Hot August EV Deals: Volvo C40, Solterra, Ioniq 5, EV6, more
The latest new vehicle transaction report from KBB indicates that electric vehicle supply is still high, hovering at around 100 days, despite the average transaction price of an EV declining all summer long to a year-to-date low of $53,469. Legacy automakers continue to react by tweaking their incentives, and now we’re finding some of the best EV lease deals we’ve seen in a while.
Below are some of the best deals we found while updating our Electric Vehicle Price Guide and Electric Vehicle Lease Guide.
Volvo C40 Recharge
Missed out on last month’s Costco member-only incentive on Volvo EVs? Don’t fret, because Volvo sweetened their lease offers yet again.
A C40 Recharge can now be had for $483/month with $3,983 due at signing before tax and license. That’s an average monthly cost of $580/month, which is about $30/month better than it was last month with the expired $2,500 Costco incentive included. Not a bad deal for a five-passenger, all-wheel-drive SUV that blasts from zero to 60mph in 4.2 seconds.
Drawbacks? Well, with an 80 MPGe combined rating, a range of 226 miles, and 15-cubic-foot cargo capacity behind the rear seats, it’s less efficient, doesn’t go as far on a charge, and doesn’t haul as much as similarly priced electric SUVs. But recent Volvo lease terms and dealer offers appear to be helping shoppers look past all that, as availability seems to have dropped to half of what it was last May.
Speaking of dealer offers, we found a few Volvo retailers advertising lease terms that beat the factory offer on a C40 Recharge. Volvo Cars Gilbert in Arizona is advertising a 3-year, 7,500 mi/year lease at $399/month with $4,499 to start, for an effective cost of $513/month before tax and license. Volvo Cars North Haven in Connecticut and Galpin Volvo Cars in the Los Angeles area also have their own C40 Recharge lease deals with an average cost that’s close to $550/month. And there are a number of dealers offering significant C40 Recharge discounts from MSRP before incentives, which should translate into even lower lease payments.
If you need a little more room to carry stuff behind the rear seats or prefer a squareback look over the C40’s fastback styling, Volvo’s lease terms on the XC40 Recharge (MSRP $54,645) are also quite compelling, with an average monthly cost of $580/month. Check for Volvo C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge deals in your area.
Subaru Solterra
Another relative bargain in the all-wheel-drive electric SUV/crossover category that’s worth a look is the Subaru Solterra (MSRP $46,220). Subaru’s lease offer of $399/month for 36 months with $3899 to start computes to an effective cost of $496/month plus tax and license, which is a significant savings over factory lease deals on the Model Y and C40 Recharge.
Yeah, you’ll have to do without the thrills and frills of the faster, upmarket Tesla and Volvo offerings, but the Solterra does scoot to 60mph from standstill in a very respectable 6.5 seconds and is as nicely equipped as other EVs at its price point. It also has 29 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats – about the same as the Tesla, which is almost twice that of the Volvo.
Oh, and at $496/month, the Solterra lease is about $19/month cheaper than the factory lease deal on its front-wheel-drive version of its platform twin, the Toyota bZ4x. So Toyota fans that are willing to switch their allegiance to Subaru can get two more driven wheels for free.
As far as dealer deals, McGovern Subaru in New Hampshire is advertising over $6,000 off on a Solterra, while Brattleboro Subaru in Vermont and Hanlees Subaru in California have Solterra discounts at around $2,000. Find Subaru Solterra deals near you.
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Passing the full $7,500 Federal tax incentive to lessees of the Ioniq 5 has resulted in some compelling lease terms on what is arguably one of the best-looking EVs on the market that rivals the Model Y in performance and utility. In all-wheel-drive form, this five-passenger SUV with 27 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats will hurl you from zero to 60mph in 4.4 seconds – all numbers that fall well within the Model Y’s domain.
Curiously, Hyundai’s website only lists lease deals for rear-wheel-drive configurations, but we can deduce that the average monthly cost of an Ioniq 5 SE AWD (MSRP $50,335) lease should be close to that of the Ioniq 5 SEL RWD (MSRP $48,785). Hyundai’s 3-year lease offer for the SEL RWD is $414/month with $5,001 due at signing, which averages to $541/month before tax and license. Since the SE-trimmed AWD configuration is $1,550 more expensive and has a lower residual value than the SEL RWD, I’m figuring that its average monthly cost is slightly more than that, but not by much.
Dealer offers somewhat validate this estimate. Mirak Hyundai in Massachusetts, for example, has a great lease offer with an effective cost of $500/month before tax and license on a discounted Ioniq 5 SE AWD. And Valencia Hyundai in the Los Angeles area has a lease on a discounted SEL AWD that averages to $542/month.
Other dealers with Ioniq 5 discounts that should result in attractive lease terms include Norm Reeves Hyundai in southern California and Ourisman Hyundai Laurel in Maryland.
Current Hyundai owners can qualify for an additional $2,500 off on a new Ioniq 5, which should lower lease payments by about $30 to $40 per month.
By the way, for folks that would rather buy than lease, Hyundai now has a $5,000 incentive on a purchase. Look for Hyundai Ioniq 5 deals in your locale.
Audi Q4 e-tron
At $58,895, the all-wheel-drive Q4 e-tron 50 in Premium trim seems a bit overpriced since it costs almost $10K more than the cheapest Model Y. However, it can now be leased at $499/month for 36 months, $5,389 due at signing before tax and license. That works out to an effective cost of $635/month, which is over $60/month less than a Model Y lease. Costco members can take another $20/month or so off of a Q4 e-tron lease by applying a limited-time $1,500 incentive that Costco is running on Audi electrics through October 2.
Audi dealers are starting to advertise discounts rather than markups on this 5-passenger SUV capable of zero to sixty times in the mid-fives, carries just under 25 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, and runs for 236 miles on a full charge. Audi Nashville is taking almost $4,000 off on a Q4 e-tron 50, while Audi Appleton in Wisconsin and Audi Bethesda in Maryland have discounts of $3,405 and $2,500 respectively. Discounts of that magnitude should reduce monthly lease payments by $30 to $50.
Still too expensive? Buyers that can get by with rear-wheel-drive can opt for the Q4 e-tron 40, which leases for about $50/month less than a similarly equipped all-wheel-drive Q4 e-tron 50 and goes 29 miles farther on a full charge. Check Audi Q4 e-tron pricing in your area.
Kia EV6
Kia noticeably improved its lease offers on the EV6, now with terms that essentially match current factory offers on its platform sibling, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. An all-wheel-drive EV6 in Wind trim (MSRP $53,925) can be leased for $449/month over 36 months with $4,999 plus tax and license due at start, for an effective monthly cost of $575/month.
We found significant dealer discounts on an all-wheel-drive EV6 Wind at Crowley Kia in Connecticut ($4,005), Courage Kia in North Carolina ($3,101), and Car Pros Kia Glendale in Los Angeles ($4,373) that should drive that lease closer to $500/month.
Like Hyundai with its Ioniq 5, Kia is is offering a $5,000 incentive to consumers that prefer to buy an EV6 rather than lease. Look for EV6 deals at a Kia dealer near you.
As always, check our Electric Vehicle Price Guide and Electric Vehicle Lease Guide for the best deals on EVs in the US.
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![It's time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives [update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/Tesla-Powerwall.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
For years, Tesla Powerwall has been the go-to recommendation for “normals” looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first home solar and battery backup solutions. Its CEO’s recent involvement in controversial politics, however, means that people are now distancing themselves from the once-trailblazing company.
It begs the question: what other home solar battery solutions are there?
UPDATE 26JUL2025: added more options, put everything in alphabetical order.
Electricians and contractors often praise the sleek, energy-dense Tesla Powerwall, for good reasons. But the Powerwall isn’t the only top-shelf home battery on the market, but long wait times, Elon’s antics, and the proliferation of really good integrated alternatives from legacy EV brands might have you shopping for Tesla alternatives already. If that’s you, the next logical step is to re-think the brand’s solar battery offerings as well – here are some of the best options out there.
As I was putting this list together, I realized there were plenty of ways for me to present this information. “Best batteries ..?” Too opinion-based. “Cheapest batteries ..?” Too much research and a quick descent into Temu-grade nonsense. In the end, I went with the same solution I’ve been using on my 0% EV financing lists: alphabetical order, by brand. Enjoy!
Bluetti EP800 + B500
If you’re in a smaller space or renting and can’t (or don’t want to) add a hardwired battery solution to your home, Bluetti’s EP800 + B500 modular system is a sweet “middle ground” option that combines the Bluetti EP800 off-grid inverter and the company’s B500 battery packs in a floor-standing unit that can be used without a solar roof but also plays well with most rooftop PV options.
The basic EP800 + B500 package offers about 9.9 kWh of capacity for under $9,000 as I type this, and the system can scale up to nearly 20 kWh by adding more B500 packs. The system puts out 7.6 kW of power – more than enough, in other words, to keep some lights on and your fridge and foods (and meds) cold.
What’s more, it works great with Bluetti’s AC300 or AC500 gear if you want an option that’s a bit more portable if you move a lot or plan on moving soon.
EG4 14.3 kWh PowerPro
Two of the home solar installers I talked to in preparing this post mentioned the EG4 14.3kWh batteries, and its specs (on paper, at least) compare nicely with the Powerwall 3.
| Battery | Usable capacity (kWh) | Continuous power output (kW) | Roundtrip efficiency | Average price per kWh* | Coupling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall 3 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 97.5% | $926 | DC or AC |
| EG4 14.3kWh PowerPro | 11.44 | 10.24 | 99% | $786 | DC |
“The EG4 PowerPro solar battery from EG4 Electronics is the strongest alternative to the Tesla Powerwall,” writes Kristina Zagame, from the home solar experts at EnergySage. “(The EG4) has a similar capacity, meaning it’ll last a similar amount of time, and a slightly lower power output, which means it won’t be able to power quite as many devices at the same time. And, based on quotes through EnergySage, EG4 batteries tend to be a bit more affordable compared to Tesla.”
Enphase IQ Battery 10
If you’re looking for a one-brand solution for EV charging and whole-home battery backup but don’t want to be “locked in” to GM or Tesla’s ecosystem, Enphase offers a full line of Made-in-the-USA solutions that could be right for you.
“Energy systems developer Enphase Energy is providing an even more holistic approach to managing home power usage with the introduction of new EV charger technology called the IQ line,” wrote Scooter doll, when the brand first introduced its EV charging solutions back in 2023. “The Enphase IQ is Wi-Fi enabled and integrates seamlessly into a customer’s existing home system that can be controlled with your phone.”
Franklin WH aPower 2
If you love the sleek, minimalistic styling of the Tesla Powerwall 3 but still prefer to spend your money elsewhere, the Franklin WH aPower 2 offers similarly sleek styling and beats the Tesla offering on usable energy storage capacity by 1.5 kWh. That’s nearly a full day of keeping a modern refrigerator running.
The Franklin is also designed to be easily retrofit into an existing solar system, but it loses out to the Powerwall on price per kWh, at $1,176 (vs. $926 for the Tesla unit).
GM Energy Home System
Arguably the most fully integrated EV + battery backup + solar option out there outside of Tesla, the GM Energy Home System promises to do everything a conventional home solar battery does, plus work seamlessly with your GM EV to provide even more flexibility – whether that means using the electric fuel stored in your EV to hold out that much longer in an emergency, or using the energy stored in your home’s solar battery to power an escape in your EV is up to you.
GM Energy and GM’s car dealers list Qmerit as their installation partner, and they’re great, but if you “already have a guy,” you can order the Home System directly from GM Energy’s website for $12,700 (as I type this).
The GM Energy Home System system includes:
- GM Energy PowerBank
- GM Energy PowerShift Charger
- GM Energy Home Hub & Inverter
StorEn vanadium flow BESS
If lithium-ion’s ten-year cycle life or overhyped fire risk makes you nervous, StorEn Technologies is developing a consumer-focused battery solution based on vanadium flow chemistry. Their system promises to last 25 years or more with no capacity loss, so you can charge and drain the battery fully each day and without stressing about wear … but there are a couple of downsides.
First, they’re not yet available to the general public – only to StorEn’s early investors in (what I understand to be) a sort of quasi-Kickstarter deal.
Second, the StorEn batteries are significantly bulkier than a Powerwall. That said, if you’ve got the room and you’re old enough to realize that 25 years isn’t actually a super long time, the StorEn solution might to be a super compelling, nearly maintenance-free setup that might outlast both your solar panels and the roof they’re mounted on.
So, remember how I started this off saying that I wouldn’t turn this into a “best batteries” post? That’s partly driven by the fact that I’m neither an electrician, a chemical engineer, or someone who’s researched thousands of end-user experience surveys to come up with whatever metrics I’d need to confidently and correctly call one battery “the best.”
Our friends and solar industry experts at EnergySage, though? They’ve got all three of those things on staff, and they really, really like the Villara VillaGrid+.
“The Villara VillaGrid+ stands out as the best battery on the market, scoring highest in EnergySage’s rigorous Equipment Rating System, explains EnergySage’s Kristina Zagame. “That said, (the Villara VillaGrid+) is not necessarily the best Tesla Powerwall alternative. It’s a very different (and much pricier) battery.”
What puts the VillaGrid+ on top? According to Zagame, it all comes down to the battery’s lithium-titanium-oxide, or LTO chemistry. “Unlike more traditional lithium-ion batteries, LTO has better recharge capabilities for longer life cycles, and doesn’t contain any carbon, which makes it extra safe. The only downside is you’ll definitely shell out more money upfront for the VillaGrid+.”
That extra money will also buy some additional peace of mind, as Villara backs its LTO batteries with a 20-year warranty compared to Tesla Powerwall and its (and just about everyone else’s) 10-year deal. I couldn’t find a price, but Villara’s other products, like VillaGrid 5.75 kWh battery, come in at nearly double Powerwall’s per kWh cost. Check out the specs, below, then let us know if you think the novel chemistry and additional warranty are worth it in the comments.
| Battery | Usable capacity (kWh) | Continuous power output (kW) | Roundtrip efficiency | Average price per kWh* | Coupling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall 3 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 97.5% | $926 | DC or AC |
| Villara VillaGrid+ | 11.5 | 10 | 98.5% | Get quote | DC or AC |
Original content from Electrek.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Air taxi startup Vertical Aerospace achieved a world’s first this week, completing the first flight between two airports through public airspace for an eVTOL at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire, England.
The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world’s largest military airshow, held every July and serving as a public showcase for the latest advancements in aviation technology. It’s fitting, then, that RIAT served as setting for the Vertical VX4 prototype’s first piloted public flight.
The eVTOL aircraft flew 17 miles from the company’s Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport to RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force station used by the US Air Force. The Vertical VX4 reached speeds of 115 mph, and an altitude of 1800 ft, and also marked the first landing at a public location for an aircraft of this type.
The Vertical Aerospace entry was the only battery-electric aircraft present at RIAT 2025, and the flight served as a demonstration of the company’s broader strategy to unlock new hybrid-electric applications for defense, logistics, and special/close support missions where the eVTOL’s (relatively) quiet operations could give it a tactical advantage.
“RIAT is a global stage for the most advanced, mission-ready aerospace technology, and we’re proud to showcase how electric aviation will support the future of defense,” says Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. “Our hybrid-electric roadmap unlocks new capabilities for military operations, and Vertical’s RIAT presence reinforces our commitment to playing a meaningful role in the future of military and special mission aviation.”
Vertical’s VX4 debuted last year, with a 20% increase in the power-to-weight ratio that enables a top cruising speed of 150 mph and transports four passengers plus a pilot up to 100 miles on a single charge.
The inaugural VX4 flight was witnessed by several thousand UK aircraft enthusiasts, and showed how an eVTOL aircraft could integrate with real-world airport operations, building momentum toward more regular, certified deployment.
Electrek’s Take
Archer, BETA, EHang, Joby, XPeng – the list of eVTOL manufacturers seems to be as long as the list of new electric car brands that didn’t exist back when I first started working with EVs back in ::gulp:: the 1990s. The future of regional point-to-point air travel certainly seems to be vertical, and electric.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Vertical Aerospace.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Say what you will about Elon Musk, but Tesla has changed the way that millions of people buy cars and, by extension, car insurance. Now, Honda is taking a page from Tesla’s successful playbook and launching its own in-house insurance business. Enter: Honda Insurance Solutions.
Honda Insurance Solutions is being launched as a fully licensed insurance agency serving the insurance needs of Acura and Honda customers, but it’s not stopping at competitive pricing and coverage options for Honda cars and motorcycles. Honda Insurance Solutions promises to go several steps beyond Tesla’s offering with coverage for trailers, RVs, homes, and even pets.
“Honda Insurance Solutions offers customers access to coverage through a brand they know and trust,” says Petar Vucurevic, President, American Honda Insurance Solutions, LLC and Senior Vice President, American Honda Finance Corporation. “Insurance is a key touchpoint in the vehicle ownership journey, and we aim to deliver a superior experience tailored to the unique needs of each customer, while promoting safer driving and increased peace of mind on the road.”
The company says the launch of its new insurance business is just part of Honda’s broader digital vehicle sales platform strategy, with future plans to integrate insurance offerings into new products.
Electrek’s Take
It’s important to note some of the key differences between Honda’s insurance offering and Tesla’s. Honda isn’t offering discounts, they’re not bundling insurance premiums into the vehicle financing, and they’re not building their insurance offerings into their dealerships’ checkout/F&I offices. Not yet, anyway.
What Honda is doing right now is deepening relationships with its existing customers and finding ways to make money on products it hasn’t sold them – whether that’s the Harley parked in the garage next to their Prologue or the garage itself.
It’s a smart play. And, once Honda figures out a way to cut franchise dealers out entirely and go to a direct sales model, it’ll look even smarter.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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