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2022 Nissan LEAF becomes most affordable EV with sub-$30k MSRP

Credit: Nissan

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Nissan’s 2022 LEAF has established itself as the most affordable electric vehicle in the U.S. market with the rollout of the newest models. The base LEAF S has an unbelievably low starting price of just $27,400 before incentives, with federal tax credits potentially bringing the cost of the vehicle down to the sub-$20,000 level. After federal incentives, all five of the 2022 models will be under $30,000.

The best bang for your buck for an electric vehicle will be the Nissan LEAF S, starting at $27,400, a drop of $4,245 from the 2021 edition of the all-electric hatchback. Utilizing a CHAdeMO fast-charging connector, the 149 miles of all-electric range is far from the highest available on the market but still reasonable for owners with a short commute or less demanding driving schedules. As other manufacturers, like Tesla, Ford, and Chevrolet, have all offered significantly more robust models in terms of range, technology, efficiency, and performance, the LEAF is no longer the cream-of-the-crop for EVs. However, it still offers significantly greater advantages than an ICE vehicle, like an opportunity to capture a $7,500 discount due to federal tax credits, the availability to charge at home, and significantly less greenhouse gas emissions.

Credit: Nissan

Equipping a 40 kWh battery pack, the LEAF S offers basic features like a 110 kW AC electric motor, Automatic Emergency Braking, Apple CarPlay integration, and a cozy interior. If the low range rating isn’t something you’d be interested in dealing with, there are four other models to choose from: the SV ($28,800, $21,300 after incentives, S Plus ($32,400, $24,900 after incentives), SV Plus ($35,400, $27,900 after incentives), and SL Plus ($37,400, $29,900 after incentives). Exact range ratings have not yet been released by Nissan, nor by FuelEconomy.gov. However, Nissan says that the EPA estimated range of its S Plus variant will top out at 226 miles.

Each of the variants experienced price drops when compared to last year’s models. The largest price decrease was applied by the fully-loaded SL Plus variant, which dropped $6,545 from the 2020 model.

The availability of so many different LEAF variants offers every potential customer the opportunity to select the perfect EV for them while not necessarily breaking the bank. Sure, you won’t get a cool semi-autonomous driving option or nearly 400 miles of all-electric range. However, if an electric vehicle is your first way to join the movement toward sustainable energy, then the LEAF might be the perfect car to help appeal to potential buyers.

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Nissan currently receives batteries for the LEAF from Envision AESC. The company recently signed a battery recycling deal with former Tesla executive J.B. Straubel’s Redwood Materials, giving owners peace of mind that their battery packs will be sustainably handled after the vehicle’s time on the road has come to a close.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with tips! Email us at tips@teslarati.com, or you can email me directly at joey@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Elon Musk

SpaceX announces new Starship 13 test flight target date

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SpaceX Starship V3 flight 12
SpaceX Starship V3 flight 12 (Credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX has announced a new target date for the thirteenth test flight of Starship: Monday, July 20, with the launch window opening at 6:45 p.m ET/5:45 p.m. CT.

This is the first rescheduling attempt of Starship’s 13th test flight. It was set to launch last night, but SpaceX scrubbed the launch attempt.

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CEO Elon Musk revealed that some of the engines on Starship did not start, which automatically triggers a launch abort. Two of the Raptor engines will be removed and replaced.

SpaceX officially announced the new launch window this morning.

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Starship’s 13th test launch comes with a few new objectives, but SpaceX does not plan to attempt a catch of the booster, which it has done several times in the past.

For Starship’s Upper Stage, there are some adjustments to ensure engine reusability that will be assessed during the ascent, and 20 operational Starlink V3 satellites are also set to make their way into space. SpaceX also plans to attempt an in-space relight of a single Raptor engine, which is a critical demonstration for future orbital deorbit, refueling, and deep space maneuvers.

Ultimately, it will splash down in the Indian Ocean.

The continuous tests help SpaceX advance the Starship program toward eventual full reusability, operational Starlink V3 deployment, and future missions, which include NASA’s Artemis program.

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SpaceX Starship Flight 13 aborted at Zero and Musk just told us what broke

Four Raptor engines failed to ignite at T-zero, forcing SpaceX to scrub Starship Flight 13 Thursday.

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SpaceX scrubbed the Starship Flight 13 launch attempt Thursday evening at the last possible moment, after four of the Super Heavy booster’s 33 Raptor 3 engines failed to ignite during the startup sequence. The 90-minute window had opened at 6:45 p.m. EDT from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, and the countdown had proceeded without issue all day, with more than 11.5 million pounds of liquid methane and liquid oxygen being fully loaded into the rocket before the automated abort triggered. SpaceX’s launch directors posted on X, “Standing down from today’s flight test attempt,” and shut down the livestream shortly after.

Musk confirmed the root cause within hours. “Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort,” he wrote on X. “To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed and replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week.” SpaceX engineers began draining propellant tanks immediately and Booster 20 was rolled back to its hangar for inspection.

SpaceX comes with a slew of changes for Starship Flight 13

 

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The timing adds a layer of significance that did not exist during any of the previous 12 Starship flights. This is the first time SpaceX has attempted to launch Starship since the company made its stock market debut in June, listing under ticker SPCX at $135 per share. Public investors are now watching every Starship outcome in real time, and a last-second abort carries more visibility than it would have six months ago.

Flight 13 was designed to be one of the most consequential tests in the program’s history. It was set to carry 20 Starlink V3 satellites, the first operational payload Starship has ever attempted to deploy. Six of those satellites carried external cameras to photograph Starship’s heat shield from the outside during flight, which would act as a self-inspection approach SpaceX has never attempted before. The mission also needed to complete a Raptor engine relight in space, a step SpaceX skipped on Flight 12 in May after losing an engine during ascent. That Flight 12 booster also flipped 90 degrees off course during its boostback burn when five engines failed to reignite.

SpaceX has not announced an official next launch date. Musk’s “early next week” window points to July 21 or 22 at the earliest, pending the engine swap and a return to the pad.

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Elon Musk secretly acquires $1B energy company to power the AI future

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Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk flew under the radar with his recent purchase of a $1 billion energy company, according to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) documents.

Transaction number 202612350 listed Tesla and SpaceX frontman Elon Musk as the acquiring party and CF APR Super Holdings LLC as the seller, with New APR Energy, LLC as the acquired entity. The deal, which closed without public announcement, came to light on May 14.

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Analysts inferred the deal’s scale from minority stakeholder disclosures, including one report of a 5 percent interest sold for approximately $50.4 million. Fortress Investment Group had purchased APR’s assets in late 2024, rebranded the operation as New APR Energy, and subsequently transferred ownership to Musk.

APR Energy specializes in rapidly deployable power infrastructure. The company maintains one of the world’s largest fleets of mobile gas and diesel turbines, with more than 1.1 gigawatts of generation capacity. Its modular units, which are often trailer-mounted, enable turnkey installations ranging from 20 MW to over 500 MW.

Elon Musk admits he was ‘clearly wrong’ about Anthropic

APR provides full engineering, procurement, construction, operation, and maintenance services for behind-the-meter power plants, serving everything from data centers, utilities, and industrial clients.

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The firm has expanded aggressively to meet surging demand, recently adding turbines and deploying over 100 MW for a major AI hyperscaler. Its solutions bridge critical gaps where grid interconnections face delays of two to five years, according to Yahoo.

The acquisition means something more for Musk. As he continues to expand projects in artificial intelligence, especially xAI, his AI venture, there is a greater need to supply energy-intensive supercomputing clusters, including the Colossus project, with what they need: reliable and high-capacity power.

Ownership of APR provides immediate access to flexible generation assets that can be deployed adjacent to data centers, reducing dependence on a strained infrastructure. It also complements Tesla’s energy storage business, so Musk will be able to pull from his own entities to address the rapid scaling demands of AI training and compute.

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