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It’s another day of amazing seasonal savings in our Green Deals today, with Bluetti’s early access Black Friday sale taking up 50% off its backup power units – including new releases – with tons of bonus savings like member pricing, an additional sitewide 5% off promo code, and more. Next we have an early bird Black Friday special from Electric Bike Company that can score you up to $897 in savings across its e-bike lineup, as well as NIU’s pre-Black Friday sale that is taking up to 64% off the brand’s KQi series of e-scooters. Lastly, we’re getting the first of EcoFlow’s Black Friday flash sales that is offering up to $1,347 off DELTA Pro and DELTA 2 Max bundles starting from $1,139. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Black Friday savings from EcoFlow, ENGWE, 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.

Bluetti’s early access Black Friday sale offers up to 55% in savings with new releases and member pricing from $189

Bluetti’s early access Black Friday savings have begun through November 10 taking up to 50% off power stations, bundles, and accessories – including new releases and special pricing for members (sign-up is FREE here, plus you’ll get extra gifts for subscribing) – while also offering an exclusive sitewide 5% off discount during the sale by using the promo code AFFBF5 at checkout. One of Bluetti’s newest releases seeing Black Friday savings is the X20 153.6Wh Power Bank that you can score for $189.05 shipped, after using Bluetti’s Black Friday sitewide 5% off code. This model will be normally priced at $249 after these sales, but you’re getting the first chance to land $50 in cash savings here while it lasts, giving you a more affordable rate on top of securing a 153.6Wh (48,000mAh) backup power solution for your everyday personal devices.

Bluetti’s X20 power bank delivers a 153.6Wh/48,000mAh LiFePO4 battery capacity to cover the charging needs of your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and any other personal device that you take with you throughout your everyday life. Thanks to its 12 adapters it comes “compatible with over 90% of laptops on the market,” with four port options (bi-directional USB-C, two USB-As, and a DC) that let you connect up to four devices at once for multi-charging at up to 160W speeds. You can even hook it up to a wall outlet to charge itself while pumping out juice for your devices, and its BMS (Battery Management System) algorithm increases efficiency to provide up to 16 hours of continuous power on a single charge.

***Note: Remember to apply code AFFBF5 at checkout to knock an additional 5% off the prices listed below.

More new Bluetti releases getting early Black Friday discounts:

Bluetti early Black Friday member discounts:

You can check out everything Bluetti’s early access Black Friday sale has to offer on the landing page here.

Electric Bike Co. early bird Black Friday special

Electric Bike Co. is offering up to $897 in savings with its early bird Black Friday special, deals start from $1,499

Electric Bike Company is offering some early-bird Black Friday savings in the form of free gear alongside any purchase from its e-bike lineup, including discounted models like the Model C Chopper e-bike that is down at $1,899 shipped. This model will normally fetch you $2,099 these days, with our post-tariff market having hiked up the MSRP since summer by $200. While we have seen it go as low as $1,599 in the past (pre-tariffs), you’re still looking at a solid $200 being cut off the price tag of a model that doesn’t see as many discounts as others – plus you’ll be getting additional savings in the free anti-theft alarm, the upgraded 5Ah PowerBoost charger, and an upgraded tool kit (pump, tire tools, wrenches, and storage bag) – all valued at $397 for a total $597 in savings!

Sporting a sleek, classic beach cruiser design with high-reaching chopper handlebars and a saddle with a back support, this custom Model A e-bike comes equipped with a 500W (750W peak) motor and a 14Ah battery that reaches 20 MPH speeds (can be reprogrammed to 28 MPH) with a 60-mile range on a single charge.  It also has five levels of pedal assistance, with a choice for a 12 mag cadence sensor or a torque sensor along with a smaller selection of accessories and features: puncture-resistant tires, integrated front and rear safety lights, hand-stitched vegan leather grips, a rear cargo rack, a waterproof wiring system, and an LCD color display with a USB charging port.

Electric Bike Co. standard e-bike Black Friday discounts:

Electric Bike Co. e-bike bundle Black Friday discounts:

You can browse through the discounted and non-discounted e-bikes from Electric Bike Co. on the landing page here.

one-day EcoFlow flash sale

EcoFlow Black Friday flash sale takes up to $1,347 off DELTA Pro and DELTA 2 Max bundles from $1,139 (Today only)

The first of EcoFlow’s Black Friday flash sales has dropped this morning, giving folks two power station bundles at a significantly reduced price. The first of these is an Amazon-only offer on the brand’s DELTA Pro Portable Power Station bundled alongside a transfer switch and the appropriate connector for $1,952.07 shipped, after redeeming the on-page 7% off coupon. Normally this bundle would run you $3,299, with discounts having taken costs down to the former $2,099 low once before during the recent Prime Day event, but it’s getting beaten out by the additional 7% discount ($147) to carve out a new all-time low price.

This bundle package from EcoFlow will give you exactly what you need to support you on trips away from the home, while also covering appliance needs in case of an emergency when you are home. The included transfer switch allows you to connect the DELTA Pro’s 3,600Wh LiFePO4 battery to your home’s breakers, with the unit’s 3,600W output power (surging to 7,200W) able to cover certain areas of your home to keep essentials running. There’s also the 14 output ports on this station that can directly power and charge your appliances and devices. Recharging the station’s own battery is fairly quick too, as plugging it into a standard wall outlet will refuel it back to full in just 1.8 hours, or you can get a full recharge in 2.8 hours when utilizing the maximum 1,600W of solar input. All the usual remote smart controls you’ve expected from EcoFlow are available here and can be accessed through the companion app when connected by Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

The second option during this flash sale is coming direct from EcoFlow’s site, offering the DELTA 2 Max Portable Power Station with a 800W alternator charger and a free camping light for $1,139.05 shipped, thanks to the sale’s additional 5% off promo in bonus savings that is applied automatically at checkout. More suited for folks who regularly take their power station with them on trips, the DELTA 2 Max’s 2,048Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity will be able to recharge while you drive, giving you about 1,000Wh for every 1.3 hours you’re on the road. It can handle covering devices and appliances with its 3,400W power output and its 15 output port options.

You can check out our launch coverage of the sale here, which we’ve curated for you to give you a one-stop shop of the best deals that we noticed amongst the massive amount of offers.

NIU early bird Black Friday sale

NIU’s KQi2 Pro electric kick scooter with regenerative brakes carries you 25 miles at $380

NIU has launched a pre-Black Friday flash sale through November 17, with the brand’s KQi series of electric scooters benefitting from up to 64% off discounts while it continues. One of the best (and cheapest) of these models that can still provide higher-than-average commuting support is the KQi2 Pro Electric Kick Scooter at $379.98 shipped. Normally priced at $649, it closed out last year at a $369 low, which we haven’t seen appear again this year, but we have seen a few discounts bring costs down to the second-lowest price, which is repeating here during this flash sale. You’re looking at a solid $269 being cut off the going rate, giving you the second-best price we have tracked and the best price of 2024 so far – only $11 above the all-time low from last year.

NIU’s KQi2 Pro provides mobility alongside affordability, with its lower pricing making this a great opportunity to upgrade your commute without breaking the bank. Its 300W motor and 48V battery propels the scooter forward up to 17.4 MPH for up to 25 miles of travel – with the regenerative brakes helping to extend that distance and four riding modes: e-save, sport, custom, and pedestrian. Carrying an IP54 water-resistance rating, it also comes stocked with 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.

More NIU pre-Black Friday flash sale deals:

Best Black Friday e-bike 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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Here it is: the first-ever electric Type D school bus from Thomas Built

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October 28, 2025

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Here it is: the first-ever electric Type D school bus from Thomas Built

Thomas Built Buses introduces Wattson, the company’s first electric Type D school bus

The school bus experts at Thomas Built have just released the first all-electric, square-bodied Type D school bus in the company’s storied history – and they’ve given their new bus a friendly, pun-tastic name. Kids, meet Wattson!

Properly called the Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson, this latest transit-style Type D bus from North Carolina-based Thomas Built combines a flat front, high seating capacity, and superior driver visibility with clean, quiet, electric power from Cummins Accelera.

“Wattson represents our next step in electrification,” said TJ Reed, president and CEO of Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles. “(Wattson) reflects our belief that the best electric solutions are the ones that feel familiar, fit within your fleet and are built to last. That’s what we’ve heard from our customers, and that’s what we’re delivering.”

The bus offers 150 miles of estimated range thanks to a huge 246 kWh li-ion battery pack. That battery funnels electrons to the same, ultra-efficient 295 hp 14Xe eAxle with 750 lb-ft of peak tq as the recently-revealed Jouley, offering more than enough “get up and go” to get kids safely across multilane highways and up even the gnarliest rural mountain inclines. And, of course, without the freezing concerns that can stop a diesel fleet cold during extreme temperature drops.

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And, because Wattson is based heavily on Thomas Built’s existing Type D body, schools’ preferred upfitting solutions should bolt right in. “We know electrification can feel like a big step,” continued Reed. “With Wattson, we’re making that step easier by giving districts a familiar Type D solution they already trust – now in electric.”

Wattson is available for order now, with first deliveries scheduled for early 2026. The bus is capable of 120 kW DC fast charging, and is V2G capable.

Electrek’s Take

2026 Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson; by Thomas Built.

It’s almost universally accepted that school buses are prime candidates for electrification. They tend to operate on short, local routes, in stop-and-go traffic, and in close proximity with some of the most vulnerable populations in the country, in terms of respiratory illness and physical safety (just imagine a kid trying to yell “STOP!” at a bus driver and being heard over the din of noisy kids and a revving diesel). The fact that electric school buses can reduce a district’s operating costs and serve the public as a portable power center in an emergency are just icing on the electric cake.

Here’s hoping all our kids’ schools have a chance to trade in their gross diesel school bus for something like Thomas Built’s Wattson sooner than later.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Thomas Built.

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Bako Motors builds solar-powered tiny electric cars that sip sunshine

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October 28, 2025

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Bako Motors builds solar-powered tiny electric cars that sip sunshine


Electric vehicles are known for plugging in – but one startup wants them to simply soak up the sun instead. Bako Motors is building compact electric cars and cargo vans with solar panels on the roof, letting them charge directly from sunlight and cut their dependence on wall sockets altogether.

It’s not an entirely novel idea. But unlike flashy startups like Aptera, Bako is approaching it with an actually commercially viable solution. And now the company is joining several other African-based EV makers hoping to help the continent leapfrog its way towards more sustainable transportation.

While most EVs still rely on grid charging – often from a fossil-fuel-heavy mix in Africa – Bako’s small vehicles can harvest free energy straight from the sky. According to founder and CEO Boubaker Siala, the roof-mounted solar cells can provide more than half of a vehicle’s daily energy needs. For its commercial model, the B-Van, that translates to about 50 km (31 mi) of solar-assisted driving per day, or roughly 17,000 km (10,500 mi) per year without ever plugging in.

Of course, drivers do still have the option of plugging into an EV charger to top up the battery more quickly, but soaking up extra sun all day may mean that many owners can get away with infrequent grid-charging stops.

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The B-Van can haul up to 400 kg (882 lb) of cargo and offers 100–300 km (62–186 mi) of total range, starting at around US $8,500. Its smaller sibling, the Bee, is a two-seat urban runabout with 70–120 km (44–75 mi) of range and a 44 km/h (27 mph) top speed, priced from US $6,200. A third model, the X-Van, is now on the drawing board with space for two passengers and extra cargo.

More than 40% of Bako’s parts are sourced locally – including the steel for the frame and lithium-iron-phosphate batteries – creating jobs while reducing import costs. A second, larger factory is set to open in 2026, boosting capacity to 8,000 vehicles per year for Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

By combining affordability, local manufacturing, and solar charging, Bako Motors is carving out a niche that fits Africa’s climate and infrastructure realities. In a market where range anxiety and unreliable grids still hold many buyers back, these sun-sipping EVs might just be the independence-promoting solution that drivers need.


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Mining execs embrace ‘phenomenal’ rare earths interest from the Middle East

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October 28, 2025

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Mining execs embrace 'phenomenal' rare earths interest from the Middle East

Guests enjoy the Fortune Global Forum 2025 Gala Dinner on October 26, 2025 at Diriyah Gate, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Cedric Ribeiro | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Mining executives have welcomed a sharp upswing in investor interest from the Middle East, as Gulf states seek to expand their critical mineral ambitions and take on established global players.

Critical minerals refer to a subset of materials considered essential to the energy transition. These resources, which tend to have a high risk of supply chain disruption, include metals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements.

“The interest in rare earths in this part of the world is phenomenal,” Tony Sage, CEO of U.S.-listed rare earths miner Critical Metals, said during a business trip through the Middle East.

“I didn’t expect it because, you know, they can’t mine it. There [are] really no discoveries in this area, but they want to be able to participate somehow in the downstream,” Sage told CNBC by telephone.

His comments come as policymakers and business leaders flock to Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, an event nicknamed as the “Davos in the Desert.”

The annual event, which got underway on Monday, is being held under the theme: “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth.” It is expected this year’s FII will lean into areas such as artificial intelligence, particularly as the oil-rich kingdom continues with its mission to diversify its economy.

A wheel loader takes ore to a crusher at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020.

Steve Marcus | Reuters

Analysts say Gulf states, led by the likes of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are increasingly seeking to leverage their financial capital and geographic location to capture critical minerals market share.

A series of targeted acquisitions and international partnerships forms a key part of this regional strategy, according to an analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), with Gulf states seeking to present themselves as alternative partners to Western nations.

Critical Metals, for its part, has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Obeikan Group to build a large-scale lithium hydroxide processing plant in the kingdom.

A strategic push

Kevin Das, senior technical consultant at New Frontier Minerals, an Australian-based rare earths explorer, linked investor interest in rare earths from the Middle East to exponential growth in the field of AI.

“It’s no surprise that you’re seeing interest, not just in the Western world, but spreading into the Gulf States because I think people are realizing that we’re probably on the cusp of an AI boom,” Das told CNBC by telephone.

“If you start to see the emergence of robotics, every robot is going to need these rare earths. And I think the supply is only going to get tighter,” he added.

Rare earth elements have emerged as a key bargaining chip in the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, although global stocks rallied on Monday amid investor hopes of thawing tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

U.S. officials have touted the prospect of China delaying strict rare earth export controls as part of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Rare earths refer to 17 elements on the periodic table whose atomic structure gives them special magnetic properties. These elements are widely used in the automotive, robotics and defense sectors.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a “coffee ceremony” at the Saudi Royal Court on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Shaun Bunn, managing director at London-listed Empire Metals, said his company had also received considerable investor interest from the Middle East.

“I think that it is very much part of the kingdom’s strategic push to diversify away from its oil. I mean, they are always going to make the most money out of oil at the moment at least, but they are trying to diversify,” Bunn told CNBC by telephone.

Critical mineral ambitions

Analysts have flagged a number of barriers facing the Gulf states’ push for critical minerals, however, noting that regional players remain marginal producers at present.

“Many of Saudi Arabia’s mining ventures remain in early or even conceptual stages, and the country still depends on foreign partners for expertise, such that it may take years for Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states more generally, to scale up enough to dent Chinese dominance or to fully meet Western demand,” Asna Wajid, research analyst at IISS, said in an analysis published in late July.

“Many in the West, moreover, may be wary of replacing their dependence on China with dependence on the Gulf states, which already exercise considerable strategic leverage due to their oil and gas supplies,” Wajid said.

China is the undisputed leader of the critical minerals supply chain, producing roughly 70% of the world’s supply of rare earths and processing almost 90%, which means it is importing these materials from other countries and processing them.

U.S. officials have previously warned that this dominance poses a strategic challenge amid the pivot to more sustainable energy sources.

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