02 May 2024 16:09:13 UTC

 EDITOR'S CHOICE

South African Teens Build Solar Train as Power Cuts [Literally] Haunt Commuters

25 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"..the railways frequently hobbled by power outages and cable thefts...To respond to the crisis, a group of 20 teenagers invented South Africa's first fully solar-powered train...Photovoltaic panels fitted to the roof, the angular blue-and-white test train moves on an 18-metre-long (60 feet) test track in Soshanguve township north of the capital Pretoria...The train...can run at 30 kilometres (20 miles) per hour..."

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Too Many Electric Cars Charging At Night May Overload Electrical Grid

23 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"If drivers primarily charge vehicles at home during the night, that could lead to a 25 per cent surge in peak net electricity demand when states reach 50 per cent electric vehicle ownership...

"The computer models showed that having more drivers charging during the day could reduce the grid's energy storage requirements by between $700 million and $1.5 billion, compared with a business-as-usual" night home charging.

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Awake Boards Complete Country to Country eFoil Crossing

23 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"...the Vinga [in] combination of the Flex XR extended-range battery and a wing best-suited for heavier riders proved up to the task, and the [17 mile] journey from Malmo in Sweden to Copenhagen in Denmark was completed in one hour and 10 minutes.

"The Vinga electric hydrofoil paired with an eFoil liner jet system that can be matched with a standard Flex battery for up to an hour and 20 minutes of per-charge...Prices start at €12,900"

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'Unwinding Really Backward Policy:' California Abolishes Decades-Old Parking Requirements

23 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"...AB 2097...frees developers of parking requirements for new housing and businesses located within a half-mile of a public transit stop.The regulation won’t prohibit developers from building parking in their projects but will ban local jurisdictions from imposing strict off-street parking allotments.

"This means more housing at lower prices closer to walkable neighborhoods and public transit."

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California Pizza Huts To Get Electric, 3-Wheeled, Single-Seater Delivery Vehicles

23 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"The American West Restaurant Group has over 230 restaurants in California and Utah, but is starting relatively modest with a fleet of just 14 Solo Cargos destined for Pizza Huts in southern California.

"ElectraMeccanica claims it will fit up to 10 pizzas, two sides and four Coke bottles, which is enough to cover some 90 percent of American West Restaurant Group's typical deliveries."

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Mesa Airlines Offers Path to 1,500 Hours; Pipistrel Secures Large Order

23 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"Airline orders up to 104 electric Pipistrel aircraft to build the Mesa Pilot Development program to combat the pilot shortage.

"Pipistrel Alpha Trainer 2 aircraft...allow pilots in its Mesa Pilot Development (MPD) program to accumulate flight time..

"To operate the program, Mesa said... the flight cost of $25 per hour per pilot would be fully financed by Mesa with zero interest charged to cadets...repay over three year contract."

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The Unexpected Truth About Self-Driving Cars According To General Motors

22 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"...autonomous cars are expected to heavily reduce the instances of accidents triggered by human negligence, improve fuel economy...

"Cruise co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt...doesn't see a valid point as to why he would want to get rid of the human touch...

"The GM-owned company, which aims to put a million autonomous cars in the public realm by 2030...only 44% of Americans perceiving self-driving cars as a bad idea, but a higher 66%...said they wouldn't want to move around in one such car."

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Flying-car Company Backed by Google Co-Founder Larry Page Will Shut Down

22 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"Kittyhawk formed its Wisk venture with Boeing Co. in 2019, and the airplane manufacturer went on to invest $450 million in the partnership...

"Kittyhawk's decision to cease operations does not change Boeing's commitment to Wisk...the aviation titan helped showcase Wisk's rotor-powered Cora aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow in July..

"Now Kittyhawk's shutdown...shows how hard the market is to crack."

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A Global Push for More '15-Minute Cities'

22 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"The idea is to make urban areas less dependent on cars as part of the fight against climate change. The 15-minute city framework emphasizes bringing the essentials of daily life - work, entertainment, schools and green space - within a short walk or bicycle ride from home...

"...locating jobs and homes in close proximity to one another and providing good public transportation and mixed land use can help cut emissions by around 25%."

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By The Numbers: How Much Electric Car Battery Range Is Enough?

22 Sep 2022 | Synopsis

"For the 2022 model year only a few of the least-costly models, including the Mazda MX-30, Mini Cooper SE, and the base version of the Nissan Leaf can run for fewer than 200 miles...

"So the big question here is deciding how much range a particular buyer can afford...

"Losing 10-20 percent of capacity down the road on a new model that’s estimated to run for 300 or more miles on a charge is noteworthy, but not necessarily debilitating..."

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