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We’re kicking off this week’s Green Deals with a mix between one new release along with several budget-friendly options for your commutes and lawn mowing duties. To start, we have NIU’s BQi-C3 Pro e-bike that not only offers up to 90 miles of travel (and a bunch of solid features), but is also dropping down to a new $999 low. Behind it is Segway’s latest flagship release, the Ninebot Max G3 Electric Scooter, which is getting a $400 post-launch discount to $1,000. There’s also Leviton’s NACS to J1772 EV Charger Adaptor dropping to $32, as well as the popular Greenworks 40V 16-inch Cordless Push Lawn Mower that comes with a 4.0Ah battery for $210. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals from last week are in the links at the bottom of the page, collected together in our Electrified Weekly roundup – but don’t miss out on the many sales that are ending tonight!

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.

Get a long-traveling budget-friendly commuter in NIU’s BQi3-C3 Pro e-bike at a new $999 low

Best Buy is offering the best rate yet on the NIU BQi-C3 Pro e-bike for $999 shipped. Normally posted up at a $2,200 price tag, this e-bike has been more frequently seen discounted between $1,300 and $1,500 on average, with the $1,299 low appearing more often too since first appearing in June. Today’s deal though takes costs lower than we’ve ever seen them with a 55% markdown that puts $1,201 back into your pocket for a new all-time low and the best price we have currently find.

With three colorways to choose from – black, white, or grey – NIU’s BQi-C3 Pro e-bike offers up some solid commuting power at a far more affordable rate than many other models with similar capabilities. The streamlined frame houses dual integrated 10.0Ah batteries that work alongside the 750W rear hub motor and Gates carbon belt to provide top speeds of 28 MPH for up to 90 miles on a single five-hour charge when its three PAS levels are being utilized.

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Your ride is further enhanced by the extra features you’ll find here, like the integrated rear cargo rack, front suspension, puncture-resistant tires, and a 3.5-inch TFT color display. Along with these, you’ll also find fenders over both those tires, an LED headlight and taillight, a kickstand, and mechanical disc brakes – plus, all its wiring is internally routed for a cleaner look on top of the motor’s IP65 waterproof rating and the batteries’ IP67 rating.

Segway Ninebot Max G3 Electric Scooter

Segway’s new Ninebot Max G3 e-scooter with Apple Find My and autonomous locking falls to $1,000

Amazon is now offering the new Segway Ninebot Max G3 Electric Scooter for $999.99 shipped. Coming down from its $1,400 price tag, this all-new flagship e-scooter just officially hit the market a week ago after having a pre-launch sale that saw it drop to $900. If you missed out on those pre-sale savings this is the next-best price we have seen, cutting $400 off the going rate to give you the second-lowest price we have tracked and even coming in $100 under Segway’s direct site.

Picking up the mantle from the Max G2, Segway’s all-new Ninebot Max G3 brings some impressive upgrades to your commute, starting with an 800W motor that can peak all the way to 2,000W, tackling up to 30% inclines at top speeds up to 28 MPH. By activating its Boost Mode, acceleration is pushed to its max, getting you up to 15.5 MPH in 2.4 seconds before increasing further up to its top speed. With the 597Wh battery that it’s been given, travel distance has been bumped up to 50 miles on only 3.5 hours of charging, which is due to the built-in fast-charger – plus, by connecting a DC charger cable for simultaneous charging, you can hop back on to ride in a shorter 2.5-hour timeframe.

Among its upgraded features you’ll find improved handling, disturbance resistance, and slip resistance at any speed thanks to the Stability Enhancement System here. Two notable standout features though, are the Apple Find My inclusion alongside the autonomous locking/unlocking functionality, which you can adjust in terms of its activation via your distance from it. There’s also the dual suspension, 11-inch self-sealing tires, the automatic 6W headlight, underglow deck lighting, and a 2,4-inch smart TFT display which provides navigation, caller IC, and smart charge management through your phone.

Leviton NACS to J1772 EV charger adaptor

Add Leviton’s NACS to J1772 EV adapter to your glove box for wider charging access at $32

As part of its Big Spring Sale, Amazon is having a Lightning deal on the Leviton NACS to J1772 EV Charger Adapter for $31.60 Prime shipped, with non-members needing a cart total of over $35 to score the free shipping. This handy little adapter normally keeps up at its $39 MSRP, which is getting a solid 19% markdown here today for as long as supplies last. What few discounts we’ve seen have mostly kept prices above $35, though December did see a drop to the $31.20 low that repeated once at the top of the month. You’re looking at the second-lowest price we have tracked here today, which comes in just $0.40 above the lowest ever.

If you’re sticking with your Tesla or any NACS-centered EV and want to expand your charging options, this might be a good adapter to have tucked away in your glove box. You’ll gain access to any charging station that sports J1772 connectors – so trips visiting friends and family with such setups no longer need planning around should you need to top of your EV’s battery. Not only is it designed to have no problems in indoor and outdoor environments, regardless of the season, but it also allows for up to 60A charging speeds when in use.

Greenworks 40V 16-inch cordless electric push lawn mower

Get lawn care support on a budget with Greenworks’ 40V 16-inch cordless push mower at $210

As part of its Big Spring Sale, Amazon is offering the Greenworks 40V 16-inch Cordless Push Lawn Mower with a 4.0Ah battery for $209.99 shipped. This model has been keeping down at $300 lately, a drop-off from its usual $330 price tag, with the discounts in 2025 mostly dropping costs between $250 and $225, though there have been occasional returns to this same rate, which we last spotted in February. While we have seen it go lower in the past, you’re still looking at the best price on Amazon for the last year, saving you $90 ($120 off its previous price tag) while also getting you prepped for mowing duties throughout the warmer months ahead. It’s even beating out Greenwrok’s direct site by $90.

This 40V Greenworks push lawn mower is a budget-friendly model that is perfect for smaller yards, as the included 4.0Ah battery provides it with enough juice for 45 minutes of runtime on a single charge, though you can certainly switch it out with others to extend performance. There are five cutting height positions that you can choose from here, ranging from 1 1/4 inches to 3 3/8 inches, with the push button start eliminating the need to wrestle with pull-strings and the foldable frame saving you storage space. It even provides two different collection options, mulching or rear-bagging, giving you more versatility over single-function counterparts.

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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Two charged in $650 million global crypto scam that promised 300% returns

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Two charged in 0 million global crypto scam that promised 300% returns

A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as “Main Justice,” is seen behind the podium in the Department’s headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Federal prosecutors have charged two men in connection with a sprawling cryptocurrency investment scheme that defrauded victims out of more than $650 million.

The indictment, unsealed in the District of Puerto Rico, accuses Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, of operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international crypto multi-level marketing scheme that promised investors 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange trading.

“This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said the Internal Revenue Service’s Chief of Criminal Investigations Guy Ficco. “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin.”

From 2019 to 2023, Sims, Reynoso and their co-conspirators allegedly lured thousands of victims worldwide to purchase “investment packages” using cryptocurrency, falsely claiming the funds would be safely managed by elite forex traders, the Department of Justice said.

Prosecutors said the pair flaunted their wealth through social media and extravagant events — including projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, Dubai’s tallest building — to convince investors the operation was legitimate.

A video posted to the company’s LinkedIn page shows guests in evening attire posing for photos and watching the spectacle in Dubai.

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In reality, authorities allege, OmegaPro was a pyramid-style fraud.

When the company later claimed it had suffered a hack, the defendants told victims they had transferred their funds to a new platform called Broker Group, the DOJ said. Users were never able to withdraw their money from either platform.

The two men face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The Justice Department, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations led the multiagency investigation, with help from international partners.

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Tesla forced to refund $10,000 FSD payment and 0% interest on Cybertruck

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Tesla forced to refund ,000 FSD payment and 0% interest on Cybertruck

Tesla is starting to experience some consequences for misleading Full Self Driving customers – at least that’s the finding of one arbitration ruling that has Tesla refunding one customer $10,000 plus legal fees for failing to deliver on their promises. Find out more on today’s legally challenging episode of Quick Charge!

An arbitration “court” found that Tesla misled customers with its Full Self Driving product, and has now been forced to refund at least one person’s $10,000 payment (plus legal fees) for the not-quite autonomous driving software. France, too, is piling on claims of deceptive business practices – but there’s some good news for FSD fans! If you’re still willing to pay for it, Tesla will thrown in 0% financing on a brand new Cybertruck.

Check out the relevant links, below, to learn more.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


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This $15,000 Toyota EV is selling faster than expected

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This ,000 Toyota EV is selling faster than expected

Toyota’s new electric SUV is a surprise hit in China. Starting at just $15,000, the Toyota bZ3X is already the top-selling joint venture brand EV.

The $15,000 Toyota bZ3X is the top-selling foreign EV

After launching the bZ3X in March, Toyota’s joint venture, GAC Toyota, claimed that orders were “so popular that the server crashed.” It apparently secured over 10,000 orders in the first hour.

In its second month on the market, the bZ3X was the top-selling foreign-owned vehicle in China, beating out the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 Crozz, Nissan N7, and BMW i3.

According to the latest update, the electric SUV retained the title once again in June. Peng Baolin, General Manager of Sales at GAC-Toyota, revealed on social media that the “delivery volume of Bozhi 3X in June reached 6,030 units.”

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GAC Toyota announced on Weibo that cumulative deliveries have now exceeded 20,000 units, setting a new record for the fastest joint venture electric SUV sales to achieve the feat.

$15,000-toyota-EV
Toyota bZ3X electric SUV (Source: GAC Toyota)

The company also claimed that the bZ3X “has the highest sales of new energy vehicles” among joint venture brands right now.

The bZ3X is Toyota’s “first 100,000 yuan-level pure electric SUV.” It’s available in seven different trims, starting at 109,800 yuan, or about $15,000.

$15,000-Toyota-EV
Toyota bZ3X electric SUV (Source: GAC-Toyota)

Two variants have an added LiDAR, making Toyota the first joint venture brand to offer it in China. The smart driving version starts at 149,800 yuan ($20,500). For 159,800 yuan ($22,000), you can upgrade to the range-topping “610 Max” trim.

Powered by a 67.92 kWh battery, the long-range model is rated with a CLTC range of up to 610 km (379 miles). The base “Air” trim features a 50.03 kWh battery, good for a 430 km (267 miles) range.

The bZ3X measures 4,645 mm in length, 1,885 mm in width, and 1,625 mm in height, or about the size of BYD’s popular Yuan Plus (sold overseas as the Atto 3).

Inside is a significant upgrade from most Toyota models we are used to seeing. It features a tech-focused interior with a 12.3″ infotainment screen and an 8.8″ driver display.

$15,000-Toyota-EV
Toyota bZ3X electric SUV interior (Source: GAC-Toyota)

Toyota markets it as an affordable family SUV with “a mobile space that is as comfortable as home.” With all the seats folded, the interior offers nearly 10 feet (3 meters) of space.

It’s also powered by Momenta’s 5.0 smart driving system, offering advanced smart driving features such as Level 2 assisted driving, remote parking, and more.

Electrek’s Take

Although it may not seem like much with Chinese EV makers like Xiaomi securing nearly 300,000 orders for the YU7 SUV in an hour, the bZ3X is selling surprisingly well for a foreign brand vehicle.

Global automakers are struggling to keep pace in China with an influx of new low-cost domestic EVs and an intensifying price war. However, Japanese automakers, including Toyota, have been some of the hardest hit.

During GAC Toyota’s Tech Day event last month, the company announced partnerships with China’s leading tech companies, including Huawei, Xiaomi, and Momenta, as it seeks to regain market share.

Ahead of the event, the company posted on Weibo that “god-level allies are coming to help,” adding “car industry bigwigs are coming.

Through May, Toyota’s sales in China are up 7.7% from the same period last year, with 530,000 vehicles sold. Will Toyota continue gaining traction in the world’s largest EV market? With the bZ5 now rolling out and several new models on the way, Toyota is looking for a comeback.

Source: Sohu, GAC-Toyota

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