EDITOR'S PICK

A Mining Billionaire's Case for Ditching Fossil Fuels

26 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"At Fortescue, the mining behemoth he founded in 2003, Forrest has begun just such a transformation: he's building renewable-energy projects, purchasing a fleet of electric mining trucks, and trying to catapult green hydrogen to market.

"Under the mantra of Real Zero, a play on the increasingly controversial phrase net zero, Forrest has said his company will ditch fossil fuels in its land-based operations entirely by 2030."

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Tesla Protests Gain Momentum While The Hate Is Dividing Tesla Owners

26 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"Many of the protests from this weekend appeared to be bigger than the last ones...There are dozens of similar examples at Tesla stores all around the US and Canada, and the movement is now spreading to Europe...growing negative sentiment against Tesla also attracts criminal activities like vandalism

"Tesla owners, especially Cybertruck owners, have been increasingly reporting animosity from other road users [Image: bus stop in London, UK]

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JB Straubel Has a Fix for the Battery Problem

26 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"...we will need to mine more metals like lithium and cobalt than have been extracted in all of human history...but Straubel thinks we won't have enough materials to supply them, not to mention that nearly all the world's facilities to process those materials are in Asia...a gargantuan facility outside Reno...will process new minerals, recycled batteries, and manufacturing scrap into enough copper foil and powdery, mineral-rich cathode active material to build batteries for about 1 million electric cars a year by 2025."

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Steering The US Auto Industry Into A New Energy Era

23 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"It is imperative for the future of domestic manufacturing that the best electric cars in the world are made by American automaker...The United States cannot cede energy, innovation, or manufacturing leadership to China, Europe, or other regions

"This is another moment of upheaval in our industry...We must build the necessary manufacturing plants and components - including the batteries and materials that will power our future..." - Jim Farley

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Electric Airliner Startup Eviation Halts Operations In Blow To Green Aviation

23 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"Arlington-based startup Eviation, which flew the first flight of its sleek all-electric airplane at Moses Lake in fall 2022, laid off most of its staff last week

"The company shrank gradually through attrition from about 120 employees at first flight in 2022, down to about 70 people a year ago and then to about 30 before the layoffs...Clermont Group had been in talks with investors in the United Arab Emirates and speculated that the goal may be to shutter the U.S. operation and move the company there."

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New EV Batteries Are Making Electric Cars Cheaper And Safer

23 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"...first, it will have to overcome trade barriers between the United States and China...an EV with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, you could expect lower car payments, less fire risk and more years of use out of your car

"American companies are starting to build their own LFP batteries to catch up to their Chinese rivals...Tariffs and tax credit restrictions have made it too expensive for most American automakers to import LFP batteries from China."

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Lilium Closes eVTOL Business As New Investment Falls Through

23 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"...a group of investors from Europe and North America would acquire the business and fund work to bring its six-passenger Lilium Jet to market in 2026...Lilium was forced to file for 'self administration' insolvency proceedings in October after the German parliament blocked a €50 million loan guarantee...For reasons that have yet to be explained, these funds never materialized..."

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How One Of The World's Oldest Automakers Kicked Everyone's Butt Last Year

21 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"...Renault was founded in 1899...that's 104 years before Tesla came to exist...12 years before Chevrolet and four years before Ford..Renault doesn't sell cars in the United States and, very much unlike its competitors, it doesn't have a huge amount of exposure to China...its earnings for the fiscal year 2024 (ending in March 2025), and the Renault Group earned record profits of $4.49 billion..

"Renault is growing, maintaining or improving margins, balancing hybrid/electric platforms, and largely avoiding trade disputes."

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Californians Tested An $8,000 EV From China And Ended Up Shocked At How Much They Loved It

21 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"Meet the Wuling Binguo, a car with retro-inspired design...amazed at how China is able to produce electric vehicles so cheaply and so economically...there were two charging options - an 11kW AC slow charger, and a DC fast charger (10-80% in less than 30 minutes)... it definitely lacked the 'premium feel' of some of its rivals... it definitely lacked the 'premium feel' of some of its rivals...it was fine 'for getting from point A to point B with groceries."

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US EV Battery Manufacturing Capacity Will Rise When 10 Plants Come Online This Year

21 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"If they all open in 2025, the country’s EV battery manufacturing capacity is poised to grow to 421.5 gigawatt-hours per year, an increase of 90 percent from the end of 2024...two battery startups - Kore Power and Freyr - recently canceled plans for new US factories...[the former.]..company had not finalized a crucial federal loan before D.I.C. took office and froze new grants and loans."

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Analysis: Clean Energy Contributed A Record 10% Of China's GDP In 2024

21 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

"EVs and vehicle batteries were the largest contributors to China’s clean-energy economy in 2024, making up an estimated 39% of value overall...China produced 13m NEVs in 2024, rising 34% year-on-year. Some 22% of Chinese-made NEVs were exported, while the rest were sold domestically.

"EVs, batteries and solar - was responsible for an estimated 3.5% of China's CO2 emissions and 0.9 percentage points of emissions growth in 2024."

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New Research Finds Electric Vehicles Depreciate Faster Than Gas Cars, But The Trend Is Changing

20 Feb 2025 | Synopsis

" New research finds that while older electric vehicle models depreciate in value faster than conventional gas cars, newer electric vehicle models with longer driving ranges are holding their value better and approaching the retention rates of many gas cars.

"The study examined more than nine million car listings at over 60,000 dealerships between 2016 and 2022...While a higher resale value in future is better for new car buyers, it also means the end of lower cost used electric vehicles."

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