EDITOR'S PICK

Solid-State Batteries: The Promise and the Perplexities

16 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"Solid-state batteries have emerged as a promising contender to revolutionize energy storage...widespread adoption of this technology faces significant hurdles...While the potential of solid-state batteries is undeniable, several challenges hinder their widespread adoption...Achieving high ionic conductivity within the solid electrolyte remains a critical challenge...The manufacturing process...is complex and currently expensive..."

Read Full Story

New York Is Now Coming For Your Fast And Heavy Electric Bikes

16 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"New York Govenor...Hochul proposed in her State of the State address yesterday that Class 3 electric bikes weighing over 100 lb (45 kg) be excluded from existing electric bicycle regulations and instead be treated more like mopeds.

"Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes can reach a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) on motor power...New York State has stricter Class 3 limits that provide for speeds up to just 25 mph..."

Read Full Story

Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor In Wyoming Hits Key Milestone

16 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"In Kemmerer, Wyoming, the Naughton Power Plant has been burning coal to provide electricity since the 1960s...plant would be shut down by 2025...it is the site where Natrium, America's first coal-to-nuclear project...US Department of Energy...gave the company an $80 million grant in October 2020 as part of its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Project program...The permit allows TerraPower to begin building the non-nuclear portions of its plant.."

Read Full Story

Island 1,200 Miles Off The Southwest Coast Of Africa Is Now Home To The World's Most Remote EV Charging Point

15 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"Subaru UK partnered with Easee, a Norwegian EV charger brand, to set up the world's most remote public EV charging point in St Helena...The isolated island is a part of the British Overseas Territory and is mainly inhabited...the same place where Napolean was exiled..likely why Subaru UK sent a Solterra EV as part of its test...The island currently has four more electric vehicles that can benefit from the newly installed EV charging point."

Read Full Story

Toyota Exposed For Funding Climate Denialism Designed To Slow EV Transition

15 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"Instead of innovating, Toyota has bankrolled lobbyists and climate-hostile lawmakers to help it defeat EVs," according to Public Citizen.

"In the report, titled Driving Denial, Toyota has emerged over the last three election cycles as the auto industry's top financial backer of climate deniers in Congress - donating to 207 of their campaigners... Toyota was named by InfluenceMap as the third-worst company in the world for anti-climate lobbying, after only fossil fuel giants Chevron and ExxonMobil."

Read Full Story

World's First Liquid Hydrogen Powered Turbine Engine

15 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

" Turbotech, Safran, and Air Liquide teamed up to validate the feasibility of using liquid hydrogen to power a turbine engine...Hydrogen inherently has an extremely high flame temperature of up to ~5,500 °F (3,038 °C), ripe for creating NOx..Liquid hydrogen requires even more specialized equipment, as it must be kept at or below -423 °F (-253 °C) to remain liquid."

Read Full Story

Breaking: California Abandons Diesel Truck Ban And Other Clean-Air Rules Ahead of Regressive New Adminstration

15 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"The withdrawal comes after the Biden administration recently approved the California Air Resources Board’s mandate phasing out new gas-powered cars by 2035, but had not yet approved waivers for four other standards

"California's Advanced Clean Fleet rule, which phases out diesel trucks, was one of the most far-reaching and controversial rules...would have ended the sale of new fossil-fuel trucks in 2036 and required large trucking companies to convert their medium and heavy-duty fleets to electric or hydrogen models by 2042."

Read Full Story

Ford Sold More Electric Mustangs Than Gas Mustangs In 2024

13 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"...every year since Mach-E sales rose while Mustang sales dipped until last year when Mach-E sales trumped the sales of its gas counterpart under the same nameplate.

"Ford Motor Co. sold 51,745 Mustang Mach-E SUVs in the U.S. last year, trumping the sales numbers of its gas-powered counterpart Mustang [44,003] for the first time since the EV's sales commenced in late 2020 (3 sold)."

Read Full Story

Biden Energy Secretary: Hit Reverse On EV Investments And China Wins The Race

13 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"...China has a formidable head start in the EV race. They saw the writing on the wall early, and got to work building the supply chains, the manufacturing capacity, the charging infrastructure -and yes, the consumer incentives...

"...America is on track to produce 21 times more lithium by the end of this decade - slashing China's market dominance in half - and 18 times more battery cells." - US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm

Read Full Story

2025 To Be Year Of Electrification In Africa & South America

13 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"...the big story of 2025 in the EV world is going to be rapid electrification of auto markets in Africa and South America. Several countries on both of those continents seem primed for an EV boom, and Chinese automakers looking for more rapid growth...smart non-oil countries are starting to realize they can save an enormous amount of money by not buying gasmobiles...smarter countries are seeing the opportunity to bring in various manufacturing jobs..."

Read Full Story

Cold Is Less And Less A Problem For The Electric Car

13 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

"According to manufacturers, cold weather is becoming less and less of a problem as batteries, energy management systems, recharging and even the methods used to test cars continue to evolve.

"...the latest test, carried out in 2023 on more than 30 new and used models, confirmed that cold weather can still lead to a reduction in effective range of between 10% and more than 30%."

Read Full Story

Ex-Aston Martin CEO: Scrap Hybrids, Go All In 0n EV cars

13 Jan 2025 | Synopsis

These are legitimate concerns in the short term, and they are precisely what draw people to hybrids: the perception of a "best of both worlds" scenario. But that perception can be misleading.

When the electric component of a hybrid system is not consistently used, drivers end up relying heavily on the combustion engine, undermining the environmental benefits...hybrids could create a false sense of security, slowing the momentum toward pure battery-electric cars."

Read Full Story