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Tesla

Tesla is again teasing the new Roadster, which is now five years late, as “the last driver’s car” before self-driving takes over.

The chicken or the egg. Is Tesla delaying the Roadster to match the development of self-driving technology, or is it delaying the development of self-driving technology to match the delayed release of the Roadster?

The prototype for the next-generation Tesla Roadster was first unveiled in 2017, and it was initially scheduled to enter production in 2020; however, it has been delayed every year since then.

It was supposed to achieve a range of 620 miles (1,000 km) and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds.

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It has become a sort of running joke, and there are doubts that it will ever come to market despite Tesla’s promise of dozens of free new Roadsters to Tesla owners who participated in its referral program years ago.

Tesla used the promise of free Roadsters to help generate billions of dollars worth of sales, which Tesla owners delivered; however, the automaker never delivered on its part of the agreement.

Furthermore, many people placed deposits ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 to reserve the vehicle, which was initially scheduled to hit the market five years ago.

When unveiling the vehicle, CEO Elon Musk described it as a “halo car” that would deliver a “smack down” to gasoline vehicles.

That was almost eight years ago, and many electric hypercars have since launched and delivered this smackdown.

Tesla has partly blamed the delays on improving the next-gen Roadsters and added features like the “SpaceX package,” which is supposed to include cold air thrusters to enable the vehicle to fly – Musk has hinted.

Many people don’t believe any of it, as Tesla has said that it would launch the new Roadster every year for the last 5 years and never did.

Now, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s head of vehicle engineering, made a rare new comment about the next-generation Roadster during an interview at the X Takeover event, an annual gathering of Elon Musk cultists, last weekend.

He referred to Tesla’s next-gen Roadster as the “last best driver’s car” and said that the automaker did “some cool demos” for Musk last week:

We spent a lot of time in the last few years rethinking what we did, and why we did it, and what would make an awesome and exciting last best driver’s car. We’ve been making it better and better, and it is even a little bit more than a car. We showed Elon some cool demos last week and tech we’ve been working on, and he got a little excited.

The timing matches Musk’s recent claim that Tesla is going to have ‘the most epic demo ever, ’ but we heard that one before.

We suspected that the comment might be about the Tesla Roadster, as the CEO made the exact same comment about Roadster demos in 2019 and 2024. You will not be shocked to hear that these demos never happen.

Electrek’s Take

The “last best driver’s car” before computers are going to drive us everywhere. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy if you continue to delay the car. It might literally be the last car ever made that way. How would we ever know?

The truth is that the Roadster was cool when it was unveiled in 2017, but that was a long time ago. Tesla would need to update the car quite a bit to make it cool in 2025, and I don’t know that cold air clusters are it. You will have extreme limitations using those.

The Roadster is almost entirely in the “put up or shut up” category for me at Tesla. They need to stop talking about it and make it happen; otherwise, I can’t believe a word.

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Navee flagship ST3 Pro smart e-scooter at $684, Aiper HydroComm pool monitor $250 low, Heybike Back to School sale, more

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July 29, 2025

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Navee flagship ST3 Pro smart e-scooter at 4, Aiper HydroComm pool monitor 0 low, Heybike Back to School sale, more

Headlining today’s Green Deals is Navee’s new flagship ST3 Pro Electric Scooter that comes packed with an amazing array of features at $684 right now. We also have Aiper’s HydroComm Smart Solar Pool Monitor hitting a second-ever $250 low, as well as Heybike’s early access Back to School sale with up to $698 in e-bike savings starting from $999. We also have an 80V Greenworks mower deal, a one-day-only discount on Anker’s SOLIX C300X DC Power Station, and more waiting for you below. Plus, all the hangover savings at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Segway Xafari Red e-bike low price, the exclusive savings on a refurbished Anker SOLIX F3800 power station, 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.

Navee’s ST3 Pro electric scooter with Find My, regen brakes, and more takes you 47 miles to class at $684

By way of its official Amazon storefront, Navee is offering its new ST3 Pro Electric Scooter at $683.99 shipped, after redeeming the on-page promo code for an additional 10% savings, which beats out the direct pricing by $77. This scooter launched in March with a $1,299 MSRP that has since fallen to $950 at full price in the time since. We’ve seen discounts mostly taking the costs down to $760, though during the brand’s direct Prime Day Sale we saw extra savings take things to a $660 low. If you missed out on that low rate, you can score it at the next best price here, with a combined 28% markdown giving you $266 in total savings. Head below to learn more about this model and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming hands-on review.

Navee is really upping the ante with its new flagship ST3 Pro electric scooter that certainly stands up to many of Segway’s popular models both in performance and pricing. It’s been equipped with a 600W motor that peaks at 1,350W to better tackle up to 28% inclines while also providing faster acceleration to its max 25 MPH speeds, depending on which of its riding modes you’ve activated. The 597Wh battery gives it plenty of juice to carry you up to 46.6 miles, while the new damping arm suspension system smooths out rides on uneven pavement, as well as bumpy off-road terrain. The inclusion of an eABs brake (along with hydraulic and drum brakes) not only guarantees stopping power, but the regenerative capabilities help to extend travel times with recycled momentum up to its impressive maximum.

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It comes packed with quality features that you’d expect in a higher-priced model, including Apple Find My integration so you always know where your scooter is and can track it down in case of theft, though they’ll also have to get through the proximity locking features too, making it quite a secure ride. Your fun won’t be stopped prematurely thanks to the self-healing tires, and riding at night is all the safer thanks to the ambient lighting located under the footboard that sports 15 different modes. There’s plenty more too, like the traction control system, auto-on headlight, a taillight with brake lighting functionality, integrated turn signals in the handlebars, and much more.

Aiper HydroComm smart pool monitor floating in pool surrounded by bubbles

Streamline your pool testing with Aiper’s HydroComm smart 5-in-1 monitor at a second-ever $250 low

Through its official Amazon storefront, Aiper is offering its HydroComm Smart Pool Monitor at $249.99 shipped in both colorways, beating out its direct website pricing by $30. This newer device has only been on the market since mid-April when it launched at $300 before rising to its $500 full price tag, though lately, the MSRP has dropped to $400. Discounts at Amazon have mostly kept prices between $340 and $400 in the time since it launched, with Prime Day giving us the first drop to $250, which is coming back around for a second time here while the savings last. Taking advantage of this deal gives you Prime Day pricing once more, cutting $150 off the going rate for the best price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this device, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

man and woman riding down street on Heybike Ranger and Mars 2.0 e-bikes

Heybike’s early access Back to School sale takes $500 off e-bikes with up to $198 in free gear starting from $999

Heybike has launched an early access Back to School sale that will run through August 4 with up to $500 discounts across its e-bike lineup. One of the most popular models that makes a perfect companion for students on campus is the brand’s Mars 2.0 Fat-Tire Folding e-bike that is down at $999 shipped during this event and comes with a free front basket and rear large basket ($198 value). While it carries a $1,499 full price tag, discounts often see it down at this same rate during sales, with it only beaten out by the short-term $900 rate we saw from Best Buy earlier in the month and the $899 low that occasionally pops up in flash events. You’ll be saving $500 off the bike and $698 in total with the free gear, with the option to even upgrade to a more powerful motor for $100 more.

If you want to learn more about this model or the other Back to School deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

man mowing yard with Greenworks 80V 21-inch cordless push lawn mower

This 80V 21-inch Greenworks cordless mower brings 4-in-1 functionality for up to half an acre at $365

Amazon is offering the Greenworks 80V 21-inch Cordless Push Lawn Mower with 4.0Ah battery and rapid charger for $365.18 shipped, which beats out the brand’s direct website pricing by $33. Normally, you’d be paying $500 for this package at full price, with discounts in 2025 mostly keeping things between $380 and $400, though we have seen it go as low as $360 occasionally, which was last seen during Prime Day. You’re looking at the next best price here while the savings last, giving you a $135 markdown off the going rate while also upgrading your lawn care routine with a more environmentally friendly solution.

If you want to learn more about this mower, be sure to check out our original coverage here of this deal here.

man and woman laying in tent illuminated by Anker SOLIX C300 DC power station

For the rest of the day you can get Anker’s SOLIX C300X DC LiFePO4 power station at $180

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Anker SOLIX C300X DC Portable Power Station at $179.99 shipped, with the grey model matching at Amazon while it’s sitting full price directly from the brand’s website. While this model carries a $250 price tag directly from Anker, it’s more often seen at $200 at both Best Buy and Amazon, with discounts dropping costs in 2025 between $180 and $150, while things went lowest to $140 back during Christmas sales. You’re looking at a 28% markdown that will only last through the rest of the day, giving you $70 in total savings off the MSRP at the fourth-lowest price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this compact backup power solution, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

Best Summer 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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Trump’s EU trade deal is based on massive energy purchases that are unlikely to materialize, analysts say

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34 mins ago

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July 29, 2025

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Trump's EU trade deal is based on massive energy purchases that are unlikely to materialize, analysts say

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on, during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (not pictured), after an announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

President Donald Trump’s massive energy deal with the European Union will be difficult to implement, setting Washington and Brussels up for a potential future confrontation over tariffs and trade.

The EU has agreed to purchase $750 billion of U.S. energy and invest $600 billion in the U.S. by 2028, according to the White House. In exchange, Trump has agreed to a tariff of 15% on EU goods excluding steel and aluminum, which is half the 30% rate that he had threatened.

But the $600 billion investment in the U.S. is not binding on EU member states or companies. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive body, simply said that companies “have expressed interest in investing at least” that amount in the U.S by 2029.

The massive energy purchases in the deal are unrealistic due to market and political constraints, analysts said. The EU cannot force member states and companies to buy U.S. energy just as the Trump administration cannot force producers to sell to Europe, said Mathieu Utting, an analyst at Rystad Energy.

“This is non-binding. It’s a pledge,” said Erik Brattberg, an expert on Europe at the Atlantic Council, a think-tank with a focus on international affairs. “The EU itself doesn’t buy energy. It would be member states or companies from member states.”

A White House official told CNBC on Tuesday that Trump expects the EU to abide by its commitments under the deal.

“That is what the EU agreed to purchase,” the official said. “The President reserves the right to adjust tariff rates if any party reneges.”

The energy purchases are divided into $250 billion annual installments over the rest of Trump’s term, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters Sunday. The EU is pledging significant purchases U.S. oil, liquified natural gas (LNG) and nuclear fuel to replace Russian fossil fuels, von der Leyen said.

But it is unclear how much EU member states and companies intend to buy of each fuel type. “Details have to be sorted out and that will happen over the next weeks,” von der Leyen told reporters.

Tripling U.S. exports unrealistic

EU member states bought about $80 billion U.S. oil, liquified natural gas, liquified petroleum gas and coal from the U.S. in 2024, according to data from Kpler. The bloc would have to triple its purchases of U.S. energy to meet the $250 billion annual purchase target laid out in the agreement.

“If this deal were to be realized, we’d be talking about the United States providing the lion’s share of European energy imports,” Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told CNBC on Monday. EU energy imports totaled $433 billion in 2024, according to Eurostat.

Increasing U.S. oil exports to the EU is difficult because production is flat and will likely decline in the coming months, said Svetlana Tretyakova, an oil analyst at Rystad.

U.S. companies would have to reroute exports from customers in Asia and Latin America to the EU, Tretyakova said. Importing more oil also does not align with the EU’s climate goals and the continent’s refining capacity is declining, she said.

Surging LNG exports is also tough, Utting said. U.S. terminals always run at full capacity so there isn’t slack capacity to increase shipments to the EU right now, he said. As in the case with oil, LNG would have to be diverted from other customers to Europe, he said.

More LNG capacity is coming online over the next two years that could be exported to Europe, he said. But the EU already receives more than half its imports from the U.S., Utting said.

“It’s very unrealistic that Europe would import exclusively from the U.S.,” he said. “They will want to diversify to some extent.”

While the headline $750 billion figure is unrealistic, the EU is showing that it is serious about expanding its energy trade with the U.S., said Alex Munton, director of global gas and LNG research at Rapidan Energy.

The EU was already planning to eliminate what remains of Russian LNG and pipeline gas imports to the bloc by 2028. This will create a supply gap of 25 million metric tons per year that the U.S. is perfectly positioned to fill, Munton said.

“The interests line up, they go hand in hand,” he said. “That’s why it’s essentially a convenient deal.”

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This $10,000 EV outsold the BYD Seagull and Tesla Model Y in China

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42 mins ago

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July 29, 2025

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This ,000 EV outsold the BYD Seagull and Tesla Model Y in China

$10,000-EV-outsold-BYD-Tesla

The best-selling vehicle in China, EV or gas-powered, in the first half of 2025 was not the BYD Seagull or Tesla Model Y. It was actually the Geely Xingyuan. AKA the “Star Wish,” Geely’s EV topped the sales charts with prices starting under $10,000 in China.

Geely’s $10,000 EV outsells BYD and Tesla in China

BYD’s smallest EV, the Seagull, went back and forth with the Tesla Model Y for the title of most popular electric vehicle in China last year.

Through the first half of 2025, there’s a new leader at the top spot. According to Chinese media outlet Yiche, the Geely Geome Xingyuan was the best-selling EV in China through H1 2025, dethroning the BYD Segaull and Tesla Model Y.

Geely sold nearly 205,000 Xingyuan models in China through June. The BYD Seagull was second with 174,912 units sold, followed by the Tesla Model Y in third at 171,491.

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The Geely Xingyuan EV starts at 69,800 yuan in China, or just under $10,000. It’s available with two CATL-made LFP battery packs: 30.12 kWh or 40.16 kWh. The former is suitable for a CLTC range of 310 km (192 miles), while the latter is rated for 410 km (255 miles).

10,000-EV-BYD-Tesla
Best-selling vehicles in China in the first half of 2025 (Source: Yiche)

Although it was beaten out by Geely’s Star Wish, the BYD Seagull still put up impressive numbers, selling nearly 30,000 units per month.

To keep pace, BYD slashed prices (again) earlier this year to just 55,800 yuan ($7,800). The Seagull is typically priced from 69,800 yuan ($9,700), which is the same as the Xingyuan.

$10,000-EV-outsold-BYD-Tesla
BYD Seagull EV (sold as the Dolphin Mini and Dolphin Surf overseas) Source: BYD

The Wuling Hongguan MINI EV (171,046) and BYD Qin PLUS (163,603) rounded out the top five. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi SU7 is quickly climbing the charts with over 155,000 units sold, ranking sixth. Despite limited production capacity, monthly SU7 sales have now averaged over 20,000 since October.

$10,000-EV-outsold-BYD-Tesla
Xiaomi SU7 (Source: Xiaomi)

Tesla’s Model Y remained the top-selling premium EV in China in the first half of the year, but Xiaomi’s SU7 is quickly closing in.

Where will the rankings end up by the end of the year? It’s shaping up to be a close race in the world’s largest EV market. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Yiche

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