Elon Musk is getting increasingly upset about the Tesla protests. Following a significant ramp-up in demonstrations against the automaker this weekend, the CEO went on an unhinged rant claiming the protests were full of paid protestors and that his former buddy Reid Hoffman was behind it.
Last weekend, the ‘Tesla Takedown’ movement had its biggest demonstration yet with an attempt to have protests at all Tesla store and service center locations in the US on Saturday, as well as hundreds of other demonstrations at locations around the world.
Several protests, like the one in New York City, attracted hundreds, if not thousands, of people – pictured above.
Those protests started as a grassroots movement on Blusky, an X competitor, in February. They were organized by local activists looking to put pressure on Musk, who they believe is financing the rise of a fascist authoritarian regime in the US by negatively affecting Tesla, which represents a big part of Musk’s wealth.
The growing Tesla protests are clearly having an effect on Musk, who went on a rant on X about it yesterday.
He shared several posts about theories suggesting the protestors are being paid to attend the Tesla protests:
I looked into all the supposed “evidence” presented by Musk’s posts and the ones he shared, including a Fox News article, and none of them provide a shred of evidence about Tesla protestors being paid. They only make references to conservative voices, believing that they are paid protestors.
In a post where Musk claims “they are literally paid”, the only proposed “proof” is that all protestors left at the exact time when the demonstration was supposed to end, which can be explain as simply as most jurisdiction require to apply for permits to have large demostrations and they are allowed for a certain period of times.
Therefore, his “proof” is simply evidence that those Tesla protestors were following the law and exercising their First Amendment right to free speech.
In another post, Musk accused his former ‘PayPal Mafia’ friend Reid Hoffman of funding these protests. Hoffman responded by telling Musk that he should just come to terms with the fact that many people don’t like him:
The biggest irony is that Musk was pushing all those baseless claims of people getting paid to attend Tesla protests while he was himself at a rally he organized yesterday to promote the Republican Candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The rally was really popular, and it was because Musk said he would give $1 million to two people attending the rally—literally financially incentivizing people to attend.
Electrek’s Take
Elon has completely lost it. How can he accuse Tesla protestors of being paid when he is himself basically paying people to attend his rally?
On top of having no proof whatsoever, he makes no sense.
Furthermore, the arguments of the Tesla Takedown movement have become much stronger this weekend, with the third-term fiasco.
Following an interview with NBC this weekend, Trump is now on record saying that he is “not joking” about a third term and that his team is actively looking at ways to make it happen. This is clearly unconstitutional and authoritarian.
Their whole argument is that Musk is financing an authoritarian takeover of the government. It is now hard to argue against that.
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Believe it or not, you can lease an EV for under $200 a month. New deals on models like the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 are hard to pass up this month.
Electric vehicles have been all over the news lately, with the Trump administration threatening to end federal incentives and introducing new tariffs that are expected to lead to higher prices.
On the positive side, new EV models are arriving, giving buyers more options and driving prices down. Many automakers reported record US electric car sales in the first three months of 2024.
GM remained the number two seller of EVs behind Tesla after sales doubled in Q1 2025. With the new Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs rolling out, Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is off to its best sales start since launching, with over 11,600 models sold in the first quarter.
With the 2025 models rolling out and about 15 new EVs arriving this year, many automakers are introducing steep discounts to move vehicles off the lot.
EVs for lease for under $200 a month in April
Although the decade-old Nissan LEAF remains one of the most affordable this April at just $149 per month, there are a few EVs under $200 right now that are worth taking a look at.
The new 2025 Hyundai IONIQ might be the best EV deal this month, with leases as low as $199. Hyundai is currently promoting a 24-month lease deal with $3,999 due at signing.
Hyundai upgraded the electric SUV with a bigger battery for more range (now up to 318 miles), a sleek new look inside and out, and it now comes with an NACS port so you can charge it at Tesla Superchargers.
The offer is for the IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range, which has a driving range of up to 245 miles. For just $229 a month, you can snag the SE RWD model, which has a range of up to 318 miles and a more powerful (225 horsepower) electric motor. It’s also a 24-month lease with $3,999 due at signing.
To sweeten the deal, Hyundai is offering a free ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 EV charger with the purchase or lease of any 2024 or 2025 IONIQ 5. If you already have one, you can opt for a $400 public charging credit.
After slashing lease prices this month, the 2025 Nissan Ariya is actually cheaper than the LEAF in some regions. In Southern California, the 2025 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD is listed at just $129 per month. The AWD model has a range of up to 272 miles.
The deal is for 36 months, with $4,409 due at signing. In April, Nissan cut Ariya lease prices to around $239 in most other parts of the country.
Kia has a few EVs available to lease for under $200 a month in April. The 2025 Kia Niro EV Wind is listed at just $129 for 24 months, with $3,999 due at signing. Kia’s crossover SUV has EPA-estimated range of 253 miles.
The 2024 EV6 may be worth considering at just $179 for 24 months ($3,999 due at signing). In California, the EV6 Light Long Range RWD is only slightly more than the Niro Wind.
In most other parts of the country, you can still find the EV6 for under $200 a month. The Light Long Range RWD trim offers up to 310 miles of EPA-estimated range.
| Lease Price | Term (months) |
Amount Due at Signing | Driving Range | |
| 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range | $199 | 24 | $3,999 | 245 miles |
| 2024 Kia EV6 Light Long Rang RWD | $179 | 24 | $3,999 | 310 miles |
| 2024 Kia Niro EV Wind | $129 | 24 | $3,999 | 253 miles |
| 2025 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD | $129 | 36 | $4,409 | 272 miles |
| 2025 Nissan LEAF S FWD | $149 | 36 | $2,629 | 149 miles |
| 2024 Fiat 500 INSPI(RED) | $199 | 24 | $2,999 | 149 miles |
And don’t forget the 2024 Fiat 500e, which is now listed at just $199 for 24 months with $2,999 due at signing. The electric hatchback offers a range of up to 149 miles.
If you are looking to spend a little more, check out our list of EVs you can lease for under $300 a month.
Ready to snag the savings while they are still here? At under $200 a month, some of these EV lease deals are hard to pass up right now. Check out our links below to find deals in your area.
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![The US’s first solar panels over canals pilot is now online [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/Project-Nexus-solar-canal.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Project Nexus, the first solar panel canopies over irrigation canals in the US, is now online in California, and there are plans to expand the project to other areas.
Project Nexus is a $20 million pilot in central California’s Turlock Irrigation District launched in October 2022. The project team is exploring solar over canal design, deployment, and co-benefits using canal infrastructure and the electrical grid.
India already has solar panels over canals, but Project Nexus is the first of its kind in the US.
The Turlock Irrigation District was the first irrigation district formed in California in 1887. It provides irrigation water to 4,700 growers who farm around 150,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley.
Project Nexus will explore whether the solar panels reduce water evaporation as a result of midday shade and wind mitigation, create improvements to water quality through reduced vegetative growth, reduce canal maintenance as a result of reduced vegetative growth, and, of course, generate renewable electricity.
The California Department of Water Resources, utility company Turlock Irrigation District, Marin County, California-based water and energy project developer Solar AquaGrid, and The University of California, Merced, are partnering on the pilot. Project Nexus originated from a 2021 research project led by UC Merced alumna and project scientist Brandi McKuin.
Solar panels were installed at two sites over both wide- and narrow-span sections of Turlock Irrigation District canals in Stanislaus County, in various orientations. The sections range from 20 feet wide to 100 feet wide. University of California, Merced has positioned research equipment at both sites to collect baseline data so the researchers can decide where solar will work and where it won’t.
In February 2023, Project Nexus announced it would also deploy long-term iron flow battery storage in the form of two ESS 75kW turnkey “Energy Warehouse” batteries.
You can learn more about Project Nexus here:
Read more: In a US first, California will pilot solar-panel canopies over canals
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