EDITOR'S PICK

New Consortium To Make Batteries For Electric Vehicles More Sustainable

20 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"A new battery material called disordered rock salt (DRX) could pave the way for replacing gasoline vehicles with electric vehicles at a faster rate...

"DRX cathodes could provide batteries with higher energy density than conventional lithium-ion battery cathodes made of nickel and cobalt...DRX offers more sustainable, more abundant, and cheaper mineral sources for battery cathodes...DRX cathodes can be made with almost any transition metal instead of nickel and cobalt. That versatility is key if we want to replace gasoline vehicles with electric vehicles."

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Rules On Washington Roads Regarding Electric Bikes

20 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Washington law classifies electric bikes in three categories. Class 3 (the fastest category) is limited to a top speed of 28 mph. Any two-wheeled vehicle that is capable of speeds greater than 28 mph is not an e-bike (by law).

"For the folks shopping for an e-bike, if it's not labeled with the classification number, top-assisted speed and motor wattage, it's not street legal...if you encounter an electric bike that's faster than 28 mph but appears to have a classification sticker, it's probably fraudulent."

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The Siren Song Of Climate Authoritarianism

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the notion that any version of an authoritarian system would be free of 'special interests,' and run by neutral, rational technocrats, is implausible.

"Concerns about democracies' capacity to act swiftly and efficiently are nothing new...If, for the sake of climate action, power is concentrated in the hands of a state that does not answer to the people, what would prevent abuses of that power?

"The fossil-fuel industry's disproportionate influence on the political process...is not only damaging to the environment; it is also fundamentally undemocratic."

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California's Big Oil & Gas Industry Lawsuit Is A 'Huge Deal"

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"California is suing to make polluters pay. Big oil knew they were causing climate change. They lied to cover it up - this after the state filed suit against several of the world's biggest oil companies.

[California is] the first oil-producing state to file suit against the companies for knowing and then lying about how the fact that their products cause climate change...Accountability is the first step towards solving climate change."

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Researchers Make Surprising Discovery About Lifespan Of EV Batteries: "That Was A Shock'

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...a study done in March by Recurrent Motors Inc...showed that overall, EV batteries are actually very reliable and long-lasting...The study took real-world data from 15,000 EVs of various makes and models in the U.S. The data showed that most EVs driven close to 100,000 miles still have at least 90 percent of their original range left.

"...most EVs aren't that old, with nearly 30 percent currently on the road in the U.S. being sold just last year. The majority of the rest are less than six years old."

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From Manufacture To Lifetime Emissions, Just How Green Are EVs Compared To Petrol Or Diesel Cars?

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Life cycle emissions are those created by the production, use, and disposal of a product...manufacture of lithium-ion batteries is a very energy-intensive process which means that emissions are higher in the production phase of battery electric cars compared to an ICE car...The carbon gap between BEV and ICE cars may be significant when a car is first sold but during the lifetime on the road, ICE cars continue to emit CO2 while electric cars emit no emissions except particles from tyres and brakes."

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PepsiCo's Tesla Semi Covers 1,600 Miles In Under 48 Hours In California

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The independent tests are being monitored by NACFE, as a part of its Run On Less program."

"...one of PepsiCo's three Tesla Semis participating in the program covered 1600 miles in under 48 hours with three full charges and two brief range-extending charging stops...Due to the heft of the battery, they lose some payload capacity compared to diesel trucks, but the figure isn't significant...it took 55 minutes for the truck to charge from 18-80 percent."

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Men Are 6 Times More Likely To Buy a New EV Than Women When Car Shopping, Survey Finds

18 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...recent GOBankingRates survey found that among Americans who purchased a vehicle in the past year, 6% of men purchased a fully electric new car or truck, while only 1% of women did...A separate survey conducted by Edmunds found that men have more positive feelings about EVs than women... 55% of men said that they like EVs versus just 22% of women

"Unique selling points and practical reasons for purchasing an EV need to be proactively communicated to the female buying audience..."

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Electric Seagliders Could Come To Hawaii As Soon As 2026

18 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The seagliders, which fly port-to-port about 60 feet over the ocean, won't be ready to fly for a few more years...The seagliders can carry 12 passengers and two crew as well as 3,500 pounds of cargo, according to Regent. The gliders can cruise at 180 mph and travel 160 nautical miles...They'll initially be tested in Hawaii carrying packages and cargo so people can get used to them before tickets go on sale for passengers."

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'Bottom Of The Food Chain': E-Scooter Riders Push For Reimagining Of Australia's Bike Lanes

18 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"As the use of e-scooters increases across Australia, so too does the friction on our footpaths and bickering in our bike lanes as a new transport hierarchy is negotiated, often with very different rules in different states.

"Our advice to governments now is to call new paths 'micro mobility lanes', not 'bike lanes', and to incorporate slow speed, light, small footprint transport."

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Polestar Wants You to Know Where Its EV Battery Materials Come From

18 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the company inked a partnership with Circulor, a London firm that had already been using its blockchain-based system to trace cobalt supplies for Polestar's batteries...Tracing raw materials back to mines is not an easy task and risks revealing ugly truths about how labor rights and environmental protection are neglected...For batteries in the Polestar 2 sedan, Circular tracks cobalt and mica; for the upcoming Polestar 3 SUV, it will also trace lithium and nickel."

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Some German Cities Are Offering Drivers Free Public Transport. But There's A Catch.

18 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The catch? You have to surrender your driving licence."

The program is a bid to combat traffic congestion and promote environmentally friendly transport. Participants can gain a free Deutschlandticket, usually priced at €49 per month...Germany is a world-leader on public transport infrastructure...In 2023, a maximum of 1,000 Deutschlandtickets will be issued, and 500 in each of the following two years."

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