All of the best green energy deals are now live as we head into the weekend, with a great way to save some cash up front while cutting back on consumables over time. This Panasonic eneloop Pro package gives you four rechargeable batteries and a companion charger at $31 to headline the discounts today. It’s joined by the best price yet on the popular RadExpand 5 e-bikeat $1,399, as well as Goal Zero portable power stations and so much more. Just don’t forget about all of the best e-bike discounts around.
Score four rechargeable eneloop pro AA batteries with charger
Amazon is now offering the a 4-pack of Panasonic eneloop Pro rechargeable AA batteries with bundled charger for $31.53 shipped. Normally fetching $40, you’re looking at the third-best price to date at within $1.50 of the all-time low. This is the best we’ve seen since back in the beginning of spring with over 20% in savings attached. This starter bundle from Panasonic is the perfect solution for kickstarting a more environmentally-friendly setup. The four included AA batteries are a notable way to cut down on single-use consumables in everything from TV remotes to toys and other gadgets. In the box, you get everything you need including the companion charger, which can power up each of the rechargeable batteries’ 2,450mAh charges.
Also on sale today, Panasonic’s companion eneloop pro fast charger is now dropping to go alongside the lead bundle. Offering faster charging speeds than its standard offering, this wall adapter can refuel four of the AAs above at a time in just four hours, compared to the 9-hour speeds of the entry-level offering. Now sitting at $18.19, this is down from $25 and marking one of the best discounts to date at $1 below our previous mention.
Featured deal: Not to be outdone, EcoFlow is also offering some enticing Prime Day specials this year. Getting in on the summer saving festivities, the discounts this week deliver up to 51% in savings on the brand’s popular power stations, solar panels, and off-grid kits. The best prices of the year are live over the next several days, with the main Prime Day discounts launching for two days only on July 11 and 12.
We’re also able to offer an exclusive code electreckpd that adds an extra 5% in savings on top of the already-discounted items from EcoFlow.
Goal Zero’s Yeti 200X offers portable backup power on a budget
Goal Zero’s official Amazon storefront now offers its Yeti 200X Portable Power Station for $220. Taking $100 off the usual $300 going rate, you’re looking at $80 in savings and only the third discount of the year. This is the second-best price of the year at within $20 of the all-time low.
A lot of the power stations we feature at 9to5 as of late are of a much more capable variety, which makes today’s price cut on the Goal Zero Yeti 200X a notable option for those who can get away with something a bit more entry-level. It’ll provide 187Wh of energy to your setup, be it for just having some extra energy around the house in case of power failures or to tag along on tailgates and the like. There’s a full AC outlet on the front, as well as a car cigarette lighter outlet, dual USB-A 2.4A ports, and then the 60W USB-C PD port.
Expand some savings with the RadExpand 5 e-bike
Rad Power Bikes makes some of our favorite EVs across all of 9to5, and today we’re tracking a notable chance to save on one of its more compact offerings. The latest RadExpand 5 e-bike gets its name from a folding design that expands when it’s time to ride, and today you can expand some savings on the recent release. Normally the electric bike sells for $1,649, but right now you can bring it home for $1,399 shipped thanks to the summer savings this week. Those $250 in savings deliver a match of the all-time low for one of the first times while arriving at a new 2023 low.
Delivering a space-saving design, the RadExpand 5 merges all of the usual Rad Power Bikes features with a build that can fold closed when not in use. Its 750W electric motor can carry 275 pounds at up to 20 MPH over a 45-mile range, making it just as ideal for joyrides as it is for quick trips to the store. We found it to be a worthwhile option in our hands-on review from last spring. Though if you’re looking for something more full-featured, we highlight another discount below the fold.
Jackery power stations still at all-time lows
As part of its Prime Day 2023 deals, Amazon is offering the best prices of the year on Jackery portable power stations, solar panel kits, and more. Jackery makes some of our favorite portable power solutions at 9to5Toys, and now they’re even better values. Earlier this spring, Jackery expanded its lineup of popular portable power stations with the new Explorer 2000 Plus, and now its second-ever discount is arriving. Marked down by itself to $1,999 shipped, today’s offer arrives at $400 off. This is matching the Amazon all-time low and is only the second chance to save.
Everything with Jackery’s latest starts with the Explorer 2000 Plus itself. The new power station finally makes the switch away from the NCM batteries that have long been used by Jackery over to the longer lasting and safer LFP standard. As for how you’ll actually be able to leverage all of that power, the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus comes outfitted with the kind of flagship roster of ports you’d expect from its latest and greatest. There’s four full AC outlets+ an RV friendly TT-30, as well as dual USB-A slots, a pair of 100W USB-C outputs, and a 12V car jack. There are also solar panel bundles at up to $700 off.
Featured deal: Bluetti is also stepping in to offer some notable Prime Day offers this week across its lineup of popular portable power stations and solar panels. Offering some of the best discounts to date, you’ll be able to secure a new off-grid package for tailgates and the like, as well as just having some extra power around the house.
e-bikes, a summer favorite!
Other new Green Deals landing this week
The Independence Day 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.
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A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as “Main Justice,” is seen behind the podium in the Department’s headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Federal prosecutors have charged two men in connection with a sprawling cryptocurrency investment scheme that defrauded victims out of more than $650 million.
The indictment, unsealed in the District of Puerto Rico, accuses Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, of operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international crypto multi-level marketing scheme that promised investors 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange trading.
“This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said the Internal Revenue Service’s Chief of Criminal Investigations Guy Ficco. “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin.”
From 2019 to 2023, Sims, Reynoso and their co-conspirators allegedly lured thousands of victims worldwide to purchase “investment packages” using cryptocurrency, falsely claiming the funds would be safely managed by elite forex traders, the Department of Justice said.
Prosecutors said the pair flaunted their wealth through social media and extravagant events — including projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, Dubai’s tallest building — to convince investors the operation was legitimate.
A video posted to the company’s LinkedIn page shows guests in evening attire posing for photos and watching the spectacle in Dubai.
Read more CNBC tech news
In reality, authorities allege, OmegaPro was a pyramid-style fraud.
When the company later claimed it had suffered a hack, the defendants told victims they had transferred their funds to a new platform called Broker Group, the DOJ said. Users were never able to withdraw their money from either platform.
The two men face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The Justice Department, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations led the multiagency investigation, with help from international partners.
Tesla is starting to experience some consequences for misleading Full Self Driving customers – at least that’s the finding of one arbitration ruling that has Tesla refunding one customer $10,000 plus legal fees for failing to deliver on their promises. Find out more on today’s legally challenging episode of Quick Charge!
An arbitration “court” found that Tesla misled customers with its Full Self Driving product, and has now been forced to refund at least one person’s $10,000 payment (plus legal fees) for the not-quite autonomous driving software. France, too, is piling on claims of deceptive business practices – but there’s some good news for FSD fans! If you’re still willing to pay for it, Tesla will thrown in 0% financing on a brand new Cybertruck.
Check out the relevant links, below, to learn more.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
Got news? Let us know! Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.
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Toyota’s new electric SUV is a surprise hit in China. Starting at just $15,000, the Toyota bZ3X is already the top-selling joint venture brand EV.
The $15,000 Toyota bZ3X is the top-selling foreign EV
After launching the bZ3X in March, Toyota’s joint venture, GAC Toyota, claimed that orders were “so popular that the server crashed.” It apparently secured over 10,000 orders in the first hour.
In its second month on the market, the bZ3X was the top-selling foreign-owned vehicle in China, beating out the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 Crozz, Nissan N7, and BMW i3.
According to the latest update, the electric SUV retained the title once again in June. Peng Baolin, General Manager of Sales at GAC-Toyota, revealed on social media that the “delivery volume of Bozhi 3X in June reached 6,030 units.”
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GAC Toyota announced on Weibo that cumulative deliveries have now exceeded 20,000 units, setting a new record for the fastest joint venture electric SUV sales to achieve the feat.
Toyota bZ3X electric SUV (Source: GAC Toyota)
The company also claimed that the bZ3X “has the highest sales of new energy vehicles” among joint venture brands right now.
The bZ3X is Toyota’s “first 100,000 yuan-level pure electric SUV.” It’s available in seven different trims, starting at 109,800 yuan, or about $15,000.
Toyota bZ3X electric SUV (Source: GAC-Toyota)
Two variants have an added LiDAR, making Toyota the first joint venture brand to offer it in China. The smart driving version starts at 149,800 yuan ($20,500). For 159,800 yuan ($22,000), you can upgrade to the range-topping “610 Max” trim.
Powered by a 67.92 kWh battery, the long-range model is rated with a CLTC range of up to 610 km (379 miles). The base “Air” trim features a 50.03 kWh battery, good for a 430 km (267 miles) range.
The bZ3X measures 4,645 mm in length, 1,885 mm in width, and 1,625 mm in height, or about the size of BYD’s popular Yuan Plus (sold overseas as the Atto 3).
Inside is a significant upgrade from most Toyota models we are used to seeing. It features a tech-focused interior with a 12.3″ infotainment screen and an 8.8″ driver display.
Toyota bZ3X electric SUV interior (Source: GAC-Toyota)
Toyota markets it as an affordable family SUV with “a mobile space that is as comfortable as home.” With all the seats folded, the interior offers nearly 10 feet (3 meters) of space.
It’s also powered by Momenta’s 5.0 smart driving system, offering advanced smart driving features such as Level 2 assisted driving, remote parking, and more.
Electrek’s Take
Although it may not seem like much with Chinese EV makers like Xiaomi securing nearly 300,000 orders for the YU7 SUV in an hour, the bZ3X is selling surprisingly well for a foreign brand vehicle.
Global automakers are struggling to keep pace in China with an influx of new low-cost domestic EVs and an intensifying price war. However, Japanese automakers, including Toyota, have been some of the hardest hit.
During GAC Toyota’s Tech Day event last month, the company announced partnerships with China’s leading tech companies, including Huawei, Xiaomi, and Momenta, as it seeks to regain market share.
Ahead of the event, the company posted on Weibo that “god-level allies are coming to help,” adding “car industry bigwigs are coming.
Through May, Toyota’s sales in China are up 7.7% from the same period last year, with 530,000 vehicles sold. Will Toyota continue gaining traction in the world’s largest EV market? With the bZ5 now rolling out and several new models on the way, Toyota is looking for a comeback.