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Home solar in rural America: how much battery do you need in a winter storm?

There’s no shortage of advice on how to size a home solar and battery system, but most of it assumes a suburban home with city services and outages measured in hours, not days. Rural homes play by different rules, especially during major winter storms. When ice and snow take down lines and your utility prioritizes restoring power to urban neighborhoods, having a home battery isn’t about convenience — it’s about damage control.

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FSD is for chumps: SC01 is an EV that BEGS to be driven – and it’s coming to Europe

Weighing in at just 1,356 kg and packing a 320 kW (~430 hp) electric motor, the Xiaomi-backed JMEV SC01 ditches the extras and keeps the essentials – so if you’re the kind of person that dreams of a self-driving future that lets you pay more attention to your Twitter X feed than the road ahead, this one’s not for you.

But if it is for you, I have fantastic news: this electric roadster is being sold in Europe (and it won’t stop there).

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All the EVs you can buy with 0% financing in January 2026 [update]

Lease deals get all the hype, but a lot of people would still rather buy their vehicles. If that sounds like you, you’re in luck, because there’s a whole bunch of great EVs you can buy with 0% financing this month – including the new “affordable” Tesla Model Y Standard!

UPDATE 23JAN2026: Kia EV6 gets 0% financing PLUS customer cash!

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It’s time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives [update]

NOTE: since most of the US is currently getting hit with a huge winter storm, I’m republishing this list of home batteries as a reminder to be prepared for the next one – particularly for folks who are looking at hours or days without power.

For years, Tesla Powerwall has been the go-to recommendation for homeowners looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first home solar and battery backup solutions. But with a recent recall on more than 10,000 home batteries over fire safety concerns following a year (or more) of CEO Elon Musk’s political antics, more and more people are beginning to look for alternatives to the trailblazing Tesla tech. The good news: there are plenty of other great home solar battery solutions are there!

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