
NIU Christmas sale drops KQi2 Pro e-scooter to $379 2024 low, Goal Zero 1500X $779, Hoverfly EVs, Rexing EV adapters, more
More Videos
Published
4 months agoon
By
admin
Leading today’s Green Deals is the latest Christmas sale that we spotted from NIU, with up to 42% being taken off its e-scooter lineup, like the KQi2 Pro Electric Kick Scooter that hit a new $379 2024 low. From there, we have a returning low price on Goal Zero’s Yeti 1500X Portable Power Station at $779, as well as a new low rate for Hoverfly’s entry-level H3 16-inch Folding e-bike down at $423. Lastly, we have two Rexing EV charger adapters and one extension cable for Tesla drivers/owners at up to $100 off and starting from $50. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Jackery Christmas flash sale that ends tonight, and 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.
NIU Christmas sale drops beginner-friendly KQi2 Pro electric kick scooter to new $379 2024 low
NIU’s Christmas sale is offering plenty of low prices – returning and new – through December 24 on a small collection of KQi series electric kick scooters at up to 42% off. One notable new price is on the beginner-friendly KQi2 Pro Electric Kick Scooter that is down at $379 shipped. Usually going for $649 outside of these sales, this model ended last year at the $369 low that hasn’t been seen again since. Over 2024, discounts have kept the price above $380 (usually over $400), but that’s changing here today as its previous Black Friday rate gets beaten out by $1, saving you $270 at the lowest price of the year – only $10 above the all-time low from 2023. You’ll also find this same scooter matching in price at Amazon.
A great and affordable pick for both newbie riders and veterans who don’t want to shell out too much cash, NIU’s KQi2 Pro electric kick scooter arrives as a balanced model to assist you through most commuting needs. You’ll get a 25-mile travel range on a single charge at up to top speeds of 17.4 MPH thanks to the paired 300W motor and 48V battery. It even sports regenerative brakes to extend your riding time by recycling energy alongside the four riding modes (e-save, sport, custom, pedestrian). The IP54 water-resistance protections here ensure being caught in sudden inclement weather or riding after the fact won’t threaten the scooter’s life. You’ll also be getting an LED headlight and taillight, a secondary front drum brake, a foldable body, and an LED dashboard display to adjust settings – which you can also do through the companion app on your smartphone.
Best NIU Christmas sale e-scooter deals for beginners:
Best NIU Christmas sale e-scooter deals for experts:
NIU Christmas sale best-selling e-scooter deals:
NIU’s Christmas sale is even offering a bunch of bundle options to save on two e-scooters bought together, which you can browse in full on the landing page here.

Through its official Amazon storefront, Goal Zero is offering a return low on its Yeti 1500X Portable Power Station at $779.18 shipped, after clipping the on-page $500 off coupon. Normally going for $1,300 these days, but priced at $1,279 since November, it’s spent most of the year keeping between $1,100 and $1,234 on Amazon. We spotted it hitting this same rate on Black Friday and holding out until Cyber Monday’s end, but that same low price is back again today to save you $521. There are also two discounted bundle options here, with the station coming with a 100W solar panel for $866, after clipping the on-page $584 off coupon, or with two accordion-folding 200W solar panels for $1,775, after clipping the on-page $220 off coupon.
More of an outdoor and job site-tailored brand of backup power solutions, Goal Zero’s Yeti 1500X power station provides you with a 1,516Wh battery capacity that dishes out an impressive 2,000W output that surges up to 3,500W. Through its 10 output ports, you can keep the power on for devices, appliances, tools, and more. The battery takes up to 14 hours to recharge via a wall outlet, which can be sped up to just 3-hour charge times with a Goal Zero Yeti X 600W Power Supply. You can also utilize up to its 600W max input to take advantage of solar charging, as well as an additional recharge option by connecting it to your car.

Hoverfly’s H3 16-inch folding e-bike is an affordable entry-level option for beginners at new $423 low
We just spotted a great collection of beginner-friendly e-bike deals at Amazon on the Hoverfly H3 16-inch Folding e-bike starting from $423.20 shipped for its black and white colorways, with the other colorways getting some decent savings too. Down from its $500 price tag here, with higher $560+ rates direct from Hoverfly and elsewhere, we saw it drop furthest in price back over September when it hit $425. That rate is getting beaten out here today though, saving you $77 off the going rate ($137+ off its higher MSRPs) and carving out a new all-time low price by $2. It even beats out its pricing direct from Hoverfly right now that has it down at $530.
A great starter bike that certainly won’t break the bank, Hoverfly’s H3 model provides a solid 15.5 MPH max speed from its 350W brushless hub motor (500W peak) that is powered by the removable 280.8Wh battery, with added support from its three simplified riding modes: a traditional bike mode, electric mode, and PAS mode. When it is switched to the PAS mode, you’ll benefit from support for up to 25 miles on one charge. It features fully adjustable handlebars and saddle to fit a wider range of rider heights, as well as front shock absorbers, an integrated rear cargo rack, a headlight and taillight, 16-inch wheels, and a foldable bike frame.
Other Hoverfly e-mobility deals:

Save up to $100 on these EV charger adapters and extension cable for Tesla drivers starting at $50
Tesla drivers are in luck today as Best Buy is offering some solid discounts across three popular Tesla-focused add-on adapters, starting with the Rexing J1772 to Tesla EV Charger Adapter for $49.99 shipped. Normally priced at $80, we’ve mainly seen this adapter drop to either $50 or the $45 low during one-day sales, with the savings today taking $30 off the price to return costs to the second-lowest price. This device arrives rated for a maximum 80A input and a 240V output, allowing Tesla drivers to gain wider access to level 1 and 2 EV chargers by using home and portable setups your non-Tesla driving family and friends may have.
If you happen to own a Tesla S, 3, X, or Y – or if you’re looking to grab a last-minute gift for someone who does – there’s also the Rexing CCS to Tesla Adapter for $130, down from $200. We have seen it go for $100 much earlier in the year, but more often than not it usually only sees a drop to $150, so this 35% markdown is a great opportunity at some extra savings. Adding this adapter to your glovebox gives you wider-ranging charging access at over 5,000 CCS level 3 fast-charging stations across the country, providing you with up to 250kW or 250A speeds.
Lastly, suppose you happen to own one of Tesla’s home chargers, like the popular level 2 Wall Connector or the Universal Wall Connector, or you regularly frequent other charger stations with a lack of reach. In that case, you may want to add on some extra length to the cable with Rexing’s Tesla Extension Charging Cable for $200, saving you $100 off the usual going price. Fully compatible with the many chargers and connectors for the Tesla Models S/3/X and Y EVs, you’ll get an additional 20 feet of length now with this cable, which supports up to 240V/48A speeds. Do remember though, it unfortunately does not work with the supercharger stations.
Best ongoing holiday e-bike deals!
- MOD Easy SideCar Sahara: $3,509 (Reg. $3,899)
- Aventon Ramblas Electric Mountain Bike: $2,599 (Reg. $2,899)
- MOD Easy 3 e-bike: $2,159 (Reg. $2,399)
- Lectric XPedition 2.0 35Ah Cargo e-bike w/ $713 in free gear (new): $1,999 (Reg. $2,712)
- MOD City+ Step-Thru 3 Folding e-bike: $1,799 (Reg. $1,999)
- MOD Berlin Step-Thru 3 e-bike: $1,799 (Reg. $1,999)
- Lectric XPedition 2.0 26Ah Cargo e-bike w/ $564 in free gear (new): $1,699 (Reg. $2,263)
- Lectric XPeak 2.0 Long-Range e-bike w/ $365 in free gear (new): $1,599 (Reg. $1,964)
- Aventon Pace 500.3 Step-Over e-bike with free extra battery: $1,599 (Reg. $1,799)
- Aventon Pace 500.3 Step-Through e-bike with free extra battery: $1,599 (Reg. $1,799)
- Lectric XP Trike with $419 in free gear: $1,499 (Reg. $1,918)
- Lectric XPeak 2.0 Standard e-bike with $365 in free gear (new): $1,399 (Reg. $1,764)
- Lectric XPeak 1.0 Step-Thru e-bike with $781 in free gear (extra battery): $1,399 (Reg. $2,180)
- Lectric XPedition 2.0 13Ah Cargo e-bike with $296 in free gear (new): $1,399 (Reg. $1,695)
- Velotric Nomad 1 Plus e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,799)
- Velotric T1 ST Plus e-bike: $1,299 (Reg. $1,549)
- Lectric XPress 750 High-Step with $365 in free gear: $1,299 (Reg. $1,664)
- Lectric XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bikes with $454 in free gear: $1,199 (Reg. $1,653)
- Velotric 2024 Discover 1 Plus Commuter e-bike: $1,199 (Reg. $1,599)
- Heybike Ranger S Folding e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
- Lectric XP 3.0 e-bikes with $ 454 in free gear: $999 (Reg. $1,453)
- Aventon Soltera.2 Urban Commuter e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,199)
- Hiboy 2024 P7 Commuter e-bike: $800 (Reg. $1,700)
- Vanpowers UrbanGlide-Ultra Commuter e-bike (code 9TO5BIKE10): $1,034 (Reg. $2,499)
- Vanpowers UrbanGlide-Pro Commuter e-bike (code 9TO5BIKE10): $809 (Reg. $1,899)
- Vanpowers UrbanGlide-Standard Commuter e-bike (code 9TO5BIKE10): $674 (Reg. $1,099)
- Vanpowers City Vanture e-bike (code 9TO5BIKE10): $629 (Reg. $1,699)

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.
- Jackery’s short-term Christmas flash sale drops new Explorer 2000 v2 power station to $899 (Reg. $1,499), more
- Worx’s Landroid M 20V robotic lawn mower handles up to 1/4 acre of yard duties at a new $535 low (Reg. $900)
- Trek’s holiday sale takes $650 off the Dual Sport+ 2 lightweight hybrid e-bike for urban and trail commutes at $1,750, more
- EcoFlow decks the halls with up to 60% savings on power stations, bundles, more from $45 in updated Christmas sale
- Keep devices and appliances running with Jackery’s Explorer 700 Plus power station at new $299 low (Reg. $599+), more
- Anker’s SOLIX Christmas sale is bringing up to 50% discounts to town on power stations, bundles, more from $99
- Save up to $1,100 on Vvolt e-bikes with free extra batteries and bonus accessory discounts – deals start from $1,799
- Murf’s Class 3 Higgs Fat-Tire e-bike with 50-mile range hits new $1,916 low in holiday 20% off sitewide sale
- Goal Zero’s Venture 9,600mAh and 19,200mAh solar-charging power banks return to lowest prices from $52
- Keep an intelligent eye on your water supply with Rachio’s smart hose timer and Wi-Fi hub at $75 (Reg. $100)
- Greenworks’ 80V 16-inch cordless electric chainsaw tackles firewood duties at $224 Amazon low (Reg. $280), more
- Electrified Weekly – Exclusive lows on Vanpower e-bikes from $629, Samsung AI Combo washer/dryer with $1,598 in savings, more
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
You may like
Environment
‘Repowering’ era for America’s aging wind energy industry begins, despite Trump’s effort to kill it
Published
7 hours agoon
April 27, 2025By
admin
Jeffrey Sanders / 500px | 500px | Getty Images
On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump issued an executive order indefinitely halting permits for new onshore wind energy projects on federal land, as well as new leases for offshore wind farms in U.S. coastal waters. The action not only fulfilled Trump’s “no new windmills” campaign pledge, but struck yet another blow to the wind industry, which has been hit hard over the past few years by supply chain snags, price increases upending project economics, public opposition and political backlash against federal tax credits, especially those spurring the fledgling offshore wind sector.
Nonetheless, the nation’s well-established onshore wind industry, built out over several decades, is generating nearly 11% of America’s electricity, making it the largest source of renewable energy and at times last year exceeding coal-fired generation. On April 8, the fossil-fuels-friendly Trump administration took measures to bolster coal mining and power plants, but as the infrastructure driving wind energy ages, efforts to “repower” it are creating new business opportunities for the industry’s key players.
This repowering activity has emerged as a bright spot for the wind industry, giving a much-needed boost to market leaders GE Vernova, Vestas and Siemens Gamesa, a subsidiary of Munich-based Siemens Energy. Following several challenging years of lackluster performance — due in particular to setbacks in both onshore and offshore projects — all three companies reported revenue increases in 2024, and both GE Vernova and Siemens stock have moved higher.
GE Vernova, spun off from General Electric a year ago, led overall onshore wind installations in 2024, with 56% of the U.S. market, followed by Denmark’s Vestas (40%) and Siemens Gamesa (4%).
GE Vernova stock performance over the past one-year period.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, installed wind power generating capacity grew from 2.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2000 to 150.1 GW as of April 2024. Although the growth rate for launching new greenfield onshore wind farms has slowed over the last 10 years, the U.S. is still poised to surpass 160 GW of wind capacity in 2025, according to a new report from energy research firm Wood Mackenzie.
There currently are about 1,500 onshore wind farms — on which more than 75,600 turbines are spinning — across 45 states, led by Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Illinois and Kansas. Virtually all of the wind farms are located on private land, and many of the largest ones are owned and operated by major energy companies, including NextEra Energy, RWE Clean Energy, Pattern Energy, Clearway Energy, Xcel Energy and Berkshire Hathaway‘s MidAmerican Energy, which generates 59% of it renewable energy from wind, including 3,500 turbines operating across 38 wind projects in Iowa.
A growing number of the turbines are 20-plus years old and nearing the end of their lifecycle. So increasingly, operators have to decide whether to upgrade or replace aging turbines’ key components, such as blades, rotors and electronics, or dismantle them altogether and erect new, technologically advanced and far more efficient models that can increase electricity output by up to 50%.
“What’s becoming clear is that more and more of the U.S. installed base [of onshore turbines] has exceeded its operational design life,” said Charles Coppins, research analyst for global wind at Wood Mackenzie, “and now operators are looking to replace those aging turbines with the latest [ones].”
To date, approximately 70 GW of onshore wind capacity has been fully repowered in the U.S., according to Wood Mackenzie, while an additional 12 GW has been partially repowered. The firm estimates that around 10,000 turbines have been decommissioned and that another 6,000 will be retired in the next 10 years, Coppins said.
Damaged wind turbine that was first hit by a tornado then lightning.
Ryan Baker | Istock | Getty Images
Beyond the fact that aged-out turbines need to be upgraded or replaced, repowering an existing wind farm versus building a new site presents economic benefits to operators and OEMs. To begin with, there’s no need to acquire property. In fact, in certain situations, because today’s turbines are larger and more efficient, fewer turbines are needed. And they’ll generate additional electricity and have longer lifecycles, ultimately delivering higher output at a lower cost.
Even so, “there are some limitations on how much capacity you could increase a project by without having to go through new permitting processes or interconnection queues” to the power grid, said Stephen Maldonado, Wood Mackenzie’s U.S. onshore analyst. As long as the operator is not surpassing the allowed interconnection volume agreed to with the local utility, they can add electricity to the project and still send it to the grid.
Public opposition, Maldonado said, may be another hurdle to get over. Whether it’s a new or repower wind project, residents have expressed concerns about environmental hazards, decreased property values, aesthetics and general anti-renewables sentiment.
RWE, a subsidiary of Germany’s RWE Group, is the third largest renewable energy company in the U.S., owning and operating 41 utility-scale wind farms, according to its CEO Andrew Flanagan, making up 48% of its total installed operating portfolio and generating capacity, which also includes solar and battery storage.
One of RWE’s two repower projects underway (both are in Texas), is its Forest Creek wind farm, originally commissioned in 2006 and featuring 54 Siemens Gamesa turbines. The project will replace them with 45 new GE Vernova turbines that will extend the wind farm’s life by another 30 years once it goes back online later this year. Simultaneously, RWE and GE Vernova are partnering on a new wind farm, immediately adjacent to Forest Creek, adding another 64 turbines to the complex. When complete, RWE will deliver a total of 308 MW of wind energy to the region’s homes and businesses.
Flanagan noted that the combined projects are related to increased electricity demands from the area’s oil and gas production. “It’s great to see our wind generation drive the all-of-the-above energy approach,” he said. What’s more, at its peak, the repower project alone will employ 250 construction workers and over its operating period bring in $30 million in local tax revenue, he added.
In turn, the twin projects will support advanced manufacturing jobs at GE Vernova’s Pensacola, Florida, facility, as well as advancing the OEM’s repower business. In January, the company announced that in 2024 it received orders to repower more than 1 GW of wind turbines in the U.S.
Koiguo | Moment | Getty Images
Siemens Gamesa has executed several large U.S. repowering projects, notably MidAmerican’s expansive Rolling Hills wind farm in Iowa, which went online in 2011. In 2019, the company replaced 193 older turbines with 163 higher-capacity models produced at its manufacturing plants in Iowa and Kansas.
Last year, Siemens Gamesa began repowering RWE’s 17-year-old Champion Wind, a 127-MW wind farm in West Texas. The company is upgrading 41 of its turbines with new blades and nacelles (the housing at the top of the tower containing critical electrical components) and adding six new turbines.
In early April, Clearway announced an agreement with Vestas to repower its Mount Storm Wind farm in Grant County, West Virginia. The project will include removing the site’s 132 existing turbines and replacing them with 78 new models. The repower will result in an 85% increase in Mount Storm’s overall electricity generation while using 40% fewer turbines.
Preparing for ‘megatons’ of turbine recycling and tariffs
Another benefit of repowering is invigorating the nascent industry that’s recycling megatons of components from decommissioned turbines, including blades, steel, copper and aluminum. Most of today’s operational turbines are 85% to 95% recyclable, and OEMs are designing 100% recyclable models.
While the majority of mothballed blades, made from fiberglass and carbon fiber, have historically ended up in landfills, several startups have developed technologies recycle them. Carbon Rivers, for example, contracts with the turbine OEMs and wind farm operators to recover glass fiber, carbon fiber and resin systems from decommissioned blades to produce new composites and resins used for next-generation turbine blades, marine vessels, composite concrete and auto parts.
Veolia North America, a subsidiary of the French company Veolia Group, reconstitutes shredded blades and other composite materials into a fuel it then sells to cement manufacturers as a replacement for coal, sand and clay. Veolia has processed approximately 6,500 wind blades at a facility in Missouri, and expanded its processing capabilities to meet demand, according to David Araujo, Veolia’s general manager of engineered fuels.
Trump’s new-project moratorium isn’t his only impediment to the wind industry. The president’s seesaw of import tariffs, especially the 25% levy on steel and aluminum, is impacting U.S. manufacturers across most sectors.
The onshore wind industry, however, “has done a really good job of reducing geopolitical risks,” said John Hensley, senior vice president for markets and policy analysis at the American Clean Power Association, a trade group representing the clean energy industry. He cited a manufacturing base in the U.S. that includes hundreds of plants producing parts and components for turbines. Although some materials are imported, the investment in domestic manufacturing “provides some risk mitigation to these tariffs,” he said.
Amidst the headwinds, the onshore wind industry is trying to stay focused on the role that repowering can play in meeting the nation’s exponentially growing demand for electricity. “We’re expecting a 35% to 50% increase between now and 2040, which is just incredible,” Hensley said. “It’s like adding a new Louisiana to the grid every year for 15 years.”
GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik recently told CNBC’s Jim Cramer that the growth of the U.S.’s electric load is the largest since the industrial boom that followed the end of the second world war. “You’ve got to go back to 1945 and the end of World War II, that’s the infrastructure buildout that we’re going to have,” he said.
As OEMs and wind farm developers continue to face rising capital costs for new projects, as well as a Trump administration averse to clean energy industries, “repowering offers a pathway for delivering more electrons to the grid in a way that sidesteps or at least minimizes some of the challenges associated with all these issues,” Hensley said.

Environment
ABB is bringing its new, 1.2 MW modular truck chargers to ACT Expo
Published
22 hours agoon
April 26, 2025By
admin

Capable of delivering up to 1,200 kW of power to get electric commercial trucks back on the road in minutes, the new ABB MCS1200 Megawatt Charging System is part of an ecosystem of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) that ABB’s bringing to this year’s ACT Expo.
ABB E-mobility is using the annual clean trucking conference to showcase the expansion of its EVSE portfolio with three all-new charger families: the field-upgradable A200/300 All-in-One chargers, the MCS1200 Megawatt Charging System for heavy-duty vehicles shown (above), and the ChargeDock Dispenser for flexible depot charging.
The company said its new product platform was built by applying a computer system-style domain separation to charger design, fundamentally improving subsystem development and creating a clear path forward for site and system expansion. In other words, ABB is selling a system with both future-proofing and enhanced dependability baked in.
“We have built a system by logically separating a charger into four distinct subsystems … each functioning as an independent subsystem,” explains Michael Halbherr, CEO of ABB E-mobility. “Unlike conventional chargers, where a user interface failure can disable the entire system, our architecture ensures charging continues even if the screen or payment system encounters issues. Moreover, we can improve each subsystem at its own pace without having to change the entire system.”
Advertisement – scroll for more content
The parts of ABB’s new EVSE portfolio that have been made public so far have already been recognized for design excellence, with the A400 winning the iF Gold Award and both the A400 and C50 receiving Red Dot Design Awards.
New ABB chargers seem pretty, good

ABB says the systemic separation of its EVSE enhances both reliability and quality, while making deployed chargers easier to diagnose and repair, in less time. Each of the chargers’ subsystems can be tested, diagnosed, and replaced independently, allowing for quick on-site repairs and update cycles tailored to the speed of each systems’ innovation. The result is 99% uptime and a more future-proof product.
“The EV charging landscape is evolving beyond point products for specific use cases,” continued Halbherr. “By implementing this modular approach with the majority of our R&D focused on modular platforms rather than one-off products … it reduces supply chain risks, while accelerating development cycles and enabling deeper collaboration with critical suppliers.”
Key markets ABB is chasing

- PUBLIC CHARGING – with the award winning A400 being the optimal fit for high power charging from highway corridors to urban locations, the latest additions to the A-Series All-in-One chargers offer a field-upgradable architecture allowing operators to start with the A200 (200kW) with the option to upgrade to 300kW or 400kW as demand grows. This approach offers scalability and protects customer investment, leading to Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings over 10 years.
- PUBLIC TRANSIT AND FLEET – the new Charge Dock Dispenser – in combination with the already in market available HVC 360 – simplifies depot charging with a versatile solution that supports pantograph-, roof-, and pedestal charging options with up to 360kW of shared power and 150m/490 ft installation flexibility between cabinet and dispensers. The dispenser maintains up to 500A output.
- HEAVY TRUCKS – building the matching charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles and fleets represents a critical innovation frontier on our journey to electrify transportation. Following extensive collaboration with industry-leading truck OEMs, the MCS1200 Megawatt Charging System delivers up to 1,200kW of continuous power — 20% more energy transfer than 1MW systems — providing heavy-duty vehicles with purpose-built single-outlet design for the energy they need during mandatory driver breaks. To support other use cases, such as CCS truck charging, a dual CCS and MCS option will also be available.
- RETAIL – the award winning C50 Compact Charger complements the family as the slimmest charger in its category at just 9.3 inches depth, optimized for convenient charging during typical one-hour retail experiences. With its large touch display, the C50 takes the award-winning A400 experience even further — setting a new standard for consumer experience and very neatly echoing our own take on that “Goldilocks” timing zone for commercial charging.
ABB says that the result of its new approach are chargers that offer 99% plus uptime — a crucial statistic for commercial charging operations and a key factor to ensuring customer satisfaction. The new ABB E-mobility EVSE product family will be on display for the first time at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo (ACT Expo) in Anaheim, California next week, then again at Power2Drive in Munich, Germany, from May 7-9.
Electrek’s Take

The ACT Expo is one of – if not the most important sustainable trucking event in North America, featuring all the big names in heavy trucks, construction equipment, material handling, infrastructure – even Tier 1 suppliers. Mostly, though, it’s many fleet buyers’ only chance to test drive these zero emission trucks before writing a big PO (which just makes it even more important).
Electrek will be there again this year, and we’ll be bringing you all the latest news from press events and product reveals as it happens.
SOURCE | IMAGES: ABB E-mobility.

If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Whisper Aero ultralight aircraft scores $500K for “UltraQuiet” electric jet motor tests
Published
23 hours agoon
April 26, 2025By
admin

Along with Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-based ultralight aircraft company Whisper Aero has secured a $500,000 grant to help advance the company’s innovative electric jet motor concept off the drawing board and onto the testing phase.
Earlier this month, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced plans to award $500,000 to Tennessee Tech and Whisper Aero through the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative.
“We look forward to using these award dollars to place students in internships working directly with Whisper Aero leaders,” said Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham. “By learning from an electric propulsion innovator like Whisper Aero, our students will gain invaluable perspective and can take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it right here in Tennessee.”
The grant will see a Whisper Aero glider fitted with a pair of the company’s eQ250 electric-powered jet “propulsors” for UltraQuiet flight. Tennessee Tech faculty and students will carry out copper-bird ground testing to ensure the safe integration of engines, batteries, and controllers, and kickstart Tennessee Tech’s new Crossville Mobility Incubator.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
Those propulsors, by the way, are super cool.

Whisper Aero’s main claim to fame is its innovative UltraQuiet WhisperDrive (above). It’s effectively an electrically spun ducted fan jet engine that uses a large number of stiff composite fan blades inside a lightweight, acoustically treated duct. With so many blades, the Whisper Aero propulsor can push more air than a conventional prop while spinning much more slowly. As such, the “blade passage frequency” moves up to more than 16,000 Hz – outside the range of most human hearing but not, supposedly, high enough to freak out the beagles.
The Whisper Aero ultralight is effectively an Aériane Swift3 glider fitted with a pair of Whisper’s eQ250 propulsors, each capable of up to 80 lbs. of thrust. The Ultralight has a wingspan of over 40 ft with a maximum L/D of 35:1 and can be stressed to a design loading of +6/-4g, making it capable of some pretty impressive acrobatic feats.
The Swift3 glider is designed for a low speed, low power cruising speed of 45–55 knots with “just” 6.5 hp. Power-off glides from a few hundred feet showed a low sink rate, and a climb rate of 1,250 ft/min with full self-launching power (in other words: the Whisper glider doesn’t have to be towed by a launch vehicle, like a conventional ultralight glider).
Quiet cool

Range under full power is about 109 miles with current battery tech, but it’s expected that range under the latest EPiC 2.0 energy batteries would rise to nearly 170 miles.
Nathan Millecam, CEO of Electric Power System, said, “EPiC 2.0’s leap in energy density and thermal performance has enabled a significant increase in range, a clear validation of our next-gen cell technology. We are impressed by what the Whisper team continues to achieve in advancing electric aviation.”
The press release concludes explaining that flight tests are expected to show that the Whisper Aero glider can be flown, “a few hundred feet away from neighborhoods without any disturbances, while carrying a 220 lbs. payload with full range,” which is all kind of ominous in today’s political climate, but still pretty neat from a purely tech perspective.
The TNGO grant follows a separate grant from NASA awarded last year, though that grant aims to develop the eQ250s – not as a propulsion system, but as a key component in future spacecraft ventilation systems.
Tennessee Tech announces TNGO grant
With support from TNECD’s Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, Tennessee Tech University and Whisper Aero are partnering to advance next-generation propulsion technology in the aerospace industry. This collaboration will enhance aerospace research and workforce development, ensuring Tennessee remains a leader in cutting-edge mobility solutions.
SOURCE | IMAGES: TNECD; via eVTOL Insights, New Atlas.

If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Trending
-
Sports3 years ago
‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year ago
Story injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year ago
Game 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years ago
MLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years ago
Japan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years ago
Game-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years ago
Bank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway