EDITOR'S CHOICE

Researchers Uncover Promising Side Effect Of Solar Farms: 'Opportunity To Provide A Net Benefit'

31 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"Scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory have found that solar farms can also help reverse the decline in pollinator populations...Argonne National Laboratory found that "conscious design" of solar farms can boost pollinator numbers after studying two sites in Minnesota. With native plants surrounding the installations helping to encourage the presence of birds and bees, pollinator numbers tripled in just four years."

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5 Takeaways From an Actually Pretty Solid Quarter for EV Sales According to HeatMap

31 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"...the supposed EV sales slump isn’t real...overall growth rate has slowed somewhat...electric vehicles sales have been steadily rising amid a negative narrative, and they rose yet again in the third quarter of 2024.

"Carmakers sold 346,309 of them from July to September, a 5% increase over the second quarter of this year and an 11% jump year-over-year...

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California Reaches 22% BEV Market Share

31 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"California has reached a record of 22% market share for battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and over 40% if you account for PHEVs and HEVs.

"This marks a full year of registration declines for Tesla in California, leaving the "alternative powertrain door" open for traditional automakers. Manufacturers and dealers have embraced this shift, expanding their share of battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales to 40.2 percent as consumers increasingly turn to exciting, new electric vehicle (EV) options."

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GM CEO Mary Barra On The Politics Of EVs, The Future Of AVs, and Moving Away From China

30 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"I never thought the propulsion of a vehicle would become a political issue...former President...has railed against EVs and claimed, wrongly, that there is a mandate...General Motors's goal is to just keep providing great vehicles, keep supporting the charging infrastructure to be more robust...[customers] want affordability with the right range. And that sweet spot is really 300 miles

"... competing for EV market share in China is a "race to the bottom".

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Report: Confronting Car Dependence Won't Just Help With Climate Change; It's a $6.2 Trillion Opportunity

30 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"Making driving truly optional can save the planet - and save American households trillions of dollars.

'Freedom to Move,' states that giving Americans the freedom to choose among multiple modes of travel is 'key to the climate transition'..slashing vehicle miles traveled by about 27 percent from 2035 to 2050...America wouldn't have to build about $201 billion in new energy infrastructure that would be necessary to power millions of electric cars and the gas-powered cars that would still be produced as the fleet transitions."

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Why Aren't We Driving Hydrogen Powered Cars Yet? There's A Reason EVs Won.

30 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"The answer is very simple: economics...falling cost of batteries and the upsides of a preexisting fueling infrastructure...have propelled battery-electric cars well into the lead.

"What makes hydrogen passenger cars altogether costlier than their battery-electric counterparts is the lack of fueling infrastructure, energy-conversion inefficiencies, and the price of the fuel at the pump..."

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Overcoming The Electric Vehicle Adoption Challenge

30 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"The price gap between EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles remains a critical hurdle for many consumers, particularly in Western markets, where government subsidies are declining.

"...subsidies can temporarily drive demand, they fail to provide the necessary foundation for long-term growth...governments should prioritize infrastructure investment...Public-private partnerships are emerging as a vital strategy for overcoming the infrastructural challenges facing EV adoption."

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Authoritarianism Is On The Rise. Is Climate Change To Blame?

29 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"Although it's difficult to prove that climate change contributed to the ascent of these strongmen, political scientists, economists, and psychologists have found evidence that the dangers of global warming can push individuals, and nations, in an authoritarian direction...

"Researchers have long noticed that natural disasters like floods, droughts, and wildfires can help autocratic politicians consolidate power."

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Real World Hydrogen Refueling Stations With Electrolysis Far Less Efficient Than Assumed

29 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"...when it comes to hydrogen, the more real-world data collection and analysis that is done and published, the worse it looks...study after study, including ICCTs, assumed 4% of capex annually for operations and maintenance, California's experience suggests more like 30%.

"...real-world studies of actual hydrogen refueling stations that have been operating for years...find that they are performing terribly below assumed levels."

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3 Emerging Trends in the US Electric Vehicle Workforce

29 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"Across the country, workers are seeing manufacturing industries drastically transform: Where jobs are located, what employment opportunities are available, which skills are needed and how workers gain those skills are all in flux.

"As auto companies, parts manufacturers and others along the auto supply chain shift to meet the new EV demands, new jobs are created and existing roles are transforming."

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Tesla's Cheap EV Switcheroo

29 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"...when pressed by an investor whether the company would indeed build a '$25,000 non-robotaxi regular car model,' Musk called the idea “pointless...It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe.. it's 'blindingly obvious' autonomy is the future.

"The promise of the “Model 2,” perpetually dangled in front of the world as something just a few years away, enticed many people - including, crucially, investors - to believe Musk would extend his dominance of the EV market..."

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San Francisco Bay to Pioneer Zero-Emission Ferries with $12.5M State Grant for Harbor Bay Terminal Electrification

27 Oct 2024 | Synopsis

"The agency was recently awarded a $12.5 million grant from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to transition the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal in Alameda to zero-emission service...SF Bay Ferry is committed to providing the region with the nation's first zero-emission fleet of fast ferries...

"$5 million award from the California Energy Commission and another $4 million in local matching funds, collectively bolstering the infrastructure needed for the full electric transformation of the Harbor Bay service."

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