
Segway MAX G30LP hits new $450 Prime Day low, Lectric extra battery e-bike bundle $1,399, Bluetti power stations 57% off, more
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Published
8 months agoon
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Fall’s Prime Day pricing is dropping early folks, with today’s Green Deals spotlighting Segway’s Ninebot MAX G30LP KickScooter which is now down at a new $450 fall Prime Day low. Coming up right behind it is Lectric’s XPeak Off-Road e-bikes that have shaken off the recent price cut in favor of receiving $776 in free gear, including an extra battery for double travel distance – all for $1,399. Bluetti has also launched its fall Prime Day sale that has returned its AC200L Portable Power Station back to its $1,199 low. You can also prepare for the snow season at a great price with the EGO Power+ 56V 21-inch Cordless Electric Snow Blower, and EV drivers are getting another one-day sale for Rexing’s Tesla to J1772 EV Charger Adapter too. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s ongoing discounts on Tesla’s Universal and Standard Wall Connector level 2 EV charging stations, 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.
Segway Ninebot MAX G30LP kickscooter with regenerative brakes at $450 fall Prime Day low
Segway has launched its Big Deal Sale that is running through October 9 and taking up to 60% off its lineup of e-mobility models, with the popular Ninebot MAX G30LP KickScooter getting one of the best deals in the bunch and starting at $529.99 shipped, with extra savings that take $80 more off its discounted price to land at $449.99 shipped, after joining the Segway Mileage Club by simply creating an account for free. Normally sitting at a $700 price tag, discounts usually bring costs down within a $615 to $600 range, with occasional drops lower to $550 and $500. Today though, after creating an account, you’re looking at a new all-time low price here that beats out its previous low for the first time by $50 – all you have to do is join, add the e-scooter to your cart, and get the extra savings automatically.
Whether you’re new to the world of e-scooters or an experienced rider, the Segway Ninebot MAX G30LP KickScooter continues to be one of the best budget-friendly models that can carry you a significant distance – and I frequently see them cruising the streets of NYC. There’s a 350W motor tucked inside along with a 36V 367Wh battery that delivers up to 25 miles of travel on a single charge, reaching top speeds of 18.6 MPH, and even tackling inclines up to 20% without a problem (double what many other models can handle).
The Ninebot MAX G30LP Kickscooter provides three different riding modes to balance out performance, depending on what kind of commuter you need in any given moment – with a speed limit mode, standard mode, and sport mode. The balance is even taken a step further with the addition of regenerative braking (which I truly love to see on e-scooters) that recycles energy when you activate the brakes to extend travel times (especially if you’re in its more economical riding modes). Aside from that, there’s also a secondary braking system, a foldable frame, a built-in LED headlight, smart controls via the companion app, and an LED digital dashboard.
- E2 KickScooter: $300 (Reg. $370)
- 12.4 MPH for up to 15.5 miles
- Save additional $50 after signing up
- S2 Self-Balancing Scooter: $570 (Reg. $600)
- 11.2 MPH for up to 21.7 miles
- Save additional $90 after signing up
- F2 Pro KickScooter: $700 (Reg. $800)
- 20 MPH for up to 34 miles
- Save additional $100 after signing up
More Segway Ninebot teen/adult EV discounts:
Kid-friendly Ninebot EV discounts:

Lectric’s fall sale has made some changes to its discounted e-bike bundles, with up to $776 in free gear being added to your purchase. Once again taking over the spotlight is the brand’s XPeak Off-Road e-bikes at $1,399 shipped, which get the biggest bundle of $776 in free add-on gear, including an extra battery for doubled mileage. Last week saw a rare price cut to the $1,299 low, but today, despite prices resuming their normal rates, you’re looking at one of the best (and most popular) deals on these models due to all the extra add-ons that you get. The massive package of gear includes the extra battery, a rear cargo rack, fenders, an Elite headlight, and the brand’s accordion bike lock.
The biggest drawing point of this bundle is the inclusion of the free extra battery that extends the XPeak e-bike’s travel distance from 55 miles to 110 miles, which only sweetens the pot further thanks to its already affordable lower price rate. The 750W rear hub motor (that peaks at 1,310W to tackle inclines) is also supported by five levels of pedal assistance that boost the rider’s efforts up to max speeds of 20 to 28 MPH, depending on your state’s laws.
There are a bunch of great features on these XPeak e-bikes that you’re getting alongside the praise we have for its performance and price, with Lectric adding 4-inch puncture-resistant fat tires for prolonged rides (even through rough or debris-ridden areas). You’ll also be getting hydraulic mineral oil brakes, a 7-gear Shimano derailleur, a thru-axle wheel attachment system for tool-free installations, a hidden cable routing system, an IP65 water-and-dust-resistant LCD display, and even removable pedals that are quite underestimated for folks, like me, who may need to make room to house/transport the bike when not in use. Plus, all the additional free gear you’re getting from the bundle too!
You can follow the link here to the sale’s landing page to browse through all the offers in their entirety, with the XPedition Dual-Battery Cargo e-bikes and XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bikes getting the next best bundle deals.

Bluetti’s AC200L 2,048Wh LiFePO4 power station returns to $1,199 low in early fall Prime Day sale
After last week’s launches of early fall Prime Day sales from EcoFlow, Jackery, and now Anker, we’re seeing a similar shorter-term sale from Bluetti through October 7 that is taking up to 57% off its offerings and even including some exclusive savings for members. One standout this go around is the brand’s AC200L Portable Power Station which is down at $1,199 shipped. It would normally cost you $1,999 outside of sales, with frequent short-term discounts as well that have been steadily increasing the savings as the months go on, starting the year with falls to $1,399, while more recently price cuts in August and September have seen it go $200 lower. Today’s sale is bringing us another chance at the lowest rate we have tracked, with a 40% markdown dropping costs by $800 and landing it back at its all-time low – which even beats out July’s Prime Day pricing by $100.
While smaller power stations are handy for a few days worth of traveling around, if you tend to go camping with bigger groups using more appliances or want more home support during emergencies, the AC200L’s 2,048Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity has your back. You can even build on your investment over time here, as it can be bumped up to a 4,096Wh capacity with a B230 expansion battery, or go further to 6,348Wh with two B210 batteries, with a third option to max it out at 8,192Wh with two B300 batteries. It features 11 output ports to connect to your devices/appliances (four ACs, two USB-As, two USB-Cs, one car port, one RV port, and even a NEMA TT-30 port) and provides up to 2,400W speeds (surging to 3,600W).
Recharging speeds have been increased with this model, as you can now hit 80% battery in just 45 minutes when plugged into a wall outlet, or you can take advantage of its solar charging capabilities with a maximum 1,200W input that will refuel the battery in 1.7 to 2.2 hours on average. Plus, there’s the usual smart controls you’ll be getting too, allowing you to monitor and control the unit’s settings through your tablet or smartphone via the BLUETTI app.
Bluetti AC200L bundle discounts:
Other notable Bluetti deals:
- AC180 1,152Wh capacity: $499 (Reg. $999)
- AC180 with 200W solar panel: $799 (Reg. $1,598)
- AC300 2,764.8Wh capacity with B300K battery: $1,899 (Reg. $2,499)
- AC300 2,764.8Wh capacity with B300K battery and 200W solar panel: $2,199 (Reg. $2,998)
- AC500 3,072Wh capacity with B300S battery: $2,499 (Reg. $3,999)
- AC300 5,529.6Wh capacity with two B300K batteries: $2,999 (Reg. $3,799)
- And even more…
You can follow this link here to the main landing page and browse everything in full, and do consider joining Bluetti’s membership program (free to sign up), which you can learn more about here.

Prepare for winter’s arrival with the EGO Power+ 56V 21-inch cordless electric snow blower at $549
Winter is coming, are you prepared? Well, Amazon is helping you stock up on winter equipment today with the EGO Power+ 56V 21-Inch Cordless Electric Snow Blower that is down at $549 shipped. Normally fetching $649 since we entered warmer months, it has only seen six previous discounts so far in 2024, with May having seen a brief drop to the $519 low and the others mainly keeping above $551. Today though, prices have been cut back down to the second-lowest price we have tracked, sitting just $30 above the all-time low.
As fast as the months have seemed to move, before we all know it we’ll have rushed through fall and found ourselves back in the season of snow – and what better way to prepare for those rougher days than with this 21-inch cordless electric snow blower. Sporting a brushless motor and powered by two 4.0Ah batteries, you’ll be able to effortlessly clear a 21-inch wide path while tossing all that snow up to 35 feet out of the way. Ice won’t be much concern thanks to the steel auger that can break through it at faster rates than other models on the market, especially with its durable weather-resistant steel body. There’s a variable speed control for the auger that allows for more comfortable handling, while the two bright LED headlights give you improved visibility when committing to those nighttime and early-morning clearings.

Coming to us via its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Rexing Tesla to J1772 EV Charger Adapter for $109.99 shipped for the rest of the day. Usually priced at $160 in full, we’ve watched it steadily increase savings over 2024 with discounts starting to $130 in February and more recently dropping costs between $100 and $110 – most of which have come from these one-day sales. We did see it dip under $100 for a brief timeframe back at the start of summer, but today’s deal still gives you a solid $50 markdown that lands it among the lowest rates we have tracked.
Having this attachment in your glove compartment will give you more wide-ranging access to recharging your EV, as any J1772-compatible model will be able to connect to any Tesla level 1 or level 2 stations, minus the company’s supercharger stations. It also makes for a convenient addition if you’re a Tesla driver as non-Tesla-owning friends, family, or guests will likely appreciate the versatility of the otherwise limited setups at your home. You’ll receive the support of charging speeds up to 20kW, dishing out up to 80A to get plenty of mileage in a few hours.
Speaking of Tesla charging stations, we spotted a rare discount on both its Universal and Standard Wall Connector level 2 stations yesterday over at Amazon for folks who are looking to upgrade or start their home EV setup. The Universal model, down at $550 from $580, has a customizable output of up to 48A, giving you upward of 44 miles per hour of charging, and utilizes an integrated J1772 adapter for compatibility with non-Tesla EVs. The standard model offers the same performance specs, just without the adapter, and is currently down at $420 from $450.
Fall e-bike deals!
- Segway x260 Electric Dirt Bike: $5,525 (Reg. $6,500)
- Lectric ONE Long-Range e-bike with $220 in free gear: $2,199 (Reg. $2,454)
- Juiced JetCurrent Pro Foldable e-bike: $2,199 (Reg. $2,799)
- Blix Sol X Comfort e-bike with free carrying bag (new model): $1,799 (Reg. $1,899)
- Blix Vika X Folding e-bike with free carrying bag (new model): $1,699 (Reg. $1,799)
- Velotric Nomad 1 Plus e-bike with $102 in free gear: $1,399 (Reg. $1,799)
- Lectric XPeak Off-Road e-bike with $776 in free gear (extra battery): $1,399 (Reg. $2,126)
- Rad Power RadRover 6 Plus Step-Thru e-bike: $1,299 (Reg. $1,599)
- Lectric XPress 750 High-Step e-bike with $306 in free gear (new model): $1,299 (Reg. $1,605)
- Velotric 2024 Discover 1 Plus Commuter e-bike with $102 in free gear: $1,199 (Reg. $1,599)
- Lectric XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bikes with $275 in free gear: $1,199 (Reg. $1,505)
- Velotric Velotric Fold 1 e-bike with $123 in free gear: $1,149 (Reg. $1,399)
- Aventon Soltera.2 Commuter e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,199)
- Hiboy EX6 Step-Thru Fat-Tire e-bike: $800 (Reg. $1,580)
- ENGWE EP-2 PRO e-bike (use exclusive code 9TO5RIDE250): $599 (Reg. $849)

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.
- Tesla’s universal and standard Wall Connector EV charging stations see rare price cut to new lows from $420
- Anker’s new SOLIX C300 90,000mAh portable power stations return to lowest prices starting from $150 ($50+ off)
- Goal Zero’s 78L Alta 80 dual-zone portable electric fridge/freezer keeps things cool at new $700 low (Reg. $1,000)
- Save $975 on Segway’s x260 electric dirt bike that hits 47 MPH and travels up to 75 miles at $5,525
- Run anything with Anker’s SOLIX F2000 power station from $1,199 (Save $800+) in early fall Prime Day sale
- Score Velotric’s 2024 Discover 1 Plus commuter e-bike at $1,199 and get $102 in free gear ($1,701 value), more
- RadWagon Cargo e-bikes and the brand’s new folding model are now up to $309 off, deals from $1,299
- Save an exclusive $200 on VMAX’s R40 Pro and R55 Pro full-suspension e-scooters with regen brakes from $899
- Jackery’s early Prime sale takes 50% off 6,128.4Wh LiFePo4 Explorer 2,000 Plus bundle at new $3,299 low
- Save up to $850 on EcoFlow’s new DELTA 3 power station in early Prime Day sale from $649
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Environment
Opinion: it’s time to start recommending some Tesla alternatives
Published
16 hours agoon
May 24, 2025By
admin

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

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 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

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

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

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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Environment
Republicans won’t defeat EVs – but in fighting them, may kill US auto industry
Published
20 hours agoon
May 24, 2025By
admin

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.
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. – ad*
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Environment
Heavy equipment space race heats up with new Vermeer lunar excavator
Published
20 hours agoon
May 24, 2025By
admin

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

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.
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

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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