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Closing out this week’s Green Deals, we’re stopping back in on Lectric’s Plunge flash sale that ends January 20 to give a spotlight on the brand’s XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes that start at $999 and come with the largest bundle packages yet at $404 in free gear. We’ve secured an exclusive new low price for our readers on EcoFlow’s DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station that takes costs down to $541, with an alternate backup power offer that is seeing DJI’s Power 1000 Portable Power Station at 50% off for $499. For EV drivers, we also spotted Autel’s MaxiCharger AC Lite Home Level 2 EV charger dropping to its $455 low. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Rad Power flash sale that includes a free extra battery with the RadRunner 2 Utility e-bike, among others – 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.

Lectric’s XP Lite 2.0 80-mile e-bikes with $404 in free gear start from $999 in flash sale savings

Checking back in on Lectric’s Plunge flash sale that is running through January 20, I wanted to shine a spotlight on the brand’s newer XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes that are getting $404 in free gear. Lectric’s standard XP Lite 2.0 e-bikes are going for $999 shipped while the black JW XP Lite 2.0 belt-drive model sits higher at $1,099 shipped. Normally with these packages, you’d be paying $1,403 and $1,503, respectively, but as is the norm at Lectric, the savings primarily come in the form of these free bundles, with this sale offering the biggest ones we’ve seen since the e-bikes released back in June.

Starting with Lectric’s standard XP Lite 2.0 e-bikes, which offer four unique colors (compared to the brand’s usual black/white options on other models), they’ve been given 672Wh batteries paired with a 300W motor (peaking to 819Wh) to provide up to 80 miles of travel via the five levels of pedal assistance at max 20 MPH speeds. For such a low price, they even comes stocked with some impressive features, like the hydraulic mineral oil brakes, BMX-style handlebars, 20×2.5-inch slick tires with a 3mm Hippo Skin liner and pre-Slimed tubes for anti-puncture resistance, a full color LCD display with a USB-A charging port for devices, and folding capabilities at the handlebar stem, main frame, and even at the foot pedals.

The big difference between the above models and Lectric’s black JW XP Lite 2.0 counterpart is the inclusion of the carbon fiber-reinforced Gates Carbon Drive belt system over the chained drivetrain. This delivers a quieter, smoother, and oil-free ride that not only improves its performance to more efficient levels but also ensures it will outlast chain-drive counterparts after long-term use.

There are two other models benefitting from this flash sale’s increased savings, which you can check out in full here, or to browse the entire lineup of e-bike bundle deals in the brand’s overall New Year sale, check out our original coverage.

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus portable power station

Save an exclusive $258 on EcoFlow’s DELTA 3 Plus portable 1,024Wh LiFePO4 power station at new $541 low

Wellbots is giving 9to5Toys readers another great exclusive deal today, with the EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus Portable Power Station getting taken down to $540.94 shipped, after using the code 9TO5D3P14 at checkout. This newer model usually carries a $799 price tag since launching in July, with it starting today well under the direct discounted pricing we’ve seen on average from EcoFlow that only gets better once the exclusive promo code is factored into things. You’ll be saving $258 off the going rate, which comes in $76 under its previous low from Christmas sales as the best price we’ve tracked to date.

With only six months on the market, EcoFlow’s DELTA 3 Plus is already carving out a place for itself as a fully capable backup solution that doesn’t weigh so heavily on finances. It arrives with a 1,024Wh LiFePO4 capacity that can be built up to 5kWh via the addition of expansion batteries from its counterpart DELTA 3, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, or DELTA 2 stations. Through the 13 versatile ports, it provides 1,800W output power which its X-Boost tech surges up to 3,600W to cover larger appliance needs far better than older station models of this same size.

This X-Boost tech takes things further for its own recharging too, as it allows for five fast-charging means to re-juice itself. A wall outlet will get the battery back to full in 56 minutes, which also lines up with the timeframe that EcoFlow’s Smart Generator 4000 would take. Connecting it to your car via an alternator charger can refill things after 1.3 hours of driving, or you can hook up to 1,000W of solar input to top it off in 70 minutes. Lastly, there’s the multi-charge feature that lets you take advantage of both solar charging and AC charging simultaneously.

Autel EV charger

Save $114 on Autel’s hardwired MaxiCharger AC Lite Home level 2 EV charger while it’s at a $455 low

Coming to us through its official Amazon storefront, Autel is offering its MaxiCharger AC Lite Home Level 2 EV charger for $455.20 shipped. Normally this model would fetch $569 at full price, with frequent returns to this $455 low over the last year (more frequently in the form of short-term Lightning deals). Today, that low rate is coming back with help from this 20% markdown, cutting $114 off the going price and even matching with Autel’s direct site too.

This 240V level 2 EV charger from Autel comes compatible with EVs using a J1772 connection – and for Tesla drivers, you can find an option to choose between a J1772 or NACS connector direct from Autel’s website. Providing up to 50A charging speeds, you’ll average around 37 miles per every hour its plugged in, regardless of the weather, as its upgraded 25-foot cable comes designed to tackle the job in cold as low as -40 degrees while the unit as a whole can withstand “snow, rain, hail, and sleet.” Through the companion app you’ll have full smart controls to monitor and manage settings, as well as optimize things to take advantage of off-peak hours.

DJI Power 1000 Portable Power Station

DJI’s Power 1000 1,024Wh LiFePO4 power station covers laptops, phones, tablets, drones, and more at $499

While most people know DJI for its high-quality drones, its official Amazon storefront is offering some big savings on its Power 1000 Portable Power Station at $499 shipped, after using the on-page promo code G2IGEKLM at checkout. Normally you’d find this model at a $999 in full, with today’s deal starting off at $699 while the promo code strikes another $200 from this rate for a solid 50% in savings. While we have seen it fall lower during Cyber Monday and during the week of Christmas, this is still a sizeable $500 being cut off the going rate today, dropping costs among its lowest prices. You’ll also find this same deal direct from DJI’s site, but only after using the code DJIPOWERSAVE at checkout. There are also an array of bundle options on both the Amazon and DJI landing pages you can take advantage of too.

This power station from DJI comes as a perfect companion for folks who spend a lot of time out of the house and exploring the wilds, providing you with a 1,024Wh LiFePO4 capacity to juice up laptops, tablets, cameras, and other essentials – including the brand’s drones. It has 8 port options, with the two ACs dishing power at up to 2,200W (surging to 2,600W) to cover larger appliance needs, while the dual USB-Cs boast 140W fast-charging speeds each, among others.

With the addition of either a MPPT module or DJI’s Power Car Power Outlet to SDC Power Cable, you’ll be able to take advantage of its solar charging capabilities, with an impressive 1,600W max input available, which would refill the battery in 80 minutes. Otherwise charging via a wall outlet delivers an 80% battery in 50 minutes or a full one in 70 minutes.

Best New Year EV 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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Here it is: the first-ever electric Type D school bus from Thomas Built

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October 28, 2025

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Here it is: the first-ever electric Type D school bus from Thomas Built

Thomas Built Buses introduces Wattson, the company’s first electric Type D school bus

The school bus experts at Thomas Built have just released the first all-electric, square-bodied Type D school bus in the company’s storied history – and they’ve given their new bus a friendly, pun-tastic name. Kids, meet Wattson!

Properly called the Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson, this latest transit-style Type D bus from North Carolina-based Thomas Built combines a flat front, high seating capacity, and superior driver visibility with clean, quiet, electric power from Cummins Accelera.

“Wattson represents our next step in electrification,” said TJ Reed, president and CEO of Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles. “(Wattson) reflects our belief that the best electric solutions are the ones that feel familiar, fit within your fleet and are built to last. That’s what we’ve heard from our customers, and that’s what we’re delivering.”

The bus offers 150 miles of estimated range thanks to a huge 246 kWh li-ion battery pack. That battery funnels electrons to the same, ultra-efficient 295 hp 14Xe eAxle with 750 lb-ft of peak tq as the recently-revealed Jouley, offering more than enough “get up and go” to get kids safely across multilane highways and up even the gnarliest rural mountain inclines. And, of course, without the freezing concerns that can stop a diesel fleet cold during extreme temperature drops.

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And, because Wattson is based heavily on Thomas Built’s existing Type D body, schools’ preferred upfitting solutions should bolt right in. “We know electrification can feel like a big step,” continued Reed. “With Wattson, we’re making that step easier by giving districts a familiar Type D solution they already trust – now in electric.”

Wattson is available for order now, with first deliveries scheduled for early 2026. The bus is capable of 120 kW DC fast charging, and is V2G capable.

Electrek’s Take

2026 Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson; by Thomas Built.

It’s almost universally accepted that school buses are prime candidates for electrification. They tend to operate on short, local routes, in stop-and-go traffic, and in close proximity with some of the most vulnerable populations in the country, in terms of respiratory illness and physical safety (just imagine a kid trying to yell “STOP!” at a bus driver and being heard over the din of noisy kids and a revving diesel). The fact that electric school buses can reduce a district’s operating costs and serve the public as a portable power center in an emergency are just icing on the electric cake.

Here’s hoping all our kids’ schools have a chance to trade in their gross diesel school bus for something like Thomas Built’s Wattson sooner than later.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Thomas Built.

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Bako Motors builds solar-powered tiny electric cars that sip sunshine

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October 28, 2025

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Bako Motors builds solar-powered tiny electric cars that sip sunshine


Electric vehicles are known for plugging in – but one startup wants them to simply soak up the sun instead. Bako Motors is building compact electric cars and cargo vans with solar panels on the roof, letting them charge directly from sunlight and cut their dependence on wall sockets altogether.

It’s not an entirely novel idea. But unlike flashy startups like Aptera, Bako is approaching it with an actually commercially viable solution. And now the company is joining several other African-based EV makers hoping to help the continent leapfrog its way towards more sustainable transportation.

While most EVs still rely on grid charging – often from a fossil-fuel-heavy mix in Africa – Bako’s small vehicles can harvest free energy straight from the sky. According to founder and CEO Boubaker Siala, the roof-mounted solar cells can provide more than half of a vehicle’s daily energy needs. For its commercial model, the B-Van, that translates to about 50 km (31 mi) of solar-assisted driving per day, or roughly 17,000 km (10,500 mi) per year without ever plugging in.

Of course, drivers do still have the option of plugging into an EV charger to top up the battery more quickly, but soaking up extra sun all day may mean that many owners can get away with infrequent grid-charging stops.

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The B-Van can haul up to 400 kg (882 lb) of cargo and offers 100–300 km (62–186 mi) of total range, starting at around US $8,500. Its smaller sibling, the Bee, is a two-seat urban runabout with 70–120 km (44–75 mi) of range and a 44 km/h (27 mph) top speed, priced from US $6,200. A third model, the X-Van, is now on the drawing board with space for two passengers and extra cargo.

More than 40% of Bako’s parts are sourced locally – including the steel for the frame and lithium-iron-phosphate batteries – creating jobs while reducing import costs. A second, larger factory is set to open in 2026, boosting capacity to 8,000 vehicles per year for Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

By combining affordability, local manufacturing, and solar charging, Bako Motors is carving out a niche that fits Africa’s climate and infrastructure realities. In a market where range anxiety and unreliable grids still hold many buyers back, these sun-sipping EVs might just be the independence-promoting solution that drivers need.


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Mining execs embrace ‘phenomenal’ rare earths interest from the Middle East

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October 28, 2025

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Mining execs embrace 'phenomenal' rare earths interest from the Middle East

Guests enjoy the Fortune Global Forum 2025 Gala Dinner on October 26, 2025 at Diriyah Gate, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Cedric Ribeiro | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Mining executives have welcomed a sharp upswing in investor interest from the Middle East, as Gulf states seek to expand their critical mineral ambitions and take on established global players.

Critical minerals refer to a subset of materials considered essential to the energy transition. These resources, which tend to have a high risk of supply chain disruption, include metals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements.

“The interest in rare earths in this part of the world is phenomenal,” Tony Sage, CEO of U.S.-listed rare earths miner Critical Metals, said during a business trip through the Middle East.

“I didn’t expect it because, you know, they can’t mine it. There [are] really no discoveries in this area, but they want to be able to participate somehow in the downstream,” Sage told CNBC by telephone.

His comments come as policymakers and business leaders flock to Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, an event nicknamed as the “Davos in the Desert.”

The annual event, which got underway on Monday, is being held under the theme: “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth.” It is expected this year’s FII will lean into areas such as artificial intelligence, particularly as the oil-rich kingdom continues with its mission to diversify its economy.

A wheel loader takes ore to a crusher at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020.

Steve Marcus | Reuters

Analysts say Gulf states, led by the likes of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are increasingly seeking to leverage their financial capital and geographic location to capture critical minerals market share.

A series of targeted acquisitions and international partnerships forms a key part of this regional strategy, according to an analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), with Gulf states seeking to present themselves as alternative partners to Western nations.

Critical Metals, for its part, has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Obeikan Group to build a large-scale lithium hydroxide processing plant in the kingdom.

A strategic push

Kevin Das, senior technical consultant at New Frontier Minerals, an Australian-based rare earths explorer, linked investor interest in rare earths from the Middle East to exponential growth in the field of AI.

“It’s no surprise that you’re seeing interest, not just in the Western world, but spreading into the Gulf States because I think people are realizing that we’re probably on the cusp of an AI boom,” Das told CNBC by telephone.

“If you start to see the emergence of robotics, every robot is going to need these rare earths. And I think the supply is only going to get tighter,” he added.

Rare earth elements have emerged as a key bargaining chip in the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, although global stocks rallied on Monday amid investor hopes of thawing tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

U.S. officials have touted the prospect of China delaying strict rare earth export controls as part of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Rare earths refer to 17 elements on the periodic table whose atomic structure gives them special magnetic properties. These elements are widely used in the automotive, robotics and defense sectors.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a “coffee ceremony” at the Saudi Royal Court on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Shaun Bunn, managing director at London-listed Empire Metals, said his company had also received considerable investor interest from the Middle East.

“I think that it is very much part of the kingdom’s strategic push to diversify away from its oil. I mean, they are always going to make the most money out of oil at the moment at least, but they are trying to diversify,” Bunn told CNBC by telephone.

Critical mineral ambitions

Analysts have flagged a number of barriers facing the Gulf states’ push for critical minerals, however, noting that regional players remain marginal producers at present.

“Many of Saudi Arabia’s mining ventures remain in early or even conceptual stages, and the country still depends on foreign partners for expertise, such that it may take years for Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states more generally, to scale up enough to dent Chinese dominance or to fully meet Western demand,” Asna Wajid, research analyst at IISS, said in an analysis published in late July.

“Many in the West, moreover, may be wary of replacing their dependence on China with dependence on the Gulf states, which already exercise considerable strategic leverage due to their oil and gas supplies,” Wajid said.

China is the undisputed leader of the critical minerals supply chain, producing roughly 70% of the world’s supply of rare earths and processing almost 90%, which means it is importing these materials from other countries and processing them.

U.S. officials have previously warned that this dominance poses a strategic challenge amid the pivot to more sustainable energy sources.

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