A general view of the BP logo and petrol station forecourt sign on January 22, 2024 in Southend, United Kingdom.
John Keeble | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The husband of a former BP merger and acquisitions manager pleaded guilty to securities fraud related to insider trading by eavesdropping on his wife’s work calls while she was handling a potential acquisition of TravelCenters of America, a fuel and truck stop operator.
Tyler Loudon, a Houston resident, earned $1.76 million with the illicit trades based on nonpublic knowledge of the possible acquisition at his wife’s company, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani in the Southern District of Texas. Loudon, due to be sentenced May 17, faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit the $1.76 million of illegal profits.
Separately, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against Loudon related to the same conduct, which he did not contest.
“Mr. Loudon made a terrible mistake in judgment for which he has taken full responsibility,” Loudon’s lawyer, Peter Zeidenberg, told CNBC.
Authorities said that Loudon in 2022 learned of BP’s confidential plans to acquire TravelCenters in 2022 while working remotely in earshot of his wife, as many couples were due to pandemic-era work-from-home policies.
In December 2022, Loudon secretly listened to his wife’s private work calls discussing BP’s acquisition of TravelCenters while they were working remotely in a small Airbnb during a trip to Rome, according to the SEC’s civil complaint filed in Houston federal court.
After Rome, the couple continued to remotely work “in close quarters,” according to the SEC, noting that their home offices were within “20 feet of each other.”
The SEC said that Loudon’s wife acknowledged occasionally discussing the acquisition with her husband in “normal” married-couple types of conversations.
But over the next few months, Loudon, without telling his wife, accumulated 46,450 shares of TravelCenters, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
To buy the TravelCenters shares, the SEC noted, Loudon sold all the positions in his brokerage account and Roth IRA, along with other equities, all amounting to over $2 million.
On Feb. 16, 2023, when TravelCenters announced the BP acquisition, triggering its 71% stock jump, Loudon sold all of his shares of the company, profiting $1.76 million, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
But in March, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority requested from BP a list of people who were “in the know” about the TravelCenters acquisition before it happened. A former BP employee who had worked on the acquisition then contacted Loudon’s wife, complaining about having to disclose her address and other personal details to comply with FINRA.
When Loudon’s wife told him about this conversation with the former employee, he asked her “if current employees would receive the same scrutiny,” the SEC complaint detailed. “Loudon’s wife responded that they would.”
A week later, Loudon admitted to his wife that he had illegally traded the TravelCenter shares “to make enough money so that she did not have to work long hours anymore,” according to the SEC.
Loudon’s wife reported her husband’s insider trading to her BP supervisor but she was later fired from the company. She filed to divorce Loudon in June, according to the SEC complaint.
GM’s most affordable electric SUV just got a bit cheaper. Chevy introduced a new 0% financing offer on the 2026 Equinox EV, knocking about $4,000 off the price.
2026 Chevy Equinox EV financing offers
The electric Chevy Equinox is already one of the most affordable EVs you can get your hands on, with starting prices under $35,000.
Although the 2026 Chevy Equinox EV starts at $36,495, $1,500 more than the 2025 model year, Chevy is making up for it with its latest promo.
Chevy introduced a new 0% financing offer for 60 months on all 2026 Chevy Equinox EV trims last Friday. That’s a drastically lower rate than the previous 3.9% APR it was offering. According to online auto research firm CarsDirect, the rate cut could save you about $4,000 on a $40,000 loan.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
For comparison, Tesla is advertising a 3.99% APR financing rate for the Model Y Standard, which starts at $39,990.
You might even be able to finance the $44,000 RS trim for less than the Model Y. The sporty trim offers an upgraded design with 21″ black wheels, a blacked-out grille, and other RS-exclusive features.
Chevy Equinox EV RS (Photo: Chevrolet)
GM also extended the $1,250 conquest bonus to the 2026 Equinox EV. It’s available for those who own or lease a non-GM vehicle that’s at least a 2011 model year.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV starts at $36,495 with up to 319 miles of range, including a $1,395 destination fee. You can upgrade to AWD for an extra $5,300. The AWD variants offer up to 307 miles of range.
Chevy Equinox EV RS interior (Source: Chevrolet)
All 2025 model year Chevy electric vehicles, including the Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado, are available with 0% financing for 60 months.
Chevy Equinox EV trim
2025 Starting Price
2026 Starting Price
EPA-estimated Range
LT 1 FWD
$34,995
$36,495
319 miles
LT 1 AWD
$38,295
$39,795
307 miles
LT 2 FWD
$43,295
$43,295
319 miles
LT 2 AWD
$46,595
$46,595
307 miles
RS FWD
$44,795
$45,595
319 miles
RS AWD
$48,095
$48,895
307 miles
2025 and 2026 Chevy Equinox EV price and range by trim (Including $1,395 destination fee)
You can also score a $3,000 Customer Cash bonus on the 2025 Chevy Equinox EV, plus the $1,250 conquest offer. The 2025 Chevy Blazer EV is available with $3,500 in Customer Cash and a $1,250 conquest bonus.
With an affordable price and over 300 miles of driving range, the electric Chevy Equinox has become the third-most-popular EV in the US, trailing just the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
Want to check out Chevy’s electric vehicles for yourself? You can use our links below to find Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs at a dealership near you.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Anker officially launches new SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 power station and bundles with up to 50% savings from $749
Anker has officially launched its new SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station with up to $1,100 savings, unless you subscribed ahead of time to receive the code that allows for additional savings from the brand’s direct website. For folks who missed out on the early-bird deals, you can pick up the power station on its own for $799 shipped, which is also matching in price over at Amazon. It will normally fetch $1,499 at full price once these launch deals end, with the folks who subscribed and scored the code ahead of time getting an additional $50 off the price for $749 shipped. These are the very first savings of $700 and $750 off the going rate, setting the bar for future deals. Head below to learn more about this station’s capabilities, as well as get the full lineup of bundle deals we’re seeing both from the brand’s website and Amazon.
Coming as a remodeling of the legacy F2000 model, Anker’s new SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 power station brings more power and faster charging within a smaller and lighter form factor. It’s base LiFePO4 battery capacity starts at 2,048Wh and can be expanded up to 4,096Wh with the expansion battery bundle below. Through its 11 output ports (five ACs, one TT-30R RV port, three USB-Cs, one USB-A, and a car port) it delivers up to 2,400W of power that can surge up to 4,000W, which beats out its predecessor by 400W.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
Anker’s SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 comes with six primary recharging methods, including an AC outlet (88 minutes for 100%), a gas generator (88 minutes for 100%), up to 800W of solar input (three hours for 100%), using both AC and solar simultaneously (58 minutes for 100%), your car’s auxiliary port (23 hours for 100%), or with the brand’s new 800W alternator charger.
***Note: The prices below do not factor in the early-bird savings code you should have received by subscribing ahead of this launch, so be sure to use it at checkout for even lower rates!
Get up to $1,116 early Black Friday savings on Tenways e-bike bundles starting from $1,499
Tenways has launched its Early Black Friday Sale, with up to $600 in savings on e-bikes alongside 50% off accessories, including the ongoing $1,116 savings on the AGO X All-Terrain Mid-Drive e-bike that gets a FREE Power Bank (range extender). Among the other deals we’re seeing, you can find Tenways’ CGO600 Pro Lightweight Commuter e-bike (both the chain and belt drives) with $118 in FREE add-on gear at $1,499 shipped – plus, you can add on a Power Bank (range extender) at 50% off on the page. Normally going for $1,899 in full, we’ve mostly been seeing the price taken down to $1,599 since March due to tariff hikes, with occasional falls lower to $1,499 for short timeframes. While we have seen it go lower in the past pre-tariff market, the deal here is a solid $400 price cut lending to a total $518 in savings ($672 if you add the Power Bank) that is the best price we’ve seen in our post-tariff market. You can also score an additional $150 off when buying two e-bikes together, with the usual medical provider, first responder, teacher, or military member discounts available too.
Bluetti offers up to 47% exclusive Halloween savings on its Apex 300 series starting from new $1,349 low
As part of its newly launched Halloween Sale, and running parallel to the ongoing exclusive Pioneer Na(Sodium) power station launch savings, we are seeing lower-than-ever pricing on the brand’s Apex 300 Versatile Power Station and its bundles. Prices start from $1,349.10 shipped for the power station alone, after using the exclusive code 9TO5TOYS10F at checkout(and which only works for this series). It’s been carrying a $2,399 MSRP since releasing in May, though we’ve regularly had exclusive deals for our readers that take significantly more off the tag. We spotted this station previously dropping down the lowest three weeks ago during Prime Day, when it hit $1,394, but that rate is beaten out here by $45, giving you a total $1,050 savings at the best price we have tracked.
Worx’s 20V 10-inch cordless chainsaw gains extended reach with the pole attachment for $130
Amazon is offering the versatile Worx 20V 10-inch Cordless PowerShare Pole/Chainsaw Kit at $129.99 shipped. While it carries a $190 MSRP directly from the brand, it’s been keeping to $158 at full price here, with discounts mostly dropping costs between $140 and $130, though we did spy a one-time drop to $102 back in February. Aside from the early-year deal, you’re getting the next-best price that we have tracked over 2025, with $28 cut from Amazon’s going rate (and $60 off the MSRP).
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.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Tesla’s chairwoman said that the automaker might redesign the Cybercab, specifically add a steering wheel and pedals.
Last year, Tesla unveiled the Cybercab, a two-seater electric car without a steering wheel or pedals.
Musk was quoted during the design of the Cybercab:
No mirrors, no pedals, no steering wheel. Let me be clear. This vehicle must be designed as a clean robotaxi. We’re going to take that risk…But we are not going to design some sort of amphibian frog that’s a halfway car. We are all in on autonomy.
Here’s the interior of the Tesla Cybercab:
Advertisement – scroll for more content
The vehicle was one of several new, cheaper electric vehicles that Tesla was developing for its new ‘unboxed’ platform, but CEO Elon Musk canceled the others, believing they wouldn’t be needed with the advent of autonomous driving.
However, Tesla has yet to solve unsupervised autonomous driving, and Musk has been consistently wrong about predicting when it will happen.
Tesla plans to bring the Cybercab to production in 2026, and during Tesla’s earnings call last week, Musk said the Cybercab will account for the bulk of Tesla’s upcoming production growth.
That’s not going to happen if Tesla hasn’t solved unsupervised self-driving.
Furthermore, while federal regulations for self-driving vehicles have been relaxed recently, there’s only an exemption available for 2,500 passenger vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals per manufacturer per year.
Now, Tesla chairwoman Robin Denholm said in an interview with Bloomberg today that Tesla plans to add a steering wheel and pedals to the Cybercab if needed:
“If we have to have a steering wheel, it can have a steering wheel and pedals.”
Tesla is currently setting up Cybercab production at Gigafactory Texas near Austin.
The automaker has framed the vehicle as a cheaper alternative to Model Y for its Robotaxi service.
Electrek’s Take
Just yesterday, I was talking to my friend Bastien, and he called it. He told me he bets Tesla does launch the Cybercab next year, but with a steering wheel and pedals.
Now, let’s be clear. As of today, Tesla’s need for a steering wheel and pedals in the Cybercab is not driven by regulators, as Denholm suggests.
Tesla hasn’t solved unsupervised self-driving as evidenced by the current version of ‘Full Self-Driving (Supervised)’ in consumer vehicles, and its Robotaxi service still has safety monitors.
If Tesla wants to produce and deliver the Cybercab in any significant volume, it would need a steering wheel.
The regulations are just an excuse as of now.
It could change in the future, but for now, Tesla’s technology is without a doubt the limiting factor.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.