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Mercedes EQB lease
Source: Mercedes-Benz USA

Looking to put a huge holiday ribbon on a new EV? There’s a widespread belief that buying a new car is always much cheaper than leasing it in the long run. However, we’ve found six EV lease deals that shatter that myth, with terms that pass the entire commercial clean vehicle Federal tax credit to the lessee and enable the lessee to eventually own the vehicle for thousands of dollars less than paying cash up front.

As mentioned last month, some folks are using the “1-day lease” to take advantage of these deals by buying out their lease almost immediately. This enables the federal tax credit to be applied without stipulations on foreign made vehicles with foreign made batteries or owner tax bracket considerations. Ask about this at your local dealer.

However, do the math to make sure that an early payoff is cheaper than riding out the full term, especially if the intent is to finance the buyout, as all the lease deals mentioned below except for one have a money factor that translates to an APR that is significantly less than current new car interest rates. Also, in the relatively high inflation environment we are unfortunately enjoying right now, it could be wise to defer the payment of over half the cost of the car to three years from now when the US dollar could be worth a lot less than it’s worth today.

1. 2023 Lexus RZ450e Premium

Cash: $66,689; Lease-to-own: $59,390. Lease-to-own savings: $7299

Lexus currently has a lease offer on the $62,100 RZ450e Premium that’s $499/month for 36 months, $5999 due at signing, and the option to buy for $28,808 at the end of the lease. These compelling terms are a result of a huge $15,000 lease incentive that significantly reduces the capitalized cost of this five-seat SUV with a 220-mile range, zero to sixty time of 4.6 seconds, and 34.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats.

During the three-year lease term, tallying up the $5999 plus 35 payments of $499 (the first month is paid for at signing) adds up to $23,464. At an assumed 9% tax rate on the up-front capitalized cost reduction, down, and first payment ($1818) as well as on each subsequent payment ($45/month), the total cost to lease the RZ450e is $26,899.

Lexus-RZ-450e-images

At the end of the lease term, buying the three-year-old RZ450e will cost $29,808 plus $2683 tax for a total of $32,491. All-in, the lease-to-own cost adds up to just $59,390.

In comparison, paying cash up front at delivery will cost a whole lot more: $62,100 MSRP plus $5,589 tax, less a paltry $1000 rebate, comes out to $66,689. That’s $7,299 more than walking the lease-to-own path! For the nearly 80% of consumers that finance auto purchases, Lexus does have a 2.49% promo rate on a 48-month loan, and with $7318 down the payment comes out to be $1323/month. Which is a lot, but after three years, the payoff is only $15,661. Still, the total cost to own the RZ after three years on the promo rate is $69,596 – that’s $10,200 more than leasing it.

By the way, the .00324 money factor (APR 7.78%) on Lexus’ RZ450e lease offer is relatively lofty compared to the rest of the deals mentioned here, which range from 1.68% to 4.58%. So it may be possible to save even more money by buying out the lease early and refinancing at a lower rate.

We found a number of dealers offering discounts ranging from $2527 to $4327 on the RZ450e. Lexus of Serramonte in California tops the list, followed by Lexus of Silver Spring in Maryland. Look for Lexus RZ450e deals near you.

2. 2023 Toyota bZ4X XLE FWD

Cash: $48,553; Lease-to-own: $41,627. Lease-to-own savings: $6,926

Toyota continues to improve its lease terms on the bZ4X, now down to $349/month for 36 months, $3999 due at signing, and the option to buy for $21,381 at lease end for the base XLE trim in front-wheel-drive configuration that MSRPs at $44,544. Assuming a 9% tax rate and working though the same math used on the Lexus RZ450 lease offer results in a lease-to-own cost of just $41,627.

An all-cash purchase is a much more costly proposition: its $44,544 MSRP plus 9% tax adds up to $48,553, which is almost $7000 over the lease-to-own cost. Toyota has a financing promo that’s a little better than paying cash – a $2500 incentive tied to a 48-month loan at 1.99% – but with $4626 down, monthly payment of $899, and payoff of $10,667 after three years, the lease-to-own method still comes out thousands ahead, by $5710 to be exact.

Toyota free charging

We found a couple of dealers with a relatively modest discount on this five-passenger SUV capable of covering 252 miles on a full charge, holds 27.7 cubic feet of cargo behind the rear seats, and scoots from zero to sixty in 6.7 seconds. Mossy Toyota and Toyota of North Hollywood in California are listing their front-drive bZ4X inventory at around $1700 below MSRP, which seems to be on par with TrueCar pricing estimates for the rest of the country except for the eastern seaboard states from Virginia northward, where it seems the bZ4X sells for a slight premium. Check for Toyota bZ4x deals in your area.

3. 2023 Subaru Solterra Premium

Cash: $50,380; Lease-to-own: $44,077. Lease-to-own savings: $6,303

Thanks to Subaru’s consistently excellent lease terms, this marks the third time in a row that the Solterra is being featured in our EV Deals write-up. Last month it was highlighted as the only all-wheel-drive EV with an average monthly lease cost under $400 (which is still the case), and now we’re talking about it again because its zero-down, $399/month lease with the option to buy for $25,421 at 36 months calculates to an after-tax lease-to-own total of just $44,077. That’s over six grand less than either paying cash up front or taking advantage of Subaru’s 72-month 0% financing offer, both costing $50,380 after adding a 9% tax on its $46,220 MSRP.

Solterra

The Solterra is built on the same dedicated modular EV platform as the Lexus RX450e and Toyota bZ4X, with the Solterra and bZ4X appearing to be near-identical twins when compared to the RZ450e’s slightly larger exterior and properly painted front fenders. The Solterra also bears a close resemblance to the bZ4X in interior dimensions and performance, capable of carrying 29 cubic feet of cargo behind its rear seats and hustling from standstill to 60mph in 6.5 seconds  – numbers that are closer to the bZ4X versus the upscale RZ450e.

Where the Solterra truly outshines its platform twin and similar electrics from other marques is its tremendous value due to lease terms that allow the lessee to walk away from the all-wheel-drive SUV after paying a total of just $16,381 over three years, tax included. That’s nearly two grand less than a front-drive bZ4x XLE, and nearly three grand less than a front-drive Nissan Ariya Engage or rear-wheel-drive VW ID.4 Pro.

We spotted Subaru dealers in various regions discounting the Solterra, ranging from $2641 to $5803 off MSRP. Check for Subaru Solterra deals near you.

4. 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB300 4MATIC

Cash: $62,338; Lease-to-own: $58,240. Lease-to-own savings: $4,098

The EQB300 4MATIC is an all-wheel-drive five-seat SUV that carries 22 cubic feet of cargo behind its second-row seats (a third row option is available), goes 232 miles on a charge, and accelerates from standstill to 60mph in seven seconds. Its current 36-month lease offer of $519/month, $5613 at signing, and option to buy for $29,057 at termination tallies up to an after-tax lease-to-own cost of $58,240. That’s $4098 less than an all-cash purchase at its $59,300 MSRP minus a $2,299 “dealer participation” discount that’s built into said lease offer, plus 9% tax. Mercedes-Benz lease offers on other EQB-Class trim levels should result in similar savings over a cash deal since they all share the same 49% residual and have a money factor that’s still on the low side (effective APR of 3.29%, versus 2.28% for the EQB300).

Mercedes EQB Tesla Y

We didn’t find any Mercedes-Benz dealership websites that advertise discounts on new inventory, but a quick check of car shopping websites indicates that average discounts ranging from about $1000 in the Northeast to over $5,000 almost everywhere else can be expected. Check for Mercedes-Benz EQB-Class deals near you.

5. 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Core

Cash: $59,470; Lease-to-own: $56,671. Lease-to-own savings: $2,799

Now that improved-for-2024 models are already arriving at dealerships, the favorable lease terms on the 2023 C40 Recharge core (MSRP $56,390) will likely disappear sooner than later as inventory continues to dwindle. At $483/month for 36 months, $3933 due at signing, and lease-end buyout of $30,543 based on a residual of 54%, lease-to-own costs $2799 less than paying cash up front for this five-passenger, all-wheel-drive SUV that rockets from zero to sixty in 4.2 seconds, travels 226 on a full charge, and carries 15 cubic feet of cargo with all seats in place. Costco members can save even more by taking advantage of the current member-only $1000 incentive on the purchase or lease of a new Volvo.

over the air updates

We found a number of Volvo retailers with discounts or improved lease offers on the C40 Recharge. Look for a dealer with an in-stock 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge near you.

6. 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Premier

Cash: $80,058; Lease-to-own: $77,809. Lease-to-own savings: $2,249

Looking for a luxury-branded all-wheel-drive five-passenger electric SUV that can squeeze close to 300 miles out of a full charge? The Audi Q8 e-tron comes close at 285 miles, which is at least 50 miles farther than the other luxury-branded vehicles mentioned so far in this article. But that longer security blanket comes at a cost, as the total outlay to own the Audi at lease termination is over $18,000 more expensive than the Lexus RZ450e, Mercedes-Benz EQB300 4MATIC, or Volvo C40 Recharge. To be fair, the Q8 e-tron is larger – built to punch in a heavier weight class that includes the Mercedes EQE, BMW iX, and Tesla Model X – so its higher price (MSRP $78,035) should be expected.

Audi’s current lease offer of $599/month for 36 months, $6493 due at signing, and the option to purchase for $42,919 at lease end currently adds up an attractive lease-to-own deal that costs $2249 less than an all-cash transaction at a 9% tax rate.

Curiously, we haven’t seen many dealer-advertised discounts or improved lease offers on the Q8 e-tron since late summer despite a decent amount of available inventory, but car shopping websites like Cars.com and TrueCar seem to indicate that dealer discounts of $4000 or more are out there in some areas. Check for Audi Q8 e-tron discounts in your area.

… and the rest

The rest of the sub-$80K EV lease offers we evaluated for the lease-to-own scenario worked out to be more expensive than an all-cash transaction. However, most resulted in costing significantly less than financing, assuming a 72-month loan at 6% APR, or if available, at the lowest manufacturer promo rate. So savvy consumers that prefer to put cash to to work elsewhere rather than tie it all up in an expensive depreciating asset should seriously consider leasing over financing if one of these 2023 electrics are in the crosshairs: Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4MATIC SUV ($8687 lease-to-own savings over financing), BMW i4 eDrive35 ($5,373 savings), Audi Q4 e-tron 40 Premium Plus ($5307 savings), Kia EV6 Wind AWD ($4611 savings), Nissan Ariya Engage FWD ($3544 savings), Hyundai Ioniq 6 SEL RWD ($3025 savings), Volvo XC40 Recharge Core ($2600 savings), Kia Niro EV Wind ($935 savings).

Interested in the Hyundai Ioniq 5? If you want to own it, buy it. We crunched the numbers on the on the 36-month Ioniq 5 SEL RWD lease, and with a lease-to-own cost of $54,801, it would take $3465 more to possess after three years compared to taking out a 72-month loan at 6% with $5647 down. The Ioniq 5 lease suffers from a high money factor that translates to 7.7% APR, a relatively high 61% residual, and a $7500 lease incentive that is no better than the rebate on a purchase.

Want a VW ID.4? Well, those seeking ownership that qualify for the full Federal EV tax rebate should be better off buying rather than leasing. For those that don’t qualify, it’s a wash, which is roughly the same story for the Ford Mustang Mach-E. As for the Ford F-150 Lightning, just buy it if you’re playing for keeps because the lease-to-own method on a 36-month lease, particularly on a Lariat that qualifies for a $7500 retail incentive on a purchase as well as the $7500 Federal EV tax rebate, could cost over $10,000 more than financing it.

How about a Model 3 or Model Y? Both have very compelling 36-month lease terms, but only for those that want to ditch the car after three years. Sadly, there is no option to buy out a recent Tesla lease.

As always, check our Electric Vehicle Best Price Guide and Best Electric Vehicle Lease Guide for the best deals on EVs in the US.

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Podcast: Tesla Robotaxi setback, Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, Bollinger is over, and more

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12 hours ago

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November 28, 2025

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Podcast: Tesla Robotaxi setback, Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, Bollinger is over, and more

electrek podcast

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss a big Tesla Robotaxi setback, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, Bollinger is over, and more.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. Sales end on Dec. 8th for its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

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After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:


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Segway’s latest E3 Pro smart e-scooter hits new $500 low, NIU Black Friday EV sale (47% off), Anker SOLIX, Lectric, Aiper, more

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14 hours ago

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November 28, 2025

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Segway's latest E3 Pro smart e-scooter hits new 0 low, NIU Black Friday EV sale (47% off), Anker SOLIX, Lectric, Aiper, more


Today’s Green Deals is another jam-packed Black Friday edition, with all the ongoing savings we’ve spotted up until today having been collected into our Black Friday Green Deals hub here for your one-stop shopping needs. Our headliner is Segway’s new feature-packed E3 Pro Electric Scooter with Apple Find My that is down at a new $500 low, with NIU’s full Black Friday EV sale following right behind with up to 47% taken off e-scooters and e-bikes starting from $279. There’s also Anker’s SOLIX C300X AC Portable Power Station and a bundle option at new low prices starting from $160, as well as Lectric’s newly launched 40% off e-bike accessory sale + increased 30% off e-bike extra batteries, a smart irrigation system, a battery jumper/power bank combo, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals that are collected together at the bottom of the page (and also in our Black Friday Green Deals hub), like yesterday’s expanded Rad Power Black Friday Sale lineup, the Black Friday savings on Anker eufy smart security devices at new lows, and more.

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.

Segway’s feature-packed E3 Pro electric scooter with Apple Find My hits new $500 Black Friday low (Save $200)

Segway’s Black Friday Sale is in full gear and currently seeing hundreds in savings and plenty of returning and new low prices on its e-scooters and e-bikes. One such standout is Segway’s latest E3 Pro Electric Scooter down at $499.99 shipped, and which seems to have disappeared from Amazon’s marketplace. Carrying a $700 MSRP since launching back at the top of October, we’ve only seen this model given $100 price cuts in its launch deal and the brand’s Halloween and early Black Friday sales. Now, with things having ramped up with increased savings now that Black Friday is in full swing, you can score a larger-than-ever $200 markdown to a new all-time low price, giving you an advanced upgrade to your commute that I have been loving so far since getting one a short time ago.

I’ve been riding around Brooklyn for a short time now with my own Segway E3 Pro Electric Scooter and have been loving my experience so far, as it’s a MAJOR step up from the very basic E22 model I’ve had for short travels since 2020. While power has been significantly ramped up from its E2 Pro predecessor, this new generation still retains a fairly lightweight 40-pound design, which I am able (as a not-so-strong person) to carry easily with one hand/arm up and down my second-story stoop.

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Segway’s E3 Pro comes bearing a 400W motor (with 800W peaking) alongside a 368Wh battery, the combination of which delivers up to 34 miles of commuting support for your travels at up to 20 MPH speeds. The regenerative brake paired with the brand’s SegRange Optimization tech really lends towards the extended travel times here, with safety taken into mind with the SegRide stability enhancement tech, the latest traction control system, turn signaling, RGB ambient lighting for nighttime journeys, and a bright headlight. What’s more, security is bolstered by the Apple Find My inclusion for those worried about tracking it down should theft (or forgetfulness) occur.

One thing I have really been enjoying, especially when riding over more pot-hole lined streets, is Segway’s E3 Pro’s dual elastomer suspension, which does a great job of smoothing out overall rides, while providing added cushioning when sudden, jolting sections of the road (or debris/trash) are driven over. Along with all those, there are also additional features, including the previously mentioned rear electronic regen brake getting a companion front drum brake, as well as 10-inch self-sealing jelly tires, an IPX5 water-resistant build, a 265-pound total payload, and a 3-inch full-color LED screen for setting adjustments.

Be sure to check out Segway’s full official Black Friday Sale while it lasts for a short while longer, which can save you hundreds at the best prices of the year starting from $150.

man and woman riding NIU KQi 200F electric scooters through streets in both day and night

Score up to 47% Black Friday savings on NIU EVs, like the 2025 KQi 200F e-scooter at its $529 low (Reg. $799), more from $279

NIU’s Black Friday EV Sale is in full motion now, taking up to 47% off its lineup of e-scooters and e-bikes, like the KQi 200F Foldable Handlebar Electric Scooter for $529 shipped, which you can currently only find in a used condition at Amazon. This is one of the brand’s newer 2025 models that fetches $799 at full price, which dipped down to this rate for the first time earlier in the month before these Black Friday savings. Now, you’re getting another shot at this all-time low price with $270 savings, giving you a solid commuter that sits among the mid-range models from NIU.

You can view the full lineup of NIU’s Black Friday e-scooter and e-bike deals in our original coverage here.

Anker SOLIX C300X power station charging drone and projector on rocks

Anker’s SOLIX C300X 90,000mAh portable power station + solar bundle option at new Black Friday lows from $160

As part of Amazon’s ongoing Black Friday Week Sale, and running parallel to Anker’s SOLIX Black Friday Sale, the brand’s official storefront is offering the C300X 90,000mAh Portable Power Station (misnamed on page as C200X) for $159.99 shipped. Normally going for $300 at full price, this alternate darker colorway beats out its standard grey colorway’s direct sale pricing by $40, with its Amazon pricing on that model also beaten out by the same amount. Discounts before October kept things above $189, with increased falls lower to 169 and $161 over last month and mid-way through this month, before this Black Friday deal dropped things to a new all-time low. Not only are you saving a total $140 here, but you’ll also be getting the best price tracked on the station’s 60W foldable solar panel bundle that’s down at a low of $240 shipped.

If you want to learn more about this model, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here, and be sure to also browse through Anker’s extended/expanded SOLIX Black Friday Sale in full here.

man and woman riding Lectric e-bikes
man holding Lectric e-bike battery
Aiper IrriSense smart irrigation system watering grass in yard
GOOLOO's GP4000 jump started connected to car battery

Best Fall 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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Tesla has sold ~100 cars since entering the world’s largest country in July

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November 28, 2025

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Tesla has sold ~100 cars since entering the world's largest country in July

tesla store how to test drive buy a tesla

Tesla’s much-awaited entry into the Indian market has resulted in very slow sales to start, but it may not all be bad.

We’ve covered the years-long effort of Tesla to enter the Indian auto market. There have been a lot of intentions and fits and starts, but due to protectionist schemes in the country it never made a lot of sense for Tesla to enter.

That changed this year in March, when India waived EV import duties, allowing foreign firms to bring their cars in for sale. While India does have some strong local brands in Mahindra and Tata, this opened the gates to Chinese, German, Korean and American brands – namely, Tesla.

So far, other American companies have declined to bring their EVs to India, but Tesla opened its first showroom in Mumbai, India’s most populous city and financial capital, in July of this year. It opened a larger “Tesla Center” showroom in Gurugram, outside Delhi, this week.

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So, Tesla is only getting started in India, but by all measures it has been an exceedingly slow start, according to the BBC.

Dealership data shows that Tesla has only sold “just over” 100 cars in India since July, an exceedingly low number by any measure – especially when considering the India is now the most populous country in the world, with a population of just under 1.5 billion.

Tesla’s rocky start included losing its head of Indian operations just before launching its first store, among a slew of other executive departures this year and last.

The numbers look a little less bad when comparing against EV sales in the country. While India has sold an impressive 2 million electric vehicles this year, the vast majority of them have been electric scooters.

Electric passenger cars are a much lower share at around 160k total unit sales this year so far, making up only around 3% of the passenger car market. And the majority of those are lower-cost domestic brands Mahindra and Tata or a growing section of Chinese challengers, with very few sales from overseas luxury brands.

Tesla could be included in that “luxury brand” list, largely due to the price of its imported vehicles. While the Model Y starts at $40k in the US, that price rises to 5,989,000 Rupees in India (~$67k USD). This is simply an unaffordable price for the vast majority of Indians – indeed, only around 1% of India’s auto sales are in the “luxury” category.

Further, EV infrastructure is not very well developed in the country. Tesla has one Supercharger in India, and two listed as “coming soon” in the Gurugram area. There are thousands of other charging points across India (and of course, drivers can charge overnight at home), but the number is still relatively low compared to the country’s population.

Meanwhile, other brands’ EV sales are growing well in India. The auto market as a whole has grown by about 13% this year in the developing country, but EV car sales have grown by 57% in the same period, rapidly outpacing the auto industry as a whole.

Much of that sales growth has been driven by Chinese EVs, which make up around a third of the market. That’s around ~60k Chinese EVs sold this year in India.

Even luxury German EVs from Mercedes, BMW and Audi have sold around 4,000 units so far this year, not a large number, but certainly dwarfing Tesla’s.

So while it’s tempting to look at Tesla’s poor numbers and make excuses about the size of the EV market, ability of Indians to afford luxury vehicles, or state of India’s charging network, it’s hard to compare that low ~100 sales number at any of the competition and label it as anything other than an extremely poor showing.

But, you do have to start somewhere, and the company is only a few months in. So we’ll have to see where it goes from here – though with the sales we’ve seen so far in Mumbai, entering the Delhi market is unlikely to forestall Tesla’s current global sales decline.

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