Connect with us

Published

1 year ago

on

Happy July friends! We’re kicking off the month alongside this week’s Green Deals with Lectric’s 4th of July sale that is taking up to $405 off e-bike bundles, with the biggest savings happening on the XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bikes at $1,199. This official sale is joined by an unofficial one from ALLPOWERS that is taking up to $1,300 off select power stations, bundles, and accessories starting from $79. And bringing up the rear is a 1-day discount on the Worx 20V PowerShare 10-inch Cordless Electric Chainsaw for $109. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals that are still alive and well.

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.

Lectric 4th of July sale takes up to $405 off the best-selling XP 3.0 e-bike bundles and more

If you missed out on the previous Lectric sales, don’t worry, cause the company has just launched its 4th of July sale that is taking up to $405 off its lineup of e-bike bundles. The biggest discounts this time around are on the XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bike for $1,199 shipped along with $405 in free accessories. As is the norm with Lectric EV sales, this brand’s models are keeping to their MSRPs, with the savings being on the bundle packages that come along with your purchase. We’ve seen bigger bundles offered for this model in the past, often during major holiday sales, but today’s deal still comes in as a solid and affordable commuter solution with a larger-than-normal giant cushioned saddle that is better supported by the coiled spring suspension, an Elite 850 lux headlight, a front cargo rack, and both small and large baskets. The XP 3.0 models were also named the third best-selling EV in America last month, coming in behind Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3. You can learn more about this e-bike below, or by reading through our hands-on review.

Lectric’s XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bikes come in three options: the standard black model, the black step-thru model, and a white step-thru model. All three come stocked with the same 500W hub-motor (peaking at 1,000W) alongside a long-range internal 48V battery that lets it hit speeds up to 20 MPH for 30 miles using only the throttle, or it can hit 28 MPH for up to 65 miles when utilizing the pedal assist modes – now supported by the company’s new Pedal Assist Wattage Regulation (PWR) Programming that you can learn more about here. You’ll also enjoy built-in features like the hydraulic disc brakes, an integrated rear cargo rack, puncture-resistant tires, a headlamp and taillight combination for safer riding at night, an LCD display with water and dust resistance ratings, and a foldable body for effortless storage.

XPeak Off-Road e-bikes with $315 in free accessories

XP 3.0 Standard e-bikes with $228 in free accessories

XPedition Cargo e-bikes with $187 and $306 in free accessories

Other Lectric 4th of July e-bike discounts

Lectric pre-order discounts

Be sure to also check out Lectric’s latest upcoming model, the new XP Lite 2.0 e-bike that will begin shipping sometime in the coming weeks of July.

ALLPOWERS R1500 Portable Power Station within post for Lectric 4th of July sale with XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bike

ALLPOWERS has some featured discounts taking up to $1,300 off a selection of its power stations, solar generator bundles, and accessories. A notable addition to these discounts is the R1500 Portable Power Station that has dropped down to $499 shipped. Normally fetching $899, this unit first dropped to $499 back in February, with March bringing costs down further to the short-lived $409 low, before it shot back to its MSRP. For the last three months its been bouncing between $600 and $499, with the most recent Father’s Day sale skipping over it entirely. Today it returns as a 44% markdown that gives you a solid $400 in savings and returns it to the second-lowest price we have tracked – $90 above the all-time low. There’s three good bundle options too – you can get the power station with a 100W solar panel for an additional $100, the power station with a 200W solar panel for $200 more, or bump it all the way up to a 600W solar panel combo for $1,148, down from $1,599.

The R1500 power station has been upgraded to new LiFePO4 batteries, giving you 1,152Wh of capacity alongside 1,800W of power output (3,000W peak). You’ll have 11 versatile ports (four ACs, two USB-As, two USB-Cs, two wireless chargers on top, and a car port) for your device charging needs at home or out and about in the world – plus, full smart controls for monitoring and adjusting settings via the ALLPOWERS app. You’ll be able to get a full recharge with a standard outlet in just one hour, or in just two hours with 650W of solar input – meaning the 600W panel combo will likely take a little over two hours to refill the battery.

Worx 20V PowerShare 10-inch cordless electric chainsaw within post for Lectric 4th of July sale with XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bike

Worx 20V PowerShare 10-inch Cordless Electric Chainsaw now $109 in one-day Best Buy sale

Courtesy of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Worx 20V PowerShare 10-inch Cordless Electric Chainsaw for $109 shipped through the end of the day. Usually going for $150, we saw it fall to its lowest $94 price during last year’s Christmas sales, before rising back and keeping above $129 with less frequent and more sporadic discounts. In 2024, we’ve seen a few drops to $99 over the months, but nothing much else below $112. Today’s deal comes in as a 27% markdown that is giving you $41 in savings and dropping costs to the fourth-lowest price we have tracked – just $15 above the all-time low from Christmas. It also currently matches the price over at Amazon too.

Weighing only 6.2 pounds and equipped with a 10-inch bar and chain, this compact chainsaw puts far less strain on your arms while working – equal to holding a 2L soda. It features an automatic oiler to ensure the chain remains operating at peak efficiency, and a tension control knob allows you to adjust the chain’s tension tool-free, while it simultaneously prevents the chain from over-tightening. The 2.0Ah battery is compatible across the WORX PowerShare ecosystem, allowing you to interchange batteries between 20V, 40V, and 80V cordless tools. It even has a battery indicator that tells you at a glance how much juice is left for the tasks at hand. Also includes charger and sheath with purchase.

And after having a 1-day sale of its own last week, Best Buy is now offering a longer-term deal on the Worx 20V PowerShare 10-inch Cordless Pole/Chainsaw for $139, down from $170, which is also matched over at Amazon as well. With this combo, you’ll be getting the above chainsaw along with a pole arm to convert it into a high-reaching cordless polesaw when your tree’s branches need trimming. In this form, its 6.2-pound body bumps up to only 10 pounds, plus you get the extra 12 inches of extension for a more versatile tool.

Summer e-bike deals!

Bluetti 3-part Prime Day sale within post for Lectric 4th of July sale with XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bike

Other 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.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Environment

Oil giant BP quietly steps out of the takeover spotlight

Published

5 hours ago

on

September 25, 2025

By

Oil giant BP quietly steps out of the takeover spotlight

British oil and gasoline company BP (British Petroleum) signage is being pictured in Warsaw, Poland, on July 29, 2024.

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Five months ago, British energy major BP was firmly in the spotlight as a prime takeover candidate. Now, not so much.

Shares of the London-listed oil giant have climbed more than 32% since early April, outperforming many of its U.S. and European rivals.

The improving sentiment can be attributed to a range of factors, including BP’s fundamental strategic reset, a leadership shake-up, progress on its cost-cutting program and a string of recent oil discoveries.

It marks a stark contrast to earlier in the year, when BP found itself to be the subject of intense takeover speculation, with British rival Shell, UAE oil giant ADNOC and U.S. majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron all among the names touted as possible suitors.

BP CEO Murray Auchincloss insisted the company was focused on growth when asked about any approaches, saying last month: “That’s what is going to drive the share price up for shareholders.”

Shell, for its part, swiftly denied reports in late June that early-stage talks were taking place to acquire BP. The company said at the time that it had “no intention” of making a blockbuster offer for its embattled rival.

Allen Good, equity analyst at Morningstar, said he was unsure of the merit of the takeover speculation from the outset, even while the company was in turmoil and trading at a steep discount to its peers.

“Shares have since done better,” Good told CNBC. “And I think probably the most recent catalyst was the selection of the new chair, who is coming from CRH and has previous experience with meaningful turnarounds and being successful.”

Stock Chart IconStock chart icon

hide content

Shares of BP since April 11.

Following a green strategy U-turn earlier in the year, BP announced in July the appointment of Albert Manifold as its new chairman. The former boss of building materials producer CRH has since joined the firm’s board and will formally become chair from Oct. 1.

A BP spokesperson was not immediately available to comment when contacted by CNBC.

Oil discoveries and Elliott’s arrival

BP’s share price gain has coincided with some notable rating and price target upgrades. Berenberg, for instance, recently upgraded BP to buy from hold and raised its price target to £5.00 ($6.73), from £3.85, citing the firm’s significantly stronger second-quarter results.

In early August, BP reported underlying replacement cost profit, used as a proxy for net profit, of $2.35 billion for the three months through June — comfortably beating analyst expectations of $1.81 billion, according to an LSEG-compiled consensus.

Speaking to CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” shortly after these results, BP’s Auchincloss highlighted the growth potential of the company’s recent oil and gas discoveries, adding that he was “very optimistic” about the discovery in the Bumerangue block in Brazil’s Santos Basin, just over 400 kilometers (248.5 miles) from Rio de Janeiro.

The discovery marked the firm’s 10th since the start of the year and is regarded as a potentially significant boost as BP continues to double down on hydrocarbons.

We’re focused on growing cash flows, BP CEO says, amid takeover rumors

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said BP’s resilience in the face of skepticism “is interesting and can be a telling sign,” particularly as the share price rise comes despite what he described as “relentlessly negative commentary” on both the company and the oil price.

“Elliott’s arrival on the share register remains a factor, too, as the activist presses for disposals, improved cash flow, deleveraging and improved cash returns to shareholders, a clarion call to which BP appears to be listening,” Mould told CNBC by email.

Activist investor Elliott went public with a stake of more than 5% in BP in late April, bolstering expectations that its involvement could pressure the company to shift back toward its core oil and gas businesses.

A fuel pump is seen connected to a car at a gas station in Krakow, Poland on June 19, 2025.

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Given Shell’s reported interest in a takeover appears to have cooled, Mould said BP’s best defense to any potential suitors would be a higher share price and an improved valuation.

“Valuation, or the price paid, is the ultimate arbiter of investment return and the more they have to stump up, the less likely predators are to appear, as higher valuations limit upside potential and increase downside risks should anything unexpected go wrong,” Mould said.

Debt burden

Looking ahead, energy analysts singled out BP’s relatively high debt burden as a potential cause for concern, however.

BP’s net debt came in at $26.04 billion at the end of the second quarter, down from nearly $27 billion in the first three months of the year.

“If you get a situation where oil prices start falling, then they are certainly the most exposed in the peer group,” Morningstar’s Good said. “So, that would be something that could derail this momentum.”

Continue Reading

Environment

French startup promises more EVs, fewer mines by pulling metals from DAISIES

Published

5 hours ago

on

September 25, 2025

By

French startup promises more EVs, fewer mines by pulling metals from DAISIES

Instead of conflict mining, this startup extracts nickel from daisies: 'Especially helpful for electric vehicles'

Government researchers in the US and abroad believe we could help decarbonize and electrify the transportation sector with hardy, fast-growing plants that collect the metals needed to manufacture electric vehicle batteries in their roots, then harvest those metals later with a process that’s cleaner and cheaper than traditional mineral mining.

Nickel is just one example of a critical element in the production of modern EV batteries, but mining it is messy, expensive, and destructive. It used to be, anyway – a new French biotech startup says it has a better idea: extracting nickel from daisies.

Getting nickel and other useful metals from plants is made possible through a process called phytomining. But, as you’ve probably guessed, everyday plants don’t collect enough of these metals to make the extraction commercially viable. That’s where a French biotech startup called “Genomines” comes in.

Genomine’s relies on biologically engineered plants it calls “hyperaccumulators.” These plants naturally pull metals and minerals out from the soil they’re planted in through their roots, and store it in their stems and leaves, where Genomine can harvest it later.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

“It’s important because we need a lot of metal, especially for the energy transition in batteries in electric vehicles,” Fabien Koutchekian, co-founder and CEO of Genomines, told Fast Company. “Not only in batteries, but [nickel is] widely used in stainless steel as part of infrastructure. The problem is that with current traditional mining methods, we will not be able to produce enough.”

Genomines predicts that hitting the 2040 goals set out by the Paris Agreement to transition all the world’s cars to electric vehicles will require six (6) times today’s global metal output and a significant number of new, potentially destructive mining operations.

That’s bad.

More farms, fewer mines

Bioengineered daisies extract twice as much nickel as before; via Genomines.

Not only are mining operations generally destructive, they often accompany (if not cause) a number of human rights issues as they get to work. “Indigenous Peoples and rural communities are paying a heavy price for the world’s scramble for energy transition minerals,” explains Veronica Cabe, Chair of Amnesty International, Philippines. “Not only did these communities undergo seriously flawed consultation processes – blighted by misrepresentations and a lack of information – they are now being forced to endure the negative impacts of these mining operations on their health, livelihoods and access to clean water.”

Genomines thinks its high-performance custom daisies could avoid this sort of environmental and cultural harm. They’ve convinced investors of that, too, to the tune of more than $45 million from a group that includes Hyundai and Jaguar and Land Rover parent company Tata.

“Our mission is to harness plant biotechnology to extract resources essential for clean energy technology via scalable processes that preserve biodiversity, soil health and human well-being,” explains Koutchekian. “Our vision is to create an entirely new industry of plant-based metals. Genomines unlocks a scalable new resource base – we can fundamentally rebalance global mineral supply chains for decades to come.”

Genomines says its methods are not only scalable, but offer a number of additional benefits over conventional mineral mining:

  • Transformation of non-productive land into economic assets, operating in areas that are too low-grade to mine traditionally, but too metal rich to farm
  • Quickly deployable farms, operationalizing an asset in 1-2 years versus 12-17 years for traditional nickel mines
  • Cleaner more traceable extraction, while maintaining 40-50% lower equipment and operational costs as a result of biomass farming
  • Scalable modularly, deploying smaller, capital-efficient assets at profitable rates, rather than relying on the large, capex-intensive mines of traditional industry
  • Superior sustainability, the hyperaccumulator plants capture carbon as they grow, making the entire process not just carbon neutral, but potentially carbon negative

“Genomines’ technology leverages underutilized assets by extracting nickel from low-concentration soils that don’t compete with traditional agriculture. Coupled with a structural cost advantage, Genomines is well equipped to fundamentally change the way we extract critical metals, and do it in a significantly more sustainable manner,” says Alex Hoffmann, General Partner at VC firm Forbion and Genomines investor. “We are excited to be part of the journey and support the team to achieve its ambitious targets.”

Genomines estimates that about 30 to 40 million hectares of land across the globe contain enough nickel for their phytomining processes to prove enough nickel for the world’s EV needs, at 7-14 times the amount currently being mined. While it’s got a long way to go, the company currently employs 23 full time staff that are making real progress at their South African site, with many more soon to come.

That’s good.

SOURCES: Genomines; via Business Insider, Good Good Good, SingularityHub.

If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.


Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google
Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

The US’s first grid-scale sodium-ion battery is now online

Published

6 hours ago

on

September 25, 2025

By

The US’s first grid-scale sodium-ion battery is now online

Peak Energy sodium-ion battery
Photo: Peak Energy

Peak Energy just switched on a 3.5 MWh sodium-ion battery, the largest energy storage project developed in the US. The system is the first of its kind at grid scale, and may eventually be a game-changer for delivering affordable energy in the US.

Sodium-ion batteries work well in hot or cold weather without auxiliary cooling systems. That makes them cheaper and easier to maintain, especially for utility-scale projects. They also use more abundant materials. The US holds the world’s largest soda ash reserves, a key sodium-ion ingredient, and the whole raw material supply chain can be sourced domestically or from allied countries.

The Burlingame, California-based energy storage company’s technology is designed to slash lifetime project costs, which could make a real difference as electric bills keep rising nationwide. With US household energy costs projected to climb as much as 18% in the next few years, utilities are looking for cheaper ways to meet demand. Peak Energy’s design eliminates active cooling, reduces moving parts, and cuts battery degradation by 33% over a 20-year lifespan — saving more than $100 million over a project’s lifetime.

“Storage is critical to solving America’s dual energy crises of affordability and availability,” said Landon Mossburg, Peak Energy’s CEO and cofounder. “With the lowest operating cost of any storage system in the market today, Peak Energy is proud to have developed a ready-to-deploy answer to energy affordability.”

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Peak Energy’s sodium-ion phosphate pyrophosphate (NFPP) battery storage system was unveiled in July and is now running at the Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTac) in Watkins, Colorado. It’s being operated in partnership with nine utilities and independent power producers, which makes it the US’s largest energy storage project. Peak Energy will gather real-world data on the battery’s performance and share it across participating utilities. Commercial-scale projects are expected to launch in 2027.

The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.


Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google
Add Electrek as a preferred source on Google

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending