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This week’s Green Deals are starting with Bluetti’s New Year sale that is seeing up to 57% discounts across a solid lineup of on-the-go and at-home power station setups, with the AC180 1,152Wh LiFePO4 Power Station hitting a new $455 low, among others. MOD’s new and improved Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike that is perfect for riders with furry companions is back down at its $3,499 low. We also have Goal Zero’s Yeti 500 and Yeti 700 Power Stations returning to their lowest rates of $337 and $450, as well as a one-day-only discount on the Greenworks 80V 10-inch Cordless Electric Pole Saw with a 14.5-foot reach at $230. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals can be found in the links at the bottom of the page, like the New Year savings from EcoFlow, Jackery, Rad Power, and more all collected within our Electrified Weekly coverage from over the weekend.

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 is celebrating New Years with a massive sale through January 20 that is saving folks up to 57% off its lineup of backup power solutions, complete with the usual flash sale offers, select members-only pricing, and a 5% sitewide coupon code. With a focus towards travel needs, we spotted the popular AC180 Portable Power Station down at $455.05 shipped, after using the code AFF5OFF at checkout for the additional 5% off. Normally carrying a $999 price tag here, discounts have mainly kept costs between $549 and $649 on average for the last year, with September seeing a drop lower to $499 while October’s Prime Day event saw things go further to the $459. Thanks to the sitewide coupon, you’re standing to save $544 at a new all-time low price.

One of the brand’s most popular units for portable backup power needs, the AC180 brings a 1,152Wh LiFePO4 capacity into the equation that is ready to cover devices and appliances with an 1,800W output that surges up to 2,700W when needed. It offers 11 port options to achieve these means: four ACs, four USB-As, one USB-C, one DC, and even a wireless charging pad. Recharging takes as little as 45 minutes to reach an 80% battery when plugging the station into a wall outlet, or you can get that same recharge in 2.8 to 3.3 hours when utilizing 500W of solar input. You’ll find solar generator bundles for this model starting from $664.05 (using the coupon code) for a 100W panel, with other options for 200W, 350W, and 400W panels on the same page.

***Note: The prices below have not had the 5% sitewide coupon factored in – be sure to use the code AFF5OFF at checkout to score the most savings!

Bluetti New Year sale on-the-go power station deals:

Bluetti New Year sale RV travel bundle deals:

Bluetti New Year sale member-only deals:

Bluetti New Year sale new arrival deals:

There’s plenty more to check out during Bluetti’s New Year sale – particularly the brand’s home backup and accessory deals, as well as the short-term flash sale offers – which you can browse in full on the landing page here.

MOD Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike

MOD’s new and improved Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike is the ultimate ride for those with furry companions at $3,499 low

MOD Bikes’ New Year savings are lasting through January 31, with up to $400 being taken off its lineup of e-bikes. The largest discounts of this sale are hitting the Sidecar-specific models, with the brand’s new Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike coming in at $3,499 shipped. Down from its usual $3,899 rate, we saw it first drop this low back during early Black Friday sales when it first released, with December seeing a slightly higher $3,509 rate. The $400 markdown is returning costs back to the lowest we have tracked, which offers upgraded features over the Easy 3 SideCar model that is matching in price. You can learn more about these e-bikes below or by checking out our hands-on review from last month.

The first big difference you’ll notice on MOD’s new Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike is the new sand-beige colorway that has been inspired by the classic 1940 BMW R 75 Sahara motorcycle, complete with an upgraded dual-crown motorcycle-style suspension on the front fork. The aluminum frame houses a 750W geared hub motor (1,000W peak) paired alongside a 720Wh battery with five levels of torque-sensing PAS supporting the rider.

This combination provides top speeds of 28 MPH and carry you for up to 50 miles on one charge. It shares plenty of stock features with its predecessor, like the 7-speed Shimano ALTUS derailleur, a wide beam LED headlight and integrated LED taillight with brake lighting, hydraulic disc brakes, multi-terrain tires with fenders over each, a snap-on rear cargo rack (that is child seat friendly with a 65-pound payload), a wide saddle, a thumb throttle, a bell, and an S3 smart color display with a USB port.

MOD Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike
MOD Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike

One of the biggest changeups with this model is the expansion upon its sidecar, with things being extended slightly further from the bike’s frame, as well as being equipped with two headlights, a taillight, a detachable seat/seatbelt, and a small cargo rack on top. Pet owners will appreciate the continued effort made for animal companions, as the backside of the sidecar has been given a doggie door, allowing easier loading and unloading of your furry passengers, especially older animals who may struggle to climb over the sides.

More MOD New Year sale e-bike discounts:

goal zero yeti 500 and yeti 700 power stations

Get Goal Zero’s 499Wh Yeti 500 or 677Wh Yeti 700 power stations at return Black Friday lows from $337

Through its official Amazon storefront, Goal Zero is offering its Yeti 500 and Yeti 700 Portable Power Stations back at their lowest prices for $336.89 shipped and $449.89 shipped. These two models at full price would normally cost you $450 and $600, respectively, with these same low rates last seen during Black Friday sales. Today, you’ve got an opportunity to score $113 off the Yeti 500 and $150 off the Yeti 700 at the all-time lowest prices we have tracked. There’s even an option to bundle the Yeti 700 with a 100W solar panel for $587, down from $800.

With these sixth-generation power stations from Goal Zero you’ll ensure personal devices and small appliances get the power they need during camping trips, tailgating parties, and much more. While they share most of the same designs and features, the difference between these models comes in their battery capacities (Yeti 500 offers 499Wh, Yeti 700 offers 677Wh) and output power levels (Yeti 500 provides 500W surging to 1,000W and the Yeti 700 provides 600W surging to 1,000W).

They’ve been equipped with fast-charging tech, allowing a wall outlet to recharge the Yeti 500 in 90 minutes while the Yeti 700 takes a little longer at under two hours. Your small appliance and device charging needs are covered by the two AC ports, two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, plus the bonus car port – and both can be hooked up to a solar panel with a max input level of 200W, with recharging ranging from 2.9 hours to 4 hours, depending on your model.

greenworks 80V 10-inch cordless electric pole saw

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Greenworks 80V 10-inch Cordless Electric Pole Saw for $229.99 shipped through the rest of the day only. It normally posts up at its $300 price tag most of the time, but until midnight tonight, you can score $70 off that going rate. We last saw it at a lower price back in December 2023 when it fell to the $200 low, but you can score it today for your lawncare arsenal at the second-lowest price we have tracked.

Light and heavy-duty trimming jobs are made easier with this Greenworks 80V 10-inch pole saw. Thanks to the three-piece shaft, it provides a 14.5-foot reach and comes with a TRUBRUSHLESS motor that is the equivalent of a 25cc gas motor. The included 2Ah battery ensures up to 90 cuts on one 30-minute charge and can be interchanged with the brand’s other batteries for extended use. The trigger start tosses out the hassle of dealing with pull strings, with speed controls for comfortable cutting at your preferred pace and an automatic oiler to keep the chain lubricated and running.

Best ongoing holiday 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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Aptera shows its production-intent solar EV at CES, ships this year? (Update)

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2 hours ago

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January 8, 2025

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Aptera shows its production-intent solar EV at CES, ships this year? (Update)

Aptera has publicly unveiled the production-intent version of its long-awaited solar EV, which it says will start deliveries by the end of this year.

Update: We swung by the booth a took a few pictures of Aptera’s production-intent vehicle chassis, see below.

Aptera has a long history in the automotive space, dating all the way back to its original founding in 2006 by co-founders Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony. It has had the same basic teardrop design all along, but at the time it was going to be fueled by a small gas engine, promising 330 miles per gallon.

But the last iteration of Aptera hit many bumps in the road, and went defunct in 2011, having to return thousands of customer deposits.

Then, in 2019, the company was relaunched, by the same original founders as before. But this time, it had a solar-powered electric car – which, frankly, makes a lot more sense for a futuristic vehicle than a gas engine does.

That’s the iteration we’re on now, and six years later – and nearly 20 years after the company’s first founding – Aptera says it’s finally ready to produce its solar EV.

It’s showing off its production-intent chassis at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, offering the public a chance to see this vehicle which it says will go into production and delivery this year. Its booth is in the central plaza, outdoors in the sun – where a solar EV belongs.

The company has been showing off its progress towards production intent over the course of the last years, doing wind tunnel testing of what it claims will be one of the lowest-drag vehicles ever (with a previously-claimed .13 Cd), receiving carbon bodies in August and completing its first low-speed drive in October.

Now the car is out and about driving normally at CES (and Aptera is offering media ride-alongs, which we’ll hopefully get a chance to fit in). Aptera says that it drove the car for around 20 miles yesterday, and it ended the day with more charge than it started due to its extensive solar panels, which Aptera is showing off in production-intent form for the first time.

The panels cover the vehicle’s hood, dash, roof and hatch and Aptera says they can generate up to 40 miles of free driving per days, powered by sunlight. In sunny climates, this will give owners over 10,000 miles per year of solar-powered driving.

On a sunny Las Vegas winter day, as it was for the reveal, the solar panels should be working quite nicely (though they would work even better if it weren’t one of the shortest days of the year).

The unveil included a short livestream at Aptera’s outdoor booth in the Central Plaza, which you can watch below:

The livestream included a short speech by co-CEO Chris Anthony and a quick vehicle walkaround, including showing off the vehicle’s NACS port, which Aptera was the first to announce adoption of way back in 2022.

Aptera says it has another announcement coming soon regarding the vehicle’s battery pack, and that its anticipating offering track time in the car in a few months for investors (the company is funding itself through a crowdfunding campaign through which it has raised $135 million of equity).

Previously, Aptera said the vehicle would have multiple battery options, with 250, 400, and even 1,000-mile (!) battery packs (which this author thinks is unrealistically excessive, and frankly a sign for pause). But Aptera has backed off from talking much about its previous 1,000-mile target, and all we heard about during this reveal is the 400-mile, 45kWh pack that will be included on the company’s $40,000 launch edition vehicle (which will have limited options otherwise).

Aptera says that it anticipates first deliveries of its launch edition by the end of this year – a timeline which the company has stated before, but which we wouldn’t be surprised to see slip. Nevertheless, that’s the messaging.

Aptera says it has 50,000 reservations for its vehicle, at $100 a pop (or $70, if you use our Aptera referral link). You can reserve an Aptera over at Aptera’s website.

But if you have an EV that *isn’t* covered with solar panels, maybe you can install solar panels on your home’s roof and charge your vehicle through solar anyway. Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage, for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here. – ad*

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Check out Hyundai’s new electric minivan caught undisguised for the first time

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3 hours ago

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January 8, 2025

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Check out Hyundai's new electric minivan caught undisguised for the first time

Hyundai's-electric-minivan

Who said minivans weren’t cool? Hyundai’s first electric minivan (which could double as a camper van) was spotted in public without camouflage, giving us a better look at what to expect. Check out the upcoming EV below.

When will Hyundai’s first electric minivan launch?

Hyundai is preparing to launch its first all-electric minivan this year. The Staria is the electric successor to the Starex, Hyundai’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) introduced in 2021.

Last March, Hyundai revealed its new ST1 electric business van platform, based on the Staria powertrain. The ST1 is Hyundai’s first commercial EV with configurations including a refrigerated van and chassis cab. Meanwhile, the minivan will get its own model in 2025.

According to Korea’s Newsis, Hyundai will convert one of its production lines at its Ulsan Plant 4 on January 25, 2025, for the Staria electric.

Ahead of its official debut, we are already getting a look at Hyundai’s first electric minivan undisguised. The Staria EV was spotted by the online community “Family Staria” in a Korean parking lot without camouflage.

Hyundai's-electric-minivan
Hyundai's-electric-minivan

You can see that the EV model has a design similar to that of Hyundai’s Staria Lounge, which transforms from a seven- or nine-seat limousine into a full-fledged camper van.

Outside of the grille, which is now closed and includes a charging port, the electric minivan is a near replica of the premium Staria Lounge.

Hyundai's-first-electric-minivan
Hyundai Staria Lounge(Source: Hyundai)

Given it’s still a test vehicle, the design could change once finalized. A tag on the windshield reads “Vehicle for UT Evaluation of the Road Vulnerable,” suggesting it has a few more tests before being released to the general public.

The Staria electric is expected to feature Hyundai’s latest 84 kWh batteries. Local reports suggest it will be able to handle over 10% more capacity than the ST1.

Hyundai's-first-minivan-camper
Hyundai Staria Lounge Camper Van (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai’s first electric van is expected to launch in overseas markets. According to The Korean Economic Daily, Hyundai plans to start production of the Staria EV in Europe in the first half of 2026. European-made models will be sold locally and overseas, such as in Australia and Thailand.

Will Hyundai launch a camper van version like the Staria Lounge? More info will likely be released soon with an official launch expected this year. Stay tuned for updates.

Source: Mobility Post

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Elon Musk claims Tesla is doing ‘unsupervised self-driving trials’ while playing video games

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4 hours ago

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January 8, 2025

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Elon Musk claims Tesla is doing 'unsupervised self-driving trials' while playing video games

Tesla app

Elon Musk is claiming that Tesla has started doing ‘unsupervised self-driving trials internally’. He made the claim while playing video games, and It should be taken with a grain, or pound, of salt.

Yesterday afternoon, on a Tuesday, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and defacto in charge of 6 companies and a government department, was playing video games and streaming on X for more than an hour.

During the stream, fans were asking him questions and one of them was about Tesla’s self-driving effort.

Musk said:

Tesla Full Self-Driving unsupervised, maybe I’ll mention, we are going to [correct himself], we actually are doing trials of that with Tesla employees already and we expect to have that in commercial service sometime this year, which I mentioned at the last earnings call.

There are two things that Musk said at the last earnings call. He did indeed claim that Tesla would launch its “unsupervised Full Self-Driving” capability in California and Texas around Q2 2025.

He also said that Tesla started testing its robotaxi ride-hailing app with employees in the Bay Area:

We have for Tesla employees in the Bay Area. We already are offering ride-hailing capabilities. So, you can actually — with the development app, you can request a ride, and it will take you anywhere in the Bay Area.

However, he also said that Tesla had “safety drivers” behind the wheel for this test program, which means that it is no more than its current “Supervised Full Self-Driving,” a level 2 driver assist system. It is mainly to test the ridesharing features of the app rather than a different version of its self-driving system.

That makes sense, considering that Tesla would need a permit to operate a self-driving vehicle in California, even as part of a test program, and we haven’t found Tesla’s permit application yet

With this new comment, Musk clearly said “unsupervised” self-driving.

Electrek’s Take

I wouldn’t be shocked if Elon misspoke here while playing video games or he is plain confused about the situation.

Considering Tesla doesn’t have any permit to operate driverless vehicles, if it is operating a “unsupervised self-driving trials internally”, it has to be doing it on private property, which could be no more than the Cybercabs we have seen driving around Gigafactory Texas.

It’s not much different than Tesla’s ‘We, Robot’ event, which was purposely located at Warner Bros’ studio lot, which are private roads.

I seriously doubt that Tesla is currently operating unsupervised self-driving vehicles on public roads.

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