03 May 2024 07:10:13 UTC

 EDITOR'S CHOICE

Magnets Will Be Minting Tomorrow's Billionaires

10 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"The little-known story of how magnets came to conquer the world is about more than exotic metals and cutting-edge research...it's the tale of geopolitics, with growing tensions between China and the United States a central part of the story.

"Mining and purifying rare earths proved a messy business, generating lots of waste and pollutants. It was far easier to outsource production to China...we want to lessen our dependence on rare earths..."

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New 'Lithium-Air' Battery May Have 4 Times Higher Range Than a Lithium-Ion Cell

10 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"The lithium-air battery - developed by researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory and the Illinois Institute of Technology - uses up oxygen from the air to run.

"With further development, we expect our new design for the lithium-air battery to also reach a record energy density of 1200 watt-hours per kilogram...The team found...the new battery design as it built and operated a test cell for 1,000 cycles."

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'EU Finance Instruments Must Gear Towards Goal Of Doubling Bike Lanes,' Says EU's Green Deal Chief

10 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"There will be no climate-neutral cities without boosting biking infrastructure," warned European Commission’s vice-president Frans Timmermans.

"If we want to keep this planet in balance and if we want to address the energy crisis, we must continue to promote cycling across the whole of Europe...European regional funds provided over $2 billion to build cycleways and footpaths across Europe in 2020, up from $700 million in the previous funding period."

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OpEd: Yes To Electric-Vehicle Chargers, But Who Should Pay?

10 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"Minnesota needs a vast improvement in its supply of fast-charging EV ports to meet its goal of a 20% electric passenger fleet by 2030. Hence the attractiveness of Xcel's proposal to build and operate 730 charging stations across the state.

"Xcel would like to thumb a ride from its ratepayers, adding close to $200 million to the electric bills of its Minnesota customers...A surcharge added to their electric bill to cover the cost of an EV

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Motor Mouth: How to Make Internal-Combustion Engines Greener Than EVs

10 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"...if the gas car is not emitting any carbon dioxide - or, more accurately only emitting recycled CO2 - then the BEV, at least in this case, would remain a consistent 10 or so tonnes behind its ICE-powered equivalent

"Motor Mouth is NOT...advocating the abandonment of battery-powered EV development in favour of "net-zero" ICEs. There is, as MM has constantly emphasized, no single solution to the problem of reducing mobility's CO2 emissions."

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US Electric Cars Set Record With Almost 300-Mile Average Range

09 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"The typical US battery range has quadrupled since 2011, when the only widely available EV was the Nissan Leaf with just 73 miles per charge. Today there are nearly 50 EV models on offer in the US, and the longest-range option is the Lucid Air Grand Touring with...an estimated range of 516 miles.

[Bloomberg-commissioned] "survey last year nearly two-thirds of 5,500 respondents said that 300-plus miles of range was adequate to their needs."

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Automakers Are Using A Legal Loophole To Get Customers An Extra $7,500 Tax Credit - And Business Is Booming

09 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"An automaker or its in-house finance arm can tap into the available commercial EV credit by leasing electric cars (that otherwise wouldn't qualify) to customers. This credit...goes to the company that owns the vehicle.

"Startup Lucid, along with at least 10 'traditional' automakers, are leveraging the commercial credit...[brands] utilizing the commercial credit are largely non-domestic and would likely have a harder time qualifying for the new EV purchase credit stipulations..."

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Why Cars Running On E-Fuel Can't Replace EVs

09 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"E-fuel will probably be too expensive and inefficient for cars, but it just might work for planes.

"The reality is that, when it comes to cleaning up climate pollution from road transport, e-fuel is no silver bullet. It’s way too expensive and inefficient to displace electric vehicles. And it still releases planet-heating carbon dioxide emissions when burned...a car running on e-fuel burns through significantly more electricity than an EV..."

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Electricity Is In the Air As Scientists Discover New Power Source

09 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"Scientists from Monash University discovered that an enzyme produced by a common bacterium found in soil naturally converts hydrogen in the air into electricity...the bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis - does it in a unique way and is much more stable than others when isolated..Because it draws power from the air around it, it can continue running...

"...it could be a decade before products using Huc-based fuel cells were viable..."

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The Alarming Rise of India's Pay-to-Breathe Industry

09 Mar 2023 | Synopsis

"As the state's solutions to pollution fail, the need for expensive air purifiers is driving a new kind of inequality.

". A 2022 report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air think tank found that 'almost the entire population of India' is exposed to air pollution above the guidelines set by the World Health Organization...breathing air in India's capital is equivalent to 50 cigarettes a day during Diwali...and 10 cigarettes a day during the winter."

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