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It’s the second day of Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Day event and we’ve got another batch of notable Green Deals, starting with Segway’s Navimow Robot Lawn Mowers that are back at their lowest prices starting from $799. Jackery is taking up to 50% off its power stations for another day – with the flagship Explorer 3000 Pro power station bundled with two 220W solar panels hitting a new $1,999 low – plus, it and others are eligible to receive free on-the-go power stations and more with your purchase. From there, we have LG’s smart all-in-one electric washer/ventless dryer that is $1,000 off, as well as Bluetti’s Prime Day sales that have dropped the AC180 Portable Power Station down to a new $459 low. Finally, we have a bunch of EGO Power+ deals that you can take advantage of while the savings last. You’ll find our Prime Big Deal Days hub taking the spotlight down at the bottom of the page once again, curating everything together as we find them for your one-stop shopping pleasure. We’re updating the hub as fast as we can, so be sure to check back in regularly throughout the day.

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.

Prime Day sale takes up to 32% off Segway’s Navimow robot mowers starting from $799

The Prime Big Deals Day savings continue with Amazon now offering the best rates on Segway’s Navimow Robot Lawn Mowers, with the H series models getting the biggest price cuts and starting from $1,299 shipped. The three models in this series normally go for $1,899, $2,199, and $2,599, respectively since first launching back in March, with discounts often dropping costs by $380 to $600. June saw the first of the largest discounts, followed again by July’s summer Prime Day, and now you can get the best savings once again today that returns the price down to the all-time lowest we have tracked.

Segway’s Navimow H series includes three models that are designed to cover either 0.2-acre yards, 0.37-acre yards, or 0.74-acre yards – with the first carrying a 180-minute battery life while the other two have extended 240-minute run times. They all provide the same cutting height range from 1.2 inches to 2.4 inches, and can even climb/descend up to 24-degree slopes while completing their duties – plus, they all sport an IP66 waterproof rating to handle the aftermath of adverse weather.

The big upgrade here is ditching any need for a perimeter wire in favor of RTK positioning, paired alongside its VisionFence Sensor that enhances its navigation and obstacle avoidance functionalities. You’ll be getting the smart controls over its performance that you would expect, allowing you to overwrite and adjust its settings and schedules – though you can also let it do it’s own thing too, with the robot able to return of its own accord to the charging station when its battery gets too low and picking back up after recharging. This is possible thanks to the guidance of its Global Navigation Satellite Systems that make sure to keep it within the set boundaries and also to track it down if it gets stuck on terrain or even swiped off your property when you’re not looking.

There’s also a more affordable option in the two predecessor Navimow i series models that are starting from $799, discounted from the usual $999 rate. These models are designed for either 1/8-acre yards or 1/4-acre yards and provide much of the same smart functionality, RTK navigation, and obstacle avoidance as the above models. You can get the full rundown on what to expect with these by reading through our announcement coverage from earlier in the year.

Prime Big Deals Day

Jackery’s Prime Big Deals Day sale drops flagship Explorer 3000 Pro bundle to new $1,999 low ($2,000 off)

Running alongside Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Day event, Jackery is having a parallel sale direct from its website that is taking up to 50% off power stations, bundles, accessories – plus, the brand is giving away a limited quantity of free gifts along with your purchase of certain units and bundles. A notable standout is the flagship Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station that comes bundled with two 220W solar panels for $1,999 shipped, gifting a free Explorer 240 v2 power station to the first 100 purchases on top of everything. Normally costing you $3,999, this bundle was last seen dropping to the former 2,279 low back during Labor Day sales, which was already a huge deal, but now that fall Prime Day is officially in swing, the brand has sweetened the pot with an increased 50% markdown. You’re looking at savings of $2,000 and scoring it at the best price we have seen to date anywhere – and that’s not even counting the free power station (valued at $249) if you’re one of the lucky recipients. Matched at Amazon, albeit without the gift.

Jackery’s flagship Explorer 3000 Pro supports you through your fall camping trips (whether you’re roughing it or heading out in an RV) and can also support your home appliances during sudden blackouts, with ten output ports to help: five AC ports (including a TT30 port), two USB-A quick-charge ports, two USB-C ports, and a car port. It provides an impressive 3,024Wh capacity and dishes out up to 3,000W of power to your appliances and devices. Recharging the battery in full can take as little as 2.4 hours with a standard wall outlet, or you can have it fully charged in three to four hours when utilizing its maximum 1,200W solar input (six 200W panels).

If you’re looking for more solar input on this bad boy, there are two additional bundles you can choose from – with both also eligible to receive the free Explorer 240 v2 unit. The first adds a transfer switch to the above bundle for $2,399, letting you connect to your breaker and power specific appliances in case of emergency. The second bundle instead gives you the power station with four 200W solar panels for $2,699.

Best Jackery fall Prime Day on-the-go power station deals:

Best Jackery fall Prime Day on-the-go bundle deals:

Best Jackery fall Prime Day home backup power station deals:

Best Jackery fall Prime Day home backup bundle deals:

  • Explorer 2000 Plus with two 200W solar panels: $1,899 (Reg. $3,299) | matched at Amazon
  • Explorer 2000 Plus kit, 4,085.6Wh with two 200W solar panels: $2,599 (Reg. $4,999) | matched at Amazon
    • eligible for free Explorer 240 v2 and DC extension cable
  • Explorer 2000 Plus kit, 6,128.4Wh with two 200W solar panels: $3,299 (Reg. $6,599)
    • eligible for free Explorer 240 v2 and DC extension cable

Jackery fall Prime Day accessory deals:

Prime Big Deals Day

LG’s smart all-in-one electric washer/ventless dryer falls to $2,000 in Prime Day competitor sale

As Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event continues, over at Best Buy we spotted the LG 5.0 Cubic-foot HE Smart All-in-One Electric Washer/Dryer with Ventless Inverter Heat Pump for $1,999.99 shipped as part of its official 48-hour fall Prime Day competitor sale. This combo appliance would normally cost you $3,000 at full price, with discounts often dropping during major sales events like this one. We saw it drop to its $1,500 low during July 4th sales, while more recently landing higher at $1,900 in August. Today, you can score it at a slightly lesser 33% markdown that still slashes a nice $1,000 off the price tag that you can invest elsewhere in your home upgrades, giving you a chance at the third-lowest price we have tracked. If you’re looking to save some extra cash on this model, you’ll find an open-box option in excellent condition at $1,700.

This combination washer/dryer unit arrives ENERGY STAR certified and sporting a streamlined ventless design alongside AI support that makes laundry day far less of a chore. You’ll get the full wide array of smart controls through its companion app, as well as built-in smart systems to detect fabric types and their soil levels to automatically adjust settings for the best wash options, tossing out the need to memorize which cycle and settings are ideal for particular clothes and fabrics.

It also has a large ezDispense reservoir that can hold and dispense up to 31 loads of detergent, or you can divide it up amongst detergent and fabric softener. One of its obvious standout features is the ventless design that not only lets you install it anywhere that fits your convenience, but its inverter heat pump technology makes it far more energy efficient than most other models, “using up to 60% less energy with every load.” Head below for more.

Notable Best Buy fall Prime Day competitor appliance deals:

Prime Big Deals Day

Take Bluetti’s AC180 portable power station on your next trip at new $459 Prime Day low

Joining the massive lineup of savings in its Prime Big Deal Days event, Amazon is offering another new low price on Bluetti’s AC180 Portable Power Station for $459 shipped. This unit normally sits at a $999 price tag at Amazon and even higher up to $1,249 elsewhere, we’ve mainly seen discounts dropping costs down between $549 and $649 on average. We did spot it drop to $499 back during Labor Day sales at the top of last month, but its getting beaten out here today with an even greater 54% markdown that cuts $540 off its going rate and carves out a new all-time low price.

The AC180 power station tackles device and portable appliance backup power needs with a 1,152Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that dishes out up to 1,800W of power output – with smart controls to adjust settings through the BLUETTI app on your tablet or smartphone. It boasts 11 output ports: four ACs, four USB-As, one USB-C, one DC, and even a wireless charging pad for your smaller, more personal devices. Recharging times come significantly reduced with this unit too, as you can get to 80% battery in as little as 45 minutes when your plug it into a wall outlet, or in 2.8 to 3.3 hours when connected to a 500W solar input. There are two bundle options during this sale that are discounted as well, with the power station including a 200W solar panel for $779, down from $1,299, or you can bump that up to a 350W solar panel at $949, down from $1,449.

Notable Prime Day Bluetti power station deals:

Notable Prime Day Bluetti bundle deals:

Prime Big Deals Day

EGO Power+ 56V 21-inch cordless self-propelled mower comes with 7.5Ah battery for $530

As part of its Prime Big Deals Day event, Amazon is offering the EGO Power+ 56V 21-inch Cordless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower with a 7.5Ah battery for $529.99 shipped. At full price, you’re looking at a cost of $649 normally, with occasional falls to $549 spaced out over months on average. We did see it fall to a $454 low back in March, with other discounts peppering the spring and early summer until keeping mostly to its MSRP from the top of June. Today we’re finally seeing a price shift once again, as $119 is slashed off the tag to give you the second-lowest Amazon price we have seen – $76 above spring’s low.

Powered by just the 7.5Ah ARC battery, this cordless electric lawn mower is designed to handle small to medium-sized yards for up to 60 minutes after a single charge. The 21-inch cutting deck houses the brushless motor and comes self-propelled at the touch of its trigger bar that sits right at your palms. It can easily maneuver through the bends and twists that you may have around your home, with six different cutting height position levels that range between 1.5 inches and 4 inches. Its even been given a 3-in-1 functionality to either mulch, rear-bag, or side-discharge clippings and debris – plus, it ditches the annoying pull string in favor of a quick and simple push button start.

Other notable EGO Power+ Prime Day deals:

Fall e-bike deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Solid-state batteries may yet catch up — but silicon anodes are winning the race to power EVs

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6 hours ago

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November 5, 2024

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Solid-state batteries may yet catch up — but silicon anodes are winning the race to power EVs

A Wallbox EV charger for electric car is displayed during the “Mondial de l’Auto” at Parc des Expositions on October 15, 2024 in Paris, France.

Chesnot | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Silicon anodes appear to be leading the way in the race to commercialize next-generation battery technologies for electric vehicles.

The buzz around silicon-based anodes, which promise improved power and faster charging capabilities for EVs, has been growing in recent months — just as the hype around solid-state batteries seems to have fizzled.

It comes as increasing EV sales continue to drive up global battery demand, prompting auto giants to team up with major cell manufacturers on the road to full electrification.

While some OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have inked deals with solid-state battery developers, carmakers such as Mercedes, Porsche and GM have all bet big on silicon anodes to deliver transformative change in the science behind EVs.

A recent report from consultancy IDTechEx described the promise of advanced silicon anode materials as “immense” for improving critical areas of battery performance, noting that this potential hadn’t gone unnoticed by carmakers and key players in the battery industry.

It warned, however, that challenges such as cycle life, shelf life and — perhaps most importantly — cost, need to be addressed for widespread adoption.

Venkat Srinivasan, director of the Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science at the U.S. government’s Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, said silicon anodes appear to have the edge over solid-state batteries.

“If there’s a horse race, silicon does seem to be ahead at least at this moment, but we haven’t commercialized either one of them,” Srinivasan told CNBC via videoconference.

How silicon could enable cheaper EVs, electric flight and more powerful batteries

Srinivasan said five years ago silicon-anode batteries had a calendar life of roughly one year, but recent data appears to show a dramatic improvement in the durability of these materials, with some tests now projecting a three to four-year calendar life.

Unlike the cycle life of a battery, which counts the number of times it can be charged and discharged, the calendar life measures degradation over time. Typically, the calendar life of a battery refers to the period in which it can function at over 80% of its initial capacity, regardless of its usage.

Srinivasan said solid-state batteries, long billed as the “holy grail” of sustainable driving, still have a long way to go before they can match the recent progress made by silicon anodes.

“That transition still has to be made in solid-state with their metal batteries and that’s why I think you’re hearing from people that, hey, it looks like that promise hasn’t panned out,” Srinivasan said.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t get there. It may happen in a few years. It just means that it feels like today silicon is in a different part of the technology readiness level.”

Silicon anodes vs. solid-state batteries

Analysts say silicon anodes theoretically offer 10 times the energy density as graphite, which are commonly used in battery anodes today. Yet, these same materials typically suffer from rapid degradation when lots of silicon is used.

“Silicon anodes and solid-state batteries are two emerging technology trends in the EV battery market aimed at pushing the boundaries of high-performance battery cells,” Rory McNulty, senior research analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, told CNBC via email.

A researcher checks the electromagnet de-ironing machine at the Daejoo Electronic Materials Co. R&D center in Siheung, South Korea, on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

It has typically been the case that better battery performance comes at the cost of longevity or safety, McNulty said. Silicon anodes, for example, are known to swell significantly during charging, which reduces the battery’s longevity.

By comparison, McNulty said solid-state batteries were claimed to greatly improve the stability of the electrolyte to high performance electrode materials, combating the challenges of using high energy density materials such as silicon and lithium.

As the name suggests, solid-state batteries contain a solid electrolyte, made from materials such as ceramics. That makes them different from conventional lithium-ion batteries, which contain liquid electrolyte.

Especially in the West, advances in the area of silicon anodes [are] seen as strategic opportunity to catch up with China.

Georgi Georgiev

Battery raw materials analyst at Fastmarkets

Japan’s Toyota and Nissan have both said they are aiming to bring solid-state batteries into mass production over the coming years, while China’s SAIC Motor Corp reportedly said in early September that its MG brand would equip cars with solid-state batteries within the next 12 months.

Nonetheless, analysts remain skeptical about when solid-state batteries will actually make it to market.

A strategic opportunity?

“Silicon based anodes promise to be the next-generation technology in the anode field, providing a solution for faster charging,” Georgi Georgiev, battery raw materials analyst at consultancy Fastmarkets, told CNBC via email.

Georgiev said several industry players have been looking into the potential of silicon anodes, from well-established anode suppliers in China and South Korea to new players like Taiwan’s ProLogium and U.S. manufacturers Group14 and Sila Nanotechnologies.

“Especially in the West, advances in the area of silicon anodes [are] seen as strategic opportunity to catch up with China, which dominates the graphite-based anode supply chains with Chinese anode producers holding 98% of the global anode market for batteries,” Georgiev said.

“However, there are significant technical challenges going to 100% silicon anode such as silicon expansion affecting the longevity of the batteries and currently there are several routes to produce silicon anodes,” he added.

A FEV x ProLogium Technology Co. 100% silicon composite anode next-generation battery at the Paris Motor Show in Paris, France, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Taiwanese battery maker ProLogium debuted the world’s first fully silicon anode battery at the Paris Motor Show last month, saying it’s new fast-charging battery system not only surpassed traditional lithium-ion batteries in performance and charging efficiency but also “critical industry challenges.”

ProLogium, citing test data, said it’s 100% silicon anode battery could charge from 5% to 60% in just 5 minutes, and reach 80% in 8.5 minutes. It described the advancement as an “unmatched achievement in the competitive EV market,” which will help to reduce charging times and extend the range of EVs.

Fastmarkets’ Georgiev said a big question mark over the commercialization of silicon anodes is the cost of production and whether any of the major silicon-anode producers “could produce material at scale with a consistent quality and at a competitive price — [a] major requirements of OEMs.”

“At this stage silicon anodes are used more as an additive to graphite-based anodes and in the years to come we expect to see increase of silicon share in anode, but in combination with graphite, while 100% silicon anodes will take longer time to enter the mass market,” he added.

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Oil giant Saudi Aramco posts 15% drop in third-quarter profit but maintains dividend

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8 hours ago

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November 5, 2024

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Oil giant Saudi Aramco posts 15% drop in third-quarter profit but maintains dividend

Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal

Ahmed Jadallah | Reuters

Saudi state oil giant Aramco reported a 15.4% drop in net profit in the third-quarter on the back of “lower crude oil prices and weakening refining margins,” but maintained a 31.05 billion dividend.

The company reported net income of $27.56 billion in the July-September period, topping a company-provided estimate of $26.9 billion. The print is also a 5% drop from the previous quarter, which came in at $29.1 billion, as lower global oil prices, weaker demand and prolonged OPEC+ production cuts led by Saudi Arabia continue to impact crude prices.

The average selling price of oil for the second quarter of 2024 stood at $85 per barrel, but dropped to $78.7 per barrel during the third quarter, according to Saudi-based bank Al Rajhi capital, as non-OPEC supply volumes grew.

The oil firm said its year-on-year decline was partly offset by a “reduction in selling, administrative and general expenses primarily driven by a gain from derivative instruments, and a decrease in production royalties largely reflecting lower crude oil prices and a lower average effective royalty rate compared to the same quarter last year.”

Aramco’s dividend includes a base payout of $20.3 billion and an atypical performance-linked one of $10.8 billion. The Saudi government and the kingdom’s sovereign wealth vehicle, the Public Investment Fund, are the main beneficiaries of the dividend, holding stakes of roughly 81.5% and 16% in the company.

The remaining shareholding trades freely on Saudi Arabia’s Tadāwul stock exchange, with the company having finalized its second public share offering back in June.

Aramco’s earnings before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) came in at $51.45 billion in the third quarter, down 17% year-on-year. Aramco’s capital expenditure guidance was brought up 20% to $13.23 billion.

The company was trading at 27.45 riyals following the announcement, down 0.18% on the previous day.

The earnings align with a broader trend across oil majors, whose third-quarter profits have also suffered from declines in crude prices and refining margins. Aramco said it achieved average realized crude price of $79.3 per barrel in the third quarter, compared with $89.3 per barrel in the same period of last year.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter who produces roughly 9 million barrels per day of crude at present, serves as the de facto leader of the OPEC+ oil producers’ alliance, a subset of whom agreed over the weekend to delay a planned December output hike by one month.

OPEC chief says delayed December output hike is 'nothing unusual'

“Aramco delivered robust net income and generated strong free cash flow during the third quarter, despite a lower oil price environment,” CEO Amin Nasser said in a statement. “We also progressed our upstream developments, strengthened our downstream value chain, and advanced our new energies program as we continue to invest through cycles.”

The revenues will be a boon to the Saudi economy, which is currently undergoing a diversification process under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s legacy Vision 2030 scheme spanning a slew of high-cost infrastructure “gigaprojects.”

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance cut the kingdom’s growth forecast to 0.8% in 2024, in a steep decline from a previous projection of 4.4%, and raised the outlook for the national budgetary shortfall to roughly 2.9% of GDP, from a prior indication of 1.9%.

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Cybertruck backlog runs out, Model S gets stuck, GM hits a sales milestone

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14 hours ago

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November 5, 2024

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Cybertruck backlog runs out, Model S gets stuck, GM hits a sales milestone

On today’s episode of Quick Charge, Tesla’s Cybertruck is now available in Canada – and, like in the US, there’s no waiting! Plus, we’ve got an “actually” smart summon Tesla that’s actually stuck, GM reaches a sales milestone, and we get a brand-new title sponsor!

Today’s episode is the first with our new title sponsor, BLUETTI – a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonusLucid proves than an EV company can keep its promises while Xiaomi teams up with Chevrolet and Honda to prove – at least conceptually – that records are made to be broken. audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!

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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!

Read more: Renewables now make up 30% of US utility-scale generating capacity

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