EDITOR'S PICK

Bristow, Volocopter Partner On eVTOL Services

13 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the partnership will include cooperating on building a UAM ecosystem with the development agreement covering 'the exploration of commercial, operational, and eVTOL aircraft maintenance services'

Bristow has placed a firm order for two Volocopter VoloCity eVTOLs with an option to purchase 78 additional aircraft...expects to receive EASA certification for its eVTOL design in 2024 with FAA certification to follow shortly..."

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Electric Freight Cars And The End Of The Two-Mile Train

13 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Parallel Systems' electric [freight cars] can operate solo or as units in a platoon, capable of attaching and detaching themselves as the need arises...aims for its electric vehicles to compete with diesel trucks for a share of the nation’s freight hauling business.

"...individually powered electric vehicles appear to have the advantage over long strings of deadweight freight cars...less than 3% of the 143,000 miles of track in the US are currently occupied by a train at any time."

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This Incredible Cargo Ship Can Traverse The Oceans With Its Massive, 123-foot Sails - And It Just Took Its Maiden Voyage

13 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The Pyxis Ocean from the Mitsubishi Corporation has been retrofitted with two “WindWings”... 123 feet (37.5 meters) high, the sails have been estimated to allow for up to 30% fuel savings...one-and-a-half tonnes [about 1.65 tons] of fuel per day...four wings on a vessel, that's six tonnes [about 6.6 tons] of fuel saved, that's 20 tonnes [about 22 tons] of CO2 saved - per day." [In sail-assist mode, speed increased to 16 knots.]

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America's Love-Hate Relationship With Electric Cars Intensifies

12 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the automotive industry's future is likely electric, not all US states seem to be heading in that direction...The broader picture is that while some states remain very EV-positive, there seems to be a broadening gap between states that favor EVs and those that don't.

"Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Wyoming, Louisiana, South Dakota, West Virginia, and North Dakota are the states showing the biggest slowdown in EV adoption."

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Electric Bikes, Scooters and Mopeds Save More Oil Than All Other EVs - Combined

12 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"2- and 3-wheelers also made up nearly half of all EV sales in 2022, according to a new report"

"Two- and three-wheelers represented the majority of avoided oil use, clocking in at 997,230 barrels per day; for comparison, electric passenger cars only avoided the use of 264,382 barrels per day and electric buses saved 207,482 each day...there hasn't been much improvement since 2021..."

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Lucid Air Dethroned As World's Most Aerodynamic Car In Production..

12 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Reports from the People's Republic suggest the newcomer will edge out the Lucid Air by the slimmest of margins, alleging the YangWang U6 has a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.195. The Lucid's Cd is only a hair behind that at 0.197...YangWang is the luxury arm of BYD...Beyond the drag coefficient, there aren't any technical specifications...reports from China stipulated that the U6 could have a four-motor powertrain good for 1,180 horsepower."

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Hydrogen Combustion Engines: The Dirty Secrets That Cost Them The Spotlight

12 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Though hydrogen combustion engines are praised for their ability to produce energy without emitting carbon dioxide, they are still emitting nitrogen oxides. These compounds still harm the environment and negatively affect vegetation and crop yields

"...hydrogen costs around $16 per gallon, making it four times more expensive...It looks like electric vehicles will remain in the spotlight for now, at least until we can figure out how to produce hydrogen less expensively."

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Volkswagen Enters E-Bike Scene In Partnership With Pon Holdings

12 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Volkswagen has just announced its entry into the e-bike market through its subsidiary Volkswagen Financial Services, and a partnership with Pon Holdings, a large mobility company based in the Netherlands.

"As part of the deal, Volkswagen Financial Services acquired a 49-percent stake in Pon's bike leasing business Bike Mobility Services (BMS)... the company provides bicycles to more than 600,000 employees across 65,000 companies."

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On An EV Road Trip To Promote Green Tech, The US Energy Secretary And Her Entourage Couldn't Find Enough Electric Vehicle Chargers

11 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...there are only about three electric vehicle charging ports for every 10,000 people in the United States...The scarcity of chargers was such an issue for Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and her team that the police got involved at one point..Granholm and her team worked to smooth things over...the incident drew attention to the desperate need for improved EV infrastructure."

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America's Only Cobalt and Nickel Refinery Breaks Ground

11 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the Biden administration has recognized that its investments in the electric-vehicle industry will require enormous quantities of cobalt, nickel, lithium, manganese, and graphite. China’s dominance over the critical-mineral supply chain...'OPEC squared' - a resource monopoly that could eventually spell disaster for American security.

"The Lawton [OK] refinery marks a small step toward reducing one side of this mineral dependency."

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Mercedes Rumored to Use BYD Battery For Upcoming CLA-Class Sedan In China

11 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...Concept CLA-Class, previewing the first compact EV based on the automaker's new MMA platform. The production version will arrive in the same timeframe that the report claims Mercedes will begin using BYD batteries. Battery chemistry wasn't discussed at the unveiling, but Mercedes said MMA vehicles will use a relatively small pack and rely on greater efficiency to achieve sufficient range."

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Togg Dominates As Electric Vehicle Sales Boom In Turkey

11 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Nearly 22,900 electric vehicles (EVs) have been sold from January through August of this year...This translates into over 597% increase compared to 3,283 electric cars that were sold in the same period a year ago.

Battery-powered and hybrid vehicles saw their market shares reach 3.9% and 10.4%, up from just 0.9% and 10.3% in the first eight months of last year...The current production capacity of around 100,000 vehicles per year will reach 175,000 once Togg?s factory reaches total capacity."

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