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Headlining today’s Green Deals is the return of NIU’s BQi-C3 Pro e-bike that has cruised back down to its $1,299 all-time low. It is joined by Segway’s expandable Cube 2000 Portable Power Station that is now $500 off at $1,200, as well as a one-day discount on Jackery’s totable Explorer 290 Portable Power Station that has fallen back to its $180 low for the rest of the day. There’s also tons down in our links to check out, with another one-day low on Greenworks’ powerful 80V 18-inch cordless electric chainsaw, as well as discounts on some AeroGarden indoor hydroponic systems, a versatile EGO Power+ tool system, and more – plus, all the other hangover Green Deals that are still alive and well, like yesterday’s Juiced Bikes 15% off sitewide sale that dropped the RipCurrent S e-bike to the lowest price we’ve seen in 2024.

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.

NIU’s BQi-C3 Pro e-bike cruises back down to $1,299 low

Best Buy is offering the NIU BQi-C3 Pro e-bike for $1,299 shipped. Normally going for $2,200 most days, we’ve seen five previous one-day discounts on this model in 2024 so far, first dropping costs to $1,500 on Valentine’s Day, followed by two in April and one in May that all saw things go further to the $1,300 low. June brought about the new $1,299 low which returns here today as a $901 markdown. You can learn more about this e-bike by heading below the fold or by reading through our hands-on review.

Coming in three colorways, the NIU BQI-C3 Pro arrives via sporting a 750W rear hub motor paired with dual 48V 10.0Ah batteries, giving the e-bike a travel range of 90 miles and maxing out at 28 MPH. It fully recharges from empty in just five hours, and settings can be monitored and controlled via the companion app thanks to NIU’s smart control technology that has been carried over to this model from its popular lines of electric scooters.

It cruises onto the scene with some extra features to enhance the ride too, with add-ons like the kickstand, integrated rear cargo rack, fenders for both wheels, an LED headlight and taillight, puncture-resistant tires, and a 3.5-inch TFT color display for real-time readouts of its performance and battery levels. All the wiring is internally routed for a cleaner and more sleek look, while the motor carries an IP65 waterproof rating and the battery carries a higher IP67 rating.

NIU BQi-C3 Pro e-bike

Segway’s LiFePO4 Cube 2000 Expandable Portable Power Station falls to $1,200

Amazon is offering the Segway Cube 2000 Portable Power Station for $1,199.99 shipped. Normally fetching $1,700 most days, we’ve been seeing an increasing number of discounts on this unit since July’s Prime Day event, where it first fell to its $999 low in 2024. Since then it’s been keeping to its higher rates, but more regularly falling to $1,200 on Amazon, while direct-from-Segway sales tend to list it for a higher $1,400 rate on average. Today, you’re looking at a solid $500 markdown that returns costs to the third-lowest price we have tracked – $200 above the all-time low from July’s 2-day savings event. It even beats out Segway’s own website where it’s currently discounted to a higher $1,400 rate.

The Cube 2000 delivers a 2,048Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that can be further expanded up to a 5,048Wh capacity with the addition of three BTX-1000 expansion battery packs (sold separately). Unlike other brand’s models of the same general size, this one boasts an impressive 12 output ports to cover charging devices and appliances – four USB-As, three ACs, two USB-Cs, two DCs, and one car port – with the power station pumping out a steady 2,200W of output power that peaks at 4,400W. Despite its capacity size it only takes 1.8 hours via a standard wall outlet to fully recharge this unit, thanks to its rapid recharging capabilities. It also has the options to recharge with an 800W max solar input allowing for solar charging, with smart controls available through the Segway-Ninebot app via a Bluetooth connection.

NIU BQi-C3 Pro e-bike

Jackery’s Explorer 290 Portable Power Station wants to be your travel companion at return $180 low

Coming to us via its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Jackery Explorer 290 Portable Power Station for $179.99 shipped. Down from its usual $250 price tag, it ended last year with a low of $190 during Black Friday sales, with prices immediately undercut in January to the newer $180 low, which repeated again in July and back at the top of this month too. It’s coming in once more in time for those late summer to fall outings as another $70 markdown that returns costs back to the all-time lowest price we have tracked. You won’t currently find this model available in new condition on Amazon either, only a refurbished option for $149.

A wonderful travel companion that weighs in at 9.6 pounds and can fit right into your backpack or tote bag, the Explorer 290 delivers a 290Wh capacity alongside 200W of power output, peaking at 400W. There are three ways to recharge the battery on this model, either through solar charging, an AC outlet, or a car port – taking somewhere in the range of five to seven hours on average. Thanks to its one AC port, two USB-A ports, and the car port, you’ll be able to recharge up to four devices at once.

Summer e-bike deals!

NIU BQi-C3 Pro 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.

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What EV sales slump? Illinois’ EV sales outpace the nation by 4:1

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April 6, 2025

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What EV sales slump? Illinois' EV sales outpace the nation by 4:1

Chicago Drives Electric | ComEd Press Conference

Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.

Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.

Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)

What’s going on in Illinois?

File:Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker (33167937268).jpg
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at the Chicago Auto Show; by Ray Cunningham.

While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.

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At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).

We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.

SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.

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XCMG launches XE215EV battery swap electric excavator ahead of bauma

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April 6, 2025

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XCMG launches XE215EV battery swap electric excavator ahead of bauma

he XE215EV, XCMG’s fully electric hydraulic excavator, powers a new materials processing base in Guangxi with its green energy.

The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.

Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.

XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.

We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).

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XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?

Easy in, easy out

XCMG battery swap crane; via Etrucks New Zealand.

The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.

You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.

SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.

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Volvo shows off production PU500 battery energy storage system

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April 6, 2025

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Volvo shows off production PU500 battery energy storage system

Volvo Energy introduces the Volvo PU500 – A reliable power solution for powering any site, anywhere!

As “extreme” weather events become more commonplace, the demand for reliable and portable energy continues to rise. In response to that growing demand for dependable off-grid power, Volvo has developed the new PU500 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) designed to take electrical power when it’s needed most.

Designed to be deployable in a number of environments at a moment’s notice, the Volvo Energy PU500 BESS is equipped with approximately 500 kWh of usable battery capacity (up to 540 kWh total). More than enough juice, in other words, to power a remote construction site, disaster response effort, or even a music festival – anything that needs access to reliable electricity beyond a grid connection.

That’s great, but what sets the PU500 apart from other battery storage solutions is its integrated 240 kW DC fast charger.

“With an integrated CCS2 charger, the PU500 is designed to work with all brands of electric equipment, trucks, and passenger cars,” says Niklas Thulin, Head of BESS Product Offer at Volvo Energy. “This ensures that no matter what type of electric vehicle or machinery you rely on, the PU500 can provide the power you need, making it a truly flexible solution for any grid constrained site or location.”

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The integrated charger in the PU500 has the impressive ability to charge a heavy equipment asset (be that an electric semi truck or something like a wheel loader) in under two hours. Its on-board capacity allows to fully recharge up to 3 electric HD trucks or 20 electric cars per day, making it an incredibly versatile disaster response asset.

Electrek’s Take

Stockholm progresses with electric construction site from Volvo CE
Electric job site; via Volvo CE.

As we often say over at The Heavy Equipment Podcast, “just because you’re working for the power company doesn’t mean you have power,” and there are hundreds of scenarios where the extra power provided by something like the new PU500 would be useful. Its ability to be palletized and easily moved or swapped out of a larger BESS array, too, just add to its flexibility.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo.

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