EDITOR'S CHOICE

'Source Of Data': Are Electric Cars Vulnerable To Cyber Spies And Hackers?

01 May 2025 | Synopsis

"Security experts spoken to by the Guardian say electric cars – the most advanced road vehicles on the market – could be exploited by hackers...electric cars have myriad ways of generating data that is of interest to hostile states, given the microphones, cameras and wifi connectivity they contain...A mobile phone connected to the car, whether via a charging cable or Bluetooth, is another source of data..."

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Tesla Insurance Premiums Are Increasing At Twice The Market Rate Amid Vandalism

01 May 2025 | Synopsis

"Tesla insurance premiums are increasing at more than twice the rate of the rest of the US auto market due to higher repair costs and amid increased instances of vandalism

"The study also points to insurance premiums on Tesla vehicles increasing at about twice the rate of the rest of the market, and the Model Y premiums increased by almost 3 times the rest of the market increase..."

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Proposed Federal Regulation Change Could Reduce E-Bike Inventory Value

01 May 2025 | Synopsis

"If approved by the CPSC and then Congress, e-bikes that met EN, other standards, or no standards - but not UL - could no longer be legally sold in the U.S. It's not clear how many e-bikes are currently in wholesale or retail inventory that fall into this category.

"Giant Group, along with PeopleForBikes, does not believe a unique testing standard (like UL 2849), which is not harmonized with global standards, will bring any additional safety to the quality products sold by Giant..."

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Fuel Cells in Cars Without a Future? - An Analysis

01 May 2025 | Synopsis

"It is something like the eternal undead among alternative drive systems...The lack of success is not due to the technology itself...registration figures for fuel cell vehicles are continuing to fall: while 900 cars with hydrogen technology were sold in 2022, the figure was only 260 in 2023 and just 150 last year...4,000 new fuel cell trucks are registered in China every year... But in the same period, 75,000 battery-electric trucks are put on the road..."

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Isuzu's First Electric Pickup Is Here And It's A Beast: Meet The New D-MAX EV

30 Apr 2025 | Synopsis

"The electric pickup is nearly identical to Isuzu’s popular gas-powered D-MAX, but swaps the diesel powertrain for a pair of electric motors..."

"The dual-motor powertrain enables it to match the performance of existing diesel models, with a combined 188 hp (140 kW) and a maximum torque of 240 lb-ft...Powered by a 66.9 kWh battery, Isuzu's first electric pickup boasts a driving range of up to 263 km (162 miles) on the WLTP."

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Fusion Reactor Called "Norm" Could Outperform Everything We've Built So Far

30 Apr 2025 | Synopsis

"TAE Technologies claims its setup produces 100 times the power of other designs at half the cost, but the road to commercial fusion is littered with hype.

"... field-reversed configuration (FRC)—a setup that holds piping hot plasma in place without relying on the gigantic magnets seen in traditional fusion designs like tokamaks...Norm reduces the machine’s size, complexity, and cost by up to 50%..."

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This New Range Extender Proves Gas Engines Are Far From Dead

30 Apr 2025 | Synopsis

"The 'range extender' bit is a gas-powered engine, usually small and compact, mounted in the car to recharge the battery if there aren't any charging stations nearby.

"Range extenders are a better choice versus traditional plug-in hybrids, ZF argues, because they're cheaper to produce, require shorter development cycles, and use simpler supply chains...ZF's new range extender can be had in two flavors: eRE and eRE+."

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UK Researchers Make Breakthrough On Revolutionary Fuel That Could Transform Wide Range Of Industries

30 Apr 2025 | Synopsis

"UK-based energy-tech company [Interesting Engineering] created a portable hydrogen generation module capable of producing up to 1,100 pounds of hydrogen daily [from ammonia]...Hy-5 can produce hydrogen with greater than 99.9% purity...a scalable and cost-effective way to produce hydrogen...Examples include manufacturing steel and cement glass, chemical production, hydrogen logistics, and off-grid EV charging with hydrogen fuel cell generators."

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Billionaires-Backed Slate Auto Debuts Analog EV Pickup Truck That Is Decidedly Anti-Tesla

29 Apr 2025 | Synopsis

"The base version of Slate's truck will squeeze 150 miles out of a 52.7kWh battery pack, which will power a single 150kW motor on the rear axle...Slate is offering a larger battery pack that it says will have about 240 miles of range.

"The company said...it will launch with more than 100 different accessories that buyers can use to personalize the truck...billing the add-ons as 'easy DIY' that 'non-gearheads.'"

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Dark Matter: An 86-lb, 800-hp EV motor by Koenigsegg

29 Apr 2025 | Synopsis

"The Dark Matter weighs a mere 86 lb (39 kg) and delivers 800 hp (600 kW) with 922 lb-ft of face-melting torque (1,250 Nm) and a max rev of 8,500 RPM...The entire unit is about 15.1 inches in diameter and 5.3 inches thick...It's only slightly bigger than a Roomba

"The radial flux design isn't just the most common type of EV motor, it's in nearly everything that uses an electric motor. From a drill to an RC car."

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The US States Where You Can Save The Most Money With An Electric Car

29 Apr 2025 | Synopsis

"...electric cars are more efficient, and charging them with electricity is cheaper than fueling a gas car with fossil fuel...use some averages and norms to come to some conclusions, and that’s what Payless Power has done.

"Washington, Nevada, and Oregon offered the most savings over 10 years - $18,055, $15,726, and $14,481, respectively...states with the lowest estimated savings...would be Connecticut, Alabama, and Nebraska."

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Whisper Aero Ultralight Aircraft Scores $500K For 'UltraQuiet' Electric Jet Motor Tests

29 Apr 2025 | Synopsis

"It's effectively an electrically spun ducted fan jet engine that uses a large number of stiff composite fan blades inside a lightweight, acoustically treated duct. With so many blades, the Whisper Aero propulsor can push more air than a conventional prop while spinning much more slowly.

"The Whisper Aero ultralight is [a] Aeriane Swift3 glider fitted with a pair of Whisper’'s eQ250 propulsors, each capable of up to 80 lbs. of thrust..."

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