Tesla influencers tried Elon Musk’s coast-to-coast self-driving, crashed before 60 miles

In July, the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed a plan to delete its scientific finding recognizing that greenhouse gases are harmful to human health, with the goal of making cars less efficient and more costly to fuel. That plan went up for public comment last month, and the public comment period closes in two days, on September 22.

Illinois is expanding its EV charging network with $18.4 million in federal grants that were restored after being unlawfully frozen by the Trump administration. The grants come from the second round of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which supports Illinois’s goal of registering 1 million EVs by 2030.

A Rivian owner and EV enthusiast recently shared images of a purple R1S Quad out in public with manufacturer plates. Could it be a new exterior color Rivian will offer customers, or is this just a rare shade applied to a one-off test vehicle? Regardless of its future, a purple Rivian is already garnering plenty of comments from the online community.

The US virtual power plant (VPP) market is growing fast, with 37.5 gigawatts of behind-the-meter flexible capacity now online, according to a new Wood Mackenzie report. VPPs connect small energy systems and smart devices into a single network managed by an energy company or utility. That can include residential solar panels, battery storage, EVs, and smart thermostats. When the grid needs help during peak demand or emergencies, they can be tapped – and you get paid for participating.

Kia is already giving its new electric sedan a sporty upgrade. The EV4 is due for the “GT” treatment, and we are getting a look at it up close. Is the Kia EV4 GT the affordable EV sports car we’ve been waiting for?

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla going all-in on Elon with his new comp package, Robotaxi crashes, Nissan killing Ariya, and more.

Drive Electric Month continues this week, with nearly 200 online and in-person events celebrating electric vehicles. Events will be held for the next several weekends all across the US, plus a few in Canada and one in Guadalajara, Mexico.

In addition, Sun Day, a new celebration championed by Bill McKibben, occurs this Sunday, September 21, with events across the world celebrating advancements in solar power and electrification.

Cadillac’s entry-level EV is bringing some serious upgrades for the 2026 model year. The 2026 Cadillac Optiq packs more power, more features, and a built-in NACS port so you can recharge at Tesla Superchargers. Even with the upgrades, it’s more affordable than the outgoing model.

Elon Musk has trapped Tesla shareholders in a vicious cycle that has nothing to do with he company’s performance or mission anymore. He is linking a vote for his compensation package, worth up to $1 trillion and more control over the company, to the future of Tesla and, in his delusions of grandeur, “the future of the world.”

He literally said that.

How far would you be willing to go to get $1 trillion? Would you be willing to lie?

We’ve got some exciting deals closing out this week’s Green Deals, leading with the Autel Home 3000 Portable Power Station that sports an AI voice assistant at a new $1,659 low. Next, Rad Power Bikes is having a weekend flash sale on its RadRover 6 Plus e-bike that drops it to the second-ever $1,199 low, while Birdfy’s Nest Polygon Smart Solar Birdhouse with a camera is back at its $200 low, with many other houses/feeders seeing discounts too. From there, we have Navee’s autumn e-scooter sale, some tariff relief on EGO’s 56V batteries, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about all the hangover deals collected at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Bluetti power station and alternator charger bundle deals, the Heybike Golden Fall e-bike Sale, 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 midsize electric SUV is set to go head-to-head with the Tesla Model Y and leading Chinese luxury brands. Lucid (LCID) confirmed it will launch the new midsize EV overseas, with prices expected to start at around $50,000.

Rivian has added a powered tonneau cover retrofit to its Gear Shop, allowing certain R1T owners to purchase install of the long-promised feature. The option has been available before, but only for a short period of time, and early versions have seen reliability problems in the past – but Rivian says this version is much better now.