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DAVOS, Switzerland – Jan. 19, 2023: Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, during a CNBC panel session on day three of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images

U.K. opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for opting not to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

On a CNBC-moderated panel in Davos, Starmer said he had been meeting with business leaders and policymakers to promote the idea of a Clean Power Alliance should Labour win the next general election in 2024.

The international body, which Starmer characterized as an “inverse OPEC,” would seek to address the joint economic challenges of climate change, renewable energy job creation and household energy costs.

“I think our prime minister should have showed up — I absolutely do. One of the things that has been impressed on me since I’ve been here is the absence of the United Kingdom,” Starmer told the panel.

“That’s why I think it’s really important that I’m here and that our Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is here, as a statement of intent that should there be a change of government, and I hope there will be, the United Kingdom will play its part on the global stage in a way I think it probably hasn’t in recent years.”

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak 'should have shown up at Davos,' Labour's Starmer says

Sunak was not the only world leader to skip the summit, with U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and new Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also absent.

British Business and Energy Minister Grant Shapps is in the Swiss Alps in Sunak’s absence, and told CNBC on Thursday that it was appropriate that he attend, as his role in government is to secure business investment and jobs for the U.K.

“[Sunak] may well come another year, but right now in the midst of the energy crisis caused by Ukraine being invaded by Putin, with all of the trauma that we’ve gone through with Covid and much else, he is at home focusing — as a brand new prime minister, by the way, two or three months into the job — on the domestic priorities,” Shapps said.

“I’m here because I’m actually, technically, if you like, the right person to have in Davos.”

Sunak spent Thursday on a visit to Morecambe in the northwest of England as part of a series of trips to promote his government’s “leveling up” funding.

‘Inverse OPEC’

Labour holds a massive polling lead over Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party ahead of the next general election slated for 2024. The latest Ipsos voting intention poll published this week gave Labour a 26 point lead with a 49% share of the vote to the Conservatives’ 23%.

Starmer vowed that in the event that Labour does take power in Westminster in 2024, his government would work with the private sector in the U.K., where renewable energy contracts are estimated at nine times cheaper than oil and gas, to unlock employment and innovation opportunities.

UK Business Secretary: Prime Minister Sunak is at home focusing on domestic priorities

“The prize here is huge in terms of energy security and that shouldn’t be something which is national. It’s in all of our interests to have energy security, it’s in all of our interests to make sure that Putin can’t weaponize energy across the world, whether it’s now or any time in the future,” Starmer said.

“There’s an element of course of each country trying to rise to this challenge themselves but there is also this element of mutual cooperation in this in relation to the mutual threats that we are facing, and that’s why I’m very keen to develop this idea of Clean Power Alliance, which is an inverse OPEC in the sense that the purpose is to drive down those prices across the globe.”

OPEC, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is a permanent intergovernmental alliance of 13 major oil producing nations that negotiate adjustments in their respective production in order to retain stability in global oil prices.

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CNBC Daily Open: The U.S. tech-sell off extends to its second day — but don’t let it ruin your summer

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CNBC Daily Open: The U.S. tech-sell off extends to its second day — but don't let it ruin your summer

Palantir Technologies signage on an options contract ticker as traders work on the floor of American Stock Exchange at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, U.S., on Friday, June 20, 2025.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

If you have any U.S. technology stocks in your portfolio (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), you might want to look away.

For the second day in a row, tech stocks dragged markets lower, with the Nasdaq Composite slipping 0.67%. Juggernauts such as Apple, Amazon and Alphabet were more meh-nificent than magnificent, falling more than 1%.

Palantir — the standout S&P 500 stock, having more than doubled so far this year — spent its sixth consecutive day in the red and lost its place among a ranking of the 20 most valuable U.S. companies.

While Palantir’s slide was partly triggered by a report from short seller Andrew Left’s Citron Research, which called the company “detached from fundamentals and analysis,” there was no single trigger for the broader pullback.

Investors could have been spooked by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s caution about an AI bubble forming, although some analysts dispute that assertion. “In our view the tech bull cycle will be well intact at least for another 2-3 years,” said Wall Street tech bull Dan Ives.

Or it could be something benign, like traders locking in profits. “Tech stocks,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth, “have had an incredibly strong run – with some up over 80% since the early April lows.”

Summer, after all, is far from over. Some investors might have just wanted to cash out for another round of margaritas.

What you need to know today

Fed officials divided over inflation and employment worries. Central bank governors generally agreed there were risks on both sides. But a couple — breaking from the majority — saw the labor market woes as more pressing, according to minutes of the Fed’s July meeting.

Trump likely to pick Kevin Hassett as next Fed Chair. The director of the National Economic Council firmly led the pack, according to a CNBC Fed Survey. However, respondents think the president “should” pick former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh.

No new solar or wind power projects, Trump says. Renewable energy projects will no longer receive approval, Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social. His comment comes after the administration already tightened federal permitting last month. 

Fourth day of losses for the S&P 500. Investors continued selling off technology stocks on Wednesday, with Palantir having its sixth straight losing day. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 closed at another high despite inflation in July coming in hotter than expected.

[PRO] The Fed is expected to cut just as markets trade at highs. This is what tends to happen when both factors coincide, according to Goldman Sachs research.

And finally…

United States President Donald Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US. Picture date: Monday August 18, 2025.

Aaron Schwartz – Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty Images

Trump has snapped up more than $100 million in bonds since taking office

U.S. President Donald Trump has been on a multimillion-dollar bond-buying spree since taking office in January, investing in debt issued by local authorities, gas districts and major American corporations.

Across 33 pages of filings with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, or OGE, dated Aug. 12, the president outlined 690 transactions that have taken place since he took office. The documents were made public on Tuesday.

— Chloe Taylor

Correction: This report has been updated to correct the spelling of Kevin Hasset’s name.

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Tesla offers used car leases with $0 down as it desperately tries move cars

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Tesla offers used car leases with alt=

Tesla has started offering leases of certified pre-owned cars, which is relatively rare in the industry, with $0 down as it desperately tries to move vehicles before the end of the quarter.

With the federal tax credit for electric vehicles set to expire at the end of the quarter, automakers in the US are all trying to optimize EV sales, as demand is being pulled forward.

This also applies to used EVs, as the $4,000 federal incentive for used electric vehicles will also expire on September 30th.

Now, leasing used vehicles is much less common than leasing new cars, but some automakers, or mainly dealers, do offer it.

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Tesla is getting into this business for the first time.

In California and Texas, Tesla is now offering leases on certified pre-owned (aka used) Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

These are reasonably priced and can be as low as $215 per month with $0 down for a 24-month lease and 10,000 miles per year.

Tesla also offers a 12-month lease and up to 15,000 miles annually. While there’s no down payment needed, there’s an “Acquisition Fee” of $695.

That, and the first month, is all you need to get in a used Tesla for the next year or two.

This is undoubtedly the cheapest way to get into a Tesla vehicle right now.

Tesla is trying to sell as many vehicles as possible in the US this quarter, as demand for EVs has been pulled forward due to the end of the tax credit. This is expected to result in a record quarter in the US, but it also going to create a few difficult ones in the future.

With demand being pulled forward and future buyers feeling like they missed out on EV discounts, the US EV market is expected to experience a significant slowdown over the next 12 to 18 months.

Tesla sales are down about 13% globally so far this year. While this quarter is expected to be better, many analysts still anticipate Tesla’s year-over-year performance to be down.

This year alone, Tesla added more than 50,000 electric vehicles to its inventory.

Used cars have also been piling up.

Tesla owners rushed to sell their vehicles as Tesla’s brand perception dived following its CEO’s involvement in politics.

We previously reported that the average used Tesla sale price has recently dipped below the overall average used car sale price in the US.

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E-quipment highlight: HG E3000 3 tonne electric site dumper

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E-quipment highlight: HG E3000 3 tonne electric site dumper

Danish equipment makers HG build job site dumpers that help move sand, rocks, debris, construction waste, and building supplies across rugged, uneven urban job sites. And with the introduction of their newest E3000 model, they’re helping move more than three tons of that stuff without emissions and — just as crucially — without noise.

HG announced the E3000 electric site dumper just this week, adding the new 3 tonne capacity to its growing lineup of 1 and 2 tonne dumpers (that’s over 6,600 lbs., in “landed on the Moon” units). With a 180° swivel tip on the bucket as standard equipment and an optional high tip version available at launch, it should be able to handle just about anything a hard working construction crew can throw at it.

“With the HG E3000, we once again prove that electric dumpers are not only better for people and the environment. They are also more efficient, cheaper to operate, and can run more than a full working day on a single charge,” explains Nikolaj Birkerod, CEO of HG, told Power Progress. “With 3 tonne dumpers, we are proving, as we already have with 2 tonne dumpers, that we can deliver on both performance and reliability while enabling customers to save 15% per operating hour compared to a diesel dumper.”

Exact specs haven’t been released, but HG claims the E3000’s 29 kWh is good for 12 full hours of continuous, loaded operation, and that it can be fully recharged on a “standard” 220 charger (L2) in about four hours. If you’re curious about what has been released, I’ve got all that for you right here:

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The only all-electric dumper on the market that gives you 12 working hours while carrying 3 tonnes payload.

Our latest addition to accelerate 100% machinery:

  • 3-ton payload for high-capacity material handling
  • 12-hour working – a full day’s work without recharging
  • Optional high tip for quick and flexible unloading into containers and trucks
  • 180° swivel tip as standard for precise placement of loads
  • Fast charging: 0–100% in approx. 4 hours with the integrated charger
  • Lithium 29 kWh battery with automatic heating for all-season use
  • One-pedal drive for smooth and intuitive operation

The E3000 is built for contractors and rental companies who demand maximum productivity without compromising on environmental responsibility.

With a carrying capacity of 3 tonnes and an industry-leading 12 hours of effective runtime on a single charge, it’s proof that heavy-duty work and zero emissions can go hand in hand.

At the heart of the E3000 is HG’s patented articulated drivetrain with four independent in-wheel motors. This unique design delivers the most energy-efficient power transfer in the industry, using significantly less power than conventional electric system. This translates directly into lower operating costs and more hours on site between charges.

HG MACHINES

No word yet on pricing or whether or not the new dumper will eventually be sold outside the European market, but we do know that HG plans to deliver the first examples of its new machine to customers by early 2026.

Electrek’s Take


Meet the world's most energy-efficient 3-tonnes dumper
The only all-electric dumper on the market that gives you 12 working hours while carrying 3 tonnes payload.
E3000 w/ high-tip bucket; via HG.

While there are a lot of people outside the urban construction space who may scoff at environmental concerns, the quest for improved efficiency and cost reduction among commercial fleet managers knows no political ideology. Add in more restrictive noise regulations and the side benefits of improved job site safety and fewer sick days, and electric equipment is a no-brainer.

Simply put: If it’s better or cheaper, fleets will buy it. If it’s better and cheaper, they’ll buy two — and battery powered equipment is proving to be consistently better, in a broader scope of use cases, than diesel.

SOURCES | IMAGES: HG Machines, Power Progress.


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