As part of my family’s journey to learn more about residential renewable energy, I decided to look into solar panels for our house. We are in the middle of Texas, and who can forget power going out for one week across the entire state in February. We were fortunate, but many of our neighbors had to be without power for a week. The state has done minimal winter weatherization for the coming winter. I fear this winter will be bad, and if not this winter, an upcoming one in short order. Natural gas prices are spiking across the world. According to the Dallas Fed, natural gas and coal make up the majority of power production in Texas. The good news is that wind and solar have made great strides in Texas, but there is much more to go.
A friend of mine mentioned that their average electric bill has increased to $170 a month this year from $140 a month last year. That’s a 20% increase. Retail consumers may have been isolated if they had a fixed rate plan during the freeze. Utilities had to keep buying at ridiculous wholesale prices. I’m sure they will lobby the government for rate increases to make up for all their losses. We can assume electricity prices will go up over the coming years. If the world continues warming, and summers get longer and hotter, that’s another reason our electric bills will go up.
Tesla Solar
Enter rooftop solar and batteries. The first step is having 12 months of electric bills handy. You want to calculate your total kilowatt-hours used in one year. That starts with finding your current electric rate. Ours is 10.9 cents per kWh. Our energy consumption was 14,400 kWh in a year. Our average electric bill was about $131 a month.
Second step: contact many solar providers to get a quote. Tesla makes it easy on its website. Enter your address and Tesla will tell you how much solar and how many Powerwalls you need. Our address was not found, so Tesla asked us to enter some house information.
Below is what Tesla recommends for a Solar Roof. Tesla is quoting $69,500 after the US federal tax credit, 100% estimated energy offset of our annual monthly bill, and 3 days of backup power using a Powerwall. Considering my roof was $35,000 to fix three years ago, and labor and construction costs have increased since then, this seems competitive.
Below is Tesla’s quote for solar panels. This is a great price. Tesla would provide a 8.5 kW solar panel system along with 1 Powerwall battery. The cash price is $20,412 after the federal tax credit. The estimated energy offset is 73%, which means 73% of $140 would be offset. Be wary of solar companies providing you a 100% solar offset of your energy bill. Your roof’s potential has to take into account trees, roof shading, weather, pitch of your roof, and which direction the solar panels would be facing. The solar panel preference in the northern hemisphere is south facing or an azimuth of 180 degrees. Azimuth is the angle of your roof position from true north, with roofs facing true north having an azimuth of 0 degrees, and those facing south having 180 degrees. The opposite will be true for those in the southern hemisphere. A pitch of 30 degrees is ideal for solar production. Tesla offers financing of 10 years, with 10% down and 2.99% APR. For the below system, that comes to a price of $240 a month. Readers will note that is almost double our $140 a month in current electric costs.
Savvy readers may ask, how long is the system guaranteed for? How much will it produce after 25 years? Tesla informs us on its Service and Warranty | Tesla Support page:
Your solar panels are guaranteed by their manufacturer to at least 80% of nameplate power capacity for at least 25 years.
Your entire Tesla solar system is covered by a 10-year comprehensive warranty.
This includes the following aspects of your solar system. For details and exclusions, you can check your specific purchase agreement.
Powerwall
Solar inverter
Roof mounting and leaks
I’m not thrilled the worst case capacity of the system might decrease by 20% over 25 years. That would leave us with a system size equivalent of 6.8 kW after 25 years. The average production size over 25 years is 7.65 kW (8.5 + 6.8, divided by 2). According to my utility, each 1 kW of system capacity facing south will generate 1,533 kWh per year. Taking the average system, we calculated that multiplying by 25 years and multiplying by 1,533 kWh gives us a total of 293,186 kWh produced. Our total cost is $240 * 12 months * 10 years, for a total cost of $28,800. That’s a cost of 9.8 cents per kWh after the credit. This cost would be locked in for as long as we own the panels. As a reminder, that includes one Powerwall battery, which makes this a great deal, especially if the power is to go out. There is a new option that allows you to remove a Powerwall if you don’t want one.
If you are interested in Tesla Solar, feel free to use my referral link.
Use my referral link to purchase Solar Roof or Solar Panels and get up to $500 award upon system activation: https://ts.la/vijay59877
SunPower
We recently mentioned SunPower’s move to help historically marginalized communities here. I’m supportive of the move. SunPower is listed on the Nasdaq as a public company. This week, the company decided to focus purely on residential systems and sell off its commercial and industrial solar division. CNBC has more info.
I contacted the company on its website and set up an appointment. I met with Salvador V. twice over the course of a week. Below is some key information from the proposal we reviewed.
Above: A picture of our roof. We upsized our system by adding four more panels from the original proposal (dark orange).
SunPower would install 22 panels, with a total solar system size of 7.194 kW. Lifetime production is estimated at 264,337 kWh. To repeat, we had calculated my monthly bill to be $131. Based on that, the system would offset 78% of my electricity consumption.
The total out of pocket cost was noted as $24,287 after the US federal tax credit. (Note: This does not include a Powerwall battery or any kind of energy storage battery.) The monthly cost of the system would be $109 a month over 25 years. That is how long SunPower will warranty the system, 25 years, which is phenomenal. Salvador noted a Powerwall from SunPower is an extra $16,000. Tesla Solar has a Powerwall listed for $10,500. The interest rate they offered me was 1.99%. Over 25 years, the total cost is $32,700 ($109 * 12 * 25). If we divide that by a total production of 264,337, that gives us a total cost of 12.4 cents a kWh.
SunPower’s warranty specifies the DC power will decline by no more than 2% a year for the first year, and the following years will not decline by more than 0.25% a year for the next 24 years. That means the system will be guaranteed to generate 92% of its capacity after 25 years. SunPower will repair, replace, or refund the original purchase price over 25 years for any valid claim. In their own words:
“… will be at least 92% of the Minimum Peak Power rating (the “Guaranteed Peak Power” rating) and the AC power of the system will be at least 90% of the Peak System Power for the full 25-year warranty period.”
That is an impressive warranty. When you install a solar system, the parts can be from different distributors and labor from another subcontractor. Who do you go to if you have a warranty claim? What happens if your part is no longer available? SunPower makes it easy. The company sells all of its equipment to one state distributor, and that distributor is captive to SunPower. In our case, Freedom Energy is SunPower’s captive distributor in Texas. If we had a warranty claim, I would contact my rep, Salvador. Freedom Energy would be responsible for the labor, fixing the system, and any parts needed under a claim. If needed, we can add a battery or more panels in the future. If you are in Texas and have interest in SunPower, you can contact my rep Salvador at salvador@freedomsolarpower.com. Mention my name, Vijay Govindan, to him and you’ll save money on the system, I’ll make money, and we’ll being doing good together.
Summary
Here’s where we stand:
After all was said and done, we went with SunPower for a few reasons. Reason 1: the lower monthly cost. Reason 2: no down payment. We can invest the down payment and $111 monthly savings compared to Tesla Solar in outside investments. Reason 3: the higher production capacity of the panels over 25 years. This advantage is offset by the larger Tesla Solar system size. Reason 4: time. SunPower estimates it can get the licensing, permitting, HOA approvals, and installation done within 2 months. I do not know how long it would take for Tesla Solar to do the same. I might not know until I finalize my order. Reason 5: the peace of mind of the long warranty period and ease of getting claims resolved. Reasons against the SunPower system are the expensive cost of the battery, higher system cost, smaller system size, and no battery being included in the proposal. If you can pay cash for your system, it’s a no-brainer — go with Tesla Solar and invest your savings. The SunPower app is not as good as Tesla’s, but with the changes at the top of the article, I am sure they will work to improve it soon.
The bottom line is, whoever you go with — Tesla Solar, SunPower, someone else, or doing it yourself — it’s a good idea to explore renewable energy production for your home. Give it back to the governor, legislature, and utilities on escalating energy costs, brownouts, blackouts, and poor maintenance of the grid.
I’ll leave you with the final slide in the SunPower proposal. Outside of the financial savings, the savings to the environment are significant. Below is the estimated impact form switching to the solar panels, every year. Stick it to the fossil fuel companies, their lobbyists, and favored donation recipients known as politicians. Take control of your energy production. At scale, this would dent natural gas and coal plants until they become unprofitable.
Final note on net metering
What happens in those months when we produce more than we consume, such as spring and fall? According to our utility, we would get no credit for those kWh, and they would go back to the grid for free. The utility will give us credit for what we produce at our retail rate, and charge us only for the net amount of electricity consumed. The catch is the full retail credit is only given if the solar panels did not produce more energy than our house consumed at the end of the billing cycle. That’s Texas for you.
The ultimate goal for our family is creating apartment complexes that are sustainable, fashionable, and low cost. Solar and renewable energy will play a big role in bringing that vision to life. It’s one reason why we want to learn more about solar panels.
Note: I own shares in Tesla, I own no shares in SunPower. You know by now this is not investment advice. Do your own diligence, read from a variety of sources on what you need to move to solar, and do what’s best for you.
The EV4 will sadly not arrive in the US as expected, but Kia said it’s still planning on launching another EV that’s expected to be an even bigger hit.
Kia confirms EV4 delay, says another EV is still US-bound
The EV4, Kia’s first electric sedan, was expected to launch in the US within the next few months, but that will no longer be the case.
Kia has indefinitely delayed the launch of the EV4 in the US due to policy changes under the Trump administration.
The loss of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit and added tariffs on Korean imports have forced Kia, like many others, to adjust their US lineup.
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According to Kia America’s marketing boss, Russel Wager, the EV4 is only a small part of the broader tariff-related impacts the Korean automaker is facing. Wager told Car and Driver on the sidelines of the LA Auto Show that the changes will likely impact other vehicles and prices.
2026 Kia EV4 US-spec (Source: Kia)
When asked for specifics about why the EV4 is being pushed back, Wager said, “Can you give me the answer of when the tariffs are going to be resolved in Mexico, Canada, and Seoul? If you give me that answer, I’ll be as specific as possible.”
While the EV4 is delayed indefinitely, Wager suggested bringing the EV3 to the US, Kia’s compact SUV, is still part of the plan.
Kia EV3 (Source: Kia)
The Kia EV3 is already one of the most popular EVs in Europe and the UK’s best-selling retail electric car this year. Given the growing demand for smaller SUVs, the EV3 is expected to be an even bigger hit with US buyers than the EV4.
When it will launch in the US or how much it will cost remains up in the air until Kia gets a better idea of market conditions.
The 2026 Kia EV9 (Source: Kia)
Kia’s EV sales plunged after the federal tax credit expired at the end of September. Sales of the EV6 and EV9 fell by 71% and 66% last month compared to October 2024.
According to Wager, the automaker won’t really know what demand looks like until February or March 2026, since the loss of the $7,500 credit likely pulled buyers forward.
Kia EV3 Air in Frost Blue (Source: Kia UK)
Kia is still ready to launch the EV4 in the US, but that’s only if the tariff situation stabilizes. Earlier this month, the US and South Korea agreed to reduce tariffs on imports from 25% to 15%.
“At that point in time we look at it and say, are we at 25 [percent], are we at 15—and then we can build our business case,” Wager said, adding, “It was originally designed and engineered when the tariffs were zero percent.”
The electric pickup that Kia announced just a few months ago may never make it to the US. Wager pointed to Ford halting F-150 Lightning production and reports that it could be scrapped altogether.
In the meantime, Kia is heavily discounting its current electric vehicles, offering a $10,000 customer cash bonus on every model. Or, you can opt for 0% financing for 72 months plus an extra $2,500 bonus cash. Kia’s sister company, Hyundai, is also offering generous discounts with IONIQ 5 leases starting at just $189 per month.
Interested in a test drive? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to find Kia and Hyundai models in your area.
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A caravan of Chevy Silverado EVs will take the nearly 3,000-mile holiday trip across the US, lighting Christmas trees, surprising onlookers with light shows, and powering up festivities.
Chevy Silverado EVs gear up for a 3,000-mile trip
Chevy is celebrating the holidays with its fifth “Holiday Card to America,” but this year, the festivities will be brought to life.
Created in collaboration with Anomaly and Park Pictures, this season’s Holiday Card puts the spotlight on the ones that help bring the family together while keeping the traditions going: Moms.
The story follows an empty-nest couple through their holiday tradition, a trip to the family cottage in their 1987 Chevrolet Suburban.
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The couple reminisces on past trips, with two kids and the family dog in the backseat, which are now empty. The 60-second ad will air on Thursday during the NFL football games on FOX and on the Chevrolet YouTube channel.
Starting December 1, a caravan of Chevy Silverado EVs will travel 2,987 miles across the US from San Diego to Detroit, with stops in Dallas, Nashville, and Atlanta.
2026 Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss trim (Source: Chevrolet)
The Chevy Silverado EV will light up events in each city, from illuminating the holiday tree to surprise light shows, to festive events where families can roast s’mores over a campfire while holiday caroling from local choirs plays in the background.
Chevy said the nearly 3,000-mile holiday trip is a testament to the electric pickup’s long range, fast charging, and mobile power capabilities.
The Chevy Silverado EV provides an impressive driving range of up to 494 miles, can tow up to 12,500 lbs, and offers up to 10.2 kW of offboard power with up to 11 outlets.
The 2026 Chevy Silverado EV is available in three trims: Custom, LT, or a new Trail Boss edition, starting at $55,895.
With the 2026 models arriving, Chevy is offering 0% APR financing on all 2025 model year electric vehicles, including the Silverado EV, Blazer EV, and Equinox EV.
Interested in a test drive? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to find Chevy Silverado, Blazer, and Equinox EVs at a dealer near you.
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If you’re a parent of a teenager, there’s a decent chance you’ve heard the phrase “Can I get a Sur Ron?” sometime in the last year. Before you panic‑Google it or head to Amazon to see what one of these bikes costs, there are some important things you should know about this class of electric two-wheelers that have become all the rage with teenagers these days.
First, let’s clear something up: “Sur Ron” is technically one of many brands that makes these styles of bikes, but it’s become a catchall term – kind of like Kleenex. People often say “Sur Ron” when what they usually mean is any lightweight electric dirtbike with mountain‑bike styling and motorcycle performance.
The brand Sur Ron may have kick-started the category, but now there are plenty of similar machines: Talaria, Tuttio, Rawrr, ERidePro, Segway X260, and plenty of smaller new brands popping up constantly. For the purposes of this topic, just look at whatever model your kid is asking for. If it looks like the pictures you’re seeing here in this article – dirtbike frame, no pedals, or offers 40+ mph speeds – then regardless of brand, you’re dealing with a “Sur Ron‑style” electric motorcycle.
And that brings us to the key reality parents need to know: A Sur Ron is not an electric bicycle. It is a light electric motorcycle.
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Kids might not realize that when they’re begging for one after their friends got one. Many of these bikes are marketed with vaguely bicycle‑ish visuals, and influencers often ride them on public roads or on bike paths. But legally, practically, and mechanically, these machines are nowhere near the same thing as an electric bicycle – and that’s the core issue parents need to understand before clicking “Buy.”
Segway also got into the space with the X160 and X260, both designed for off-road riding
What is a Sur Ron, really?
Unlike a street-legal Class 1, 2, or 3 electric bicycle, a Sur Ron‑class bike:
Has no spinning bicycle pedals
Has a throttle-only drive system
Usually tops out at around 40–50 mph (64-80 km/h)
Is built like a lightweight motorcycle, not a bicycle
Usually cannot legally be ridden on public roads, bike lanes, parks, or neighborhoods
There are a few exceptions to the street-legal issue, with brands such as NIU admirably homologating their designs for street-legal use. But this only further drives home the point, since such homologated models still require a motorcycle license to ride legally on public roads.
The point is, if it doesn’t have pedals and it goes over 28 mph, it’s not an electric bicycle almost anywhere in the US. That’s not my opinion – that’s how federal and state definitions work. Once you remove pedals and exceed those limits, you’ve crossed into motor vehicle territory.
Note: Part of the confusion stems from the vague term “e-bike”, which is often used to lump together everything from e-scooters and small electric bicycles to full-sized electric motorcycles. “E-bike” is morphing into a catchall term, but the legal classification of “electric bicycle” is what matters, and that legal denotation differentiates larger, non street-legal motorbikes from a street-legal two-wheeler.
A classic-looking Sur Ron electric motorbike
Why do so many kids want one?
A huge part of the Sur Ron explosion has come from YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram videos showing teens doing wheelies, ripping around neighborhoods, and treating these machines like high-powered scooters. Kids see the cool factor, the speed, the off-road styling – and many assume they’re basically “super e-bikes.”
Well-known influencers regularly ride these types of bikes illegally on public roads and in bicycle lanes, often at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h).
The marketing doesn’t help, either. Some retailers list these rides under the “E-Bike” category, even though they’re nowhere near legal electric bicycle specifications. Many come with easily defeatable speed limiters (more on that in a moment) to try to sneak by with questionable speed and power limits.
So in many cases, kids aren’t intentionally asking for a motorcycle. They simply don’t know the difference.
However, police are aware of the distinction, and they are increasingly confiscating these bikes when they are ridden illegally on public streets or bike lanes, especially by teenagers who are unfamiliar with the rules of the road.
Cops are increasingly confiscating these types of motorbikes when they’re caught riding on public roads and bike lanes
The most important question for you: How do they plan to use it?
If your teen is asking for one of these motorbikes, consider asking them how they plan to use the vehicle before you decide what to buy.
If their answer is anything like…
“Ride around the neighborhood”
“Commute to school”
“Go on the bike path”
“Ride with my friends in town”
…then you can stop right there. A Sur Ron is not appropriate, safe, or legal for that type of riding.
What they need is a Class 1, 2, or 3 e‑bike – something with pedals, legal speed limits, and the ability to ride in bike lanes. There’s a healthy debate about which class is best for teens, but all three are at least street-legal and much safer than a Sur Ron or other light electric motorcycle for street and bike lane riding.
On the other hand, if your teen’s answer to why they want a Sur Ron is something like…
“Trail riding”
“Off-roading”
“Learning motorcycle skills”
“Riding on private land”
…then a Sur Ron‑class bike can be a great tool. With proper supervision, protective gear, and an appropriate place to ride, these bikes are fantastic learning platforms – and a ton of fun! They’re lightweight, don’t require clutch control, and have smooth throttles that make them more approachable than gasoline-powered dirt bikes. In fact, I’d say that they’re one of the best ways to learn motorcycle and dirt bike skills. Just be sure to get your kid geared up with the proper safety equipment, like a good helmet, gloves, and protective clothing. I really like a company called Beyond Riders (I have no affiliation) and I wear their armored jackets and pants on my full-size motorcycles – that’s how good they are.
Talaria is one of many manufacturers producing these types of electric motorbikes
Ask yourself honestly: Would you buy your kid a small motorcycle?
Just because it’s electric doesn’t make it any less powerful. If you wouldn’t buy your kid a motorcycle, then it doesn’t make sense to get them a Sur Ron. It’s just a motorcycle that you don’t fill up with gasoline.
Many of these models may claim to be limited to 20 mph (32 km/h), but they almost all have an easily bypassed speed limiter – often a single wire designed to be cut – that allows their top speed to be increased to around 40-50 mph. Electrek’s own publisher has talked before in our e-bike podcast about how his family’s Talaria seems to mysteriously have its speed limiter wire repeatedly cut after his teenager uses it.
These aren’t toys, and they’re not bicycles. They require the same level of responsibility, gear, and supervision as a gas dirt bike.
And depending on where you live, there can be serious legal consequences if your kid rides one on the street: tickets, fines, or worse, liability in the event of a crash.
Mounted police stop a teen Sur Ron rider on a California beach path
So what should parents buy instead?
It may appear to some that this article or my views are anti-Sur Ron, but in fact, it’s the opposite. These are great machines, and it’s awesome that they exist. But like many things in life, context is important. These aren’t commuter tools (unless they’re homologated for street-legal riding and the rider has a motorcycle lesson). These are trail bikes for off-road riding.
If your kid’s goal is everyday riding – school commutes, local cruising, bike-path adventures – then you want a proper electric bicycle. Not a Sur Ron.
Look for reputable Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 e-bikes from brands that make real electric bicycles (things that look like pedal-able bicycles with batteries). Brands like Lectric eBikes, Ride1Up, Aventon, Trek, Rad Power Bikes (while they last), and others are all great, affordable options for families searching for a teenager’s first e-bike. That is by no means an exhaustive list, but they are some of the most popular among younger, budget-minded riders looking for something safe and legal.
These brands all offer models with real pedals, legal speed limits, safer handling, and that won’t get your kid in trouble for riding where motorcycles don’t belong.
We enjoy riding Sur Rons also, but there’s a time and a place
Final thoughts: Be real, be safe, and match the bike to the mission
It’s awesome that your kid is excited about electric mobility. That’s something worth supporting. But the right choice depends entirely on how – and where – they plan to ride.
A Sur Ron‑class bike is an amazing off-road machine, and a fantastic training motorcycle. But if the plan is to ride around town, go to school, or stick to bike paths, then it’s absolutely the wrong choice.
There’s no shame in saying “no” to the motorcycle and “yes” to a legal e-bike.
As with all things electric on two wheels, the key is to pick the right tool for the job. And despite the hype, a Sur Ron is not a bicycle. It’s a motorcycle. A fun, capable, impressive motorcycle – but one that needs to be used in the right place, with the right gear, and for the right reasons.
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