Electrek

On today’s solar-powered episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got EnergySage director of insights Emily Walker with a look inside the company’s 22nd industry report, this time featuring home solar, EV charging, and whole home electrification.

European energy giant Vattenfall has started construction on a new hybrid renewable energy project in southwest Germany that combines wind and solar power at a single site.

IG Metall’s vote share at Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin decreased from 39.4% to just 31.1% in the works council election that concluded today, a devastating 8-percentage-point drop that came after weeks of threats, police involvement, and a direct warning from Elon Musk that expansion would stop if the union gained influence.

The management-aligned “Giga United” list won 40.4% of the vote, securing a commanding lead over the union and ensuring that Germany’s only non-union auto plant stays that way.

With its official debut just days away, BYD revealed the first images of its new flagship electric SUV, the Great Tang.

Tesla has quietly reversed a key change to its Full Self-Driving (FSD) transfer program, switching the deadline back from “order by March 31” to “delivery by March 31.” The move effectively kills the transfer path for thousands of Cybertruck AWD buyers.

The reversal, which happened overnight on February 27-28 with no public announcement, is the latest chapter in the long and frustrating saga of Tesla’s “one-time” FSD transfer program, a program that has been ended and revived so many times that it has become a running joke.

Hyundai and Kia both set new February sales records in the US last month, but with no confirmed 2026 model year, a few EVs may get the axe (one is already confirmed).

I drove the latest Cadillac Vistiq electric SUV for a week. I added almost a thousand miles on it and put it through Electrek’s new EV review battery of tests. Here are all the results and my thoughts about what turned out to be an enjoyable electric vehicle packed with luxury – but not without limitations.

Following the trend of headlining firsts from the last two days, our mid-week Green Deals here are being led by the $700 launch deal on Hiboy’s newest EX11 Full Suspension e-bike that boasts up to 100 miles of travel at $1,300. Other notable mentions today are on Bluetti’s 128Wh Elite 10 Mini Portable Power Station at its $113 low (as well as the series’ other 288Wh to 3,840Wh models), a one-day-only deal on Anker’s eufy SoloCam S340 Solar Security 2-Cam Kit with HomeBase 3 at its $350 low, and others from Heybike, Greenworks, ECOVACS, roborock, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus and HomePower 3600 Plus flash sales ending tonight, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max and DELTA 3 Ultra flash sales also ending tonight, 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.

Volkswagen is preparing to introduce a new entry-level electric SUV to sit below the ID.4. With its launch coming up, Volkswagen offered a closer look at the new ID. Cross.

The IONIQ 5 made a comeback after sales jumped 33% last month, and now Hyundai is offering a $10,000 discount to sweeten the deal.

BYD’s ultra-luxe electric sedan, the Yangwang U7, will be the first to feature the new Blade Battery 2.0. The new EV battery boasts a pure electric range of 1,006 km (625 miles) under CLTC conditions.

Elon Musk declared today that Tesla will be “one of the companies to make AGI” and “probably the first to make it in humanoid/atom-shaping form.” It’s the latest in a long string of grand AI predictions from the Tesla CEO.

The problem is that Musk has been making similar claims about AI breakthroughs for years, and he has been wrong every single time. Now, with Tesla’s sales declining for a second consecutive year and earnings crashing, this looks like yet another attempt to attach Tesla to the AI hype cycle.

Electric bike maker Heybike has just officially unveiled its latest model, the Venus, a lightweight commuter-focused e-bike designed to bridge the gap between practical urban transportation and relaxed recreational riding. The new model launches with a starting MSRP of $1,499 and brings together a relatively powerful drivetrain, long-range claims, and a lighter frame package aimed at everyday riders. 

On today’s disturbingly dirty episode of Quick Charge, Elon Musk is undoing nearly two decades of decarbonization by pumping out massive amounts of pollution to keep his xAI and Grok slop-machines rolling – and hurting some of America’s most vulnerable communities at the same time.

Global lithium demand could top 13 million tonnes by 2050 if the world moves fast on clean energy, according to Wood Mackenzie’s latest Energy Transition Outlook for Lithium. The warning is blunt: Without major new investment, lithium shortages could start as early as 2028.

A new report produced by a coalition of environmental and social advocacy groups details forward progress being made across the industry towards more sustainable supply chains, with Tesla leading the pack and Chinese brands standing out as making the quickest progress in the last year.

If you’ve been thinking about driving electric, Costco is back with another limited-time deal, and this time it’s on Polestar and Chevy EV models.

Aptera Motors, “the little startup that could,” announced another important milestone today, completing the first example of its flagship solar EV on its validation assembly line in Southern California. You go, Aptera.

The Defender Sport EV is expected to debut by the end of 2026 as a smaller, more affordable sibling to the iconic off-road SUV.

Lexus has officially axed the UX 300e from its lineup, its first 100% electric vehicle. The RZ is now the only EV that Toyota’s luxury brand offers, but that will change soon.

We’ve got a jam-packed Tuesday Green Deals for you this week, led by the first-ever discounts on the Navee G5 Electric Scooter and its longer-range G5 Max variant starting from $500. Right behind those is Jackery’s current Tax Season flash sale that is offering the best 2026 pricing on Explorer 5000 Plus and HomePower 3600 Plus power station units starting from $2,799, as well as Aventon’s Pace 4 Smart Step-Through Cruiser e-bike with a FREE $136 bundle at its $1,599 low, an EGO Multi-Head system bundle deal, and so much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s ENGWE M20 3.0 Moped-Style e-bike launch deal, the full lineup of EcoFlow EcoCredits Monthly Madness sale offers that end tomorrow night, 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.

The 2027 iX4 is set to join BMW’s electric vehicle lineup soon, bringing a new coupe SUV-like style to the family. Ahead of its debut, the 2027 BMW iX4 was spotted testing in Sweden, giving us a closer look at what to expect.

Toyota and Stellantis are both withdrawing from Tesla’s European CO2 emissions pool for 2026, according to new EU filings. The two automakers were among the largest paying members of the pool.

The move is the latest blow to Tesla’s regulatory credit revenue, which has already been shrinking globally after the US eliminated its own emission credit market last year.

Elon Musk’s xAI is now operating 62 unpermitted methane gas turbines across two data centers in Memphis, Tennessee, and Southaven, Mississippi. According to xAI’s own permit application, the facilities could emit more than 6 million tons of greenhouse gases and over 1,300 tons of health-harming air pollutants every year.

Meanwhile, Tesla’s latest impact report brags about avoiding 32 million metric tons of CO2. Musk is single-handedly erasing a significant chunk of his own company’s climate legacy to power a middle-of-the-pack AI model.