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As deadly wildfires have destroyed communities from California to Maui, the nation’s largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, is making headway on its ambitious goal to move 10,000 miles of power lines in fire-prone areas underground, which would greatly reduce ignition risk.

“We’re coming off of a historic drought and those conditions are materially different than the conditions that we saw just 10 short years ago. And so now is absolutely the right time to be taking bold, decisive action with regard to the grid safety,” said Jamie Martin, PG&E’s vice president of undergrounding.

Five years ago, PG&E’s equipment sparked the deadly Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise, California, and killed 85 people. The massive liabilities drove the utility into bankruptcy, from which it emerged in 2020. But just a year later, in the same county, PG&E’s equipment started another catastrophic fire, prompting the utility to announce its extensive undergrounding plan. The utility has undergrounded 350 miles of power lines so far this year, and more than 600 miles since 2021.

While Martin says moving power lines underground reduces ignition risk by 98%, it comes at a steep cost. Data compiled by the California Public Utilities Commission shows that undergrounding just one mile costs anywhere between $1.85 million and $6.1 million, meaning PG&E’s total plan would likely be in the tens of billions. The bill would be footed by PG&E’s customers, who already face some of the highest rates in the nation.

“If we keep pushing up electricity rates, the most vulnerable of us are not going to be able to pay,” says Katy Morsony, a staff attorney with The Utility Reform Network, a consumer advocacy group that supports a more limited approach to undergrounding.

Since PG&E earns a guaranteed rate of return on capital investments, the utility is inherently incentivized to undertake more expensive infrastructure projects such as undergrounding, explained Morsony and Daniel Kirschen, a professor of power and energy systems at the University of Washington. This is how the utility makes money, not by selling electricity or gas.

“Undergrounding […] costs a lot of money. It’s a large investment. So that would increase the revenue that the utilities collect,” Kirschen explains. “Now, the question is would these other solutions be as effective as those big investment projects? That’s where the regulators have to step in.”

PG&E said in a statement that, “In the case of undergrounding, our investors’ priorities are aligned with those of our customers and our safety regulators.”

‘Essentially eliminating the risk of ignition’

Construction workers in Arnold, California work to bury PG&E’s power lines.

Syndey Boyo

PG&E currently has about 27,000 miles of power lines underground, but these are generally not in areas of high wildfire risk. So during storms, when high winds could cause a line to topple over or a tree to fall onto a line, utilities have few good options.

“So one option is to essentially just shut down the power line, because if there is no voltage and no current on the line, there is no chance of this release of energy happening and then there is no chance of an ignition,” explains Line Roald, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison whose work includes modeling the risk of wildfire ignition and power outages in the electric grid.

Indeed, PG&E has been implementing Public Safety Power Shutoffs in California since 2019, affecting millions of people. Hawaiian Electric, the utility that could be found liable for the Maui wildfires that killed at least 98 people, has been criticized for not shutting off power in advance of high wind warnings. If the company is determined to be at fault, it doesn’t have nearly enough money to pay off residents’ damage claims. 

Looked at this way, undergrounding is undoubtedly cheaper than dealing with the massive costs of deadly wildfires, and less disruptive than shutting off power completely.

“So for this one-time capital investment, we’re essentially eliminating the risk of ignition from an overhead power line by placing it underground,” Martin says.

PG&E isn’t the only utility that’s interested. San Diego Gas & Electric has a plan to underground about 1,450 miles of power lines through 2031, while Florida Power and Light is undergrounding select lines for hurricane protection. Austin Energy is also exploring undergrounding in the wake of a winter ice storm that caused weeks-long outages, and the federal government has pledged to provide $95 million to Maui to harden its electric grid, work that could include undergrounding lines.

The price of safety

Construction workers in Arnold, California use a piece of equipment called a rock wheel to dig a trench, so that PG&E can move its power lines underground.

Katie Brigham

But the CPUC has since released two cheaper, alternate proposals for consideration, which greatly cut back on undergrounding. One calls for moving just 200 miles underground and insulating 1,800 miles with covered conductors through 2026, while the other involves undergrounding 973 miles and insulating 1,027 miles.

Both proposals would save money but would ultimately put PG&E’s 10,000 mile goal in jeopardy. Plus, PG&E says that insulating lines is only about 65% effective at reducing wildfire risk, far less effective than undergrounding.

“If a tree falls on a line, the line is going to break and you’re still going to have a risk of a spark and you still have a chance of starting a wildfire, even if the line is insulated,” explains Kirschen.

The Utility Reform Network supports the plan to underground 200 miles, and estimates the cost of insulation to be about $800,000 per mile, as compared with the $3.3 million per mile that PG&E spent on undergrounding in 2022.

“By relying more heavily on insulated lines, we can do the work faster and we can deliver that wildfire safety more quickly to those different communities,” Morsony says.

Come November, the CPUC will decide on a path forward for PG&E, with both wildfire risk and customers’ utility bills hanging in the balance.

Watch the video to learn more about what it takes to move power lines underground.

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Kia now offers the most affordable EV in Canada

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Kia now offers the most affordable EV in Canada

The Kia EV4 is now on sale as the most affordable EV in Canada. Starting at under $40,000, the electric sedan is even cheaper than the Fiat 500e.

Kia launches EV4 as Canada’s most affordable EV

While Kia is delaying the EV4 “indefinitely” for the US, the electric sedan is now on sale in Canada. Starting at just $38,995, the EV4 is now the most affordable dedicated EV in Canada.

It’s even cheaper than the Fiat 500e, which previously held the title with prices starting at $39,995. The EV4 is Kia’s first global electric sedan and part of its new low-cost EV lineup.

Not only is it affordable, but the EV4 is also surprisingly efficient. Based on the E-GMP platform that underpins Hyundai’s IONIQ series and Kia’s other EV models, the EV4 is available with two battery options: a standard 58.3 kWh or long-range 81.4 kWh, delivering up to 552 km (343 miles).

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Like Kia’s latest EVs, the EV4 features its new Opposites United design with a redesigned “Digital Tiger Face” up front.

Kia-most-affordable-EV-Canada
2026 Kia EV4 (Source: Kia)

Although it may look like a typical sedan, Kia says it introduces a “new typology” with a low nose, long-tail silhouette, and fastback style.

The interior includes Kia’s new connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) infotainment, featuring nearly 30″ of screen space. The setup consists of dual 12.3″ driver cluster and navigation screens in a curved panoramic display, plus an additional 5″ climate control. It also offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

kia-ev4-most-affordable-EV-Canada
2026 Kia EV4 GT-Line interior (Source: Kia)

Kia’s electric sedan even includes a built-in NACS port for recharging at Tesla Superchargers. It can charge from 10% to 80% in about 28 minutes with the 58.3 kWh battery. The 81.4 kWh battery takes around 31 minutes.

The EV4 is available in five different trims: Light FWD Standard Range, Wind FWD Long Range, Wind Premium FWD Long Range, GT-Line FWD Long Range, and GT-Line Limited FWD/AWD Long Range.

Kia-EV4-most-affordable-EV-Canada
The 2026 Kia EV4 (Source: Kia)

The Light variant is the only model with the standard 58.3 kWh battery. All other variants are powered by the long-range 81.4 kWh battery. Both battery options power a front-mounted 150 kW (201 hp) motor.

Kia’s electric sedan is the first to feature its latest i-Pedal 3.0, which now includes three levels of regenerative braking, a reverse i-Pedal function, and i-Pedal memory that retains driver settings on restart.

2026 Kia EV4 trim Driving range Starting Price
EV4 Light FWD Standard Range 391 km (243 miles) $38,995
EV4 Wind FWD Long Range 552 km (343 miles) $42,995
EV4 Premium FWD Long Range 515 km (320 miles) $45,495
EV4 GT-Line FWD Long Range 488 km (303 miles) $48,495
EV4 GT-Line Limited FWD Long Range 488 km (303 miles) $51,995
2026 Kia EV4 prices and range by trim in Canada

The EV4 includes standard ADAS features, including Kia’s available Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA2), which uses speed limit information from the navigation system on controlled access roads and highways to automatically adjust the vehicle’s speed.

The 2026 Kia EV4 FWD is now available for order at dealerships across Canada. The AWD version is expected to go on sale later in 2026.

While the EV4 is now on sale as the most affordable EV in Canada, US buyers are missing out thanks to new tariffs and other policy changes under the Trump administration.

For those in the US, although the EV4 is sadly not available, Kia is currently offering over $10,000 off every EV in its US lineup. Interested in a test drive? You can use the links below to find Kia’s EVs in your area.

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Tesla reports another Robotaxi crash, even with supervisor as it moves to remove them

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Tesla reports another Robotaxi crash, even with supervisor as it moves to remove them

Tesla has reported yet another crash involving its Robotaxi fleet in Austin to the NHTSA. The new data keeps the program’s accident rate alarmingly high compared to human drivers, even as the company prepares to remove human safety supervisors from the vehicles.

As we have been tracking in our previous coverage of the Robotaxi pilot in Austin, Tesla is required to report crashes involving its automated driving systems (ADS) to the NHTSA under a Standing General Order.

For months, we’ve seen these reports trickle in from Tesla’s small pilot fleet in Texas. In November, we reported that the fleet had reached 7 total crashes as of September.

Now, a new report filed by Tesla reveals an 8th crash occurred in October 2025.

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According to the filing, the incident took place on October [Day Redacted], 2025, in Austin. The valid report (Report ID: 13781-11986) lists the “Highest Injury Severity Alleged” as “No Injured Reported,” but details are scarce because, as is typical for Tesla, the narrative description of the crash has been redacted to hide proprietary information.

We have been highlighting how Tesla often abuses NHTSA’s capability to redact much of the information in the crash reports, especially the ‘Narrative’ section, which explains precisely what happened in the incident.

It’s possible that Tesla’s Robotaxis are not responsible for some of these crashes, but we wouldn’t know because Tesla redacts most information.

In this new filing for the accident that happened in October, Tesla went even further as it even refrains from answering some of the sections. Instead, it says “see the narrative,” which again is redacted.

Here’s the updated list of Tesla Robotaxi crashes:

Report ID Incident Date City State Crash With Highest Injury Severity Alleged
13781-11986 OCT-2025 Austin TX Other, see Narrative No Injured Reported
13781-11787 SEP-2025 Austin TX Animal No Injured Reported
13781-11786 SEP-2025 Austin TX Non-Motorist: Cyclist Property Damage. No Injured Reported
13781-11784 SEP-2025 Austin TX Passenger Car Property Damage. No Injured Reported
13781-11687 SEP-2025 Austin TX Other Fixed Object Property Damage. No Injured Reported
13781-11507 JUL-2025 Austin TX SUV Property Damage. No Injured Reported
13781-11459 JUL-2025 Austin TX Other Fixed Object Minor W/O Hospitalization
13781-11375 JUL-2025 Austin TX SUV Property Damage. No Injured Reported

We do know that the crash involved “Other” as the conflict partner, and the vehicle was “Proceeding Straight” at the time.

Tesla Robotaxi Crash Rate

While a few fender benders might not seem like headline news, it becomes significant when you look at the math.

Last month, Tesla confirmed the fleet had traveled roughly 250,000 miles. With 7 reported crashes at the time, Tesla’s Robotaxi was crashing roughly once every 40,000 miles (extrapolating from the previously disclosed Robotaxi mileage).

For comparison, the average human driver in the US crashes about once every 500,000 miles.

This means Tesla’s “autonomous” vehicle, which is supposed to be the future of safety, is crashing 10x more often than a human driver.

While Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet reportedly increased in November, with the number of cars spotted going up to 29, there’s no evidence that the Robotaxi mileage increased. In fact, the utilization rate indicates Tesla is running only a few vehicles at a time – meaning that mileage might have actually gone down.

And that is not even the scariest part.

The Supervisor Paradox

The most critical detail that gets lost in the noise is that these crashes are happening with a human safety supervisor in the driver’s seat (for highway trips) or passenger seat, with a finger on a kill switch.

These employees are trained to intervene and take control of the vehicle if the software makes a mistake.

If the car is crashing this frequently with a human babysitter trying to prevent accidents, imagine what the crash rate would be without them.

Yet, that is exactly what Tesla is doing.

Elon Musk recently claimed that Tesla would remove safety monitors from the Robotaxi fleet in Austin within “three weeks.”

Yesterday, we reported that a Tesla Robotaxi was spotted for the first time without anyone in the front seats, and Musk confirmed that Tesla started testing without a supervisor.

Electrek’s Take

This is becoming hard to watch.

We have Waymo operating fully driverless commercial services in multiple cities with over 100 million miles of data showing they are safer than humans. They are not without their issues, but they are at least sharing data that is encouraging, including not redacting the NTHSA crash reporting.

Meanwhile, Tesla is struggling to keep a small test fleet in Austin from hitting things, even with professional safety drivers on board.

Removing the safety supervisors when your crash rate is already orders of magnitude worse than the average human seems reckless. It feels like another case of prioritizing the “optics” of autonomy over the actual safety required to deploy it.

If Tesla pulls the supervisors while the data looks like this, it’s no longer a pilot program. It’s a gamble. And it’s not just gambling on its stock price, it’s gambling with everyone’s safety.

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Hiboy Christmas Sale offers up to 50% off EVs + bonus savings, EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus 440W solar bundle at new $1,799 low, more

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Hiboy Christmas Sale offers up to 50% off EVs + bonus savings, EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus 440W solar bundle at new ,799 low, more

Kicking off this week’s Monday Green Deals is Hiboy’s full-momentum Christmas EV Sale with up to 50% discounts and many bonus savings codes left over from Black Friday that is returning many e-scooters and e-bikes to their best rates, like Hiboy’s MAX Pro Electric Scooter at its $567 low. We also have EcoFlow’s next 48-hour Christmas flash sale that has dropped the DELTA 3 Ultra Plus Power Station with a 440W solar bundle to a new $1,799 low. From there, you can find ECOVACS’ Goat O1000 RTK Robot Lawn Mower at a new $699 low, a wide array of Samsung laundry and kitchen appliances at up to $1,650 off, a new annual EGO string trimmer low, the best prices in months on Goal Zero power stations, and many more of the best ongoing holiday deals/sales waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals from last week that are collected together at the bottom of the page in our latest edition of Electrified Weekly.

Head below for other New Green Deals 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.

Hiboy’s Christmas Sale offers EV commuting solutions at up to 50% off + bonus savings codes – all starting from $150

Hiboy currently has a Christmas EV Sale in full swing right now, with up to 50% discounts on its various e-scooters and e-bikes – plus, the brand’s Black Friday bonus savings codes are still active. One budget-friendly model that still gives you significant commuting support is the Hiboy MAX Pro Electric Scooter at $566.99 shippedafter using the code DAS6 at checkout, beating out its Amazon pricing by $45. While it carries a $1,000 MSRP, you’ll more often find it cut down between $800 and $730 these days, with sale events having seen the price go as low as $567. With the extra savings code activated, you’re getting a second chance at the best price we have tracked, which only popped up during last month’s Black Friday sale. Head below to see the lineup of top picks from Hiboy’s Christmas Sale – and there is still time to get your orders in and receive them ahead of the big holiday.

While it may not sport the fanciest bells and whistles like some of the latest releases, Hiboy’s MAX Pro electric scooter is a more budget-friendly option that brings along some substantial traveling power for this low price. The 650W motor housed inside comes powered by a 48V battery for up to 46.6 miles of travel range at up to 22 MPH top speeds. There are three riding modes here (eco, drive, sport), alongside customizable cruise controls, and more. Other features include 11-inch pneumatic tires, both e-brakes and disc brakes, an LED headlight, sidelights, and a taillight, dual suspension, a one-click folding design, an integrated digital display, and more. There are even in-app smart controls for locking the scooter when not in use, and others.

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Hiboy’s top Christmas Sale e-scooter offers:

  • S2 Lite Electric Scooter for kids: $235 (Reg. $440)
    • 13 MPH for up to 10.6 miles
    • use code DAS2 at checkout for extra saving
  • S2R Plus Electric Scooter: $310 (Reg. $806)
    • 19 MPH for up to 22 miles
    • use code DAS3 at checkout for extra savings
  • ECOM 14 Eco-Friendly Big Wheel Electric Scooter: $346.09 (Reg. $540)
    • 22 MPH for up to 31 miles
    • use code DAS5 at checkout for extra savings
  • S2 Pro Electric Scooter: $375 (Reg. $450)
    • 19 MPH for up to 25 miles
    • use code DAS3 at checkout for extra savings
  • KS4 Pro Premium Electric Scooter: $390 (Reg. $750) | matches at Amazon
    • 19 MPH for up to 25 miles
  • Q2 Electric Seated Scooter: $399 (Reg. $700) | matched at Amazon
    • 20 MPH for up to 22 miles
  • S2 MAX Electric Scooter: $450 (Reg. $885)
    • 19 MPH for up to 40 miles
    • use code DAS6 at checkout for extra savings
  • MAX Pro Electric Scooter: $567 (Reg. $1,000)
    • 22 MPH for up to 46 miles
    • use code DAS6 at checkout for extra savings
  • Hiboy X300 Big-Wheel Electric Scooter: $588 (Reg. $1,050)
    • 23 MPH for up to 37.3 miles
    • use code DAS6 at checkout for extra savings
  • U2 Pro Electric Scooter: $840 (Reg. $1,500) | $10 more at Amazon
    • 25 MPH for up to 34 miles
  • TITAN Electric Scooter: $955.50 (Reg. $1,700)
    • 25 MPH for up to 46 miles
    • use code HST9 at checkout for extra savings
  • TITAN Pro Electric Scooter: $1,350 (Reg. $2,000)
    • 31 MPH for up to 80 miles
    • use code HSTP10 at checkout for extra savings
  • And much more…

Hiboy’s top Christmas Sale e-bike offers:

  • BK1 Electric Balance Bike for kids: $150 (Reg. $400)
    • 9 MPH for up to 5 miles
    • use code DAS2 at checkout for extra savings
  • DK1 (Blue) Electric Dirt Bike for kids: $313 (Reg. $610)
    • 5/7.5/15.5 MPH for up to 13.7 miles
    • use code DAS3 at checkout for extra savings
  • DK1 (red) Electric Dirt Bike for kids: $316 (Reg. $610)
    • 5/7.5/15.5 MPH for up to 13.7 miles
    • use code DAS3 at checkout for extra savings
  • C1 Folding e-bike: $550 (Reg. $700)
    • 20 MPH for up to 43.5 miles
  • EX6 Step-Thru Fat-Tire e-bike: $786 (Reg. $1,580)
    • 25 MPH for up to 75 miles
    • use code DAB5 at checkout for extra savings
  • 2024 P6 Fat-Tire All-Terrain e-bike: $950 (Reg. $1,480)
    • 28 MPH for up to 62 miles
    • use code DAB5 at checkout for extra savings
  • 2025 EX9 Urban Commuter e-bike: $1,135 (Reg. $2,000)
    • 28 MPH for up to 62 miles
    • use code DAE1 at checkout for extra savings
  • EX7 Full Suspension e-bike: $1,350 (Reg. $2,000)
    • 28 MPH for up to 75 miles
  • And much more…

You can browse the full Hiboy Christmas Sale lineup of deals on the main landing page here.

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus power station in yard with smart generator and solar panels

Latest EcoFlow Xmas flash sale drops DELTA 3 Ultra Plus 440W solar bundle to new $1,799 low (Save $1,900), more

As part of its ongoing Christmas Holiday Sale, EcoFlow has launched the next of its 48-hour holiday flash sales with up to 60% discounts across four offers, one of which gives you the latest DELTA 3 Ultra Plus Portable Power Station with two 220W solar panels at $1,799 shipped, beating its Amazon pricing by $200. This bundle package has been on the market since late September with a $4,197 MSRP, though you can usually find it starting lower for $3,699 at Amazon. It launched with a discount to $1,899 and has been seeing price cuts in the time since that have dropped the costs back to that rate or higher at $1,999. This 48-hour flash deal, however, cuts things further than ever, giving you a $1,900 markdown off the going rate ($2,398 off the MSRP) and landing it at a new all-time low price.

If you want to learn more about this new power station, or browse the full lineup of deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of these flash offers before they’re gone after December 16.

ECOVACS robot lawn mower cutting grass

Pass lawn mowing to ECOVACS’ Goat O1000 RTK robot while at a new $699 low for Xmas (Reg. $1,000)

Amazon is currently offering the ECOVACS Goat O1000 RTK Robot Lawn Mower for $699 shipped. Coming down from its $1,000 full price, we’ve been seeing regular discounts keeping the price down between $900 and $850, with October’s Prime Day event dropping things as low as $750. We did see it drop to $700 during a brief Black Friday/Cyber Monday window, while today’s deal beats that rate by $1, giving you $301 in total savings at the best new price we have tracked – plus, there’s still time to get it well ahead of Christmas!

If you want to learn more about this autonomous mower, be sure to check out our original coverage of this new low price here.

Samsung AI Laundry hub washer and dryer in sunny room

Save up to $1,650+ on Samsung’s smart appliances for your laundry and kitchen upgrades starting from $299

Samsung is currently offering Christmas Holiday discounts across its wide array of appliances for your laundry room, kitchen, and more. One notable return from the brand’s Black Friday promotions is the Bespoke AI Laundry Hub for $1,999 shipped, which beats its Best Buy pricing by $1. Normally, this stacked unit would run you $2,699 at full price, which we’ve seen go as low as $1,999 over 2025 during sales. While it has dropped lower in past years, you’re still getting a solid $700 markdown here to the best rate that has been offered from the brand this year. You can find other Samsung holiday device deals on the landing page here.

If you want to browse the entire lineup of our favorite Samsung appliance deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this holiday sale here.

man cutting overgrown grass with EGO Power+ string trimmer

Off-season savings take EGO’s 56V 15-inch rapid reload string trimmer down to $149 annual low ($50 off)

Amazon is now offering the best rate of the year on the EGO POWER+ 56V 15-inch Rapid Reload String Trimmer with 2.5Ah battery at $149 shipped. It’s coming down from $199 here today, which is where the price has been keeping for most of the time since June, with discounts having dropped prices to $179 and as low as $159 over the year. You’re now looking at 2025’s best price, courtesy of the $50 markdown that comes beaten only by a one-time Prime-exclusive cut to the $144 back in 2024.

If you want to learn more about this string trimmer, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Man charging tool batteries in truck bed with Goal Zero power station

Save up to $175 on Goal Zero’s compact Yeti 700 or 500 power stations at best prices in months from $375

By way of its official Amazon storefront, Goal Zero is offering its Yeti 700 Portable Power Station at $524.89 shipped, while the smaller Yeti 500 Portable Power Station is down at $374.89 shipped. Normally, these two stations would fetch $700 and $500 at full price, which is where they’ve mostly been keeping since March. While we have seen the price drop lower in the past, you’re still looking at solid $175 and $125 markdowns to the best prices we have tracked in the last eight months.

If you want to learn more about these two power stations, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

Best Winter EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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