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Today’s Green Deals are being led by Velotric’s Mother’s Day Sale, which is offering up to $400 off e-bikes, along with some select 30% accessory discounts and free gear, like the Discover 1 Plus Commuter e-bike for $1,299 that you can also bundle with a bunch of add-on gear at $487 off, among others. There’s also EcoFlow’s latest flash sale through the rest of the day that is taking up to 43% off a DELTA Pro Ultra Solar Generator bundle and a dual-RAPID 5,000mAh Magnetic Power Bank bundle from $76. We also have two solid tool deals for you, with EGO’s 56V 21-inch Cordless Electric Self-Propelled Lawn Mower coming with dual-toggle handles and a 6.0Ah battery at $449, as well as CRAFTSMAN’s 1,900 and 2,100 PSI Electric Pressure Washers starting from $149. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus Mother’s Day savings, Jackery’s latest sale, 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.

Velotric Mother’s Day Sale takes up to $400 off e-bikes with select free gear and accessory discounts from $999

Velotric has launched its Mother’s Day Sale with up to $400 being taken off its e-bike lineup while also offering select 30% off accessory discounts and free gear with certain models. Among the offers, one of the biggest discounts we’re seeing during this sale is on the popular Discover 1 Plus Commuter e-bike for $1,299 shipped. Having recently had its price raised to $1,699 due to tariffs, you’re looking at a $400 markdown here, with the option to bundle the e-bike with a rear rack, front basket, phone mount, and left-side mirror at $1,503 shipped. This is the third-lowest price we have seen this model go for, sitting $200 above the all-time low we last spotted during Black Friday.

Upgraded in 2024 to provide more comfort during commutes, the Velotric Discover 1 Plus e-bike is a popular means to get around with its 500W rear hub motor (peaking at 900W) and 691.2Wh battery delivering up to 65 miles of travel with the five PAS levels activated alongside 20 MPH speeds that can be ramped up to 28 MPH when unlocked. There is a throttle to enjoy cruising around on pure electric power, though at the cost of mileage.

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It doesn’t offer as fancy an array of features like its Discover 2 counterpart, like the Apple Find My integration, but does still provide some solid features for the price. It arrives sporting a Shimano 7-speed derailleur, an integrated 60 lux LED headlight, a taillight with braking functionality, double hydraulic disc brakes, larger 26-inch puncture-resistant tires, an increased IPX7 waterproof rating, fenders above both tires, and a 3.5-inch LCD display. The display even has a USB-A port to charge up your phone as you go on top of a walk assist mode to help you get up extreme inclines.

Velotric Mother’s Day Sale offers with free gear:

  • T1 ST Plus Lightweight e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,649)
    • 28 MPH for up to 70 miles
    • comes with free rear cargo rack
  • Breeze 1 Cruiser e-bike (new model): $1,799 (No price cut)
    • 28 MPH for up to 70 miles
    • Comes with free front basket

Velotric’s other Mother’s Day Sale offers (30% off accessories):

You can browse the full lineup of Velotric’s Mother’s Day Sale on the landing page here.

EcoFLow DELTA Pro Ultra Portable Power Station

Through today, EcoFlow takes up to 43% off a DELTA Pro Ultra solar generator bundle or dual RAPID Qi2 power banks from $76

As part of its ongoing Spring-to-Summer Sale that will continue through May 7, EcoFlow is offering flash savings on two backup power packages for members (sign-up is free) through the rest of the day – one for your home and appliances, and one for your personal devices. The first is the brand’s DELTA Pro Ultra Solar Generator bundle that comes with four 125W panels and a trolley for $5,224.05 shipped, after using the sitewide promo code EFRVSALEAFF at checkout for an additional 5% off. Non-members can use the same code to score it at $190 more, with this package normally running you $7,296 in all. This is a first-time offer on this particular bundle, and what’s more, the sitewide extra savings are rarely valid on flash offers, making it all the sweeter a deal. You’ll be getting $2,072 struck from the price tag at the best price we can find.

EcoFlow’s most expansive backup power option, an especially strong choice for home coverage, the DELTA Pro Ultra starts at a 6.1kWh LiFePO4 capacity and 7,200W output that can be built up all the way to 90kWh capacity and 21.6kW output with additional equipment. For example, were you to have the fully expanded system, you’d be able to keep things running for up to 15 days, though that doesn’t account for any solar charging equipment you’ve connected, which extends that timeframe. Adding the brand’s Smart Home Panel 2 to the equation brings smart home integration into the mix, allowing your power usage to be analyzed, offsetting peak rates while also providing connections to any roof panels you have installed in order to lower energy costs.

Speaking of its solar charging capabilities, this modular station carries an expandable 5.6kW to 16.8kW solar input, as well as the usual AC wall outlet recharging, and the hook-ups for EV piles and generators. Investing in its full system to its absolute limit (three Ultra Pro stations + expansion batteries + max solar input) would provide you the power to run your home for a day after around an hour of the most ideal sunny conditions. Of course, it is also a handy portable option, with an IP54 dust-proof and splash-proof rating, and a design that can withstand severe temperatures from -4 degrees to 113 degrees. Whether you’re using it for year-round needs at home or taking it travelling to campsites, RV trips, and more – it’s quite the sizeable means to keep all your essentials running.

The second of these offers gives you two RAPID 5,000mAh Magnetic Power Banks for $75.99 shipped, after using the sitewide promo code EFRVSALEAFF at checkout for an additional 5% off. Of course, like the above deal, non-members will be paying $9.50 more with the code. These compact devices provide you with Qi2 15W wireless charging speeds or 30W speeds through the built-in USB-C cable or the additional USB-C port. They can recharge to 70% in about 33 minutes and even feature built-in kickstands to prop up as they charge your phone or other devices.

Be sure to check out the lineup of other deals we’re seeing as part of EcoFlow’s Spring-to-Summer Sale, which is taking up to 52% off through may 7 – all with the extra sitewide savings too. You’ll also find the launch deals for the brand’s new WAVE 3 AC/Heater and GLACIER electric coolers that start from $807, with a bunch of bundle options available for them.

EGO Power+ 56V 21-inch electric lawn mower

This EGO 56V 21-inch cordless self-propelled mower comes with a 6.0Ah battery and dual-toggle handles for $449

Amazon is offering the EGO Power+ 56V 21-inch Cordless Electric Self-Propelled Lawn Mower with 6.0Ah battery for $449 shipped. This particular model with the battery normally goes for $550, with March having seen it drop down to $499 and hold strong at that rate until today. Now, you can take advantage of the $101 markdown here to grab one for your lawn care needs at the second-lowest price we have tracked – just $25 above the low from early Christmas sales.

A great replacement for noisy, fume-belching gas-guzzlers, this 56V mower from EGO provides 50 minutes of run time with the included 6.0Ah ARC battery, which you can quickly change out with other batteries you may have for extended performance. The 21-inch deck houses a brushless motor for better efficiency, with a 7-position cutting height range from 1.25 to 4 inches, as well as 3-in-1 functionality for rear bagging, side discharging, and mulching. It starts up at the press of a button, so no more wrestling with pull strings – plus, its self-propelled system is easier to engage thanks to the dual-toggle handle set.

And if you want to stock up on batteries, you’ll find EGO’s 2.5Ah and 5.0Ah ARC models starting from $110 right now.

CRAFTSMAN 2,100 PSI Electric Pressure Washer

Grab the budget-friendly CRAFTSMAN 1,900 PSI or 2,100 PSI electric pressure washers for outdoor cleaning from $149

Amazon is giving folks a solid budget-friendly option for outdoor cleaning needs by offering the CRAFTSMAN 2,100 PSI Electric Pressure Washer for $189 shipped. A tried-and-true model that may be older but still gets the job done, we’ve been seeing this model keep at $219 at Amazon while going for a higher $239 MSRP elsewhere, not receiving any discounts here since the summer of last year. Today, we’re getting some respite from the monotony with a $30 markdown that drops costs to the lowest price we’ve seen in the last two years, sitting just $10 above its all-time lowest rate.

With spring in bloom, there will be plenty of gunk from pollen buildup and more that needs clearing away, and this CRAFTSMAN pressure washer is a popular means to do just that. It delivers a maximum 2,100 PSI of cleaning power for your outdoor spaces and furniture, with a 1.2 GPM flow rate. It sports an integrated soap tank that adds an additional level of cleaning when needed, along with onboard storage for the included nozzles, 25-foot kink-resistant hose, 35-foot power cord, and wand.

If you don’t need such a high PSI, you can save a little more by going with the CRAFTSMAN 1,900 PSI Electric Pressure Washer for $149 shipped. This slightly smaller model offers most of the same features and gear, just with a lesser 1,900 PSI power.

Best Spring 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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Venmo gaining ground in payments as Cash App struggles

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7 hours ago

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May 2, 2025

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Venmo gaining ground in payments as Cash App struggles

Block shares plunge on revenue miss, slashed guidance

In the increasingly crowded market for peer-to-peer payments, Venmo is showing momentum while Cash App has hit a rough patch.

The parents of both businesses reported quarterly results this week. PayPal, which owns Venmo, reported an earnings beat and kept its forecast for the year. Block, meanwhile, plummeted in extended trading on Thursday after the Cash App parent missed on revenue and issued disappointing guidance.

Venmo and Cash App are simultaneously competing to gobble up more consumers for their peer-to-peer offerings while also adding services like debit, credit and transfer services so they can actually make money from those users.

For PayPal CEO Alex Chriss, who took over the struggling payments company in 2023, monetizing Venmo is a key piece to his turnaround plan.

Venmo revenue jumped 20% in the first quarter from a year earlier, though PayPal didn’t provide a dollar figure. PayPal pointed to growing adoption of features like the Venmo debit card, instant transfers, and integration into online checkout. The company said monetization per user is improving and that Venmo continues to play a role in its broader e-commerce push.

Revenue at Venmo increased at twice the rate of total payment volume, which rose 10%, reflecting progress in turning engagement into profit.

Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro

During the quarter, PayPal added nearly two million first-time debit card users across PayPal and Venmo, and said Venmo debit card payment volume rose more than 60%. Monthly actives on the card grew about 40%, while Pay with Venmo volume surged 50%.

“We’ve leaned into Venmo and the investment is starting to pay off,” Chriss said on the company’s earnings call.

Block CEO Jack Dorsey struck a different tone on his company’s call.

Cash App posted 10% gross profit growth from a year earlier to $1.38 billion in the first quarter. PayPal’s gross payment volume, or a measure of money moving through Square and Cash App, came in at $56.8 billion, missing the average analyst estimate of $58 billion, according to StreetAccount.

Dorsey acknowledged Cash App’s recent underperformance.

“I just don’t think we were focused enough and had enough attention on the network and the network density, and that is our foundation,” he said.

Dorsey noted that some users still don’t view Cash App as a true banking platform, in part because their experience with the app can feel limited or restrictive when trying to move or access funds. The company is promoting its lending program, Cash App Borrow, which has received approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and can now bring origination and servicing in-house.

“We of course want to deepen engagement with our customers through banking services and Borrow, and I have no doubt we will,” Dorsey said. “But at the same time, we need to make sure that we continuously grow our network, and that starts with peer to peer.”

WATCH: Interview with PayPal CEO Alex Chriss

PayPal CEO Alex Chriss: Huge opportunity to deliver to consumers and help small business

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Tesla (TSLA) reveals web of transactions between Elon Musk’s companies

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7 hours ago

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May 2, 2025

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Tesla (TSLA) reveals web of transactions between Elon Musk's companies

Tesla (TSLA) has revealed the latest web of transactions between itself, Elon Musk, his multiple companies, and board members.

As a public company, Tesla has to report to its shareholders transactions between the company and its executives, board members, and other companies linked to them.

With a new SEC filing, the company has disclosed those latest transactions for 2024 and up to February 2025.

Here’s a list with my comments:

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SpaceX is party to certain commercial, licensing and support agreements with Tesla. Under these agreements, SpaceX incurred expenses of approximately $2.4 million in 2024 and approximately $0.1 million through February 2025.

Tesla didn’t specifically disclosed what are those “certain commercial, licensing and support agreements”.

However, we do know that Tesla and SpaceX share a material science team and they have shared ERP systems in the past.

Tesla also pays SpaceX for the use of Elon Musk’s jet:

Since April 2016, SpaceX has invoiced Tesla for our use of an aircraft owned and operated by SpaceX at rates determined by Tesla and SpaceX, subject to rules of the Federal Aviation Administration governing such arrangements. Tesla incurred expenses of approximately $0.8 million in 2024 and approximately $0.04 million through February 2025.

These transactions have been reported every year between Tesla and SpaceX.

X is a newer addition to Musk enterprises and the CEO has pushed Tesla to spend on advertising on his privately owned platform.

It only amounted to about $400,000 in Tesla spending on X last year aboud only $10,000 this year:

X is party to certain commercial, consulting and support agreements with Tesla. Under these agreements, Tesla incurred expenses of approximately $0.1 million in 2024. As part of a multi-platform advertising campaign, Tesla also directly or indirectly purchased advertising on X, which totaled approximately $0.4 million in 2024 and approximately $0.01 million through February 2025.

Tesla only started to advertise in 2023, shortly after Musk bought Twitter, a platform that relies on advertising, but it has yet to really ramp up its advertising effort.

Instead, it relies on marketing.

xAI is the latest private Musk company that Tesla’s CEO is pushing to work with Tesla.

Based on Tesla’s new disclosure, xAI paid Tesla almost $200 million in 2024 and almost $37 million in the first two months of 2025:

xAI is party to certain commercial (including those for the purchase of Megapacks), consulting and support agreements with Tesla. Under these agreements, xAI incurred expenses of approximately $198.3 million in 2024 and approximately $36.9 million through February 2025. Approximately $191.0 million during 2024 and $36.8 million through February 2025 was incurred by xAI for its purchase of our Megapack products.

The vast majority of that was xAI buying Tesla Megapacks to power its data centers.

However, there are also a few millions not accounted for.

Musk has admitted to redirecting NVIDIA computers that were supposed to be used for Tesla’s super cluster in Texas to xAI.

Tesla also disclosed paying The Boring Company (TBC), a company privately owned by Musk, over $3 million in 2024 and $800,000 in the first two months of 2025:

TBC is party to commercial agreements with Tesla. Under these agreements, Tesla incurred expenses of approximately $3.6 million in 2024 and approximately $0.8 million through February 2025.

This is likely related to TBC building a tunnel to link the Cybertruck’s end-of-line at Gigafactory Texas to a loading lot.

Tesla also pays a security company owned by Musk to provide security services to the CEO:

We are party to a service agreement with a security company, owned by Elon Musk and organized to provide security services concerning him, including in connection with his duties to and work for Tesla. Tesla incurred expenses of approximately $2.8 million for such security services in 2024 and approximately $0.5 million through February 2025, representing a portion of the total cost of security services concerning Elon Musk.

These costs have greatly increased. In 2023, Tesla paid $2.4 million. It increased to $2.8 million in 2024 and based on Tesla having spent $500,000 in the first two months of the year, it looks like it could increase to $3 million in 2025.

Tesla also disclosed that it sold about $30 million worth of scrap materials for JB Straubel’s Redwood Mateirals to recycle:

JB Straubel is the Chief Executive Officer of Redwood. Tesla is party to an agreement with Redwood to supply certain scrap materials. Under this agreement, Redwood incurred expenses of approximately $30.3 million in 2024 and approximately $0.6 million through February 2025.

Straubel is a Tesla co-founder and long-time CTO. He left in 2019 to build a battery recycling and battery material firm, but he also more recently rejoined Tesla’s board – hence why transactions between his company and Tesla need to be reported.

Finally, Tesla disclosed that it paid $300,000 to Kimbal Musk’s company, Nova Sky Stories, for a drone show:

Kimbal Musk is the Chief Executive Officer of Nova Sky Stories. In 2024, we entered into a commercial agreement with Nova Sky Stories in relation to the production of an aerial show. Under this agreement, Tesla incurred expenses of approximately $0.3 million in 2024.

Kimbal Musk is on Tesla’s board and he is Elon Musk’s brother.

Electrek’s Take

I can admit that there can be interesting synergy between companies. When Musk was just leading Tesla and SpaceX, I had some reservations, but I thought it was feasible and some collaboration, like the material science team, made sense.

However, now that Musk is leading Tesla, SpaceX, X, xAI, The Boring Company, Neuralink, and DOGE, it makes no sense whatsoever. It’s too much.

And the synergy between them is often looking like a stretch. For example, the $3 million tunnel is ridiculous. Tesla should have simply better designed its EOL. The Boring Company had a ton of projects that never amounted to anything and it looks like Musk is keeping them busy with Tesla money.

Tesla sending its NVIDIA computers to xAI is also ridiculous. Musk’s excuse was that Tesla’s data center was not ready to receive them, but then he boasted about xAI being to deploy its own data center in a record time of just 3 weeks.

Why was xAI able to do it in 3 weeks but Tesla couldn’t?

Finally, Tesla giving Elon’s brother $300,000 for a drone show is also highly questionable.

Like Leo KoGuan said, “Tesla is a family business masquerading as a public company.”

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ACT Expo 2025 – one step forward, two steps back for clean trucking [part 1]

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May 1, 2025

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ACT Expo 2025 – one step forward, two steps back for clean trucking [part 1]

ACT Expo is North America’s premier clean truck and transport trade show – and for 2025 it was bigger than ever, with more exhibitors and more, more capable battery electric vehicles than ever. The downsides? NACFE have scored with their “messy middle” messaging, and the return of “clean diesel” talking points.

The re-election of Donald Trump to the Presidency of the United States has thrown the steady pace of electric fleet adoption – along with just about every thing else – into a state of confusion and disarray. Into that chaos, NACFE (the North American Council for Freight Efficiency) has thrown a positively progress-shattering bromide that may as well have been designed to distract attention from the proliferation of practical medium- and heavy-duty EVs, the rapid expansion of a comprehensive DC fast charging network, and the rapidly decreasing delta between the up-front costs of conventional diesel and battery electric offerings.

I’m talking about the phrase, “the messy middle,” which posits that, while we can all agree that electric vehicles and battery technology are the future, “we’re not quite there, yet.” The result is a series of observations that, while very timely in 2019, seem to disingenuously portray EVs as new technology today, while claiming that there are unanswered questions regarding battery costs and component longevity.

Never mind that next year will mark the (checks notes) twenty-ninth year of Toyota Prius production, and the thirtieth anniversary of the production launch of GM’s EV1, or that Volvo is on its third generation of battery electric semi, or that dozens of EV fleets have logged hundreds of millions of all-electric miles on their vehicles – never mind, in other words, that BEVs are in production now, ready now, in customer hands now, delivering on the promise of reduced TCO now … an EV may not be suitable for some fleets – and NACFE’s “messy middle” messaging is going to give a lot of fleets an excuse to buy one more round diesel-engined semi trucks to fill up with more diesel from Shell their favorite truck stops.

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All that said, it’s catchy. Outside of NACFE’s booth or Shell’s panels I’ve heard the phrase “messy middle” repeated sincerely at least a dozen times over the last three days, and I have to admit that the alliterative lure of that particular little ear worm that, regardless of the sincerity of NACFE’s intent, is going to set the pace of EV adoption back at least the length of one Presidential term (give or take 100 days).

Moving on …

There was plenty of good stuff

Despite my ranting and raving against the whole “messy middle” messaging, there was an incredible amount of awesome, zero-emission, battery-powered goodness at this year’s ACT Expo. Too much, in fact, to jam into a single article (unless y’all like 5,000 word articles).

As such, I won’t even try.

Instead, I’ll use this post to give you a sneak peek at some of the stories I’ll be posting in the coming days, bringing you fully up to speed with all the latest and greatest new EVs, EREVs, and HFCEVs that commercial fleet buyers can place an order for today, and start putting the messy middle (and their backwards-looking competitors) behind them. So, check out the short list, below, then watch this space to see the links go live.

ACT 2025 News

  • Zenobe arrives in North America
  • Honda wants to sell you a fuel cell
  • Hyundai opens up about its hydrogen semi
  • ABB has figured out this whole charging deal
  • Windrose gets real, and Wen Han signs my truck
  • Volvo has the best deal going for commercial EVs
  • New Mack electric trucks are coming, and one is already here
  • The new autonomous terminal tractor from Kalmar is a next-level EV

Original content from Electrek; special thanks to ACT Expo.

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