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Today’s Green Deals are headlined by Lectric’s Valentine’s Day sale that is running through February 15 with up to $654 bundles accompanying the lineup of e-bikes, as well as a separate 40% discount on its pet trailer. The focus of this sale is on the brand’s XP 3.0 e-bikes that are getting passenger packages to take your loved ones along for the ride, starting from $999. There’s also a Bluetti flash sale on six backup power solutions, with the latest Handsfree Backpack Power Stations hitting new low prices from $199. We also spotted the EGO Power+ 56V 15-inch Split-Shaft Cordless Electric String Trimmer with a rapid-reload head down at $159. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Blix Valentine’s sale offers, the returning low price on Jackery’s Explorer 100 Plus, 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.

Lectric Valentine’s Day sale offers up to $654 in free gear while XP 3.0 e-bikes get passenger bundles – all from $999

Lectric’s Valentine’s Day sale promotions have launched through February 15 with up to $654 in free gear accompanying your purchase. While you’ll find the largest bundles on the brand’s XPedition 2.0 cargo models, this sale wants to focus on spending time with your loved one by offering a passenger package along with its XP 3.0 e-bikes that start from $999 shipped, with the long-range models getting some additional free gear to boot. These aren’t the largest bundles we’ve seen for these models, but they are certainly one of the few times we’ve seen gear included that was intended to help you haul around another person instead of just inanimate cargo. You can also save 40% on the Wag-Along Pet Trailer during this sale at $107, down from $179.

The most popular of the brand’s commuting solutions, the XP 3.0 e-bikes all sport a 500W hub motor that peaks up at 1,000W to hit 20 MPH speeds, which can go higher up to 28 MPH speeds, depending on your state’s regulations. The main difference between the standard models and the long-range models (aside from the $200 price difference) is the battery – which will either provide you with 45 miles of travel (standard) or up to 65 miles (long-range) when utilizing the PAS support. Keep in mind for folks who enjoy cruising with only electric power that you’ll get about half the mileage. Along with the free add-on gear, you’ll also enjoy some quality stock features, like the integrated rear cargo rack, puncture-resistant tires, 180mm hydraulic disc brakes, a foldable body, an LCD display, and more.

Lectric Valentine’s Day sale XP 3.0 offers with up to $187 bundles

Lectric Valentine’s Day sale XPedition 2.0 offers with up to $654 bundles

Lectric Valentine’s Day sale XPeak 2.0 offers with up to $316 bundles

Lectric Valentine’s Day sale ONE LR e-bike with $308 bundle

Lectric Valentine’s Day sale XP Trike with $216 bundle

Lectric Valentine’s Day sale XP Lite 2.0 offers with $128 bundles

Bluetti power station flash sale

Bluetti’s limited 46% off flash sale drops latest Handsfree backpack power stations to new lows from $199

Bluetti has launched the first wave of its planned limited-time flash sales for the next week, with six solid backup power solutions getting up to 46% taken off their price tags. Some of the notable inclusions that are beating out the brand’s fall and winter holiday sales is the latest Handsfree 1 and Handsfree 2 Backpack Power Stations that are down at $199 shipped and $299 shipped. Now carrying $369 and $499 price tags after New Year’s Day, after falling from their original $429 and $599 MSRPs from their launch in October, in the past sales since we’ve been seeing them return to $299 and $399. That’s changing today as they’re dropping lower than ever before, saving you $170 ($230 off MSRP) and/or $200 ($300 off MSRP) at new all-time lows.

The perfect backup power devices for folks who are always on-the-go out in nature, the Handsfree 1 and Handsfree 2 power stations come with an ultra-slim design that fits nicely in their complimentary 42L and 60L backpacks – with plenty more room to spare for other essential camping, hiking, and outdoor gear. With the Handsfree 1, you’re looking at a 268.8Wh LiFePO4 battery (with 300W output surging to 450W) while the Handsfree 2 provides a larger 512Wh LiFePO4 capacity (700W surging to 1,200W). Both models provide five ports to cover your devices and small appliances: one AC port, two USB-A ports, and two USB-C ports.

Recharging speeds are as convenient as they are fast (good for last-minute plans), with either able to hit 80% in 45 minutes via a wall outlet while reaching a full battery takes a little longer at 1.5 hours for the Handsfree 1 and 1.3 hours for the Handsfree 2. Of course, an outdoor-minded power station wouldn’t be much help without solar charging – with both able to get back to full in 3 hours with a 120W panel (they have a max of 200W and 350W solar inputs). The bags come splash-resistant, with easy access to the power station’s port through the side flap, and plenty of layers of compartments, outer buckles, and more for your additional equipment.

Other Bluetti flash sale offers:

EGO Power+ 56V 15-inch cordless electric string trimmer

This EGO Power+ 56V 15-inch cordless electric string trimmer comes with a split-shaft and rapid-reload head for $159

Amazon is offering the EGO Power+ 56V 15-Inch Cordless Electric String Trimmer with a 2.5Ah battery for $159 shipped. More recently fetching $179 in the past months, with an original $200 price tag, we haven’t seen the price budge lower since July, keeping to its lower going rate. That’s changing here today as it drops another $20 unexpectedly, giving you the third-lowest price we have tracked – just $10 above the all-time low from May.

EGO Power+ is one of the less-discounted brands of reliable electric tools, so seeing this string trimmer with a split-shaft fall this low is definitely a cause to jump for many fans of the brand. This model provides a 15-inch cutting swath while also featuring a rapid-reload head for quicker and easier replacement of any broken lines. There’s also a variable speed control for the various jobs and conditions you may be working around, as well as an IPX4 weather-resistant build to stand up to sudden weather changes while you’re in the middle of things. You’ll also be getting an included charger and 2.5Ah battery that comes interchangeable with the brand’s other tools.

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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US Customs delays force solar giant Qcells to furlough 1,000 workers

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9 hours ago

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November 7, 2025

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US Customs delays force solar giant Qcells to furlough 1,000 workers

Qcells furlough

Solar panel giant Qcells announced today that it’s temporarily furloughing 1,000 US workers – 25% of its workforce – and reducing pay and shifts at its factories in northeast Georgia due to supply chain delays caused by US Customs.

Qcells furloughs 1,000 workers

The supply chain delays are hindering the company’s ability to import components to build its solar panels. This has resulted in Qcells’ two factories in Cartersville and Dalton being unable to operate at full capacity for several months.

Qcells spokeswoman Marta Stoepker shared the following statement in an exclusive with Channel 2 Action News in Atlanta:

The company says the furloughed workers, who were notified this afternoon, will retain full benefits and won’t be laid off. However, Qcells will no longer be using staffing agency employees in Georgia “at this time.”

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As Qcells introduced new supply chains to support its growing solar panel manufacturing facilities in Georgia, the company was recently forced to scale back production while our shipments into the US were delayed in the customs clearance process.

Although our supply chain operations are beginning to normalize, today we shared with our employees that HR actions must be taken to improve operational efficiency until production capacity returns to normal levels.

Stoepker said it expects to bring the furloughed workers back “in the coming weeks and months.” She continued:

Our commitment to building the entire solar supply chain in the United States remains. We will soon be back on track with the full force of our Georgia team delivering American-made energy to communities around the country.

Electrek’s Take

In January 2023, the Seoul-headquartered Qcells announced it would invest more than $2.5 billion to build a solar supply chain in Georgia – the largest-ever investment in clean energy manufacturing in the US to date. That included expanding the Dalton solar factory and building a fully integrated solar supply chain factory in Cartersville, Georgia, that will manufacture solar ingots, wafers, cells, and finished panels.

It’s not quite there yet, because that takes time. In the meantime, it’s being penalized by Customs. The US government under Trump says it’s keen on boosting domestic manufacturing. Why would it work against a company that’s onshoring an entire solar supply chain, including recycling?

Dalton and Cartersville employ nearly 4,000 people. Its total output will reach 8.4 GW of solar production capacity per year, which is equivalent to nearly 46,000 panels per day – enough to power approximately 1.3 million homes annually.

It’s ludicrous that it has been forced to furlough a quarter of its workforce due to the ineptness of the Trump administration’s US Customs policies. This is right up there with the ICE arrests at Hyundai’s plant in Georgia. Bravo.

Read more: Georgia gives US solar panel manufacturing a big boost with a new factory

The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. 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.


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Toyota is yet again delaying EV battery plans

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10 hours ago

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November 7, 2025

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Toyota is yet again delaying EV battery plans

Toyota-delaying-EV-battery

The breakthrough EV batteries Toyota says will double driving range and cut charging times are facing another setback. The company is once again delaying plans for a new battery plant in Japan.

Why is Toyota delaying its EV battery plant this time?

Earlier this year, Toyota bought a 280,000-square-meter plot of land in Fukuoka, Japan, where it planned to build a plant to produce the more advanced EV batteries.

A location agreement was expected to be signed by April, but Toyota pushed back construction by several months, blaming slower-than-expected demand for electric vehicles.

The agreement was expected to be finalized this Fall, but that will no longer be the case. According to Nikkei, Toyota is delaying the EV battery plant for the second time. Toyota will review and adjust plans over the next year.

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Fukuoka governor, Seitaro Hattori, confirmed the news with reporters on Friday following a meeting with Toyota’s president, Koji Sato. Hattori also shut down claims that Toyota was planning to scrap the battery plant altogether.

Toyota-delaying-EV-battery
Toyota EV battery roadmap (Source: Toyota)

Toyota again blamed slowing EV demand for the delay. The decision comes despite Keiji Kaita, president of Toyota’s Carbon Neutral Advanced Engineering Development Center, confirming at the Japan Mobility Show just last week that it’s “sticking on the schedule” to introduce its first solid-state battery-powered EV by 2028.

Last month, Toyota said it aimed to “achieve the world’s first practical use of all-solid-state batteries in BEVs” after securing a partnership with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. to mass-produce them. It’s also working with Japanese oil giant Idemitsu.

Toyota-solid-state-battery-EV
Idemitsu’s value chain for solid electrolytes used in all-solid-state EV batteries (Source: Idemitsu)

The company recently revealed a solid-state battery pack prototype that it claims can deliver 747 miles (1,200 km) range and 10-minute fast charging, but will we ever see it actually in production?

Electrek’s Take

Toyota has been making empty promises about EV batteries for almost a decade now. It initially planned to introduce solid-state EV batteries in 2020, then pushed it to 2023, then 2026, and now it’s saying it will be around 2028.

Mass production is likely closer to the end of the decade, if Toyota doesn’t delay it again. While it’s blaming the slowing demand, global EV sales are still on the rise. According to Rho Motion, global EV sales topped 2 million for the first time in a single month in September 2025. Through the first nine months of the year, EV sales are up 26% compared to the same period in 2024.

Even with the US ending the $7,500 federal tax credit and other policies designed to promote electric vehicles, global adoption will continue building momentum over the next few years.

Is it a demand issue, or is Toyota just looking for another excuse? With rivals like Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, BMW, and Honda advancing next-gen EV batteries, Toyota will only fall further behind if it continues delaying key projects.


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Podcast: Tesla is now Elon’s, Xpeng goes AI, Rivian earnings, and more

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11 hours ago

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November 7, 2025

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Podcast: Tesla is now Elon's, Xpeng goes AI, Rivian earnings, and more

electrek podcast

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss how Tesla is now Elon’s after the shareholders’ meeting, Xpeng going all-in on AI, Rivian’s earnings, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

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We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:


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