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Photos of an upgraded and rebadged Tesla Model 3 outside a Tesla store have us thinking that an unveiling of the anticipated Ludicrous upgrade to the Model 3 Performance is imminent.

Tesla recently refreshed the Model 3, and with it came several upgrades. However, one missing upgrade was the availability of a performance model, which has been absent ever since the refreshed “Highland” Model 3 hit the road.

We do know that Tesla has been working on an even-higher-performance version of the Model 3 Performance. We don’t know what it will be called, but it could go by “plaid” or “ludicrous” (both references to the movie Spaceballs, which Tesla has used to name its Model S/X high-performance versions) – though we’re leaning towards ludicrous, and think Tesla will keep plaid for its high-end Model S designation.

We’ve seen leaks in Tesla’s parts catalog showing new wheels and badging, and Tesla was spotted filming a promo for a Model 3 with a badge on the back. The badge resembles the plaid badging on the current Model S, but does look a little different, so the model could go by either designation.

We’ve also seen a few other small leaks (a stale mention in Tesla’s website code, regulatory filings in Europe and Korea) that point us towards this upgrade being in the works.

But now we have some indication that that upgrade could be happening soon, perhaps even on as unlikely a date as today, April 1.

Photos first appeared on Little Red Book, a Chinese social media app, last night showing several of the new refreshed Model 3s under wraps outside an event space, potentially in Southern California (Update: we’ve since found out it is the Tesla Malibu showroom, see below).

The many covered cars outside the event are clearly refreshed Model 3s, given the low nosecone, though we can’t see much else under the covers. But there’s one car inside that we have seen before, namely, it looks like the Model 3 from the aforementioned promo.

The vehicle under wraps inside the event space has the same color and wheels as the promo vehicle did, and the wheels match up with the leak from the parts catalog.

The photos were posted by user “Imtz,” who mostly posts photos of cars and lists their location as Los Angeles/Beijing (Tesla’s Design Studio is located in Los Angeles). The post is captioned with this (machine-translated from Chinese):

Know everything Tesla 3L

Some people are guessing when and where the new Model 3P, Model 3 Ludicrous, will be launched. It can only be said that it is closer than you think. See you on the 1st.

The real car has been seen, which is much different from the old 3p and the ordinary 3. The exterior and interior have changed. It’s still worth looking forward to.

The room for the event seems quite small compared to your typical Tesla unveiling, but does seem set up for some sort of presentation. The car in question is covered, but not with a loose sheet like in many car unveilings, rather a fitted car cover. But the mirrors haven’t been stuffed into the pockets on the car cover, perhaps to make it easier to remove the cover when the car is ready to be presented.

While we haven’t heard anything official about an upcoming Tesla event, there is actually some precedent for this. We also had no official notice of the Model 3 Highland refresh unveiling, which didn’t happen on US time and wasn’t a high-attendance/livestreamed event either.

And today is also the first day of a new quarter, right after Tesla’s traditional end-of-quarter delivery rush, and before delivery numbers get announced (which should happen in the next day or two). This could be a way to build momentum at the dawn of a new quarter, especially if those numbers aren’t up to expectations.

Update: An unwrapped Model 3 with the new badging and wheels has been spotted in Malibu, with a private event supposedly happening at the Malibu Tesla showroom tonight. Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen’s Cybertruck is also parked at the location.

Electrek’s Take

April 1st (or, in the case of Voltswagen, March 29th) is a terrible day to write the news, as everyone wants to be a comedian these days. Fake announcements abound, so we always have put our guards up now – even a few days prior (thanks VW).

This is especially true when talking about a company that refuses to do anything normal in terms of publicity. We’d love to talk to Tesla and ask them if these pics are real and if they’re planning an event, but there just isn’t a way to do that. So maybe they’re planning an event or maybe they aren’t, but if they are, then the press hasn’t been told about it.

So instead we have to read the tea leaves and try to figure out if this is real or not.

While it might be tempting to chalk this up to an April Fools joke – and that indeed is still possible – April Fools’ Day is rarely celebrated in China, and a post written in Chinese on a Chinese social media app seems like a less likely place to put an April Fools joke. So given the evidence available, we’d put this as slightly more likely than not to be real, but as today is today, you never know.

Do you think Tesla is about to unveil the new Model 3 Performance/Ludicrous/Plaid? What do you think it will be called? Let us know in the comments.

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Chevy lowers Equinox EV prices with a new 0% financing offer

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October 28, 2025

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Chevy lowers Equinox EV prices with a new 0% financing offer

Chevy-Equinox-EV-financing

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.

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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-financing
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-financing
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.


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Anker launches SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 station starting from $749, save up to $1,116 during Tenways’ early Black Friday e-bike sale, more

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4 hours ago

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October 28, 2025

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Anker launches SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 station starting from 9, save up to ,116 during Tenways' early Black Friday e-bike sale, more


Headlining today’s Green Deals is the official launch of Anker’s new SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station and bundles that start at $749 for folks who took advantage of the early-bird savings promotion, while everyone else can score them starting from $799. We also have Tenways’ Early Black Friday Sale with up to $1,116 in savings on e-bikes, as well as select 50% off Power Bank (range extender) bundle options – all starting from $1,499. From there, we have exclusive Bluetti Halloween Sale deals on the Apex 300 Versatile Power Station and bundles starting from a new $1,349 low, as well as lawncare equipment from Worx and Greenworks, first savings on VIOFO’s new A229 Ultra dash cams, and more ongoing favorites 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, like yesterday’s Aventon Level 3 Smart Commuter e-bike early Black Friday savings, EcoFlow’s latest 48-hour Halloween flash sale that ends tonight, 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.

man and woman sitting by lake with Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 power station connected to RV

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.

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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!

Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 launch deals:

If you’re looking for something more compact, you can still score Anker’s PowerCore Reserve 60,000mAh/192Wh power station down at $80 right now. There’s also the brand’s Halloween Sale that is offering up to 63% discounts on units, with camping-ready solutions starting from $398, while we’re also seeing returning low prices on the SOLIX F3000 power station and bundles starting from $1,399, as well as the F3800 Plus power station and bundles starting from $2,599.

man and woman sitting on beach at night next to Tenways CGO600 Pro e-bikes

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.

If you want to learn more about these particular e-bikes, as well as browse the full lineup of deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this Early Black Friday Sale here.

father and daughter at camping table surrounded by lights powered by Bluetti Apex 300 power station

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.

If you want to learn more about this power station series, or see the full lineup of offers, be sure to check out our original coverage of these exclusive deals here.

man converting the Worx 20V 10-inch cordless chainsaw into a pole saw

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).

If you want to learn more about this handy 2-in-1 tool, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

man mowing front lawn with Greenworks 80V 21-inch cordless self-propelled SmartCut Lawn Mower

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 signals Cybercab might actually get a steering wheel

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4 hours ago

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October 28, 2025

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Tesla signals Cybercab might actually get a steering wheel

Tesla Robotaxi

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:

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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.


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