Zero, which has historically focused on premium electric motorcycles priced well into five-figure territory.

Deliveries began this week and will continue to roll out over the coming months. Buyers who place new reservations starting today can expect deliveries to begin in Fall 2025, according to the company.

The X Line is a strategic move for Zero as it looks to expand its rider base beyond urban commuters and high-end sport bike enthusiasts. With more riders, especially younger and off-road focused customers, showing interest in electric motorcycles, the XE and XB could be just the right mix of capability and price to bring new blood into the EV moto world.

Electrek’s Take

This is a big moment for Zero. After more than a decade building high-performance electric motorcycles for the street, the company is finally breaking into the more affordable end of the market, and doing it with purpose-built off-road machines, not watered-down street bikes.

The fact that the XB starts at under $4,500 is kind of wild, especially considering Zero’s bikes have historically hovered around the $15K mark. Sure, these aren’t full-size dual-sport monsters, but they’re not toys either. And yes, there are questions about how much of these bikes are actually Zero, and how much are basically Sur Rons built by Zongshen. But with decent range, real off-road chops, and swappable batteries, if these bikes can deliver a quality ride then it might not really matter. The new models have the potential to carve out a whole new corner of the market for Zero, one that’s long been dominated by DIY conversions or budget Asian imports.

If Zero can ramp up deliveries smoothly and keep the quality high, the X Line might be the company’s most important launch yet. And judging by the response so far, there’s real demand for affordable, capable electric trail bikes. Now they just need to homologate them for the US market.

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