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Leading the charge in today’s Green Deals is the exclusive discount our readers can get on the VMAX R40 Pro Electric Scooter and R55 Pro Electric Scooter that start from a $899 low. We also spotted Anker’s new SOLIX C300 AC 90,000mAh Power Station dropping down to a $200 Amazon low, while a one-day sale from Best Buy has Jackery’s Explorer 290 Power Station hitting a new $160 low. We’ve also got a new low price on AeroGarden’s 9-plant Bounty Elite Indoor Hydroponic System, with more low-price opportunities on Greenworks and Worx tools that will help you out before fall and winter properly settle in. Bringing up the rear is Murf’s e-bike accessory sale that can deck out your ride at up to 25% off. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s rare Electric Bike Co. and Lectric price cuts, and much 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.

Exclusive $200 discounts on VMAX R40/R55 Pro full-suspension electric scooters start from $899 low

We’ve got a pair of 9to5toys-exclusive Green Deals for folks today, with Wellbots offering two VMAX e-scooters at $200 off, giving folks a chance at some quality commuting solutions at discounted rates. The first of the two is the VMAX R40 Pro Electric Scooter for $899 shipped, after using the promo code 9TO5VMAX200 at checkout. Normally priced at $1,099 here and direct from VMAX, we haven’t tracked any recent discounts since the brand hit our radar, with today bringing a solid $200 price cut that lands it down at the lowest price we can find anywhere.

The VMAX R40 Pro Electric Scooter arrives onto the scene with an equipped 1000W motor (peaking at 1,600W) and a 48V 13,000mAh battery that tops out at speeds of 25 MPH while carrying you up to 28 miles on a single charge – plus, any inclines up to 28% will be no concern of yours. Your mileage will also be extended thanks to the inclusion of regenerative braking from the rear brake on top of the front disc brakes to provide stopping power. There’s a full suspension system here too, which is nice to see on an e-scooter, with off-road tubeless tires supporting a more stable and comfortable ride. The frame sports a typical folding design and includes a 60-lux headlight, brake lights on the back, an IPX5 water-resistance rating, a wider footboard with a footrest, and a 4-inch TFT color display.

The second model benefitting from this deal is the VMAX R55 Pro Dual-Motor Electric Scooter for $1,299 shipped, after using the promo code 9TO5VMAX200 at checkout. An upgraded version of the above model, this one has been given 1,050W dual-motors that peak at a monstrous 3,200W (to conquer 40% inclines) alongside a larger 48V 18,200mAh battery, with an increased 40-mile travel range and three different speed settings that correspond to its single or dual-motor modes: 12 MPH, 25 MPH, and 34 MPH. Alongside the full-suspension build and 10-inch tubeless tires, its regenerative disc brakes have been expanded to the front and the back of the scooter. It features the same headlight, brake lights, IPX5 resistance rating, footboard, footrest, and 4-inch TFT color display, as well.

Anker’s new SOLIX C300 AC 90,000mAh portable power station hits $200 Amazon low

Through its official Amazon storefront, Anker is offering folks another chance to score its new SOLIX C300 AC 90,000mAh Portable Power Station at $199.99 shipped, after clipping the on-page $50 off coupon. Since first hitting the market back at the end of August, it’s been dipping down from its $250 price tag with discounts direct from Anker, while Amazon has previously only seen it go as low as $210. The last time we saw this same rate was back during its first post-launch discounts for a short period, but now it is returning today at the best rate we have tracked on the Amazon marketplace and the second-best overall rate that sits just $10 above its pre-order pricing. Plus, it currently beats out the price direct from Anker, which is sitting at a higher $220 rate.

Anker’s SOLIX C300 AC model delivers a 90,000mAh capacity to cover your on-the-go charging needs while also running smaller appliances with a 600W max power output. There are three included AC ports on this model, as opposed to its counterpart DC model that mainly focuses on USB needs, with three USB-C ports, a single USB-A port, and a 120W auxiliary/car port. Unlike the DC model, this one doesn’t offer dual-recharging capabilities but does reach similar speeds when plugged into a standard wall outlet, along with solar charging options. It’s a bit easier to carry thanks to the integrated handle on top, and includes a light bar above the display screen for nighttime support, especially great for when you’re in the dark at a campsite.

If you’d prefer the DC model to focus on your personal devices alone, Amazon has dropped it down to $170, after clipping the on-page $30 off coupon. This model offers boosted self-recharging speeds with its two bidirectional 140W USB-C ports being used together to hit 280W. Sharing most of the other qualities with its above sibling, it offers a 120W auxiliary/car port, two USB-A ports, and four USB-C ports – two of which are 140W ports, one being a 100W port, and the last one hitting 15W. It also sports a pop-up LED light in place of the carrying handle with multiple brightness levels. If you’re instead still wanting something smaller, I recommend checking out the PowerCore Reserve 60,000mAh predecessor that is currently sitting at $120.

VMAX Pro Electric Scooter

AeroGarden’s 9-plant Bounty Elite indoor hydroponic system falls to new $191 low

Amazon is offering the best rate we’ve seen on the AeroGarden Bounty Elite Indoor Hydroponic System at $190.51 shipped. Normally sitting at its $260 price tag most of the time, we have tracked very few discounts on this model since 2024 began, all of them keeping above $221. We did see it fall lower to its former $195 low last year during Black Friday sales, but that price is being usurped here today with a larger 27% markdown that cuts $69 off the tag and lands it at a new all-time low price.

Coming in far larger than the usual models that see more frequent discounts, the Bounty Elite arrives ready to give you your favorite vegetables, herbs, and flowers without needing soil – all at your fingertips and within the convenience of your home. Utilizing a spacious grow deck and water bowl design, it provides up to nine plants the chance to grow up to 24 inches “5x quicker than an outdoor garden.”

It sports a 50W adjustable LED grow light to accomplish this task, with a built-in automatic timer to better mimic the natural path of the sun at exactly the right times. Its full array of controls can be accessed via the touchscreen display or through the companion app when connected by Wi-Fi, and will even remind you when to add more water or plant food to keep growth progressing at a proper pace. You can also hook it up to your Alexa to go hands-free with voice control features too.

VMAX Pro Electric Scooter

Prep your firewood with the Greenworks 40V 14-inch Cordless Electric Chainsaw at new $140 low

Amazon is prepping folks for autumn and winter firewood collection by dropping the Greenworks 40V 14-inch Cordless Electric Chainsaw to $139.99 shipped. Normally fetching $200 most days, for the first three months of 2024 we saw steadily increasing discounts from $180 down to $160 before things slowed and spent the next four months keeping mostly to its MSRP. August saw things finally fall lower to $151, which held out as the lowest price until today’s 30% markdown that lands it at a new all-time low.

The colder months are moving in and you know what that means for plenty of folks – the need for firewood! Whether you’re utilizing a fire pit for outdoor gatherings or cozying up indoors, you’ll likely need a means to cut and collect firewood and this Greenworks model comes ready to tackle the job. It’s equipped with a 14-inch bar and chain and comes powered by a 2.5Ah battery that lets you make 50 to 75 cuts per charge. The TruBrushless motor ensures “2x more torque,” while the automatic oiler keeps everything lubricated and running, with a push button start to toss out the pain of fighting with starter cords. You’ll also receive a fast charger and a scabbard with your purchase.

VMAX Pro Electric Scooter

Jackery’s Explorer 290 Portable Power Station delivers on-the-go backup at new $160 low

There are plenty of great Green Deals in Best Buy’s Deals of the Day, with the Jackery Explorer 290 Portable Power Station dropping lower than ever to $159.99 shipped for the rest of the day. Usually priced at $250 most of the time, it ended 2023 at $190 from Black Friday and Christmas sales just to be immediately beaten out by the former $180 low in January, which repeated a handful of times across the months since. Today though, we’re looking at a better deal than we’ve ever seen, as it receives a one-day $90 markdown that beats our previous mention/low by $20 and carves out a place as the new lowest price we have tracked. You won’t find this model direct from Jackery or in new condition at Amazon either, only this refurbished option that is currently down at $125.

An ideal companion for those in need of on-the-go backup power for their devices, Jackery’s Explorer 290 weighs in at just 9.6 pounds, making it compact enough to easily carry along by its integrated handle or by stowing it away inside a backpack or tote. It provides a 290Wh capacity as well as 200W of power output that surges to 400W. It offers three ways to recharge itself – plugged into an AC outlet, solar charging, or connected to a car port – often taking five to seven hours on average depending on the method you choose. You’ll be able to charge up to four of your devices at once with its one AC port, two USB-A ports, and the car port.

Worx’s 600 CFM TRIVAC Blower, Vac, and Mulcher comes with universal collection system and bag for $110

Courtesy of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Worx 12A TRIVAC 3-in-1 Blower, Mulcher, and Vacuum for $109.99 shipped. Normally priced at $160, with a higher $200 MSRP direct from Worx, we haven’t seen prices fall as low as in previous years, though we have been seeing frequent discounts on this newer model that have taken costs as low as $95 in 2024, so far. It’s coming in today with a solid $50 markdown that lands it at the second-lowest price we’ve seen this year – sitting $38 above the $72 all-time low from early 2023. One thing to note here is that this bundle also includes the collection system attachment that is usually sold separately or added to the main device in place of the collection bag – but you get both options here for no added cost!

An updated version of the WG509 model we usually see benefitting from the most discounts, this WG524 TRIVAC from Worx delivers the same 3-in-1 functionality with increased power to tackle the annoying chore of gathering leaves and debris from your yard. It provides an increased 600 CFM of blower force (up from the WG509’s 350 CFM), and can also collect and mulch it all into the complimentary bag (up to 1.2-bushels) or use the included bonus attachment to have it dumped straight into a trashcan/bin of your choice. Keep in mind that this is a corded model, which means you can just plug and go rather than wait for a battery to fill back up first.

VMAX Pro Electric Scooter

Murf’s new accessory sale kits out your e-bike at up to 25% off: Racks, baskets, seats, koozies, trailers, more

Murf Electric Bikes has launched a 4-day Buy More Save More sale through September 29 that is offering up to 25% off e-bike accessories when buying two or more together. At the moment, the only e-bike that is currently seeing a discount is the Fat Murf Step-Thru e-bike which is still benefitting from a massive $1,000 price cut down to $1,995 from Labor Day sales, with deals far more sparse from this brand. That being said, this accessory sale does offer some solid savings to folks who may already own one of Murf’s e-bikes or are considering buying one. You’ll find quality accessories like a rear rack package at $85, or maybe you want to add a front basket to your bike for $95? There’s smaller stuff like the Koozie cup holder at $40, as well as larger add-ons like the e-bike trailer that goes for $395, and plenty more too.

If you’re interested in the Fat Murf ST e-bike, you can read back through our Labor Day coverage to get a full rundown on the e-bike and its capabilities. We don’t often see many big price cuts like the one that’s been holding strong on this model, so it’s worth considering if you’re a fan of the brand. It offers some decent commuting support too, with a 25 MPH max speed, and a travel distance that ranges from 30 miles when using only its electric action with the throttle and 50 miles when utilizing its five levels of pedal assistance. There are also some quality features here that are worth learning about in full, like the hydraulic brakes.

In terms of how this sale works, it’s pretty simple. A list of over 30 add-on accessories can be found on the landing page here, with Murf even providing a countdown clock so you can keep track of its approaching end along with these stipulations:

  • Buy 2, Get 15% Off
  • Buy 3, Get 20% Off
  • Buy 4+, Get 25% Off
  • *No discount code required

Summer e-bike deals!

VMAX Pro Electric Scooter

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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Opinion: it’s time to start recommending some Tesla alternatives

Published

19 hours ago

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May 24, 2025

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Opinion: it's time to start recommending some Tesla alternatives

buy this not that - buy these cars instead of tesla

For years, Tesla has been the go-to EV recommendation for “normals” looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first electric cars. In light of questionable recalls and its CEO’s recent involvement in controversial politics, however, people are starting to distance themselves from the trailblazing company.

All that begs the question: what should we recommend to EV noobs now?

Despite early quality issues and ongoing service headaches, the groundbreaking S3XY lineup of EVs have always had a secret weapon in the form of the Tesla Supercharger network.

That network of dependable high-speed chargers, paired with solid app integration that makes it easy for Tesla drivers to find available chargers just about anywhere in the US, gave the brand a leg up – but no more. By opening up the Supercharger network to brands like Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and others, Tesla has given away its biggest competitive advantage.

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Add in charging and route-planning apps like Chargeway, that make navigating the transition from CCS to NACS easier than ever with its intuitive colors and numbers and easy on/off switch for vehicles equipped with NACS adapters, and it feels like the time is right to start suggesting alternatives to the old EV industry stalwarts. As such, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

Here, then, are my picks for the best Tesla S3XY (and Cybertruck) alternatives you can buy.

Less Model S, more Lucid Air

Lucid-$20K-EV
Lucid Air sedans; via Lucid.

Developed by OG Tesla Model S engineers with tunes from Annie Get Your Gun playing continuously in their heads, the Lucid Air promises to be the car Tesla should and could have built, if only Elon had listened to the engineers.

With panel fit, material finish, and overall build quality that’s at least as good as anything else in the automotive space, the Lucid Air is a compelling alternative to the Model S at every price level – and I, for one, would take a “too f@#king fast” Lucid Air Sapphire over an “as seen on TV” Model S Plaid any day of the week. And, with Supercharger access reportedly coming later this quarter, Air buyers will have every advantage the Supercharger Network can provide.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Less Model 3, more Hyundai IONIQ 6

Hyundai-free-charger-EVs-IONIQ-6
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited; via Hyundai.

Hyundai has been absolutely killing it these days, with EVs driving record sales and new models earning rave reviews from the automotive press. Even in that company the IONIQ 6 stands out, with up to 338 miles of EPA-rated range and lickety-quick 350 kW charging available to make road tripping easy – especially now that the aerodynamically efficient IONIQ 6 has Supercharger access through a NACS adapter (the 2026 “facelift” models get a NACS port as standard).

The company’s sole electric sedan hasn’t seen the same sales success as IONIQ 5, of course – but that has more to do with America’s insatiable lust for crossovers and SUVs than any shortcoming inherent in the IONIQ 6 itself. All the same, Hyundai is helping dealers clear out its remaining 2024 and ’25 models with 0% financing for up to 48 months through June 2nd.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Less Model X, more Volvo EX90

2025 Volvo EX90; via Volvo Cars.

Once upon a time, Mrs. Jo Borrás and I were shopping three-row SUVs and found ourselves genuinely drawn to the then-new Model X. Back then it was the only three-row EV on the market, but it wasn’t Elon’s antics or access to charging, or even the Model X’s premium pricing that squirreled the deal. It was the stupid doors.

We went with the similarly new Volvo XC90 T8 in denim blue, and followed up the big PHEV with a second, three years later, in Osmium Gray. When it’s time to replace this one, you can just about bet your house that the new 510 hp EX90 with 310 miles of all-electric range will be near the top of the shopping list.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Less Model Y, more Kia EV6

Kia-EV6-GT-lease
2024 Kia EV6 GT; via Kia.

If half the fun of driving a Model Y is terrifying your passengers with its straight-line speed, then the Kia EV6 has to be a serious contender for a replacement.

The sporty EV6 GT made its global debut by drag racing some of the fastest ICE-powered cars of the day, including a Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG GT, a Porsche, even a turbocharged Ferrari – and it beat the pants off ’em. Combine supercar-baiting speed with an accessible price tag, NACS accessibility, $10,000 in customer cash on remaining 2024 models ($3,000 on 2025s) and just a hint of Lancia Stratos in the styling, the EV6 is tough to beat.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Less Cybertruck, more therapy

Image created by Chat GPT.

It’s not bulletproof, it’s not easy to upfit, it shouldn’t be used for towing, and it won’t win in a straight fight against a vinyl picket fence. By just about every standard “truck” metric, the Tesla Cybertruck falls short against the competition from Chevrolet, Ford, and Rivian. On a more subjective front, the Cybertruck has become a symbol for a conservative movement that is (depending on your point of view) either making America great again or plunging a once-great democracy into an era of fascist oligarchy and widespread stupidity.

In short, it’s probably best to skip the CT.

If you disagree with that statement and feel like driving a new Tesla Cybertruck is the key to happiness, I’m not sure an equally ostentatious GMC Hummer EV or more subtle Rivian R1T will help you scratch that particular itch – but maybe therapy might!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Original content from Electrek.

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Republicans won’t defeat EVs – but in fighting them, may kill US auto industry

Published

23 hours ago

on

May 24, 2025

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Republicans won't defeat EVs - but in fighting them, may kill US auto industry

BYD's-largest-car-transport-ship
BYD Shenzhen, the world’s largest car transport ship (Source: BYD)

Republicans launched multiple attacks against EVs, clean air and American jobs this week, at the behest of the oil industry that funds them. These attacks won’t be successful, and EVs will continue to grow regardless, and inevitably take over for outdated gasoline vehicles.

However, these republican attacks on EVs will still have some effect: they will diminish the US auto industry globally, leading to job losses and surrendering one of the jewels in the crown of American industry to China, where there is no similar effort to destroy its own domestic EV industry.

Republican attacks on clean air this week included moves to block funding that has led to a renaissance in US manufacturing and also to illegally block clean air laws. They also moved forward with a procedural step towards increasing US fuel costs by $23B, an effort which the former reality TV contestant posing as the head of the DOT announced in January.

These moves shouldn’t be a big surprise – republicans have opposed clean air and American jobs for many years now, and they’re doing it because they want to maintain the bribes they get from the oil industry.

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But they should inspire worry for Americans, because they will only harm the country’s domestic manufacturing base in the face of a changing auto industry.

Republicans keep trying to kill clean cars

The last time a republican occupied the the White House, we saw similar efforts to try to raise fuel and health costs for Americans, and to block superior EV technology from flourishing. That didn’t work in the end, and EVs continued to grow both during that period and after.

All the while, fossil fuels have maintained their privileged policy position, being allowed to pollute with impunity and costing the US $760 billion per year in externalized costs. Much of that subsidy is accounted for in the cost of pollution from gas cars, which are one of the primary uses of fossil fuels, which means that, in fact, gasoline vehicles receive much more subsidy than EVs do.

And yet, EVs still managed to grow substantially, despite these headwinds. EV sales have continued to grow, both in the US and globally, even as headlines incorrectly say otherwise. The republican party’s attempts to kill them were futile, and will continue to be.

It didn’t work, but it did delay progress

However, anti-EV actions from Mr. Trump and the republican party did manage to delay progress from where it could have been if America actually instituted smart industrial policy earlier.

What if, instead of the bumbling, idiotic nonsense we went through the last time Mr. Trump squatted in the White House, we could have had something more like President Biden’s EV policy, which created hundreds of thousands of jobs and attracted hundreds of billions of dollars of manufacturing investment?

Surely the American auto industry would be ahead of where it is now if those investments had had time to come online. But instead, republicans are currently trying to kill those jobs, which has already led to several manufacturing projects being cancelled this year, depriving Americans of the economic boost they need right now.

Meanwhile, there’s one place that this sort of stumbling isn’t happening: China.

China is taking advantage

China has spent more than a decade focusing on securing material supply, building refining capacity, developing their own battery technology, and encouraging local EV manufacturing startups.

This has paid off recently, as Chinese EVs have been rapidly scaling in production in recent years. It took a lot of the auto industry by surprise how rapidly Chinese companies have scaled, and how rapidly Chinese consumers have adopted them, after having an initially slow start.

But that adoption hasn’t just been local, it’s also global. Last year, China became the largest auto exporter in the world, taking a crown that Japan had held for decades. But the change was even more dramatic than that – as recently as 2020, China was the sixth-largest auto exporter in the world, just behind the US in 5th place.

China’s dramatic turn upward started in 2020, and now it’s in first place. Meanwhile, because of all the faffing about, the US remains exactly where it was in 2020 – still in fifth place. Well, sixth now, since China eclipsed us (and everyone else).

Tariffs won’t fix it

The reaction of the rest of the world’s automaking countries has been to put tariffs on Chinese autos, hoping to forestall the country’s dramatic rise to dominance. (Although, due to Mr. Trump’s idiotic flailing, Europe is already talking about removing these trade barriers with China)

But tariffs have been tried before, and they didn’t work. When Japan had a similarly meteoric rise to global prominence as an auto manufacturer in the 1970s and 80s, largely due to their adoption of new technology, processes, and different car styles which incumbents were ignoring, the US tried to stop it with tariffs.

All this did was make US manufacturers complacent, and Japan still managed to seize and maintain the crown of top auto exporter (occasionally trading places with Germany) from then until now.

Then as now, the true way to compete is to adapt to the changing automotive industry and take EVs seriously, rather than giving the auto industry excuses to be complacent. But instead, republicans aren’t doing that, and in fact are working to ensure the American auto industry doesn’t adapt, by actively killing the incentives that were leading to a boom in domestic manufacturing investment.

US auto industry jeopardized by republicans

Make no mistake about it: destroying EV incentives, and allowing companies to pollute more and innovate less, will not help the US auto industry catch up with a fast moving competitor.

As we at Electrek have said for years, you cannot catch up to a competitor that is both ahead of you and moving faster than you.

This applies to individual companies, which took their sweet time responding to the challenge from electric upstarts like Tesla, and have now lost market share to said upstarts and let a competitor establish itself in a big way (even though Tesla’s CEO is now trying desperately to harm his own company specifically, and the US EV industry as a whole, by being the largest funder of the party working to destroy said industry).

It also applies to nations, which could have spent the last decade doing what the Chinese auto industry has been doing, but instead non-Chinese automakers have been begging their governments for more time, even though it’s not the regulations that threaten them, it’s competition from a new and motivated rival that is moving faster and in a more determined manner towards the future.

The way that we get around this should be clear: take EVs seriously.

But that’s not what republicans are doing, and in doing so, they are signing the death warrant for an important US industry in the long term.

Another thing republicans are trying to kill is the the rooftop solar credit, which means you could have only until the end of this year to install rooftop solar on your home before the cost of doing so goes up by an average of ~$10,000. So if you want to go solar, get started now, because these things take time and the system needs to be active before you file for the credit.

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.

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Heavy equipment space race heats up with new Vermeer lunar excavator

Published

23 hours ago

on

May 24, 2025

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Heavy equipment space race heats up with new Vermeer lunar excavator

Vermeer collaborates on moon excavator prototype

International equipment manufacturer Vermeer has unveiled a full-scale prototype of its Interlune excavator, a machine designed to ingest 100 metric tons of rocks and dirt per hour, extracting valuable helium as it makes its way across the surface … of the Moon.

Helium plays a critical role in the manufacturing of semiconductors, chips, optics, and all the other stuff that makes EVs, autonomy, the Internet, and the rest of twenty-first century life possible. The problem is that, despite being the second-most common element in the universe, helium is pretty rare on Earth – and we are rapidly running out. As such, there are intense economic and political pressures to find new and reliable sources of helium somewhere, anywhere else, and that demand has sparked a new modern space race focused on harvesting helium on the Moon and getting it back home.

To that end, companies like American lunar mining startup Interlune and the Iowa-based equipment experts at Vermeer are partnering on the development of suite of interplanetary equipment assets capable of digging up lunar materials like rocks and sand from up to three meters below the surface, extract helium-3 (a light, stable isotope of helium believed to exist in abundance on the Moon), then package it, contain it, and ship it back to Earth.

“When you’re operating equipment on the Moon, reliability and performance standards are at a new level,” says Rob Meyerson, Interlune CEO. “Vermeer has a legacy of innovation and excellence that started more than 75 years ago, which makes them the ideal partner for Interlune.”

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Enter: Japan

Komatsu lunar excavator; photo by the author.

America isn’t the only spacefaring nation eyeing a helium mine on the Moon. Japan announced similar plans back in 2023, with Japanese construction giant Komatsu announcing plans to develop a fully electric excavator capable of operating on the lunar surface.

The company showed a scaled prototype of the machine at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (above), emphasizing the need to develop new ways to operate equipment assets in the extreme temperatures of extraplanetary environments beyond diesel or even hydrogen combustion.

On the airless surface of the moon, it would be impossible for an internal combustion engine to operate on the moon’s surface because there is no oxygen for combustion. Electrically powered machines seem the obvious solution with solar power generation supplying the electricity. But the answer is not that simple.

Temperature changes on the surface of the moon are extreme. They can soar to 110° C and plummet to -170° C. Developing electric construction machinery to perform in this environment is no easy task, but Komatsu is tackling issues one by one as they appear. Using thermal control and other electrification technologies, we are engineering solutions.

KOMATSU

Despite Komatsu’s apparent head start, however, Vermeer seem to pulled ahead – not just in terms of machine development, but in terms of extraction potential as well.

“The high-rate excavation needed to harvest helium-3 from the Moon in large quantities has never been attempted before, let alone with high efficiency,” said Gary Lai, Interlune co-founder and CTO. “Vermeer’s response to such an ambitious assignment was to move fast. We’ve been very pleased with the results of the test program to date and look forward to the next phase of development.”

Interlune is funded by grants from the US Department of Energy and NASA TechFlights. In 2023, the company received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research award to develop the technology to size and sort lunar regolith (read: dirt). Interlune has raised $18 million in funding so far, and is planning its first mission to the Moon before 2030.

Electrek’s Take

Interlune helium harvester concept; via Interlune.

We’ve got space travel, weird mineral extraction from another planet that’s essential for our technology, and a rapid, unchecked proliferation of AI. All we need now is big worms, a whole bunch of hallucinogenic narcotics, and the will to smash up a bunch of data centers with baseball bats – then we’ll have a pretty decent Dune LARP going. Yee-ha!

SOURCE | IMAGES: Interlune.

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