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Today’s Green Deals are all about affordable EVs, led by the flash sale on Heybike’s Hauler Cargo e-bike that is dropping costs to a new $1,199 low until February 28 and also running parallel to the brand’s preorder discount on the new ALPHA Off-Road e-bike. Next we have NIU’s latest sale that is taking up to 40% off a collection of the brand’s KQi series of e-scooters, like the KQi2 Pro Electric Kick Scooter that has fallen to $450. For folks only looking for a short-distance commuter that comes budget-friendly, there’s the GoTrax APEX XL Electric Scooter for $244. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Lectric Presidents’ Day sale (running through March 1), the lineup of discounts on EGO Power+ snow blowers, 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.

Heybike drops its Hauler Cargo e-bike with 440-pound payload and 55 to 85-mile range to new $1,199 low

Heybike has launched a special flash sale through February 28 on its Hauler Cargo e-bike for $1,199 shipped. This newer model hit the market back at the end of summer carrying an $1,899 price tag, with discounts only going as low as $1,399, even during Black Friday. With the start of the new year the price got permanently cut down to $1,499 while these flash savings are dropping things lower than we’ve ever seen, giving you $300 in savings off the new tag which beats out a lot of other cargo models on the market that tend to sit at higher rates. What’s more, you’ll also be getting a free large rear basket along with your purchase.

Heybike’s Hauler e-bike cruises into view at up to 28 MPH top speeds with its 750W brushless geared hub motor (peaking at 1,400W) and two options for the removable battery setup, depending on how much traveling you’ll be getting into. The single 18Ah option provides you with up to 55 miles of travel distance when utilizing its PAS levels, or you can add an additional 12.5Ah battery for $200 more to bump that max range up to 85 miles. Considering it is a cargo model with a 440-pound carrying capacity, that is some serious potential for errand running, package hauling, and more – plus, there are even foldable running boards for when you’re bringing passengers along for the ride.

Some of its other notable features include the hydraulic front suspension fork, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, puncture-protected tires with fenders over each, a 7-speed Shimano derailleur, an LED headlight with an auto-on feature, an integrated taillight with braking functionality, a kickstand, the obvious rear cargo rack, and an LCD display. You can also get our personal take by checking out our hands-on review.

NIU KQi2 Pro Electric Scooter

NIU takes 40% off KQi e-scooter series with the 25-mile KQi2 Pro down at $450

NIU has launched a new sale across its KQi series of e-scooters through March 2 with up to 40% in savings available. Of the many models in this series, one of the most popular is the KQi2 Pro Electric Kick Scooter that is down at $449.98 shipped during this sale. Normally this model carries a $649 full price tag, with it mostly spending the last year keeping above $400, though we did see it go as low as $379 (and $369 in 2023) during the fall holiday sales. Today’s deal comes in with a 31% markdown, cutting $199 off the tag to go back in your pocket at the fourth-lowest price we have tracked. This model is currently unavailable at Amazon, with only a refurbished option for $260.

NIU’s KQi2 Pro e-scooter is a balanced model that offers affordable assistance through your daily commute, whether you’re a first-time or veteran rider. The 48V battery here powers the 300W motor to carry you for up to 25 miles on a full charge, topping out at 17.4 MPH speeds. It’s been given regenerative brakes (always happy to see) that help to extend your riding time through the recycling of energy while also using the four different riding modes: e-save, sport, custom, and pedestrian. It’s been built with IP54 water-resistance protections for those moments where you might get caught in inclement weather or when riding through the aftermath. 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, including locking its systems when not in use.

NIU’s full lineup of KQi e-scooter deals:

GoTrax APEX XL electric scooter

Travel 12 miles on the budget-friendly GoTrax APEX XL e-scooter down at $244

Amazon is offering folks a budget-friendly commuter in the form of GoTrax’s APEX XL Electric Scooter at $244.04 shipped. Down from its usual $350 price tag, this is one of the lowest rates we’ve seen, especially over the last year, where much of 2024 kept above $280 until Black Friday and Christmas sales brought down as low as $241. Today’s deal comes in as a 30% markdown, cutting $106 off the tag and landing it down among the lowest rates we’ve tracked – just $4 above the all-time low we last saw in 2021.

While it may not have a bunch of fancy bells and whistles like some higher-end e-scooters, the APEX XL still provides some solid commuting assistance for folks with shorter distances to travel. The 36V 5.2Ah battery here provides up to 12 miles of distance on a single charge, with the 250W motor able to deliver up to 15.5 MPH top speeds. The 8.5-inch honeycomb tires ensure you’ll never be stranded with a flat tire, especially if you’ve got a schedule to keep, while its foldable design makes storing it after hopping off all the more easier – especially if you’re taking it to work with you.

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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Kia’s EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK right now

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April 4, 2025

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Kia's EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK right now

Kia-EV3-best-selling-EV

Kia’s electric SUVs are taking over. The EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK this year, giving Kia its strongest sales start since it arrived 34 years ago. And it’s not just in the UK. Kia just had its best first quarter globally since it started selling cars in 1962.

Kia EV3 is the best-selling EV in the UK through March

In March, Kia sold a record nearly 20,000 vehicles in the UK, making it the fourth best-selling brand. It was also the second top-seller of electrified vehicles (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs), accounting for over 55% of sales.

The EV3 remained the best-selling retail EV in the UK last month. Including the EV6, three-row EV9, and Niro EV, electric vehicles represented 21% of Kia’s UK sales in March.

Kia said the EV3 “started with a bang” in January, darting out as the UK’s most popular EV in retail sales. Through March, Kia’s electric SUV has held on to the crown. With the EV3 rolling out, Kia sold over 7,000 electric cars through March, nearly 50% more than in Q1 2024.

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The EV3 was the best-selling retail EV in the UK in the first quarter and the fourth best-selling EV overall, including commercial vehicles.

Kia-EV3-best-selling-EV
Kia EV3 Air 91.48 kWh in Frost Blue (Source: Kia UK)

Starting at £33,005 ($42,500), Kia said it’s the “brand’s most affordable EV yet.” It’s available with two battery packs, 58.3 kWh or 81.48 kWh, good for 430 km (270 miles) and 599 km (375 miles) of WLTP range, respectively.

Kia-EV3-best-selling-EV
From left to right: Kia EV6, EV3, and EV9 (Source: Kia UK)

With new EVs on the way, this could be just the start. Kia is launching several new EVs in the UK this year, including the EV4 sedan (and hatchback) and EV5 SUV. It also confirmed that the first PV5 electric vans will be delivered to customers by the end of the year.

Electrek’s Take

Globally, Kia sold a record 772,351 vehicles in the first quarter, its best since it started selling cars in 1962. With the new EV4, the brand’s first electric sedan and hatchback, launching this year, Kia looks to build on its momentum in 2025.

Kia has also made it very clear that it wants to be a global leader in the electric van market with its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business, starting with the PV5 later this year.

Earlier today, we learned Kia’s midsize electric SUV, the EV5, is the fourth best-selling EV in Australia through March, outselling every BYD vehicle (at least for now). The EV5 is rolling out to new markets this year, including Canada, the UK, South Korea, and Mexico. However, it will not arrive in the US.

For those in the US, there are still a few Kia EVs to look forward to. Kia is launching the EV4 globally, including in the US, later this year. Although no date has been set, Kia confirmed the EV3 is also coming. It’s expected to arrive in mid-2026.

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Podcast: Tesla’s disastrous deliveries, more Trump tariffs, EV delivery numbers, and more

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April 4, 2025

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Podcast: Tesla's disastrous deliveries, more Trump tariffs, EV delivery numbers, 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 Tesla’s disastrous deliveries, more Trump tariffs, EV delivery numbers, 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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University of Michigan cracks rapid EV charging in freezing temps

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April 4, 2025

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University of Michigan cracks rapid EV charging in freezing temps

EV charging freezing weather
Photo: Marcin Szczepanski, Michigan Engineering

Charging your EV in freezing weather could soon become dramatically faster, thanks to a big breakthrough from the University of Michigan engineers.

Neil Dasgupta, U-M associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering and corresponding author of a study published in Joule, and his team have developed an innovative battery structure and coating that can boost lithium-ion EV battery charging speeds by a whopping 500%, even at frigid temperatures as low as 14F (-10C). “Charging an EV battery takes 30 to 40 minutes even for aggressive fast charging, and that time increases to over an hour in the winter,” Dasgupta explained. “This is the pain point we want to address.”

Freezing weather has traditionally been harsh on EV batteries because it slows down the movement of lithium ions, resulting in slower charging speeds and reduced battery life. Automakers have tried thickening battery electrodes to extend driving range, but this makes some of the lithium hard to access, making charging even slower.

Previously, Dasgupta’s group sped up battery charging using lasers to carve pathways around 40 microns in size into the graphite anode. This allowed lithium ions to reach deeper into the battery more quickly. However, cold-weather performance still lagged because a chemical layer formed on the electrodes, blocking the ions. Dasgupta compares this barrier to “trying to cut cold butter,” making charging inefficient.

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To solve this, the team coated the battery with a thin, glassy material made of lithium borate-carbonate—only 20 nanometers thick—which prevented the problematic chemical layer from forming. Combined with the microscopic channels, the results were groundbreaking: the modified batteries retained 97% of their capacity even after 100 fast-charging cycles in freezing temperatures.

“We envision this approach as something that EV battery manufacturers could adopt without major changes to existing factories,” Dasgupta noted. “For the first time, we’ve shown a pathway to simultaneously achieve extreme fast charging at low temperatures, without sacrificing the energy density of the lithium-ion battery.”

This innovation could tackle one of the biggest concerns holding potential EV buyers back.

The new battery tech is moving closer to commercialization, supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub. The research devices were built at U-M’s Battery Lab and studied with help from the Michigan Center for Materials Characterization.

U-M Innovation Partnerships assisted the team in applying for patents, and Arbor Battery Innovations has licensed the technology for market deployment. Dasgupta and the University of Michigan hold financial stakes in Arbor Battery Innovations.

Read more: California now has nearly 50% more EV chargers than gas nozzles

If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. 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. They have 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 Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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