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Here are 8 tips for the best EV winter range and performance

EV winter

[Editor’s note: Since most of the US is about to get hit with a huge winter storm, I’m republishing these tips as a refresher – particularly for folks who aren’t used to this kind of weather.]

Whether you’re a seasoned EV driver in cold climates or this is your first winter driving an EV, there’s always more to learn about how to get the best range and performance when the temperatures drop.

Electrek asked two experts for smart winter EV driving advice. This is what Richard Reina, product training director at CARiD.com, and Casey Donahue, CEO of Optiwatt, a residential managed charging platform in North America, had to say.

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Exclusive $450 savings on VMAX VX2 EXTREME + VX4 e-scooters from $749, Anker 24-hour F2600 + F3800 station lows, more

Leading our Thursday Green Deals this week is the three exclusive $450 discounts you can score on VMAX’s VX2 EXTREME LT and ST electric scooters + the VX4 LT electric scooter – all starting from $749. Right behind those, we have an exciting 24-hour Anker SOLIX winter flash sale that you won’t want to miss, which offers the F2600 power station at a new $849 low alongside the F3800 power station at its $1,799 low, and other units. We also spotted BougeRV’s three varying bike carriers that hold up to 200 pounds – all at their lowest rates, as well as Greenworks’ 2-in-1 24V cordless polesaw + pole hedge trimmer combo kit, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals that are at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s new MSI EV Life NEMA 14-50 Level 2 chargers with NACS or J1772 connectors, the Mammotion YUKA 2000 robot mower, 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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Tesla starts Robotaxi rides without safety monitor in Austin: what you need to know [Updated]

Tesla Robotaxi hero

Tesla has started offering Robotaxi rides without a safety monitor in Austin, Texas. After yet another set of missed timelines and a full decade of broken promises, Elon Musk is finally getting a version of the “win” he has been desperately seeking. But considering the alarming crash data we have and the evidence of heavy remote monitoring, should we be excited or terrified?

Update: New video evidence shows that Tesla’s supposedly “unsupervised” Robotaxis in Austin are being closely followed by black Tesla trailing cars with safety monitors inside. Tesla didn’t remove the safety monitors – it just moved them to a different vehicle.

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Waymo is now in Miami, now takes driverless rides in 6 cities (Tesla: 1, sorta)

Waymo began autonomous ride-hailing operations in Miami, Florida today, covering a 60-square-mile service area stretching from the design district to South Miami.

It’s the sixth city covered by Waymo’s level 4 driverless taxis, while its main competitor, Tesla, has just started its first driverless taxi operation today (in very limited form).

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Lemonade launches Tesla FSD insurance with 50% discount – bigger than Tesla’s own

Lemonade has launched what it calls “Autonomous Car Insurance”, a first-of-its-kind product that slashes rates by approximately 50% for Tesla owners when Full Self-Driving is engaged. It’s a bold bet on FSD technology, and it significantly undercuts the discount offered by Tesla’s own insurance product.

It again shows the difference between what Tesla claims and delivers regarding autonomous and assisted driving.

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Humanoid robots build a new excavator every 6 minutes, RIGHT NOW

Zoomlion’s AI robots help produce an excavator every six minutes

Chinese heavy equipment giant Zoomlion isn’t planning to deploy an army of humanoid robots on its factory floors in the future – they’ve got robots on the job right now. The company is already using these ‘bots to power its “third growth curve,” and they’ve been churning out a new excavator every six minutes for years.

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Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels across Europe in 2025

Germany largest offshore wind farm

Europe’s power mix hit a tipping point in 2025. Wind and solar generated more electricity across the European Union than fossil fuels for the first time last year, according to Ember’s newly released European Electricity Review. Wind and solar supplied a record 30% of EU power, edging past fossil fuels at 29%.

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FERC: US utility-scale solar capacity overtook wind in 2025 – a first

FERC solar 2025

Solar continues to dominate new capacity additions and has held the lead among all energy sources for 26 consecutive months. As a result, installed utility-scale solar capacity now exceeds wind capacity for the first time, according to data released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.

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Tesla patents ‘clever math trick’ for HW3, but nothing points to delivering promised self-driving

Tesla Full Self-driving computer

Tesla has published a new patent that describes a way to squeeze more performance out of its aging HW3 self-driving computers. While the technology is interesting, nothing points to it actually enabling Tesla to deliver on its long-standing promise of unsupervised self-driving on HW3 vehicles.

In 2016, Tesla announced that all vehicles produced thereafter would become capable of “Full Self-Driving” — at one point, CEO Elon Musk even specified “level 5 self-driving,” which means capable of driving anywhere, anytime, under any condition.

We are approaching a decade since that promise, and it’s nowhere close to being fulfilled.

In fact, it looks like Tesla is doing everything it can to not fulfill its promise to HW3 owners.

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MSI EV Life NACS or J1772 NEMA 14-50 level 2 chargers $425, EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max $749 flash offer, Mammotion robot mower, more

Leading today’s Green Deals is the new MSI EV Life NEMA 14-50 Level 2 EV Chargers, with options for a NACS or J1772 connector – both being down at $425 right now. Right behind it, we have EcoFlow’s latest winter flash sale, which ends tonight and is cutting up to 62% off four units, one being the DELTA 3 Max Portable Power Station back at $749. There’s also Mammotion’s YUKA 2000 Robot Lawn Mower at $1,349, rechargeable AAA batteries for your home, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals that are at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Anker SOLIX Winter Sale with up to 65% discounts, 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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Honda’s new 50 MPH commuter ‘electric motorcycle’ rolls out with interesting battery choice

Honda has been releasing new electric two-wheelers at an impressive clip over the last few years, making up for lost time. The company’s latest model, known as the Honda UC3, is soon headed for the Vietnam and Thailand markets.

But perhaps more interesting than the bike itself is Honda’s decision to use integrated batteries rather than its own in-house removable-battery standard.

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