The reality TV contestant running the DOT just raised your fuel costs by $23B
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America voted for inflation, and it got it today, as republicans running the Department of Transportation bowed to their oil donors and finalized a rule to make your cars less efficient, thus costing America an extra $23 billion in fuel costs.
Sean Duffy, who was appointed as Secretary of Transportation on the back of the transportation “expertise” he showed as a contestant on Road Rules: All Stars, a reality TV travel game show, announced the rule on his first day in office.
His original memo promised a review of all existing fuel economy standards, which require manufacturers to make more efficient vehicles which save you money on fuel.
Specifically, the rule finalized today targets the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard (CAFE), which was just improved last year by President Biden’s DOT, saving American drivers $23 billion in fuel costs by meaning they need to buy less fuel overall. The savings from the Biden rule could have been higher, but were softened from the original proposal due to automaker lobbying.
Sierra Club’s Transportation for All director, Katherine Garcia, responded to the new Duffy rule’s finalization with a statement:
“The Trump administration’s deregulatory, pro-polluter transportation agenda will only increase costs for Americans. Making our vehicles less fuel efficient hurts families by forcing them to pay more at the pump. This action puts the well-being of our communities at risk in every way imaginable. It will lead to fewer clean vehicle options for consumers, squeeze our wallets, endanger our health, and increase climate pollution. The Sierra Club will continue to push back against this administration’s dangerous clean transportation rollbacks.”
The rule had been filed on Mar 16, and review was completed yesterday. Oddly enough, the rule was filed as “not economically significant,” a categorization for government rules that won’t affect the US economy by more than $100 million – which is less than the $23 billion that the DOT’s own analysis says the new rule will cost Americans.
Both we at Electrek and the Sierra Club had a meeting with the government to point out this inconsistency, but both of our meetings were scheduled for today and were cancelled late last night. There seems to have been no public comment period regarding this change in regulations.
DOT isn’t done raising your fuel costs, it wants to do more
Duffy’s original DOT memo says he wants to target all similar standards, rather than just the improvements made last year – so in fact, our headline likely underestimates how much higher Duffy wants to make your fuel costs.
A recent analysis by Consumer Reports shows that fuel economy standards are enormously popular with Americans, and that maintaining the current standards could result in lifetime savings of $6,000 per vehicle, compared to current costs, by 2029. And that fuel economy standards implemented since 2001 have already saved $9,000 per vehicle. Now, imagine the net effect of removing all of those standards, which Duffy has directed the DOT to examine doing.
As we’ve already seen to be the case often with Trump’s allies, the DOT memo lied about its intentions. Just like EPA head Lee Zeldin, who said he wants to make the air cleaner by making it dirtier, Duffy, says he wants to make fuel costs lower by making them higher. The memo attempts to argue that your car will be cheaper if it has lower fuel economy, even though it wont, because buying more fuel will mean you spend more on fuel, not less.
Unequivocally, over here in the real world, dirtier air is actually dirtier, and higher fuel costs are actually higher.
The result of this increased fuel usage also inevitably means more reliance on foreign sources of energy. The more oil America uses, the more it will have to import from elsewhere. Other countries looking to exercise power over the US could certainly choose to raise prices as they recognize that the US has just become more reliant on them.
And, as we know from the most basic understanding of economics, adding more demand means prices will go up, not down. Reducing demand for a product in fact forces prices down, and EVs are already displacing oil demand which depresses oil prices.
Meanwhile, Biden’s higher fuel economy standards would mean that automakers need to provide a higher mix of EVs, which inherently get all of their energy to run not just domestically, but regionally as well. Most electricity generation happens regionally or locally based on what resources are available in your area, so when you charge a car, you’re typically supporting jobs at your local power plant, rather than in some overseas oil country.
But these are just attempts to follow-through on the dirty air, inflation causing promises that the republicans made during the campaign. Mr. Trump signaled he intended to raise your fuel costs (and costs of everything else) during the 2024 US Presidential campaign, when he asked oil executives for $1 billion in bribes in return for killing off more efficient vehicles.
Since he made his way back into the White House (despite that there exists a clear legal remedy stopping insurrectionists from holding office in the US), republicans have tried to follow through on this promise and more – not only trying to make your cars more expensive, but also threatening US energy dominance, sending US jobs to China and illegally attacking clean air laws.
However, whiplash changes in regulatory regimes like this are typically seen as bad for business. Above all, businesses desire regulatory certainty so they can plan products into the future, and there are few businesses with longer planning timelines than automakers.
This is why automakers want the EPA to retain Biden’s emissions rules, because they’re already planning new models for the EV transition. They went through this once before, in the chaos of 2017-2021, where they originally asked for rollbacks but then realized their mistake, and now still complain about the broken regulatory regime caused by the last time a former reality TV host squatted in the White House.
Further, if American manufacturing turns away from the EV transition, or continues to make tepid movement towards it, this will only hand more of a manufacturing lead to China, meaning more decline of American manufacturing (compared to the huge manufacturing boom seen under President Biden).
Finally, the most important problem with DOT’s final rule is that it will increase emissions, which harms your health and increases climate change. Much like the other trends we’ve seen here, this administration doesn’t know much about the basics of climate science, which is already costing America $150 billion a year in increased infrastructure costs related to damage from natural disasters.
And that’s not even counting health costs, which will be even higher. The aggregate of these damages could cost each American born today $500,000 over their lifetime.
But all of these harms will happen to real people. This isn’t reality television, where the intent is to make up drama for views. This is actual harm that’s actually going to be done to Americans, who are having a rough time as the global economy continues to grapple with the long-term disruptions resulting from a pandemic that was exacerbated by the same reality TV host, and of course the ever-present worsening climate change.
And so, Mr. Trump is now trying to follow through on his campaign promises – which, in so many ways, will only make your life costlier, more unhealthy, less stable, and less secure from foreign influence. This is what 49% of America voted for.
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![It's time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives [update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/Tesla-Powerwall.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
For years, Tesla Powerwall has been the go-to recommendation for “normals” looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first home solar and battery backup solutions. Its CEO’s recent involvement in controversial politics, however, means that people are now distancing themselves from the once-trailblazing company.
It begs the question: what other home solar battery solutions are there?
UPDATE 26JUL2025: added more options, put everything in alphabetical order.
Electricians and contractors often praise the sleek, energy-dense Tesla Powerwall, for good reasons. But the Powerwall isn’t the only top-shelf home battery on the market, but long wait times, Elon’s antics, and the proliferation of really good integrated alternatives from legacy EV brands might have you shopping for Tesla alternatives already. If that’s you, the next logical step is to re-think the brand’s solar battery offerings as well – here are some of the best options out there.
As I was putting this list together, I realized there were plenty of ways for me to present this information. “Best batteries ..?” Too opinion-based. “Cheapest batteries ..?” Too much research and a quick descent into Temu-grade nonsense. In the end, I went with the same solution I’ve been using on my 0% EV financing lists: alphabetical order, by brand. Enjoy!
Bluetti EP800 + B500
If you’re in a smaller space or renting and can’t (or don’t want to) add a hardwired battery solution to your home, Bluetti’s EP800 + B500 modular system is a sweet “middle ground” option that combines the Bluetti EP800 off-grid inverter and the company’s B500 battery packs in a floor-standing unit that can be used without a solar roof but also plays well with most rooftop PV options.
The basic EP800 + B500 package offers about 9.9 kWh of capacity for under $9,000 as I type this, and the system can scale up to nearly 20 kWh by adding more B500 packs. The system puts out 7.6 kW of power – more than enough, in other words, to keep some lights on and your fridge and foods (and meds) cold.
What’s more, it works great with Bluetti’s AC300 or AC500 gear if you want an option that’s a bit more portable if you move a lot or plan on moving soon.
EG4 14.3 kWh PowerPro
Two of the home solar installers I talked to in preparing this post mentioned the EG4 14.3kWh batteries, and its specs (on paper, at least) compare nicely with the Powerwall 3.
| Battery | Usable capacity (kWh) | Continuous power output (kW) | Roundtrip efficiency | Average price per kWh* | Coupling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall 3 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 97.5% | $926 | DC or AC |
| EG4 14.3kWh PowerPro | 11.44 | 10.24 | 99% | $786 | DC |
“The EG4 PowerPro solar battery from EG4 Electronics is the strongest alternative to the Tesla Powerwall,” writes Kristina Zagame, from the home solar experts at EnergySage. “(The EG4) has a similar capacity, meaning it’ll last a similar amount of time, and a slightly lower power output, which means it won’t be able to power quite as many devices at the same time. And, based on quotes through EnergySage, EG4 batteries tend to be a bit more affordable compared to Tesla.”
Enphase IQ Battery 10
If you’re looking for a one-brand solution for EV charging and whole-home battery backup but don’t want to be “locked in” to GM or Tesla’s ecosystem, Enphase offers a full line of Made-in-the-USA solutions that could be right for you.
“Energy systems developer Enphase Energy is providing an even more holistic approach to managing home power usage with the introduction of new EV charger technology called the IQ line,” wrote Scooter doll, when the brand first introduced its EV charging solutions back in 2023. “The Enphase IQ is Wi-Fi enabled and integrates seamlessly into a customer’s existing home system that can be controlled with your phone.”
Franklin WH aPower 2
If you love the sleek, minimalistic styling of the Tesla Powerwall 3 but still prefer to spend your money elsewhere, the Franklin WH aPower 2 offers similarly sleek styling and beats the Tesla offering on usable energy storage capacity by 1.5 kWh. That’s nearly a full day of keeping a modern refrigerator running.
The Franklin is also designed to be easily retrofit into an existing solar system, but it loses out to the Powerwall on price per kWh, at $1,176 (vs. $926 for the Tesla unit).
GM Energy Home System
Arguably the most fully integrated EV + battery backup + solar option out there outside of Tesla, the GM Energy Home System promises to do everything a conventional home solar battery does, plus work seamlessly with your GM EV to provide even more flexibility – whether that means using the electric fuel stored in your EV to hold out that much longer in an emergency, or using the energy stored in your home’s solar battery to power an escape in your EV is up to you.
GM Energy and GM’s car dealers list Qmerit as their installation partner, and they’re great, but if you “already have a guy,” you can order the Home System directly from GM Energy’s website for $12,700 (as I type this).
The GM Energy Home System system includes:
- GM Energy PowerBank
- GM Energy PowerShift Charger
- GM Energy Home Hub & Inverter
StorEn vanadium flow BESS
If lithium-ion’s ten-year cycle life or overhyped fire risk makes you nervous, StorEn Technologies is developing a consumer-focused battery solution based on vanadium flow chemistry. Their system promises to last 25 years or more with no capacity loss, so you can charge and drain the battery fully each day and without stressing about wear … but there are a couple of downsides.
First, they’re not yet available to the general public – only to StorEn’s early investors in (what I understand to be) a sort of quasi-Kickstarter deal.
Second, the StorEn batteries are significantly bulkier than a Powerwall. That said, if you’ve got the room and you’re old enough to realize that 25 years isn’t actually a super long time, the StorEn solution might to be a super compelling, nearly maintenance-free setup that might outlast both your solar panels and the roof they’re mounted on.
So, remember how I started this off saying that I wouldn’t turn this into a “best batteries” post? That’s partly driven by the fact that I’m neither an electrician, a chemical engineer, or someone who’s researched thousands of end-user experience surveys to come up with whatever metrics I’d need to confidently and correctly call one battery “the best.”
Our friends and solar industry experts at EnergySage, though? They’ve got all three of those things on staff, and they really, really like the Villara VillaGrid+.
“The Villara VillaGrid+ stands out as the best battery on the market, scoring highest in EnergySage’s rigorous Equipment Rating System, explains EnergySage’s Kristina Zagame. “That said, (the Villara VillaGrid+) is not necessarily the best Tesla Powerwall alternative. It’s a very different (and much pricier) battery.”
What puts the VillaGrid+ on top? According to Zagame, it all comes down to the battery’s lithium-titanium-oxide, or LTO chemistry. “Unlike more traditional lithium-ion batteries, LTO has better recharge capabilities for longer life cycles, and doesn’t contain any carbon, which makes it extra safe. The only downside is you’ll definitely shell out more money upfront for the VillaGrid+.”
That extra money will also buy some additional peace of mind, as Villara backs its LTO batteries with a 20-year warranty compared to Tesla Powerwall and its (and just about everyone else’s) 10-year deal. I couldn’t find a price, but Villara’s other products, like VillaGrid 5.75 kWh battery, come in at nearly double Powerwall’s per kWh cost. Check out the specs, below, then let us know if you think the novel chemistry and additional warranty are worth it in the comments.
| Battery | Usable capacity (kWh) | Continuous power output (kW) | Roundtrip efficiency | Average price per kWh* | Coupling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall 3 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 97.5% | $926 | DC or AC |
| Villara VillaGrid+ | 11.5 | 10 | 98.5% | Get quote | DC or AC |
Original content from Electrek.
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Air taxi startup Vertical Aerospace achieved a world’s first this week, completing the first flight between two airports through public airspace for an eVTOL at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire, England.
The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world’s largest military airshow, held every July and serving as a public showcase for the latest advancements in aviation technology. It’s fitting, then, that RIAT served as setting for the Vertical VX4 prototype’s first piloted public flight.
The eVTOL aircraft flew 17 miles from the company’s Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport to RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force station used by the US Air Force. The Vertical VX4 reached speeds of 115 mph, and an altitude of 1800 ft, and also marked the first landing at a public location for an aircraft of this type.
The Vertical Aerospace entry was the only battery-electric aircraft present at RIAT 2025, and the flight served as a demonstration of the company’s broader strategy to unlock new hybrid-electric applications for defense, logistics, and special/close support missions where the eVTOL’s (relatively) quiet operations could give it a tactical advantage.
“RIAT is a global stage for the most advanced, mission-ready aerospace technology, and we’re proud to showcase how electric aviation will support the future of defense,” says Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. “Our hybrid-electric roadmap unlocks new capabilities for military operations, and Vertical’s RIAT presence reinforces our commitment to playing a meaningful role in the future of military and special mission aviation.”
Vertical’s VX4 debuted last year, with a 20% increase in the power-to-weight ratio that enables a top cruising speed of 150 mph and transports four passengers plus a pilot up to 100 miles on a single charge.
The inaugural VX4 flight was witnessed by several thousand UK aircraft enthusiasts, and showed how an eVTOL aircraft could integrate with real-world airport operations, building momentum toward more regular, certified deployment.
Electrek’s Take
Archer, BETA, EHang, Joby, XPeng – the list of eVTOL manufacturers seems to be as long as the list of new electric car brands that didn’t exist back when I first started working with EVs back in ::gulp:: the 1990s. The future of regional point-to-point air travel certainly seems to be vertical, and electric.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Vertical Aerospace.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. 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.
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Say what you will about Elon Musk, but Tesla has changed the way that millions of people buy cars and, by extension, car insurance. Now, Honda is taking a page from Tesla’s successful playbook and launching its own in-house insurance business. Enter: Honda Insurance Solutions.
Honda Insurance Solutions is being launched as a fully licensed insurance agency serving the insurance needs of Acura and Honda customers, but it’s not stopping at competitive pricing and coverage options for Honda cars and motorcycles. Honda Insurance Solutions promises to go several steps beyond Tesla’s offering with coverage for trailers, RVs, homes, and even pets.
“Honda Insurance Solutions offers customers access to coverage through a brand they know and trust,” says Petar Vucurevic, President, American Honda Insurance Solutions, LLC and Senior Vice President, American Honda Finance Corporation. “Insurance is a key touchpoint in the vehicle ownership journey, and we aim to deliver a superior experience tailored to the unique needs of each customer, while promoting safer driving and increased peace of mind on the road.”
The company says the launch of its new insurance business is just part of Honda’s broader digital vehicle sales platform strategy, with future plans to integrate insurance offerings into new products.
Electrek’s Take
It’s important to note some of the key differences between Honda’s insurance offering and Tesla’s. Honda isn’t offering discounts, they’re not bundling insurance premiums into the vehicle financing, and they’re not building their insurance offerings into their dealerships’ checkout/F&I offices. Not yet, anyway.
What Honda is doing right now is deepening relationships with its existing customers and finding ways to make money on products it hasn’t sold them – whether that’s the Harley parked in the garage next to their Prologue or the garage itself.
It’s a smart play. And, once Honda figures out a way to cut franchise dealers out entirely and go to a direct sales model, it’ll look even smarter.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. 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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