EDITOR'S CHOICE
The Dirty Secret Behind the Hydrogen Hype
31 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"Technological fixes to climate change are tempting, and the Biden administration has not resisted the lure of hydrogen...Hydrogen is dangerous, partly because it distracts from the real climate solutions we so desperately need.
"A staggering 99% of hydrogen production relies on fossil fuels, primarily methane, or 'natural,' gas...Key recipients of this first $7 billion of public money are oil, gas, and chemical corporations"
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Airbus To Launch New Low-Carbon Ocean Fleet Featuring Flettner Rotors
31 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"The new streamlined vessels will feature six Flettner rotors, which are large, vertical, rotating cylinders that act like airfoils and use the wind to generate thrust to drive the craft. In addition, the ships will incorporate two dual-fuel engines running on maritime diesel oil and e-methanol.
"According to Airbus, the new technology will reduce carbon emissions from 68,000 to 33,000 tonnes by 2030."
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StoreDot Says Its EV Battery Cells Didn't Degrade After 1,000 Extreme Fast Charges
31 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"StoreDot ran an extended set of charging profile tests in which XFC was applied from 10-80% of the charge in 10 minutes...Despite each cycle applying XFC for 70% of the charge, the cells demonstrated no additional degradation
"Volvo Cars, a strategic investor in StoreDot, signed a multi-year strategic collaboration agreement with the EV battery maker to work together to develop XFC cells. Other strategic investors in StoreDot include Polestar, Daimler, Samsung, VinFast, and TDK."
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Fund Manager Says EV Sales "Reacceleration" Coming In 2024 Due To These 3 Factors
30 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"Future Fund's Gary Black said he sees a recovery could be in the offing. U.S. EV tax credit allowed under the Inflation Reduction Act 2022 will go to off-invoice on Jan. 1, 2024...category news driven by the Cybertruck launch will spark new interest in all EVs...renewed interest in global EV adoption is likely as autonomous driving systems reach Level 3 and Level 4 automation...
"If the Federal Reserve begins reversing its rate hikes
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China's EV Threat Sharpens As U.S. And Europe Stumble
30 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"China's electric vehicles (EV) are getting cheaper, while the reverse is happening in Europe and the U.S...The price gap has widened, with the average retail price of an electric car available in China now less than half the price seen in both Europe and the USA...China's EVs are not only competing on price but also in terms of quality and power.
"Western (manufacturers) must shift their focus towards the research and development of new technologies and production processes designed specifically for a fully electrified future."
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Cruise Suspends Robotaxi Operations, What They Must Do To Fix It
30 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"General Motors' Cruise robotaxi unit, which last week was forced to suspend customer operations in San Francisco...Waymo, generally considered the leader in this game, has had almost none of the problems Cruise has had
"Both Cruise and Waymo have gathered statistics on the safety of their vehicles...Waymo has been more direct at publishing this information and disclosing the details of their incidents...To accept robotaxis, the public and public officials must understand that all driving creates risk
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The Republican Electric Vehicle Tantrum
30 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"Better technology that helps America fight climate change? No thanks, say conservatives."
"One thing worth trying is for liberals to stop buying Teslas. Elon Musk is a noxious right-wing union-buster...If liberals start performatively hating Teslas, that might trigger a backlash reaction from conservatives, and they'll start buying Cybertrucks to own the libs...But reverse psychology aside, there is one strategy that will definitely work: banning the sale of carbon-fueled automobiles."
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Have An E-Bike Or E-Scooter? Here's How To Avoid A Dangerous Battery Fire
30 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"People's misuse of the batteries powering the [Toronto's] e-bikes, e-scooters, and hoverboards have resulted in an increase in dangerous fires...If you drop your battery or it's been punctured, crushed, or has water damage - you should no longer use it...Another arising issue is people modifying the battery to try to get their e-scooters or e-bikes to go even faster..Don't have your bike blocking your exit. Find a spot in the corner that's out of your way."
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New Honda Sustaina-C Is An Electric City Car With Its Own 'Pocket'
29 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"...there was also a little electric city car called the Sustaina-C...the name suggests it focuses on sustainability by using body panels made from recycled and reused acrylic resin...With a fully-electric powertrain, the Sustaina-C is likely paired with the Honda e’s titchy 35.5kWh battery. Hopefully the Sustaina-C can go a bit further than the Honda e's maximum 137-mile range... the Pocket Concept is a little electric bike...
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I'm A Car Dealer Who Only Sells Electric Cars. This Is What Everyone Else Is Getting Wrong - And The Advice I Give Prospective EV Buyers.
29 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"To car buyers, only a handful of things matter...It's the self-driving status, the colors, the wheels, how far the battery will go on a charge, and that's about it... Even to this day, for the vast majority of listing sites, it's really painful to look for those thing, and in some cases, you can't even find them.
"We're trying to disrupt the car-buying experience. Not by using the internet, but by creating a much better in-person experience."
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Not Just Tools: DeWalt Now Makes Its Own Level-2 Charger For Your EV
29 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"DeWalt's 240V level-2 charger, much like any home EV charger, can be installed onto your power grid by a professional electrician to serve as a hub for your personal EV. The mount is fully CSA-certified for use both indoors and outdoors...The mount comes preinstalled with a 25-foot high-grade cable ending in a NEMA 14-50 plug. This plug can deliver up to 40 Amps or about 36 miles per hour of charge... compatible with all SAE J1772 electric vehicles, though a separate adapter is available for Tesla charging ports as well."
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Panasonic Announces Game-Changing Plan To Give Old EV Batteries New Purpose: 'It Would Be A Big Step Toward Winning In The EV Battery Market'
29 Oct 2023 | Synopsis

"Panasonic Energy...will be working with U.S.-based startup Redwood Materials to extract these materials and produce cathodes (one of the electrodes) at Panasonic's plant in De Soto, Kansas...process will help to create what Redwood calls a 'circular supply chain.'
"Used batteries contain a higher concentration of resources compared to ore and require less energy to smelt...Depending on resource prices, recycled batteries can be cheaper."
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