EDITOR'S PICK

Feds Demand Answers From Tesla About 'Elon Mode'

02 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"NHTSA...wants answers from Tesla for its secret Autopilot 'God Mode' that allegedly allows for fewer steering wheel nags (meaning fewer warnings to drivers to hold the wheel) when piloting the Model S, 3, X, and Y. A white hat hacker recently discovered the mode that Tesla had labeled as Elon Mode.

"...the agency directs the brand to provide the dates wherein the "God Mode" was patched into the FSD..."

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Auto Industry's Switch To EVs Gets $12 Billion In Loans And Grants From The US Energy Department

01 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Hard on the heels of President Joe Biden's goal to spur the sale of EVs in the United States, the Energy Department will provide $2 billion in grants and $10 billion in loans to support the conversion of US automaker and supplier facilities...The program aims to build or refurbish factories in communities with existing auto manufacturing facilities and to bolster the domestic EV supply chain."

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The Lucid Air Is Just A Little Faster Than A Solar Electric Aeroplane

01 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"'E-Flight Challenge 2023'...organisers aptly chose a Lucid Air sedan to compete against the Elektra Solar plane on a course covering the latest world record in electric flight...from Gelnhausen in Hesse to the North Sea island of Norderney...In the end, the electric car won but only by a very narrow margin: the Lucid Air arrived on Norderney about half an hour before the Elektra Trainer."

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2025 Mini Cooper EV Debuts With 250-Mile Range, Go-Kart Mode, Circular Screen

01 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the new Mini Cooper E, it gets an entirely electric powertrain...Up front is a single electric motor making 184 horsepower...The Mini Cooper E packs a 40.7-kilowatt-hour battery, which gives it 190 miles of WLTP-rated range. Bumping up to the Cooper SE brings a 54.2-kWh battery that increases range to 250 miles. The Cooper E hits 60 mph in 7.3 seconds but the Cooper SE shaves off a few tenths, dropping that sprint to 6.7 seconds."

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Tesla Launches New Model 3. Here's What's New

01 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the new car is a very significant improvement compared to the original, with tons of changes both outside and under the hood...redesigned, slightly lower front end and narrower headlights, which not only gives it a slightly sportier look, but also improves the aerodynamics...Tesla selling the new Model 3 in Europe and China; in the U.S., only the old version is available."

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Forty Years Ago, EPA Scientists Warned About Climate Change. How Accurate Were Their Predictions?

01 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"A look back at an early government reckoning with 'greenhouse warming' shows just how long the world has been dragging its heels"

"...warning from four decades ago rings startlingly true today, as tropical storms and hurricanes drench both the Southeast and California, heat waves deemed to be "virtually impossible" without climate change's influence...many scientists in 2023 still agree with the EPA authors' conclusion in 1983."

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Nissan Is Reusing The Batteries From Old Leaf Electric Vehicles To Make Portable Power Sources

31 Aug 2023 | Synopsis

"Nissan Motor Co. has sold more than 650,000 Leaf EVs. Their batteries often retain a charging capacity longer than the car’s life span...it is using the old batteries in portable power sources it developed with electronics maker JVCKenwood Corp. and 4R Energy Corp

"Each Leaf uses 48 battery modules. The portable power stations contain two modules...The 14.4-kilogram (32-pound) power source sells for 170,500 yen ($1,170) in Japan."

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Once Forced to Beg On The Street, Gift of Electric TukTuk Changed This Transgender Woman's Life

31 Aug 2023 | Synopsis

"For most of the decade, [Preethi, age 38) main way of making money was begging on [Bengaluru] streets, making her susceptible to abuse and violent crime.

"The charity that donated Preethi’s EV, Shishu Mandir, received donations to give a number of smaller electric vehicles to women and nonbinary people to use as a ride-hailing service...the charity has donated 17 electric rickshaws and is preparing to donate 5 more within the next two months."

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What's A 15-Minute City?

31 Aug 2023 | Synopsis

"...a planning concept for urban and suburban areas, aimed at making most or all amenities - including education, healthcare, grocery stores, pharmacies, parks and offices - reachable by foot, bicycle or public transit.

"This is how cities were naturally designed before cars and how most communities and people around the world live... a way to make life convenient for residents, encourage healthy lifestyles and reduce traffic pollution.."

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Green Hydrogen Economy May Consume 2.4 Million Ounces Of Platinum Annually By 2030

31 Aug 2023 | Synopsis

"...commodity analysts at Bank of America said that the hydrogen economy has seen significant growth in the last year, and is actually growing at 3.5 times the previously estimated pace. Electrolysis capacity could now hit 205GW by 2030E...still far from the 560GW required to reach Net Zero by 2050

"..nickel-containing alkaline water electrolysers (AELs) currently being the industry standard...platinum-intensive proton exchange membrane electrolysers (PEMs) have gained traction and currently account for 32% of installed electrolysis projects globally."

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Why NASA's TEMPO Pollution-Mapping Project Is 'Game-Changing' For Life On Earth

31 Aug 2023 | Synopsis

"...Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution instrument [is] ...part of NASA's ongoing Earth Venture Instrument mission...to help humanity understand the current state of our home planet,

"...hovering over the same spot all day long...means that it can continuously observe pollution levels over North America, tracking changes in emissions, their causes, and the specific chemicals in the air throughout the day."

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Stellantis Shifts Into High Gear Offering New EV With A Surprising Price Tag: 'There Is A Real Need'

30 Aug 2023 | Synopsis

"The Fiat-branded car, called the Citroen e-C3, is expected to reach the United States market in 2024, with a price tag of $27,000 and a battery range of 186 miles..Even if it trails the Chevy Bolt, the Citroen e-C3 will be among the lowest-priced EVs on the market.

" One recent study found that switching from a gas-powered car to an EV would reduce the planet-overheating gases produced by 52% over the vehicle's lifetime."

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