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On top of Rivian’s big VW partnership news today, we also got a look at what some of Rivian’s future plans might include – including some vehicles that we haven’t heard anything about before.

To recap the news, VW will invest up to $5 billion into Rivian and form a joint venture giving VW access to much of Rivian’s electrical and electronic architecture expertise. This will help Rivian with much-needed liquidity as it tries to get costs down and start generating cash flow from vehicle sales, and will help VW with the software issues it has been having in ramping up its EV projects.

To explain the news, Rivian posted a shareholder letter on its website, which is mostly filled with the basic financial details that we saw earlier in press releases.

But it also includes a graphic demonstrating the scalability of Rivian’s software across its platforms, meant to show how Rivian is unifying and simplifying its vehicle control software.

And that graphic has something very interesting – some hidden vehicles that we haven’t heard anything about yet. Have a look:

The obvious ones here are the already-released vehicles, Rivian’s RCV, R1T and R1S. The R1T and R1S are then repeated in column 2, in reference to the newly-released “Gen 2” architecture. This architecture led to a big upgrade in Rivian’s EVs for this model year, cutting lots of cost and complexity.

Then, in column 3, we have the R2 and R3 which Rivian unveiled in March. These will both be built on an architecture Rivian is calling “MSP.”

But despite that we’ve seen these next-gen R1 and MSP vehicles, both columns 2 and 3 have placeholder vehicles under covers.

While these are definitely just placeholder images and could be anything, they are notably a different size/shape than each other, suggesting that the unreleased gen 2 vehicle will be larger than the MSP vehicle.

The gen 2 vehicle could be an upgraded RCV, with more simplified electronics for cost-cutting, but the silhouette doesn’t look right. However, that might be an attempt by Rivian to obfuscate the car’s form, as a van silhouette would be quite obvious.

The unreleased gen 3 vehicle, then, does look lower and smaller than the gen 2. It could indeed be the R3X, but we’ve already seen that one, so it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to put it back under a cover. That said, Rivian was a little more secretive about showing us the interior of the R3X, as compared to the amount of info it gave us about the R2, so it could be the R3X… but wouldn’t it be more fun if it wasn’t?

For one thing, it could potentially be an R2T, a more affordable and smaller truck. While we knew the R2 would come in SUV format, many assumed that Rivian might mention an R2 truck alongside the R2 SUV, given that the company started with a truck to begin with. We didn’t see an R2T at the unveiling, but maybe they’re still working on that. The silhouette under the cover doesn’t look like a truck – but again, that would be a dead giveaway, so it makes sense they’d just use a default image.

Finally, we reach the last column: “affordable mass market.” This, too, is new, and includes three separate vehicle forms. While we’ve already learned not to trust the placeholder images, note that the images are all different, suggesting that there might be a large, medium and small-size vehicle on this eventual platform.

When R2 and R3 were unveiled, many figured that the R3 would likely be lower price than the R2, which Rivian confirmed – but didn’t go any further than that to state a price range. We assumed it would probably be somewhere around the price level of the Volvo EX30 or Chevy Equinox – somewhere in the mid-30s. We figured this was the next step towards mass-market, as it would be lower in price than the R2.

Another category of “affordable mass market” vehicles suggests either that the R3 will be higher in price than we had thought, leaving room in the low-to-mid 30s for a 4th-gen platform, or it suggests that Rivian is working on a ~$25k vehicle to be in the truly affordable mass market range, among the lowest price level offered for new vehicles by most major manufacturers (and in the future dreams of EV makers, like VW’s ~$22k 2027 offering or the fabled $25k Tesla Model 2).

We also don’t know what size those vehicles will be. They may all be “crossover-like” vehicles like those Rivian currently makes and has announced (the R3 sits somewhere between crossover and hot hatch), and the vehicles under the sheets (which, again, we can’t trust) do look to have “Rivian DNA” and may just be photos of the R1, R2 and R3. But perhaps the use of 3 different vehicle sizes suggests that Rivian might be working on a sedan, a compact, a sporty small car, or something along those lines. The company’s first-ever project was a sportscar, after all.

Or maybe it’s nothing at all. We reached out to Rivian about this and were told “it just demonstrates how our software can scale across platforms.”

But if that’s the case, why not use photos of VW vehicles, or why use vehicles that are clearly Rivian-styled rather than generic lumps? Why have a covered vehicle under the Gen 2 column, which presumably wouldn’t be the architecture used by any partnerships (as MSP would likely be ready by the time this VW partnership bears fruit)? So, we still think there’s something here.

A final note is that, while we did know the R2 was coming and saw several leaks in advance of its unveiling, everyone was blindsided by the R3. Similarly, when Rivian first unveiled its R1T in 2018, it was a complete surprise to everyone despite that the automaker had been founded in 2009 and had been working in “stealth mode” since then. So, Rivian does know how to keep secrets, apparently, and your guess is as good as ours as to what’s under those covers.

What do you think Rivian is hiding? Or is it nothing at all? Let us know in the comments.

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Navee flagship ST3 Pro smart e-scooter at $684, Aiper HydroComm pool monitor $250 low, Heybike Back to School sale, more

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July 29, 2025

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Navee flagship ST3 Pro smart e-scooter at 4, Aiper HydroComm pool monitor 0 low, Heybike Back to School sale, more

Headlining today’s Green Deals is Navee’s new flagship ST3 Pro Electric Scooter that comes packed with an amazing array of features at $684 right now. We also have Aiper’s HydroComm Smart Solar Pool Monitor hitting a second-ever $250 low, as well as Heybike’s early access Back to School sale with up to $698 in e-bike savings starting from $999. We also have an 80V Greenworks mower deal, a one-day-only discount on Anker’s SOLIX C300X DC Power Station, and more waiting for you below. Plus, all the hangover savings at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Segway Xafari Red e-bike low price, the exclusive savings on a refurbished Anker SOLIX F3800 power station, 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.

Navee’s ST3 Pro electric scooter with Find My, regen brakes, and more takes you 47 miles to class at $684

By way of its official Amazon storefront, Navee is offering its new ST3 Pro Electric Scooter at $683.99 shipped, after redeeming the on-page promo code for an additional 10% savings, which beats out the direct pricing by $77. This scooter launched in March with a $1,299 MSRP that has since fallen to $950 at full price in the time since. We’ve seen discounts mostly taking the costs down to $760, though during the brand’s direct Prime Day Sale we saw extra savings take things to a $660 low. If you missed out on that low rate, you can score it at the next best price here, with a combined 28% markdown giving you $266 in total savings. Head below to learn more about this model and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming hands-on review.

Navee is really upping the ante with its new flagship ST3 Pro electric scooter that certainly stands up to many of Segway’s popular models both in performance and pricing. It’s been equipped with a 600W motor that peaks at 1,350W to better tackle up to 28% inclines while also providing faster acceleration to its max 25 MPH speeds, depending on which of its riding modes you’ve activated. The 597Wh battery gives it plenty of juice to carry you up to 46.6 miles, while the new damping arm suspension system smooths out rides on uneven pavement, as well as bumpy off-road terrain. The inclusion of an eABs brake (along with hydraulic and drum brakes) not only guarantees stopping power, but the regenerative capabilities help to extend travel times with recycled momentum up to its impressive maximum.

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It comes packed with quality features that you’d expect in a higher-priced model, including Apple Find My integration so you always know where your scooter is and can track it down in case of theft, though they’ll also have to get through the proximity locking features too, making it quite a secure ride. Your fun won’t be stopped prematurely thanks to the self-healing tires, and riding at night is all the safer thanks to the ambient lighting located under the footboard that sports 15 different modes. There’s plenty more too, like the traction control system, auto-on headlight, a taillight with brake lighting functionality, integrated turn signals in the handlebars, and much more.

Aiper HydroComm smart pool monitor floating in pool surrounded by bubbles

Streamline your pool testing with Aiper’s HydroComm smart 5-in-1 monitor at a second-ever $250 low

Through its official Amazon storefront, Aiper is offering its HydroComm Smart Pool Monitor at $249.99 shipped in both colorways, beating out its direct website pricing by $30. This newer device has only been on the market since mid-April when it launched at $300 before rising to its $500 full price tag, though lately, the MSRP has dropped to $400. Discounts at Amazon have mostly kept prices between $340 and $400 in the time since it launched, with Prime Day giving us the first drop to $250, which is coming back around for a second time here while the savings last. Taking advantage of this deal gives you Prime Day pricing once more, cutting $150 off the going rate for the best price we have tracked.

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

man and woman riding down street on Heybike Ranger and Mars 2.0 e-bikes

Heybike’s early access Back to School sale takes $500 off e-bikes with up to $198 in free gear starting from $999

Heybike has launched an early access Back to School sale that will run through August 4 with up to $500 discounts across its e-bike lineup. One of the most popular models that makes a perfect companion for students on campus is the brand’s Mars 2.0 Fat-Tire Folding e-bike that is down at $999 shipped during this event and comes with a free front basket and rear large basket ($198 value). While it carries a $1,499 full price tag, discounts often see it down at this same rate during sales, with it only beaten out by the short-term $900 rate we saw from Best Buy earlier in the month and the $899 low that occasionally pops up in flash events. You’ll be saving $500 off the bike and $698 in total with the free gear, with the option to even upgrade to a more powerful motor for $100 more.

If you want to learn more about this model or the other Back to School deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

man mowing yard with Greenworks 80V 21-inch cordless push lawn mower

This 80V 21-inch Greenworks cordless mower brings 4-in-1 functionality for up to half an acre at $365

Amazon is offering the Greenworks 80V 21-inch Cordless Push Lawn Mower with 4.0Ah battery and rapid charger for $365.18 shipped, which beats out the brand’s direct website pricing by $33. Normally, you’d be paying $500 for this package at full price, with discounts in 2025 mostly keeping things between $380 and $400, though we have seen it go as low as $360 occasionally, which was last seen during Prime Day. You’re looking at the next best price here while the savings last, giving you a $135 markdown off the going rate while also upgrading your lawn care routine with a more environmentally friendly solution.

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

man and woman laying in tent illuminated by Anker SOLIX C300 DC power station

For the rest of the day you can get Anker’s SOLIX C300X DC LiFePO4 power station at $180

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Anker SOLIX C300X DC Portable Power Station at $179.99 shipped, with the grey model matching at Amazon while it’s sitting full price directly from the brand’s website. While this model carries a $250 price tag directly from Anker, it’s more often seen at $200 at both Best Buy and Amazon, with discounts dropping costs in 2025 between $180 and $150, while things went lowest to $140 back during Christmas sales. You’re looking at a 28% markdown that will only last through the rest of the day, giving you $70 in total savings off the MSRP at the fourth-lowest price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this compact backup power solution, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

Best Summer 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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Trump’s EU trade deal is based on massive energy purchases that are unlikely to materialize, analysts say

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July 29, 2025

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Trump's EU trade deal is based on massive energy purchases that are unlikely to materialize, analysts say

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on, during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (not pictured), after an announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

President Donald Trump’s massive energy deal with the European Union will be difficult to implement, setting Washington and Brussels up for a potential future confrontation over tariffs and trade.

The EU has agreed to purchase $750 billion of U.S. energy and invest $600 billion in the U.S. by 2028, according to the White House. In exchange, Trump has agreed to a tariff of 15% on EU goods excluding steel and aluminum, which is half the 30% rate that he had threatened.

But the $600 billion investment in the U.S. is not binding on EU member states or companies. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive body, simply said that companies “have expressed interest in investing at least” that amount in the U.S by 2029.

The massive energy purchases in the deal are unrealistic due to market and political constraints, analysts said. The EU cannot force member states and companies to buy U.S. energy just as the Trump administration cannot force producers to sell to Europe, said Mathieu Utting, an analyst at Rystad Energy.

“This is non-binding. It’s a pledge,” said Erik Brattberg, an expert on Europe at the Atlantic Council, a think-tank with a focus on international affairs. “The EU itself doesn’t buy energy. It would be member states or companies from member states.”

A White House official told CNBC on Tuesday that Trump expects the EU to abide by its commitments under the deal.

“That is what the EU agreed to purchase,” the official said. “The President reserves the right to adjust tariff rates if any party reneges.”

The energy purchases are divided into $250 billion annual installments over the rest of Trump’s term, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters Sunday. The EU is pledging significant purchases U.S. oil, liquified natural gas (LNG) and nuclear fuel to replace Russian fossil fuels, von der Leyen said.

But it is unclear how much EU member states and companies intend to buy of each fuel type. “Details have to be sorted out and that will happen over the next weeks,” von der Leyen told reporters.

Tripling U.S. exports unrealistic

EU member states bought about $80 billion U.S. oil, liquified natural gas, liquified petroleum gas and coal from the U.S. in 2024, according to data from Kpler. The bloc would have to triple its purchases of U.S. energy to meet the $250 billion annual purchase target laid out in the agreement.

“If this deal were to be realized, we’d be talking about the United States providing the lion’s share of European energy imports,” Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told CNBC on Monday. EU energy imports totaled $433 billion in 2024, according to Eurostat.

Increasing U.S. oil exports to the EU is difficult because production is flat and will likely decline in the coming months, said Svetlana Tretyakova, an oil analyst at Rystad.

U.S. companies would have to reroute exports from customers in Asia and Latin America to the EU, Tretyakova said. Importing more oil also does not align with the EU’s climate goals and the continent’s refining capacity is declining, she said.

Surging LNG exports is also tough, Utting said. U.S. terminals always run at full capacity so there isn’t slack capacity to increase shipments to the EU right now, he said. As in the case with oil, LNG would have to be diverted from other customers to Europe, he said.

More LNG capacity is coming online over the next two years that could be exported to Europe, he said. But the EU already receives more than half its imports from the U.S., Utting said.

“It’s very unrealistic that Europe would import exclusively from the U.S.,” he said. “They will want to diversify to some extent.”

While the headline $750 billion figure is unrealistic, the EU is showing that it is serious about expanding its energy trade with the U.S., said Alex Munton, director of global gas and LNG research at Rapidan Energy.

The EU was already planning to eliminate what remains of Russian LNG and pipeline gas imports to the bloc by 2028. This will create a supply gap of 25 million metric tons per year that the U.S. is perfectly positioned to fill, Munton said.

“The interests line up, they go hand in hand,” he said. “That’s why it’s essentially a convenient deal.”

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This $10,000 EV outsold the BYD Seagull and Tesla Model Y in China

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July 29, 2025

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This ,000 EV outsold the BYD Seagull and Tesla Model Y in China

$10,000-EV-outsold-BYD-Tesla

The best-selling vehicle in China, EV or gas-powered, in the first half of 2025 was not the BYD Seagull or Tesla Model Y. It was actually the Geely Xingyuan. AKA the “Star Wish,” Geely’s EV topped the sales charts with prices starting under $10,000 in China.

Geely’s $10,000 EV outsells BYD and Tesla in China

BYD’s smallest EV, the Seagull, went back and forth with the Tesla Model Y for the title of most popular electric vehicle in China last year.

Through the first half of 2025, there’s a new leader at the top spot. According to Chinese media outlet Yiche, the Geely Geome Xingyuan was the best-selling EV in China through H1 2025, dethroning the BYD Segaull and Tesla Model Y.

Geely sold nearly 205,000 Xingyuan models in China through June. The BYD Seagull was second with 174,912 units sold, followed by the Tesla Model Y in third at 171,491.

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The Geely Xingyuan EV starts at 69,800 yuan in China, or just under $10,000. It’s available with two CATL-made LFP battery packs: 30.12 kWh or 40.16 kWh. The former is suitable for a CLTC range of 310 km (192 miles), while the latter is rated for 410 km (255 miles).

10,000-EV-BYD-Tesla
Best-selling vehicles in China in the first half of 2025 (Source: Yiche)

Although it was beaten out by Geely’s Star Wish, the BYD Seagull still put up impressive numbers, selling nearly 30,000 units per month.

To keep pace, BYD slashed prices (again) earlier this year to just 55,800 yuan ($7,800). The Seagull is typically priced from 69,800 yuan ($9,700), which is the same as the Xingyuan.

$10,000-EV-outsold-BYD-Tesla
BYD Seagull EV (sold as the Dolphin Mini and Dolphin Surf overseas) Source: BYD

The Wuling Hongguan MINI EV (171,046) and BYD Qin PLUS (163,603) rounded out the top five. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi SU7 is quickly climbing the charts with over 155,000 units sold, ranking sixth. Despite limited production capacity, monthly SU7 sales have now averaged over 20,000 since October.

$10,000-EV-outsold-BYD-Tesla
Xiaomi SU7 (Source: Xiaomi)

Tesla’s Model Y remained the top-selling premium EV in China in the first half of the year, but Xiaomi’s SU7 is quickly closing in.

Where will the rankings end up by the end of the year? It’s shaping up to be a close race in the world’s largest EV market. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Yiche

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