Eager to offload surplus supplies of 2026 Gravity models, Lucid has announced an aggressive financing deal for the all-electric SUV. Whether it’ll be enough to sell the leftover inventory remains to be seen, but it certainly brings the Gravity within reach of more prospective shoppers.

According to a report from EV, the offer was first sent via email to customers in the US earlier this week, before being added to Lucid’s website. It notes the Gravity Touring and Grand Touring are available with zero percent financing for 72 months, but notes buyers must take delivery by July 31.

Read: Lucid Is Blaming Someone Else For The Gravity’s Second Recall In Four Months

The Lucid Gravity is also available to finance over 84 months with a monthly fee of $681, plus a $20,000 down payment. Those interested in leasing are in luck, too, as the 2026 Gravity is available with a $10,000 discount. Currently, it’s available to lease for $699 a month for the Touring and $949 a month for the Grand Touring, both over 24 months.

It’s unclear how many examples of the 2026 Gravity Lucid still holds in its inventory. It unveiled the tweaked 2027 model at the start of April, increasing the vehicle’s price tag by $4,000 but adding features as standard that were previously options, such as the DreamDrive 2 Premium advanced driver-assistance system.

Is Now The Time To Buy?

This is far from the first time that Lucid has tried to match Gravity’s sales. As of March, the financing rate had been cut to zero percent for 60 months and was available alongside up to $12,500 in lease incentives. As part of the existing deals, existing Lucid customers will be offered an additional $3,000 loyalty credit. A $3,000 trade-in allowance is also available for non-Lucid vehicles, excluding those from Ineos.

The drive to sell remaining 2026 Gravity models comes after a disappointing quarter for the American brand. Across the April-June period, it delivered 3,953 vehicles, below analyst expectations. During the quarter, it built 4,774 vehicles, fewer than the 5,500 that it built in the first quarter of this year.

Chinese EV startup Leapmotor, which has expanded into global markets, including Europe, on the back of its partnership with Stellantis and its sales network, just posted record numbers for the first half of 2026. Once you see how cheap some of the company’s newest models are, the surge makes sense. In Germany, one of Leapmotor’s entry-level EVs can be had for just €48.90 ($56) a month, and no, that number isn’t missing a zero. That works out to less than most people spend on a monthly phone plan for an actual car with a warranty.

A couple of years back, the German government pulled its EV subsidies, and sales cratered almost overnight. The incentives returned this January, knocking up to €6,000 ($6,800) off the price of a new EV for a family with at least two children and a combined income under €45,000 ($51,500).

Read: Stellantis Turns A Tiny Chinese Hatch Into A Delivery Van That’s Light On The Van Part

With that subsidy in play, plenty of shoppers can skip the down payment and delivery fees entirely and worry only about the monthly bill. The Leapmotor T03, which retails for €18,900 ($21,600), currently runs just €48.90 ($56) a month across a 36-month term, with mileage capped at 10,000 km (6,213 miles) per year. When the lease ends, buyers can purchase the T03 outright for €11,139 ($12,700) or hand back the keys and shop around for something else.

Why Is It So Cheap?

While one could argue that a family earning less than €45,000 ($51,500) shouldn’t be looking at a new car but rather a used one, being able to lease and drive one for just €1,760 ($2,010) over three years is one heck of a deal.

“The vehicle’s extremely competitive pricing is made possible by Leapmotor’s high level of cost efficiency,” Leapmotor told Nikkei Asia in an interview. “One key factor behind this is the company’s extensive vertical integration. Additionally, the leasing rate, which starts at just 49 euros, is made possible by German government incentives.”

Leapmotor Sales Surge

Some observers figured Leapmotor was pricing the T03 this low to clear inventory, worried the compact EV would fall foul of new EU rules that require camera-based driver assistance systems, upgraded autonomous emergency braking, and enlarged head impact protection zones for pedestrians and cyclists. However, a Leapmotor spokesman has rejected this, stating the T03 complies with these new rules.

Through the first half of 2026, Leapmotor has sold 356,487 vehicles globally, a 95 percent increase over the same period last year. It enjoyed a particularly strong June, selling a total of 93,376 models, also a 95 percent year-on-year increase. Since its formation, the company has sold more than 1.55 million cars.

The Rivian R2 is finally available to lease, but shoppers expecting a budget-friendly path into the brand may be in for a surprise. While the automaker’s newest electric crossover starts well below the larger R1S on paper, the real-world lease numbers tell a different story. In fact, whether you put thousands down or nothing at all, the R2 still ends up costing about $1,000 a month to drive.

The 2026 R2 Performance is currently advertised at $829 per month for 36 months with $5,724 due at signing, which includes fees and the first month’s payment. Against its $57,990 MSRP and a 10,000-mile annual allowance, and stripping that first payment out of the upfront total, the effective monthly cost works out to roughly $965.

Read: Rivian’s R2 Configurator Is Live, And A Spare Tire Costs $755

Understandably, many shoppers prefer to evaluate leases with little or no money down. Rivian’s payment estimator shows that removing the down payment increases the monthly payment to $939 for the same 10k miles and 36 months. The amount due at signing falls to roughly $2,334 including the first month, but the effective monthly cost still lands at approximately $978. In other words, the difference between putting money down and keeping that cash in your bank account is only about $13 per month over the life of the lease.

That figure becomes even more interesting when compared to Rivian’s own lineup. CarsDirect points out that less than a month ago, the R1S Dual Standard was available for $799 per month with $5,694 due at signing. That translated to an effective monthly cost of around $935 despite the SUV carrying roughly $19,000 more MSRP than the R2.

Today, that comparison is harder to spot because Rivian quietly increased R1S lease pricing. The same R1S now lists at $899 per month with $8,794 due at signing, resulting in an effective cost of roughly $1,118 monthly. The MSRP remains unchanged, but the lease economics have shifted dramatically.

That points to why some customers say they’re going to wait. Lease programs can change quickly, and lower-priced R2 trims are still on the way. On Reddit, the theme of comments was clear. “1-1.1k/month with no down including taxes and fees is rough. Probably gotta wait for deals,” said one. “I make a good living, but offering a lease at what is essentially 10% APR ($40k in payments over three years) is ridiculous, and I fear they may have miscalculated,” said another.

That said, the hype around the R2 is big. Rivian will likely have little trouble delivering all the examples they can make this year. Once that demand slows, the deals could roll in quickly.

Photos Rivian

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On November 12, 2025, the RENEW Wisconsin Board of Directors voted to appoint Ismaeel Chartier as the Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin. Ismaeel steps into this role after three months in the role of Interim Executive Director. Prior to his time leading the organization, he served RENEW as the Business Development Director, having started with the organization in 2023.

Ismaeel came to RENEW with a deep background in the nonprofit sector, having served at a handful of nonprofits over nearly two decades. Some highlights of his career include Executive Director of the Walworth County Alliance for Children and Executive Director of the Impact Advocacy Coalition of Cincinnati.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin,” Executive Director Ismaeel Chartier said. “This organization has walked through a season of change, and I’m honored by the trust placed in me to lead us into what comes next. The road ahead is demanding and full of big decisions, but I welcome that challenge. Wisconsin’s clean energy future will not build itself; it requires disciplined leadership, strong partnerships, and a team willing to push together. I’m committed to carrying this work forward with humility, resolve, and a steady focus on the long-term impact we can make for communities across our state.”

Ismaeel’s appointment to this position comes at a time of uncertainty for the renewable energy industry and marks the end of a transitional period for RENEW Wisconsin. During his tenure as interim, he steadied our organization and began charting a vision for RENEW’s future. In doing so, he secured the confidence of the organization’s staff and board members.

“Ismaeel’s appointment as Executive Director marks an exciting new chapter for RENEW Wisconsin,” RENEW Wisconsin Board Secretary Isaiah Ness said. “His leadership brings not only the steadiness and stability the organization needs, but also a clear and compelling vision for the future. We are honored to welcome him into this role at such a pivotal moment. Under his guidance, RENEW is poised to deliver greater value to its members, partners, and communities than ever before.”

Staff and board alike congratulate Ismaeel on the removal of interim from his title and are glad he agreed to take on the responsibility of leading our organization. Now, we look ahead to the future and all that we can build together.

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The Solar for Good grant program has awarded over $100,000 in grants and solar panel donations to Wisconsin nonprofit organizations for the Fall 2025 grant round. Thanks to a generous donation from the Couillard Solar Foundation, the 11 nonprofits will install 911 panels for nearly 500 kilowatts of solar electricity, leading to more than $1.87 million in renewable energy investments in Wisconsin. These grants are the second round delivered this year. An additional 15 nonprofits received grants this spring.

The following organizations have been awarded Fall 2025 Solar for Good grants to install new solar energy systems:

Mondovi Public Library – library, Mondovi
Elroy Public Library – library, Elroy
Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society – place of worship, Madison
Alma Public Library – library, Alma
Independence Public Library – library, Independence
Social Justice Center – community center, Madison
Wonewoc Area Lions Club – community service, Wonewoc
Wonewoc Area Fire Department – community service, Wonewoc
Sunny Side Development – affordable housing, Madison
Luther Park Bible Camp – place of worship and recreation, Chetek
Hope Village — affordable housing, Chippewa Falls

The grant recipients from the Fall 2025 grant round are a diverse range of organizations, representing affordable housing organizations, schools, and houses of worship. Each organization’s solar project will have a significant impact on their budget and will allow them to focus more funds on their missions.

“We’re always excited to see the wide variety of grantees who are making the decision to use a clean energy resource like solar power,” said Jackie Harrison-Jewell, Executive Director of the Couillard Solar Foundation. “With the withdrawal of grant support for many clean energy projects and nonprofits this year, as well as the shuttering of tax credits for solar investment in the coming months, it’s especially heartening to see these Wisconsin nonprofits really commit to supporting their communities by reducing their energy use, reducing their utility bills, and helping to make Wisconsin a healthier place to live and work. We want to welcome all of our 2025 grant recipients to the growing community of solar-powered nonprofits we have in our state.”

Through the assistance from Solar for Good grants, these 10 projects will accelerate Wisconsin’s transition to solar energy, facilitating the expansion of environmental stewardship and energy savings. As Solar for Good looks ahead to future grant rounds, the program remains committed to supporting nonprofits and houses of worship across the state of Wisconsin by supporting organizations in their efforts to contribute to a positive environmental impact, enhance economic advancement in Wisconsin, and strengthen their ability to aid the communities they serve.

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