Electrek

According to an email sent to Rivian subscribers yesterday, the American automaker is sunsetting the Standard trim of its flagship R1S SUV. The end is imminent for Rivian’s most affordable R1S model, but the automaker says its exit will pave the way for a new “refined lineup” of EVs… Plus the R2 is about to arrive,

A new type of battery storage is about to be deployed on the Midwestern grid for the first time.

The ID. Polo will make its official debut in just a few weeks as the first of a new generation of Volkswagen EVs. New spy shots confirm a range-topping R-Line model will join the lineup shortly after.

Zoox and Uber Technologies have announced a strategic partnership to deploy Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxis on Uber’s rideshare network. This use of truly autonomous robotaxis will begin in one of Zoox’s existing footprints and another massive metropolitan area next year.

BLUETTI has officially launched the Elite 300 portable power station, a compact but powerful portable power station designed for both home backup and life on the road. And for Electrek readers, the launch deal is pretty compelling.

The Elite 300 Official Launch Offer in the US runs from March 8 through May 31, with a debut price of $1,099 – that’s 50% off, saving an incredible $1,100. On top of that, Electrek readers can get an additional 8% off using the code ELECTREK8OFF, which works on both the BLUETTI website and Amazon through May 31.

That means you can grab BLUETTI’s newest 3kWh portable power station at a serious discount while supplies last.

Our mid-week Green Deals are being led by the first-ever discounts (with bonus savings) on Navee’s latest and highly advanced UT5 Ultra X Electric Superscooter at $1,955, as well as the UT5 Max Electric Superscooter down at $1,530. We also have a 24-hour EcoFlow spring flash sale that is taking up to 62% off four units, like the DELTA Pro 3 Portable power Station at $2,099, while others start from $999. We shined a spotlight on Anker’s SOLIX EverFrost 2 Portable Electric Coolers at their best prices since Black Friday, thanks to our exclusive bonus savings code, as well as deals on a top-shelf EGO string trimmer, a 60V Greenworks edger, RGBIC garden lights, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s full Anker SOLIX Spring Sale lineup with an exclusive bonus savings code, Segway’s MAX G30P e-scooter down at $550 for this week, 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 new iX3, BMW’s first Neue Klasse electric vehicle, is more affordable than most luxury rivals in Australia. With prices starting at around $60,000, it will be one of the more affordable luxury EVs in the US, too.

Elon Musk announced today that “Digital Optimus”, also called “Macrohard”, is a joint xAI-Tesla project that will use xAI’s Grok large language model to power a computer-controlling AI agent. The project is part of Tesla’s $2 billion investment agreement with xAI.

The announcement directly contradicts Musk’s own September 2024 statement that Tesla had “no need to license anything from xAI”, and it lands while Tesla shareholders are actively suing him for breach of fiduciary duty over the founding of xAI in the first place.

A Texas woman is suing Tesla for over $1 million after her Cybertruck, running on Autopilot, attempted to drive straight off a Houston overpass and crashed into a concrete barrier. The lawsuit includes an unusually pointed allegation: that Tesla was negligent in hiring and retaining Elon Musk as CEO.

The case, filed in Harris County District Court, adds to what has become an avalanche of legal consequences tied to Tesla’s “self-driving” claims, and it comes just weeks after a federal judge upheld a historic $243 million verdict against the automaker in a separate Autopilot crash case.

CATL filed an international patent, detailing how its solid-state battery cell and electrolyte material can help overcome one of the biggest challenges in bringing the new tech to market.

Whenever gas prices spike, the same advice tends to dominate the conversation: “Just buy an electric car.”

And to be fair, that advice isn’t wrong. Electric cars can dramatically reduce the cost of fueling your transportation, and for drivers who already need a car every day, switching from gasoline to electricity can be a smart financial move. A large-scale shift to EVs is also our best bet for energy independence, so global strife has less impact on our wallets. But that argument, despite its merits, ignores the fact that most people can’t simply buy a new car to replace their existing gasoline-powered vehicle.

EV prices edged down in February, while gas-powered car prices crept up, narrowing the gap between the two, according to new estimates from Kelley Blue Book.

An unidentified Hyundai electric SUV was spotted testing in public (again), believed to be the IONIQ 1.

BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle seller, is exploring an entry into Formula 1 as the Chinese automaker looks for ways to strengthen its brand recognition outside of China. The move would represent BYD’s first push into elite auto racing.

According to a Bloomberg report, BYD is considering options ranging from acquiring an existing team to potentially building one from scratch, though no decision has been made.

Our headliner for today’s Green Deals is Anker’s massive SOLIX Spring Sale lineup with up to 65% initial discounts, as well as an exclusive bonus savings code, free gifts on select models, and more, with prices starting from $120. One notable inclusion for folks looking for larger backup support for a variety of means is Anker’s 7,680Wh SOLIX F3800 Plus Portable Power Station with an expansion battery down at $3,608, among many others. We also spotted Segway having a flash sale on its 40-mile travelling MAX G30P Electric Scooter at a $550 yearly low, as well as several Greenworks, EGO, and Worx pole saw and pole hedge trimmer deals, and even more waiting for you below. And don’t forget the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Bluetti Elite 300 power station launch with exclusive bonus savings, Velotric’s Spring e-bike Sale lineup, 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.

With the news of the US and Israel’s actions in Iran in the last ten days, which caused oil prices to surge by +50%, we are reminded again of how reducing oil demand can lead to less conflict and more energy independence – and electric vehicles are every country’s best bet for getting there.

Tesla, Google, and Carrier are among the founding members of a new industry coalition called Utilize, which launched today with a bold claim: the US power grid is so underused that better utilization could save American consumers over $100 billion over the next decade.

The coalition, which also includes Renew Home, Sparkfund, SPAN, and Verrus, is targeting a problem hiding in plain sight — the US electric grid operates at just 53% of its total capacity on average, according to a Duke University analysis of 22 regional power systems.

Porsche added the all-electric Cayenne S to the lineup, designed to fill the gap between the base and Turbo models for those looking for performance at a more affordable price.

Ride1Up is expanding one of its most successful e-bikes into an entire platform. The company has announced three new versions of its Vorsa electric bike, transforming what started as a single model into a family of bikes built around the same core ride system but tailored to different types of riders. The new lineup includes the lighter and more agile Vorsa Lite, the original Vorsa configuration, and the new fat-tire Vorsa FT.

Kia launched the upgraded Niro in Korea on Tuesday, now exclusively as a hybrid. The Niro EV is being discontinued as Kia focuses on its new dedicated electric vehicles like the EV3, EV4, and EV5.

Tesla has lost another long-tenured executive: Sendil Palani, the company’s VP of Finance, confirmed his departure after a 17-year run that began when the automaker was weeks from running out of cash.

Palani is one of the last pre-IPO-era leaders still in a senior role at Tesla, and his exit deepens what has become a sweeping drain of institutional knowledge across virtually every critical function over the past two years.

ION Storage Systems says it has hit a key milestone in bringing solid-state batteries out of the lab and into real-world use.

“Juiced is back, baby” says the revamped Juiced Bikes website. It also shows us our first glimpse of what are set to become the new e-bike models that will help the re-animated electric bike maker launch its much-awaited comeback tour.

The US installed 43 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity in 2025, marking the fifth straight year that solar has been the largest source of new power added to the grid.