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From now through August 2, Costco members can save $1,000 on a 2022 Bolt EV and EUV, $3,000 on a 2020/2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, and $2,000 on a Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric. Those deals and much more have been added to our updated best Electric Vehicle prices and leases.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV

The redesigned 2022 Chevrolet Bolt lineup started trickling onto dealership lots a few weeks back with a starting price that’s thousands less than its predecessor. MSRP for the 259-mile 2022 Bolt EV is only $31,995, and the slightly larger 247-mile Bolt EUV is priced at $33,395, so the last thing anyone might expect is a $1,000 cash incentive this early in the game. What is expected (unfortunately) are dealerships that find no shame in trying to squeeze another $1,000 out of their customers. While conducting our nationwide search for electric vehicle lease deals and discounts, we ran across a number of dealers adding a $995 “market adjustment” over the MSRP of in-stock 2022 Bolt EVs and EUVs. These ridiculous offers can be ignored since the vast majority of Chevrolet dealers are listing what they have in stock at MSRP. In fact, we even found several dealerships already offering discounts on 2022 Bolt models. Quirk Chevrolet in Massachusetts ($1,000 off on a Bolt EV), Rydell Chevrolet in California ($500 off on a Bolt EV), Mike Anderson Chevrolet in Illinois ($1,575 off on a Bolt EUV), and Chevrolet of Columbus in Ohio ($1,112 off on a Bolt EUV) all seem to be good places to start shopping.

GM carbon neutral
Chevy’s 2022 Bolt EV and EUV

Thinking of leasing rather than buying? According to the payment estimator on Chevrolet’s website, the 2022 Bolt EV will set you back $420(nice)/month plus tax and license for three years on a 10,000 mile per year lease. The slightly larger Bolt EUV leases for a bit more at $453/month. Applying the $1,000 Costco incentive might trim $30/month off of these figures, but the resulting cost would still be significantly higher than the manufacturer lease offers on affordable 200-mile EVs from Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia.  However, we did find a couple of California dealers with relatively attractive lease offers that might be worth considering. Mission Bay Chevrolet in the San Diego area is offering a three-year lease on a 2022 Bolt EV at $259/month, $2,999 at signing before tax and license, which calculates to a palatable effective cost of $335/month. Stevens Creek Chevrolet in the San Francisco area is advertising $189/month, $5,999 at signing, which translates to an effective cost of $350/month. Costco membership is required for either of these deals. Check for availability and deals on a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV or Bolt EUV in your area.

2020/2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Prospective buyers that have been waiting to score killer deals on the outgoing first-generation Bolt EV may have missed the sweet spot, which started in March and ran through early May. At this point, most Chevy dealers we track have either sold out or zeroed out their discounts on remaining inventory, so the starting point of negotiation at most dealerships is simply MSRP minus factory incentives. The good news is that the factory incentives are still hefty, currently at $10,000 for a 2020 and $9,000 for a 2021, plus an additional $1,000 bonus cash incentive on particular in-stock vehicles. Piling on the $3,000 Costco member-only incentive takes the total cash back up to a range of $12,000 to $14,000, which should lower the cost of buying a 2020/2021 Bolt EV to well under $30,000 before tax and license.

2020 Chevy Bolt

We did find more than a handful of dealer discounts on a 2020/2021 Bolt, ranging from about $1,500 off to over $3,000 off before any of the above mentioned factory incentives. The total discount at some of these dealers can be well over $16,000 for Costco members. As far as lease deals, Quirk Chevrolet in Massachusetts and Simi Valley Chevrolet in California have great lease offers with an effective cost that’s under $200/month before tax and license. Check for deals on remaining 2020/2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV at a dealership near you.

2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric

Outside of loyalty incentives, Costco’s $2,000 incentive is the first we’ve seen on the 208-mile Volvo XC40 Recharge since its introduction earlier this year. With an MSRP of $55,300, this compact luxury SUV that seats five can now be had for just under $46,000 by Costco members that enjoy a tax bill high enough to take full advantage of the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit. That’s about $7,000 less than its closest competitor, the 326-mile Tesla Model Y, which is a cost difference that can be compelling to a buyer that doesn’t need the impressive segment-leading range of the Model Y, or perhaps prefers Volvo’s relatively mainstream styling. This all-wheel-drive XC40 Recharge is no slouch – it moves from 0 to 60mph in a very respectable 4.3 seconds, slightly quicker than the base Model Y. Its top speed is limited to 112 mph versus the Model Y’s 135 mph.

Dealer discounts on the XC40 Recharge are still few and far between, but that has been improving lately. We’ve seen advertised discounts range from $1,000 to nearly $4,000 at dealerships in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and California. On lease offers, Weston Volvo Cars in Florida is the first Volvo dealership to make our list of electric vehicle lease deals with a fantastic offer of $499/month plus tax for 36 months, $999 plus tax and license at signing. With an average monthly cost of $513/month, Weston Volvo handily beats the XC40 Recharge 3-year factory lease terms of $599/month, $4,099 at signing, which works out to an average monthly cost of about $696/month. Costco members can apply their $2,000 incentive to these terms to effectively reduce the average monthly cost to around $650/month with no dealer discounts. Interestingly, this just happens to be slightly more than the average lease cost of a Model Y, which rings in at $633/month before tax and license.

Current members that have been with Costco since May 31, 2021, qualify for these limited-time incentives that expire on August 2, 2021. Not a member? If you’re planning to buy a new electric vehicle soon, a $60 annual membership could pay off in thousands. Consider that Costco has run these special auto incentives for years. Since January 2020, Chevrolet’s Bolt EV and Audi’s e-tron have each been included in these special offers three times, and Volvo has participated twice. As a side benefit, you’ll be able to enjoy a $1.50 hot-dog-and-a-Pepsi along with $4.99 rotisserie chickens as many times as you want while you wait for that coveted incentive to show up.

As always, be sure to check our monthly survey of best electric vehicle lease deals and best electric vehicle discounts. Information is current for manufacturer lease offers, Chevrolet dealer offers, and Volvo dealer offers. We are currently gathering dealer data from dealerships of other marques, so please check back throughout the month for additional updates.


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Black Sabbath, Elton John and Rod Stewart among music giants paying tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

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Black Sabbath, Elton John and Rod Stewart among music giants paying tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

Black Sabbath have paid tribute to their former frontman Ozzy Osbourne after the megastar died at the age of 76.

Osbourne’s death on Tuesday morning was announced in a statement, which said he died surrounded by his family.

His death came just weeks after he reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates – Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward – and performed a huge farewell concert for fans.

The band paid tribute to him on Instagram by sharing an image of Osbourne on stage at the farewell gig in Birmingham and writing “Ozzy Forever”.

Ozzy Osbourne’s life in pictures

Iommi, the band’s lead guitarist, said he was in disbelief at the news.

“It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words, there won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother.”

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Watch: Ozzy’s last concert

Butler, Black Sabbath’s bassist and primary lyricist, thanked Osbourne for “all those years – we had some great fun”.

He said: “Four kids from Aston – who’d have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”

Ozzy Osbourne salutes the crowd with his wife Sharon during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. Pic: AP
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Osbourne with his wife Sharon during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. Pic: AP

Sir Elton John described Osbourne as his “dear friend” and a “huge trailblazer” who “secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods”.

“He was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met,” the singer wrote on Instagram.

Ronnie Wood, of The Rolling Stones, wrote: “I am so very sad to hear of the death of Ozzy Osbourne. What a lovely goodbye concert he had at Back To The Beginning in Birmingham.”

Born John Michael Osbourne on 3 December 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, he became known as the godfather of heavy metal.

The self-styled Prince of Darkness pioneered the music genre with Black Sabbath before going on to have huge success in his own right.

He was famous for hits including Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs, Crazy Train and Changes, both with the band and as a solo star.

Legendary American heavy metal band Metallica shared an image of them with Osbourne from 1986 along with an emoji of a broken heart.

Posting on Instagram, Sir Rod Stewart said: “Sleep well, my friend. I’ll see you up there – later rather than sooner.”

Queen guitarist Sir Brian May said he was “grateful I was able to have a few quiet words” with Osbourne after his farewell show at Villa Park three weeks ago.

He said the world will miss the singer’s “unique presence and fearless talent”.

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Ozzy Osbourne obituary: Heavy metal, reality TV, and biting bats – the wild life of Birmingham’s Prince Of Darkness

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Ozzy Osbourne obituary: Heavy metal, reality TV, and biting bats – the wild life of Birmingham's Prince Of Darkness

“You’ve no idea how I feel – thank you from the bottom of my heart,” an emotional Ozzy Osbourne told fans as he performed from a throne on stage at his beloved Villa Park, reunited with Black Sabbath, less than three weeks ago.

It was an exit on his own terms by heavy metal’s biggest character, with a supporting line-up of hard rock luminaries including Slayer, Metallica and Guns’n’Roses, all inspired by his music.

With Black Sabbath, Osbourne was at the forefront of heavy metal. As Ozzy, he was one of the biggest rock stars in the world. Nowhere was this more evident than at the Back To The Beginning in his home city, where 40,000 fans gathered to see the show billed as his “final bow”.

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Ozzy’s final show

“Without Sabbath, there would be no Metallica,” frontman James Hetfield told the crowd in Birmingham.

It was a sentiment echoed by many of the other acts who performed on stage. Announced by his wife Sharon earlier this year, the show was a chance for the performer to reunite with Black Sabbath and say thank you and farewell to fans after years of health problems, including Parkinson’s disease, which had forced him to cancel recent tour shows.

Other celebrities, from Sir Elton John to Dolly Parton, sent video messages of support. Fans knew it would be his last performance, but could not have known his death, at the age of 76, would come so soon.

It was a truly metal goodbye.

Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
BLACK SABBATH, Ozzy Osbourne (back centre), c 1970s
VARIOUS POP
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Black Sabbath in the 1970s. Pic: Everett/Shutterstock

‘I think there’s a wild man in everybody’

John Michael Osbourne was born in Solihull in December 1948 and grew up in the Aston area of the West Midlands city.

As a teenager, he was bullied at school. Drink and drugs later became a way to escape his fears, he said in interviews, and after leaving school at 15, he worked several jobs, including labouring and in an abattoir.

It was hearing The Beatles, he said, that made him want to be a musician.

“I think there’s a wild man in everybody,” he says in a resurfaced interview clip. “Ozzy Osbourne and John Osbourne is two different people. John Osbourne is talking to you now.” His eyes widen a little manically, he grins, the voice cranks up. “But if you want to be Ozzy Osbourne, it’s like… it just takes over you.”

(L-R) Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath pose with their award for Best Metal Performance at the 2014 Grammys
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(L-R) Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath at the Grammys in 2014

In 1967, he was recruited to the band that two years later would become Black Sabbath, inspired by a film of the same title. This was a line-up of four working-class schoolfriends – Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler, alongside Ozzy – who twisted heavy blues into something darker, creating a sound and otherworldly image that felt new, exciting and rebellious.

A self-titled debut album was released in 1970 and made the Top 10 in the UK. The follow-up, Paranoid, released just seven months later, topped the charts after the single of the same name became their big breakthrough. The album also included the unforgettable Iron Man and the anti-war protest song War Pigs – its unmistakeable riff inspiring the Arctic Monkeys’ 2014 single, Arabella.

Black Sabbath went on to release six more albums with Osbourne at the helm before he was fired in 1979 due to his drinking and substance use, something he claimed was no better or worse than other members at the time.

Ozzy Osbourne in 1978. Pic: Andrew Kent/Retna/Mediapunch/Shutterstock
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Osbourne in 1978. Pic: Andrew Kent/Retna/Mediapunch/Shutterstock

In 1980, he returned with his debut solo album, Blizzard Of Oz, and the lead single Crazy Train. As a solo artist, he went on to release 13 studio albums – the last being Patient Number 9, in 2022 – and had hits with songs including Mr Crowley, Diary Of A Madman, No More Tears, Bark At The Moon and Shot In The Dark.

His first UK number one was a re-recording of the Black Sabbath ballad Changes, as a duet with his daughter, Kelly, in 2003, and his collaborations over the years included everyone from Alice Cooper (Hey Stoopid in 1991) and Post Malone (Take What You Want in 2019) to, in a somewhat unusual move, Hollywood star Kim Basinger for a re-recording of the dance hit Shake Your Head by Was (Not Was) in 1992.

With Black Sabbath and as a solo star, he is estimated to have sold 100 million records throughout his career – for context, this is reportedly on a par with Sir Paul McCartney’s solo sales – so the numbers speak for themselves.

Kelly Osbourne, from left, Ozzy Osbourne, and Sharon Osbourne in 2020. Pic: AP
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With daughter Kelly Osbourne and wife Sharon in 2020. Pic: AP

Biting the bat

Osbourne was also a huge personality and played up to his hellraising image – the Prince of Darkness.

The most famous Ozzy story goes like this.

The singer was on stage in Des Moines, Iowa, 1982, when the bat appeared. He assumed it was a toy. So, like any good hellraiser would do, he bit its head off.

Pic: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
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Pic: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

For more than 40 years, he found himself jokily fielding questions about bats. What do they taste like? (Salty). What happened afterwards? (Headline news, painful rabies shots). Do you have any pets? (Yes. They’re all dead).
“I get a lot of weird people at my concerts,” he told David Letterman in 1982, of how the animal came to appear in front of him. “It’s rock ‘n’ roll, y’know”.

He was sometimes irritated by the bat connection. But he also played up to the image, recounting the story in interviews, offering plush bat toys among his merch, and appearing as himself, biting a bat, in the 2000 Adam Sandler comedy Little Nicky, about the son of Satan.

Known for catapulting raw meat at fans during gigs, there were plenty of other tales of darkness and debauchery. Osbourne’s wild persona and on-stage theatrics always went hand-in-hand with the music.

From Prince of Darkness to reality TV

He was famously managed by his wife, Sharon, whom he first met when her dad, Don Arden, was managing Black Sabbath. As well as the music, Sharon and Ozzy together founded the Ozzfest festival tours in 1996 – and in 2002 came his second act.

It’s hard to imagine it now, but before the perfectly coiffed Kardashians it was a scruffy 50-something rocker from Birmingham and his family who ruled the Hollywood reality TV scene. As with his music, he was a pioneer – this time round of a new era of addictive viewing.

The Osbournes followed the lives of Ozzy and Sharon and two of their children, Kelly and Jack (their eldest daughter, Aimee, famously had nothing to do with the show), and the family fallouts and sunny California culture clash proved to be a ratings winner. The MTV series catapulted the metal star to global mainstream celebrity heights.

His marriage to Sharon was tumultuous but the pair always stayed together, and they renewed their wedding vows in 2017. Sharon was the driving force behind Ozzy’s successes, to him eventually getting clean, and behind his farewell show.

Metallica frontman James Hetfield. Pic: Ross Halfin
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Metallica frontman James Hetfield was among those who paid tribute at his final gig earlier in July. Pic: Ross Halfin

Despite weathering the storm of drink and drug use, Osbourne’s air of indestructibility was challenged when a quad bike accident left him with a broken collar bone and ribs, as well as short-term memory loss, in 2003.

The 2020 documentary Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne, had summed up with its title the performer’s seeming ability to defy the odds. However, the health problems started to mount up. Scheduled tours were postponed, and in 2023 he told fans holding on to tickets that he had come to the realisation he was “not physically capable” of dealing with life on the road.

But there was one gig he couldn’t miss – a surprise appearance to close the Commonwealth Games in his home city in 2022, just weeks after undergoing surgery.

Now, fans will remember the shows they did get to see, the music that ushered in a new genre – and especially his most recent gig, which was said to have raised around £140m for charities. Just a few days afterwards, his new memoir, Last Rites, was announced. It will be released in October.

Ozzy Osbourne's star as he is inducted into the 'Birmingham Walk of Stars' on Broad Street in central Birmingham.
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Ozzy Osbourne’s star on the ‘Birmingham Walk of Stars’

During his career, Osbourne was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame and the US Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame – twice for both, with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist. “Countless artists from many genres have credited Ozzy as a major influence, including Metallica, Lita Ford, Rage Against The Machine, and Busta Rhymes,” reads his US citation. “With his longevity, impact, and iconic persona, Ozzy Osbourne is a phenomenon unlike any other.”

He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame – as well as in Birmingham’s Broad Street – an Ivor Novello, and five Grammy wins from 12 nominations.

But other honours, such as the NME’s Godlike Genius award, and Classic Rock’s Living Legend, also give a sense of how much his personality played a part in why he is so beloved by fans and critics alike. In the Nine Lives documentary, daughter Kelly describes him as “the most irresistible mad man you will ever meet in your life”.

Osbourne’s was an unlikely journey from Birmingham to LA. He was a working-class hero of heavy metal, a reality TV favourite – forever the Prince of Darkness.

“People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything?” he once said. “I’m like, f*** no… If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy.”

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Christina Aguilera on bringing Burlesque to the stage and her rise to fame

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Christina Aguilera on bringing Burlesque to the stage and her rise to fame

Christina Aguilera has told Sky News it is “magical” to see her hit film Burlesque being brought to London’s West End – and also opened up about her rise to fame in the late 1990s.

The US star topped the US and UK charts with Genie In A Bottle in 1999, before finding an even bigger audience with her acclaimed album Stripped and hits including Dirrty, Beautiful and Fighter in the early 2000s.

Christina Aguilera is a producer for the stage adaptation of Burlesque. Pic: Hayden Coens @daydreamsmedia
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Christina Aguilera is a producer for the stage adaptation of Burlesque. Pic: Hayden Coens @daydreamsmedia

In 2010, she starred in Burlesque alongside Cher, Julianne Hough and Stanley Tucci, and now, 15 years later, is a producer for the stage version of the show alongside the film’s original director and writer, Steven Antin.

Speaking ahead of the show’s gala night, Aguilera told Sky News presenter Leah Boleto she has enjoyed taking a backseat and seeing the fresh interpretation of her character – a small-town girl turned into a star.

Christina Aguilera is a producer for the stage adaptation of Burlesque The Musical, on at London's Savoy Theatre. Pic: Pamela Raith
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Burlesque The Musical. Pic: Pamela Raith Photography

“It’s just so beautiful to see the talent that’s on this stage and to absorb it and appreciate the fresh takes on things,” she said. “I love actually taking a step back and a backseat… it’s beautiful to see the reinvention.

“When you’re in it, you focus on the choreography, all these different elements, that being able to take a backseat and being more of a visionary of the bigger picture, it’s really a special thing.”

Aguilera said she had been “blown away” by Jess Folley, who plays her character Ali in the show, and has fully embraced the “powerhouse vocals” as well as the vulnerability needed for the role.

“She just is doing such a magnificent, magnificent job and likewise inspires me as well,” she said.

Jess Folley stars in Burlesque The Musical. Pic: Pamela Raith Photography
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Jess Folley stars as Ali, the role originally played by Aguilera, in Burlesque The Musical. Pic: Pamela Raith Photography

Aguilera said she would love to see her film co-star Cher popping by to see the show in London.

“She’s always welcome to grace us with her incredible, iconic presence. And I’m just so grateful that I had the time to be with her. I mean, looking back, it’s just – did that even happen?”

Aguilera arrived on the scene at the same time as Britney Spears, at a time when young female pop stars were celebrated, sexualised and scrutinised.

After the success of her debut album, she took a different direction with Stripped – embracing her sexuality and famously taking on a less girlish image with chaps, a nose stud and black streaks in her hair for the Dirrty video, and opening up about her life and emotions through songs such as Fighter and Beautiful.

Christina Aguilera at the MTV Video Awards in New York in 2002. Pic: Star Max via AP Images
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Aguilera at the MTV Video Awards in New York in 2002. Pic: Star Max via AP Images

She also took on the patriarchy in Can’t Hold Us Down, a duet with Lil’ Kim, and performed on the hit cover of Lady Marmalade alongside Lil’ Kim, Maya and Pink for Moulin Rouge!

“I always want to stay true to authenticity,” she said. “And for me, with that first album it was wonderful to get my foot in the door…

“It’s important to me that I stepped out on my own and reflected all sides of me as a woman, embracing my sexuality and sensuality, and my body… Dirrty, I just loved those chaps and everything about that was just so fun and raw.”

Read more:
Danny Dyer on Mr Bigstuff and Oasis
Opera scuffle after performer unfurls Palestinian flag

So would she do it all again, then? Or would she prefer to be an artist starting out now?

“The ’90s, it was a pretty special time in music. And it was a time when you could still like go to Virgin records or like wherever and look at the CDs, look at the packaging. And, you know, sometimes the authenticity is missed.”

However, the good thing about social media now is that it has given stars the means to tell their own stories, she adds. “You have an opportunity now to really present yourself in ways that it’s not just about the music, to become more the narrator in real time… this is what it is like, be your own voice rather than reading about yourself in an article.”

But still, she wouldn’t swap. “It has to stay where it was.”

Burlesque The Musical is showing at The Savoy theatre in London now

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