Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, the largest in decades.
Gunman infiltrated areas of southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring: “We are at war.”
Dozens of people have reportedly been killed with hostages taken back to the Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities have been hit by rocket attacks, while Israel has responded with air strikes.
Vehicles on fire as rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel
An aerial view shows vehicles on fire as rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel October 7, 2023.
Ilan Rosenberg | Reuters
Palestinian militants ride an Israeli military vehicle
Palestinian militants ride an Israeli military vehicle that was seized by gunmen who infiltrated areas of southern Israel, in the northern Gaza Strip October 7, 2023.
Ahmed Zakot | Reuters
Members of the Israeli forces take cover on the side of a street in Ashkelon
Members of the Israeli frorces take cover on the side of a street in Ashkelon as sirens wail while barrages of rockets are fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, 2023.
Ahmad Gharabli | Afp | Getty Images
Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, hold a Palestinian flag
Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades hold a Palestinian flag as they destroy a tank of Israeli forces in Gaza City, Gaza on October 07, 2023.
Hani Alshaer | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with the security cabinet
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (3rd L) holds a meeting with security cabinet in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 07, 2023.
Haim Zach | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Rockets are fired from Gaza City towards Israel
Rockets are fired from Gaza City towards Israel on October 7, 2023.
Mohammed Abed | AFP | Getty Images
A building is ablaze following rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel
A building is ablaze following rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 7, 2023.
Itai Ron | Reuters
A wounded soldier arriving at the emergency entrance to the Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv
A woman holds the hand of a wounded soldier arriving at the emergency entrance to the Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv following a Hamas incursion into Israeli settlements around the Gaza strip.
Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Journalists take cover as Israeli soldiers clash with Palestinian fighters near the Gevim Kibbutz
Journalists take cover behind cars as Israeli soldiers take position during clashes with Palestinian fighters near the Gevim Kibbutz, close to the border with Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Oren Ziv | Afp | Getty Images
Palestinians celebrate as they ride on an Israeli military vehicle
Palestinians celebrate as they ride on an Israeli military vehicle that was seized by Palestinian gunmen who infiltrated areas of southern Israel, in the southern Gaza Strip October 7, 2023.
Staff | Reuters
Israeli soldiers work to secure residential areas
Israeli soldiers work to secure residential areas following a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Ammar Awad | Reuters
Palestinian militants move toward the border fence with Israel
Palestinian militants move towards the border fence with Israel from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
Said Khatib | Afp | Getty Images
Palestinians inspect an ambulance hit by an Israeli strike
Palestinians inspect an ambulance hit by an Israeli strike, after Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack against Israel, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 7, 2023.
Ibraheem Abu Mustafa | Reuters
Rocket barrages launched toward Israel from Gaza
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 7, 2023.
Mohammed Salem | Reuters
Rockets are fired from Gaza toward Israel
A rocket is fired from Gaza toward Israel, in Gaza, October 7, 2023.
Ibraheem Abu Mustafa | Reuters
Smoke and flames billow after Israeli forces struck a high-rise tower in Gaza City
Smoke and flames billow after Israeli forces struck a high-rise tower in Gaza City, October 7, 2023.
Mohammed Salem | Reuters
Search and rescue efforts continue among rubbles of destroyed buildings after Israeli attacks in Gaza City,
Search and rescue efforts continue among rubbles of destroyed buildings after Israeli attacks in Gaza City, Gaza on October 07, 2023.
Mustafa Hassona | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A man carries a crying child in front of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City
A man carries a crying child as he walks in front of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on October 7, 2023.
Fleet electrification expert Tony Nisam took to LinkedIn yesterday to post a deal that he ran across at a Washington State Costco that stacks a $25,500 manufacturer rebate with $3,000 in “regular” Costco Member Savings, $2,750 in “LIMITED-TIME” Manufacturer to Member Incentives, plus an additional $250 for Costco Executive members.
Do a bit of math (add up 25,500 + 3,000 + $2,750 + 250), and you’ll calculate an almost unheard of $31,500 discount on one of the best, most capable commercial vans on the market – ICE or electric. And that’s before you factor in the 0% interest financing (72 mo.) being advertised at Blade Chevrolet, the Mount Vernon, Washington, where VIN 2G58J2TY6S9104313 (the exact van shown, below) is shown as stock number 16757.
If you’re not a Costco member yet and you’re looking for a new truck for your business or even a unique #vanlife ride with zero emissions, modern tech, and a nationwide dealer network, GM makes that $130 Executive membership seem like a no-brainer.
Is a $39,000 price cut enough to get you to take a look at a new Brightdrop? At $45,235 (from a starting price of $84,235), can you afford not to? Head down to the comments and let us know.
Tesla has quietly removed the Cybertruck’s range extender from the options in its online configurator.
Does Tesla still plan to bring the product to market?
When Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck in late 2023, there were two main disappointments: the price and the range.
The tri-motor version, which was the most popular in reservation tallies, was supposed to have over 500 miles of range and start at $70,000.
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Tesla now sells the tri-motor Cybertruck for $100,000 and only has a range of 320 miles.
As for the dual-motor Cybertruck, it was supposed to cost $50,000 and have over 300 miles of range. The reality is that it starts at $80,000, and it has 325 miles of range.
However, Tesla had devised a solution to bring the range closer to what it originally announced: a separate battery pack that sits in the truck’s bed. Tesla called it a “range extender.” It costs $16,000 and takes up a third of the Cybertruck’s bed.
Even though the Cybertruck has been in production for a year and a half at this point, the range extender has yet to launch.
At the time, Tesla also reduced the range that the removable battery pack adds to the Cybertruck to “445+ miles” rather than “470+ miles” for the dual motor – a ~25-mile reduction in range.
Now, Tesla has removed the option from its online Cybertruck configurator. It used to take reservations for the range extender with a “$2,000 non-refundable deposit”, as seen on the image above, but now it’s not in the configurator at all at the time of writing.
It’s unclear if Tesla is not planning to launch the product anymore or if it is just pausing reservations.
In its specs page, Tesla still lists the achievable range of both versions of the Cybertruck with and without the range extender battery:
Electrek’s Take
I’m curious. Is it dead, or does Tesla just want to stop taking reservations for it?
At first, I was curious about the product even though I didn’t think it would make up for Tesla’s significant miss on Cybertruck specs.
However, after it was confirmed that it takes up 30% of your bed and that it needs to be installed and removed by Tesla at a service center, I think it’s pretty much dead on arrival at $16,000.
It’s going to be a product limited to only a few people at best. And now that’s if it makes it to market.
With the option being removed from the configurator, there’s no production timeline available. Again, the last one was “mid-2025”, which is soon.
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Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.
EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:
Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.
To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.
Source: EcoFlow
EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”
Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.
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This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:
In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.
In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.
To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.
Source: EcoFlow
Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival
As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.
As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.
Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!
Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.
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