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Answering random Redditor’s questions with professional backup: home solar edition

Whole-home battery backup - actually worth it, or do most people regret the cost?

Earlier this week, a home solar shopper took to Reddit looking for a home solar panel + home backu battery system that could intelligently manage solar and grid power, auto switch in a power outage, and accept ICE generator input in a prolonged grid power failure. I reached out to some home energy experts to get them an answer.

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One Detroit-area Hyundai dealer wants $400 to charge your car

Hyundai Dealer Added $5 A Minute On Top Of $5 Per kWh On Public EV Charger To Scare Off Outsiders The dealer set its rates sky-high to scare off outsiders but left the charger listed as public, as one driver found out the hard way paying $418

Drivers opening an EV charging app for the first time today will be presented with thousands of so-called “public” chargers at local car dealers. Once they arrive, however, the store’s customers, store hours, security gates, and Wild West pricing can turn what should be a routine charging stop into a frustrating ordeal. For first-time EV drivers, that doesn’t just reflect poorly on the dealer – it reflects poorly on the EV, itself. And we need to fix it.

UPDATE 05SEP2026: another Hyundai store, another $418 bill.

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University at Buffalo adds electric buses to Stampede Fleet

Photographer: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki

The University at Buffalo is celebrating the deployment of eight new 40-foot electric transit buses, which are now quietly transporting students, staff, and campus visitors per day. The buses are the first in UB’s Stampede fleet to ditch diesel, kicking off a four-year effort to electrify the university’s campus transportation system.

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Tesla’s new rare-earth-free EV motor is a big deal, but not THAT big a deal

tesla zero rare earth permanent magnet motor

Alongside Tesla’s low-key Cybercab event this week, the company showed off its new rare earth-free Cybercab motor, which reportedly increases power density and efficiency significantly.

It’s some kind of an achievement, but to understand how much of an achievement it is, we must first understand what all of this actually means. Strap in.

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ENGWE E26 3.0 full suspension all-terrain e-bike launch deal, Navee Labor Day e-scooter sale, Tenways Wayfarer e-bike $877 off, more

Whereas yesterday’s Green Deals mostly focused on power stations, today’s edition is all about EV Labor Day deals, starting with the $699 off launch deal for ENGWE’s E26 3.0 Dual-Motor Full Suspension All-Terrain e-bike at $1,799. Right behind it we have both a spotlight on Navee’s premium UT5 Ultra X Electric SuperScooter at a new $1,785 low ahead of the brand’s Labor Day Sale lineup with up to $800 discounts + bonus extra savings. There’s also the Tenways Wayfarer Cruiser e-bike with a FREE $277 bundle at a new $1,599 low, as well as an extra battery bundle on Velotric’s Nomad 2 Off-Road e-bike at $1,999 – plus, more EV sales down below. And don’t forget that you can find the hangover deals from this week at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Segway Labor Day Sale lineup of up to 50% off deals, the exclusive $1,000 Jackery 5,040Wh Explorer 5000 Plus savings, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

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Rivian rolls out RivianOS 2, unifying software across R1 and R2

Rivian is rolling out RivianOS 2, the biggest overhaul of its in-car software since the R1 first shipped. For the first time, it puts every vehicle the company sells on a single software stack.

The update, version 2026.31, started reaching eligible R1 and R2 vehicles today. It brings a rebuilt interface, Unreal Engine 5 graphics, real-time police and speed-camera alerts, and a deeper AI layer Rivian calls Unified Intelligence.

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Macfox X1S e-bike review: More mini-moto than bicycle, yet still street legal

There’s a fairly wide spectrum of moped-style electric bikes these days. Some are essentially conventional e-bikes wearing motorcycle-inspired designs, while others lean so heavily into the mini-moto experience that the pedals start to feel like little more than a legal technicality.

The Macfox X1S definitely falls closer to that second group.

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Tesla Cybercab is already under NHTSA investigation after launch

Tesla Cybercab with Starlink.

Tesla’s Cybercab is already under federal investigation. NHTSA opened an audit into how Tesla certified the vehicle the same day the company started putting passengers in it in Austin.

The probe targets the exact thing that makes the Cybercab unusual: it has no steering wheel, no pedals, and no mirrors, and Tesla certified it as road-legal anyway.

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Tesla opens search for Cybercab fleet sales, but FSD owners are still left out

Tesla has started distributing a “Robotaxi interest form,” collecting interest from fleet buyers who would want to build a Robotaxi network or provide related infrastructure services.

It’s the first step in allowing non-Tesla entities to make money off of Tesla’s FSD driver-assist software… but the owners who were promised they could make passive income with their cars are still out of luck.

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