EDITOR'S CHOICE

Seaweed-Based Battery Powers Confidence In Sustainable Energy Storage

10 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

Bristol-led team uses nanomaterials made from seaweed to create a strong battery separator...in collaboration with Imperial College and University College London...succeeded in making a separator from cellulose nanomaterials derived from brown seaweed...these nanomaterials are able to strengthen the separator materials and enhance our capability to move towards sodium-based batteries"

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Venezuelans Create Affordable Electric Vehicles As Necessity Drives Ingenuity

10 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

"Entrepreneurs in the Venezuelan city of Maracaibo have created affordable battery - and solar-powered vehicles adapted from golf carts and inspired by drag racing to overcome the country's chronic fuel shortages and power outages

"The electric carts now reach speeds of up to 40km an hour and can travel 60-100km with up to four passengers on a six-hour charge... a roof-mounted solar panel that extends the duration of the car's charge cycle."

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Australia's Motorists Facing 'EV Rapunzel' Dilemma

10 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

"...shockingly few apartment buildings in Australia allow EV owners to charge their cars at home...

"Australia currently has just over 3,000 EV public charging points (2531 standard AC, 470 supercharge DC) to cover 7.692 million square kilometres, with around 40%...located in New South Wales.

"...more and more Australians start living in apartments as opposed to freestanding houses - this 'EV rapunzel' dilemma will only become worse."

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Changes To Tax Credits Could Mean 52% of Car Sales Will Be Electric By 2030, Study Says

10 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

"The switch to electric vehicles won't be linear. It will speed up day by day...making up more than half of new car sales by 2030.

"Prior to passage of the [IRA] in August, projections for EV sales by 2030 came in at 43% of the US market...With the climate-spending measure in place, that estimate was revised upwards to 52%...less than 5% of new cars sold in the U.S. were electric. But studies have shown that EV adoption snowballs."

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Renault's Mobilize Debuts Tiny Solo EV With Single Seat And Joystick

10 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

Mobilize is the fourth Renault Group brand and has been conceived to provide car-sharing services...available only through a subscription plan...

"...pint-sized electric car that measures just 1.37 meters (54 inches) long. As its name implies, it takes the shape of a single-seater and has only three wheels...driven from a joystick without a license, and you don't even have to wear a seatbelt or a helmet. Top speed? A mighty 16 mph (25 km/h)."

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What to Buy: 2000–2006 Honda Insight Hybrid

09 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

"With teardrop styling, a unique driving experience, and high mpg, Honda's original Insight hybrid is a modern collectible you can feel good about owning."

"Expect to pay above $10,000 for a manual-transmission version in good condition. CVT-equipped models sell for less: $7500...battery packs last about a decade and decay much faster if the car spends a lot of time parked...$2000 to replace"

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I Took A 2,200mi Electric Roadtrip with No Prep. It Was Easy. What's the Big Deal?

09 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

"...electric roadtrip from Southern California to Portland and back. The total distance was around 2,200 miles...bulk of the driving happening over the course of 5 days...

"Each overnight charge was "free"...included with the hotel, and it was nice to leave in the morning with a 100% charge... given that we only "spent" 15 minutes charging during this 650 mile day (not counting the two fast food meals + bathroom breaks)..."

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Electric Cars Won't Overload the Power Grid - And They Could Even Help Modernize Our Aging Infrastructure

09 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

"More electric cars plugging in will increase energy demands over time, necessitating a more robust grid and smarter charging habits... With careful planning, there will be plenty of electricity to go around.

"...typical electric car might be parked 23 hours out of the day. That affords lots of flexibility in terms of when they're charged...RMI sees California's recent heat wave as proof that managed charging works..."

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From Transylvania To Istanbul In A Hyundai Kona Electric

09 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

The Polish EV team encountered a traffic jam: a car crash on a mountain pass that took 4 hours to clear. "With 11°C outside and 21°C inside, with air conditioning on, seat heating on, lights on, radio on, phone charging on, and all other car systems on (including GPS), the Kona used 2% of its battery over the whole wait of 4 hours..."

"...the one thing we are happy to report is that it would have taken the same in any other car."

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Racing Team Boss Sees EVs Reaching Cost Parity with ICE By 2025-26

09 Oct 2022 | Synopsis

"Sylvain Filippi, managing director of Formula E's Envision Racing, said it would soon become more expensive to manufacture traditional cars than their electric counterparts...

"At that stage, buying an internal combustion car will be a very bad idea because the original value of these cars will be nothing. It will become a really bad asset and I think the transition will accelerate really rapidly."

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