Category: Technology

It’s still a few days until Halloween, but retailers are already pushing early Black Friday deals. That makes this week either an opportunity to bemoan the unrelenting passage of time or a good time to shop. For those who take the latter view, we gathered up the better tech deals that’ve popped up. Those include a rare sale on Sonos home theater speakers, sweeping discounts on Blink security cameras and a steep price drop on a recommended VPN service. We’ve also spotted discounts on Apple’s M2 MacBook Air and 9th-generation iPad that respectively top and meet their prices from Amazon’s October Prime Day event earlier this month, as well as a couple of gift card bundles for new smartphones in the OnePlus Open and Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.  

Sonos home theater sets

From now through Sunday, Sonos is selling a few its home theater sets (which include soundbars and subwoofers) for up to 20 percent off. Sonos rarely runs sales, so this may be one to check out if you want to upgrade your TV’s sound setup. One deal is the Ray + Sub Mini, regularly $708, for just $566. We recommend the Ray in our soundbar buying guide because it provides excellent sound quality for both TV and music, while its compact size makes it ideal for smaller living rooms. Adding the Sub Mini to the mix helps round out the sound and fill in the bass that soundbars are hard-pressed to deliver on their own. 

At the other end of the pricing spectrum is Sonos’ high-end bundle, the Ultimate Immersive Set, which includes the Arc soundbar, the Sub subwoofer and two Era 300 smart speakers. Usually the set goes for $2,596, but it’s now down to $2,211. The Arc is our runner up pick for a premium option in our soundbar buying guide, while the Era 300 earned an Engadget review score of 80 thanks to its detailed and balanced sound quality. We did think the speaker’s spatial audio experience was hit or miss and we were disappointed by its lack of Google Assistant support — though you can use Alexa or Sonos’ own assistant instead. 

iRobot Roomba Combo j7+

Wellbots is taking up to $300 off a few of iRobot’s vac-and-mop Roomba Combo cleaners. The Roomba Combo j7+ usually costs a steep $999, for instance, but you can drop it down to $699 if you enter the code ENGROOMBA300 at checkout. The Roomba Combo j7+ is the top 2-in-1 pick in our robot vacuum buying guide, and it even earned a spot in the smart home of one of Engadget’s senior editors. 

A few other vac-and-mops are on sale too, including the iRobot Roomba Combo j5+, which is $300 with the same code, and the standard iRobot Roomba Combo j5, which is $250 off with the code ENGROOMBA250. (Those two are largely similar, though the former comes with a self-emptying base station.) If you’ve been thinking about automating your floor cleaning, this might be a good time to go for it.

Blink Outdoor 4 security camera

Blink’s latest outdoor security camera, the Outdoor 4, has only been around since August but has already gone on sale a few times. Now through November 5th, Amazon is dropping the price back down to $72, which is 40 percent off its list price. This deal comes as part of a wider sale on security cams and video doorbells from the Amazon subsidiary.

The Outdoor 4 is the top wireless security camera pick in our guide to the best smart home devices. It can capture 1080p footage and send it straight to a phone or Alexa-enabled smart display. You can also talk and listen through the built-in mic and speaker. Improved motion detection should help it discern between a person approaching your house and the neighborhood cat, and the wireless build lets you set it just about anywhere around your home’s exterior. Its battery can last up to two years with a pair of AA batteries, depending on your usage, and Amazon includes a set with the camera. Also included in this deal is the Sync Module 2, a separate accessory that lets you locally store video clips. 

For keeping tabs on the inside of your home, you can grab the Blink Mini. During the same time frame, a three-pack of the Blink Mini is down to $40. The list price for one of those cameras is $35, though we often see them drop into the $20 to $25 range.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

Another Wellbots deal brings Google’s Nest Learning Thermostat down to $174, which is a $75 discount and one of the best prices we’ve seen as of late (though not the lowest ever). Enter the code ENGNLT75 to see the full savings at checkout. The Nest Learning Thermostat can help with your energy bills by not overly heating or cooling the house when you’re not home and by making suggestions on energy-saving temp settings. The “learning” here gets to know your routines and preferred settings to automatically create schedules, which you can always adjust manually in the Nest app.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are back at their lowest price ever, thanks to another discount code at Wellbots. These wireless earbuds have a list price of $200, but they dropped to $120 during Amazon’s recent Prime Day sale. If you missed that one, though, you can now use the checkout code ENGPIX83 to get them for a few bucks less at $117. We named the Pixel Buds Pro the best option for Android users in our wireless earbuds buying guide and gave them an 87 in our review last year. They deliver deep bass and integrate particularly nicely with Google’s Pixel phones. 

The Google Nest Hub Max also has a discount code from Wellbots; enter ENGMAX100 to save $100 off the $229 list price. We gave this 10-inch smart display a review score of 86 when it came out in 2019 thanks to its tight integration with other Google devices and services, solid audio quality and accurate facial recognition. 

Apple MacBook Air M2

The base model of Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip and 256 GB of storage is down to $899 at Best Buy, which matches the lowest price we’ve seen outside of special offers for My Best Buy members. Apple sell the notebook for $1,099, so this deal represents a $200 discount off its MSRP. If you’d prefer a larger screen size, the 15-inch model is also on sale for a low of $1,049, which is $250 less than buying from Apple directly.

The M2 Air is both our favorite MacBook and the top overall recommendation in our laptop buying guide. We gave both notebooks a score of 96 in our reviews, and these entry-level configurations can still handle mainstream productivity and entertainment tasks with ease. Their speakers are impressively loud, their displays are bright and accurate, and their keyboards and trackpads remain comfortable. 

Apple is holding an event next week where it’s expected to announce new Macs based on an updated M3 chip, but reliable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says that will likely focus on refreshed MacBook Pros and a new iMac; updated MacBook Airs aren’t expected until sometime next year.

Surfshark VPN

As part of an early Black Friday promotion, Surfshark is offering its VPN plans for up to 86 percent off. The deepest discount applies to the Surfshark Starter plan which you can get for $60 for 27 months. That works out to $2.21 per month with three months free. After the promo ends, the plan reverts to its normal price of $60 per year. We named Surfshark the best service for multiple devices in our VPN guide. It’s one of the few options that let you use it on an unlimited number of devices without bandwidth restrictions and it has access to a larger number of servers than other VPN services that offer unlimited connections. 

Anker PowerConf C200

Our runner-up recommendation for the best webcam you can buy is Anker’s PowerConf C200. Right now at Amazon and Newegg, the 2K cam is down $48, which matches the low we saw during the October Prime Day sale earlier this month. It’s easy to set up, has good picture quality and its on-board mics are surprisingly decent. Our main complaints were that it’s a little tricky to adjust the angle and the included USB cable is on the shorter side. 

Apple iPad (9th gen)

Apple’s 9th-generation iPad dropped to $249 for Amazon’s October Prime Day sale, which matched the tablet’s previous low. Now, the 10.2-inch slate is back down to that price at Amazon and Walmart. That’s $80 off Apple’s MSRP, though at this point, it’s almost always available for less than its list price at various retailers. This is the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads. It’s not the best option for a workhorse productivity slate, as it has a dated design and worse accessory support compared to newer models, but it’s still great for web browsing, playing Apple Arcade games and streaming video on the cheap. 

Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch)

On the exact opposite of the iPad spectrum, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is on sale for $990, which is about $60 off its usual street price and the lowest price we’ve tracked for the 128GB model. The 12.9-inch Pro is the “best for power users” pick in our buying guide: It’s still more iPad than most people need, but its big mini-LED display is gorgeous and it’s fast enough to handle just about any task thrown at it.

As noted above, Apple has an event coming next week, but Bloomberg reports we won’t see any new iPads then. Instead, refreshes are expected sometime early next year, so if you can afford to wait, it might be smart to do so. But if not, there’s still decent value here.

JBL Charge 5

The JBL Charge 5 is down to $120 at Amazon, Walmart and various other retailers, which is about $30 off its average street price. We recommend the Charge 5 in our guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers. It’s not the most compact speaker around, but it’s loud enough for smaller parties, it does well keep tracks from sounding muddled and its IP67 waterproof rating means it’s safe to take in the shower or pool. JBL says its battery can last up to 20 hours per charge — though, as with all portable speakers, that’ll vary based on usage and volume — and the whole thing can work as a power bank for your phone in a pinch.

WD Black C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S

For better or worse, the only way to fully expand the storage of an Xbox Series X/S is to buy a proprietary expansion card. If you’re running out of space, you can get the 1TB version of WD’s Black C50 card for $120 at Amazon with a $30 on-page coupon. That’s a new all-time low. This is still pricier than buying a comparable (and PS5-compatible) SSD, but the only other Xbox storage card on the market comes from Seagate, and the 1TB version of that card is currently priced at $149.

Apple Watch Ultra

Apple’s last-gen premium smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra, is on sale for $629 at Best Buy, which is about $140 off its typical going rate in recent months. Note that this deal applies to the model with Apple’s small Trail Loop in yellow and beige. A model with a small orange Alpine Loop is also on sale at Amazon for $659.

The catch here is that Apple recently released the Apple Watch Ultra 2, so this is technically an outdated model. The latest version adds a faster S9 SiP (system-in-package), which supports a useful Double Tap feature and on-board Siri processing, but the original remains a powerful option for athletes, hikers and other more involved users. It earned an 85 in our review when it came out thanks to its long battery life, big and bright display, and durable build. It still packs plenty of fitness and adventuring features (such as an SOS siren, waypoint-setting and a diving app) alongside the workout and activity tracking you get with other Apple Watches, so it might be worthwhile if you’re looking to save at least a little bit of cash on a high-end wearable. 

OnePlus Open 

The OnePlus Open started shipping just this week, but Amazon is already bundling the new foldable phone with a $200 gift card. Since the phone itself goes for $1,700, any sort of savings is appreciated. We called the Open a “thinner and more affordable flagship foldable” in our review last week and have named it the best “budget” option in our guide to the best foldable phones. 

If you don’t want to shop from Amazon — or if the gift card deal goes out of stock — you can grab a similar deal directly from OnePlus. The company is currently offering a $200 discount if you trade in any smartphone, regardless of brand, age and/or condition, bringing the foldable down to $1,500.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

Along those lines, both Amazon and Best Buy are bundling Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 FE phone with a $100 gift card for no extra cost. The phone itself goes for $599 and, like the OnePlus Open, began shipping this week. As we noted in our hands-on earlier this month, the Galaxy S23 FE has a similar design as the standard Galaxy S23, but it comes with a 6.4-inch OLED display (instead of 6.1 inches) and uses a slightly slower and less efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor (instead of the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2). The FE’s camera system has a worse telephoto lens as well, though the device does come with a larger battery. While Google’s Pixel 8 looks to be a more complete package as a midrange Android phone, the S23 FE is less expensive, and this deal should only heighten the value. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonos-home-theater-bundles-are-20-percent-off-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-164825210.html?src=rss 

Exactly one year has passed since Elon Musk, fresh off a months-long legal battle that forced him to buy the company, strolled into Twitter headquarters carrying a sink.

At the time, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. But there were no shortage of predictions — including from us at Engadget — about just how messy and chaotic Twitter might become under Musk’s leadership. I’ve spent the last week revisiting many of those stories, and I’ve been struck by how, for a famously erratic CEO, just how predictable many aspects of his takeover have been.

Before the acquisition closed, Musk spent months talking, tweeting and texting about his plans for the platform. Many of those early statements, like promises to relax moderation rules and to create an edit button, have actually happened.

But as is so often the case with Musk, even the most predictable of his decisions have played out in unexpected ways.

Amnesty for Donald Trump and other banned accounts

Of all of Musk’s plans for Twitter, one that drew the most headlines was his intention to restore Donald Trump’s account. (He went as far as calling the original ban a “morally bad decision.”) While Musk’s biographer claims he had some second thoughts about the matter, he opted to reinstate the former president following the result of a poll from his Twitter account.

What many may not have fully anticipated was just how many former offenders Musk was willing to allow back on the platform. Despite his initial promise that Twitter “cannot become a free-for-all hellscape,” Musk decided to offer “general amnesty” to more than 12,000 previously-banned accounts, including a number of neo-Nazis.

The slow death of content moderation (and Twitter’s ad business)

It was no secret that Musk wanted to loosen Twitter’s content moderation rules. Before his takeover, he suggested that he was in favor of allowing all speech that was legal. While many pundits predicted advertisers could be wary of Musk’s more permissive approach, it’s hard to overstate just how dire the company’s ad business has become over the last year.

A majority of major advertisers have stopped buying ads on the platform, despite CEO Linda Yaccarino’s rosier (and misleading) suggestions otherwise. Musk himself has admitted ad revenue has dropped at least 50 percent. And The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the banks that financed Musk’s Twitter deal are expecting to lose hundreds of millions of dollars as it’s become nearly impossible for them to offload the debt.

More “transparency”

One area that gave even some Musk critics a little bit of optimism was his insistence, prior to the acquisition, that he would bring a new level of transparency to the platform. He vowed to open-source the company’s recommendation algorithm, and pull back the curtain on the dreaded “shadowban.”

In some respects, he’s followed through. Code for the company’s main recommendation algorithm is on Github. X has also previewed alerts that will notify users when their accounts have been restricted from search and other areas of the service.

But those efforts may also be more shallow than what some had hoped for. Publishing “the algorithm” didn’t actually reveal much about the inner workings of the platform, according to those who have studied it. Users still have very little insight into how posts are prioritized or how accounts not belonging to Elon Musk can expand their reach.

At the same time, Musk has taken a number of steps that have dramatically reduced outsiders’ ability to understand how information spreads on X. Musk dismantled the company’s previously open and accessible APIs in favor of tools that now cost tens of thousands of dollars a month for much more limited insights. Paywalling has had a devastating impact on researchers, the vast majority of whom can no longer afford to access the limited data that is available via X’s API.

“But wait,” I can already hear a few people screaming from the comments, “wHaT aBoUt ThE tWiTteR fiLeS? Surely, that is transparency?”

While Musk’s decision to selectively leak the messages of former employees was unprecedented and potentially illegal, the truth is that the so-called “Twitter Files” didn’t actually reveal all that much about how Twitter operated. And the company’s own lawyers have refuted, in court, that the details within them are proof of any kind of government censorship or overreach.

Moreover, the disclosures themselves weren’t all that… transparent. Partial documents were only provided to a couple of writers — handpicked by Musk — who only published snippets of Slack messages, emails and screenshots from Twitter’s internal tools. The underlying documents have still not been released in their entirety, or provided to other media outlets for dissemination. Even Jack Dorsey said it would have been better, and more transparent, to release everything “Wikileaks style” for all to see, rather than selectively tweeting out bits and pieces.

X and the “everything app”

Shortly before his takeover, Musk tweeted that “buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app.” At the time, many people assumed Musk was talking about emulating WeChat, which in China is used for almost all facets of daily life from shopping to messaging to banking.

However, one year later, it’s still not entirely clear what he means or how the service formerly known as Twitter will transform itself into something resembling an “everything app.” There are some signs of change: He and CEO Linda Yaccarino have said they want to add banking and other financial services to X. The platform has also introduced new features like video calling and is planning on adding live shopping.

The WeChat comparison breaks down, however, when you consider that, while WeChat is unquestionably the most dominant app in China, Twitter is, at best, the sixth-most popular social media app in the US. And the app’s usage has been sharply declining for the last year. There may be room to expand the types of features offered on X, but it’s not clear they’ll result in a significant boost in popularity or engagement.

The existential threats to Twitter

If you had told me a year ago that Musk’s decisions would be so unpopular it would lead to a mass exodus from the platform, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Threatening to rage-quit Twitter over even the most minor of changes is a time honored tradition.

But if you had told me that in less than a year, there would be a surge in upstart alternatives that are starting to feel like viable challengers, I would have been less credulous. And if you had told me that, a year later, the strongest-looking challenger was a fediverse-compatible platform created by Meta, I definitely wouldn’t have believed it.

But, with a year of hindsight, it strikes me that perhaps the most significant part of Musk’s legacy so far is not what he’s done to the service previously known as Twitter, but the wave of new platforms inspired by his actions.

Bluesky, previously a backwater Twitter offshoot, has surged to a million users, despite still being an invitation-only network. Mastodon and the fediverse, both of which predate Musk’s takeover, are more popular than ever. And Meta, which has a previously dismal track record at building its own apps (not called Facebook) that people like, has managed to make Threads into a viable (if flawed) alternative.

None of these are perfect replacements for what old Twitter was, at its best. And they may not be able to sustain their momentum for years to come, but Musk’s chaotic takeover of Twitter has ushered in what many believe to be a new era of social media. It feels increasingly possible that we may look back at the end of Twitter and the rise of X as a boon for a better version of social media.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-we-got-right-and-wrong-about-elon-musks-takeover-of-twitter-163003061.html?src=rss 

One of JBL’s best-sounding portable speakers is on sale via Amazon, with the Charge 5 matching a record low price of $120 in an early Black Friday deal. This Bluetooth speaker usually costs $180, so this represents a discount of 33 percent. We’ve seen this speaker go on sale before, but the price hasn’t been this low since July.

This sale is not just for the plain-jane black speaker, as you have your pick of colors, from gray, red and turquoise to unique patterns like camouflage. All told, choose from six colorways for the speaker.

JBL’s Charge 5 made our list of the best portable bluetooth speakers, and with good reason. The sound quality is great and we praised its “bright output and capable low end.” The battery lasts up to 20 hours per charge, which is a decent metric, and the whole thing is actually waterproof, with an IP67 rating. This means that if it accidentally falls in the pool during a backyard soiree, you won’t have to head immediately to Best Buy for a replacement.

There’s also a built-in powerbank that lets you use the speaker to charge other devices, and this unit boasts access to JBL’s proprietary PartyBoost feature. This lets you combine multiple wireless speakers to instantly create a stereo setup. As a matter of fact, the only potential downside to this portable speaker is the original asking price, as $180 is pretty steep. For today, at least, that issue has been solved.

JBL also has a number of wireless earbuds and headphones on sale right now, to complete the personal audio package. You can snag the company’s new high-end Quantum 910 headphones for $230, a savings of $70, or the budget-friendly Tune 230NC earbuds for $50 instead of $100.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jbls-charge-5-speaker-drops-to-a-record-low-in-an-early-black-friday-deal-152651436.html?src=rss 

Apple’s M2-powered 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 256GB of storage is $150 off its regular price at Amazon. That drops the tablet down to $1,050 just a few days ahead of Apple’s Scary Fast event. The company is widely expected to reveal its first M3 chipsets but it’s not certain that Apple will offer M3-powered iPad Pros immediately. You may have to wait until next year for a high-end tablet with the upcoming chipset.

Still, the M2 iPad Pro is our top pick for the best tablet you can buy right now. Even if Apple does announce an M3 iPad Pro in the coming days, it’s hard to go wrong with the current model. It runs on the same chipset as MacBooks, so you’d be hard pressed to find a faster or more powerful tablet.

We gave the M2 iPad Pro a score of 87 in our review. Apple didn’t give the tablet many upgrades compared with the M1-powered model, other than a few small tweaks and, of course, plugging in a more powerful chipset. However, the iPad Pro already had arguably the best display of any tablet around with the 120Hz ProMotion mini-LED screen. The design remains top notch, while battery life is strong.

Accessories such as the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil are helpful for productivity too. The 12.9-inch M2 model is our pick for the best iPad for power users thanks to the extra real estate compared with the 11-inch variant.

The 128GB version of the M2 iPad Pro, meanwhile, is available for a record low price. It has dropped by 10 percent to $990 at Amazon for a model without cellular connectivity.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-m2-129-inch-ipad-pro-is-150-off-ahead-of-apples-scary-fast-event-143023375.html?src=rss 

It seems like just about every streaming service has raised their price this year – most recently, Apple TV+, Netflix and Disney+. In this episode, we chat with Janko Roettgers, author of the newsletter Lowpass, about the state of streaming media. Why are these companies pushing their prices up now, and what does that mean for you, the viewer? Does this mean the dream of cord cutting is over? (Spoiler: No, not really.)

Also, we chat about Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chips, adult film star Riley Reid’s new AI chatbot, and why Super Mario Wonder is the best 2D Mario game since Super Mario World.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

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Topics

Reporter Janko Roettgers explains what’s going on with streaming price increases – 1:0

Other News: 41 states use Meta over Instagram’s influence on kids – 23:15

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 brings more AI power to phones – 28:59

Snapdragon X Elite takes aim at Apple’s M series chips – 33:26

Working on – 42:30

Pop culture picks – 46:12

Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Ben Ellman
Guest: Janko Roettgers
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-podcast-streaming-video-price-hikes-131535731.html?src=rss 

You can snag a pair of the well-reviewed Google Pixel Buds Pro earbuds for just $117 via Wellbots, a savings of $83. This matches the previous low for the product which was set during Amazon’s Prime Day event a few weeks back. Just pop in our exclusive discount code “ENGPIX83” at checkout and you’ll be good to go.

We called these earbuds the company’s best effort to date in our official review, praising the deep and punchy bass, the useful touch controls, wireless charging options and more. As a matter of fact, it even made our list of the best wireless earbuds for 2023. In other words, these are the real deal.

Our biggest complaint was the price, so this deep discount is more than welcome. However, we also called out the relatively lengthy pairing process and the half-baked transparency mode. The ambient sounds provided by the earbuds come in as muffled when this mode is activated, defeating the purpose of providing exterior noises in the first place. Beyond that short list of cons, however, these are considered the best earbuds on the market for Android devices. In most scenarios they sound absolutely fantastic.

This deal from Wellbots also extends to another big-time Google device. You can get the Google Nest Hub Max for $130, a savings of $100. Make sure to put in our exclusive discount code “ENGMAX100” to save all of that sweet, sweet cheddar. We praised the smart home controller upon launch, touting its accurate facial recognition tech, the integrated Nest camera, and the above-average sound quality, in addition to wide integration with smart home platforms.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-buds-pro-are-on-sale-for-117-130040494.html?src=rss 

In 2021, Hertz announced that it was going to order 100,000 electric vehicles from Tesla by the end of 2022. Turns out the car rental company is far from being able to reach that number still, and it may take a while to get to 100,000, if it even gets there, because it’s slowing down its plans to electrify its fleet. During the company’s third-quarter earnings call (PDF), CEO Stephen Scherr said Hertz’s “in-fleeting of EVs will be slower than [its] prior expectations.”

Hertz reported a 13 percent margin for the quarter, which Scherr said would’ve been “several points higher” if not for the cost challenges associated with EVs. One of the factors that affected the company’s margins was depreciation, compounded by the one-third drop in retail prices of the electric cars in its fleet. Tesla had implemented several price cuts over the past year, slashing the Model S and X prices by nearly 20 percent in September.

In addition, the CEO said that EVs are costing Hertz “about twice in terms of damage cost repair than a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle.” He said the company is working directly with Tesla to look at its cars’ performance and lower the risk of damage, as well when it comes parts procurement and labor. The company disclosed in its earnings report that 80 percent of its EVs is made up of Tesla vehicles, which means it has 35,000 Tesla in its fleet out of 50,000. As CNBC explains, EVs come with their own set of maintenance challenges, potentially brought about by their heavier weight. Aside from those two factors, moving a portion of its EV fleet from ridesharing use to leisure had affected its margins, as well. Hertz rents Tesla EVs to Uber and Lyft drivers, and it’s now planning to move the vehicles it removed from the pool back to its ridesharing business.

Scherr said Hertz remains committed to its long-term plan to electrify its fleet, but it’s going to pace itself while it looks for solutions to its EV-related issues. The CEO talked about how taking on EVs by other manufacturers like GM could address some of the problems it’s facing. He expects Hertz to be able to purchase them at an “appreciably lower price point” than the prices it paid for its Tesla vehicles. He also thinks that those cars “will likely speak to lower incidence of damage,” as well as to “a lower cost of parts and labor.” GM and other traditional automakers have a broad parts supply network nationwide established over the decades, which will make it easier — and potentially cheaper due to aftermarket availability — to procure components.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hertz-decides-to-slow-down-its-ev-expansion-094012885.html?src=rss