EDITOR'S CHOICE

Transportation, Infrastructure Move Toward Electrification

03 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"...if the shift to electrification in transportation is moving in the fast lane, mode shifts toward public transit, cycling and other forms of mobility seen as more sustainable have been slow to catch on. This has prompted experts to urge new thinking around how streets are designed, so they include biking and pedestrian infrastructure...

"...also emerging is a more holistic view of the role of mobility as a reflection of the goals cities have to remake themselves as more livable and pluralistic places that better serve all residents."

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US Gov't Rules Aims To Limit China's Role In Electric Cars

03 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Chinese firms currently produce the vast majority of electric car batteries and the minerals used in them...

"Starting in 2024, the law also barred cars from eligibility for tax credits if they contain battery components manufactured or assembled by a "foreign entity of concern".

"Only about 20 of more than 100 models of electric vehicles for sale in the US currently qualify for the tax credit."

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Toyota Reveals Maverick-Sized Electric Pickup Concept We've Been Waiting For

03 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Toyota revealed neither powertrain nor battery specs, so there's no way of knowing how much power or range it will have just yet. However, expect two powertrain options -- single-motor, two-wheel drive, and dual-motor, all-wheel drive options.

"Toyota hasn't officially committed to building the EPU but it seems like an inevitability at this point. Not having a pickup to compete with the incredibly popular [Ford] Maverick seems foolish and making it electric would put Toyota ahead of the game."

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China's CATL Creates Fast Charging Electric Car "Skateboard" With 1000 Km Range

03 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"It has created what it calls its CATL Integrated Intelligent Chassis - a skateboard design that incorporates all the bits and pieces needed to make a fully functional electric car...contains all the batteries, motors, suspension, and brakes, then mounts a variety of bodies...Integrated Intelligent Chassis uses 10.5 kWh per 100 km and has a range of 1,000 kilometers in the rather optimistic Chinese range testing standard.

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As Dubai Hosts Climate Talks, Its Air Pollution Soars

03 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Hazy conditions have been noticeable over the first few days of the UN's COP28...The air quality index reached 155 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 pollution - the fine particulate matter that is most harmful, as it can enter the bloodstream...it increases the risk of respiratory diseases, strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes and other problems...damage is caused partly by PM2.5 microparticles, which mostly come from fossil fuels...

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The Cybertruck Is a Disappointment Even to Cybertruck Superfans

02 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

Looking at the specs alone, the car is delivering 30 percent less range than expected for 30 percent more money.

"...base model has half that range - 250 miles - and starts at $60,990, or $20,000 more than people expected...Cybertruck is delivering on some of Musk's promised specs, or at least close enough to them...the car itself is such an ostentatious connection to the man who willed it to the world...Who wants this much risk and baggage?"

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For Its Passenger Car Business, Toyota Axes Hydrogen For A Battery-Powered Future

02 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"...Japan Mobility Show ranged from massive mono space luxury vehicles, to SUV crossovers and sleek coupe models, but they all had one thing in common - they were all battery-powered... at a Toyota board level, the Mirai [FCEV] is now considered a failure...it has not been successful because of the hydrogen filling station point of view, there are few

"Fuel-cell development will continue but Toyota now sees heavy haulage, marine, bus-and-coach and rail applications as a natural fit for the technology..."

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'Low-Carbon Product' Promoted By COP28 President 3 Times More Damaging Than 'Regular' Fuels

02 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"...blue hydrogen, let alone blue ammonia, it seemed like a scam, quite frankly...Ammonia is a colourless gas made up of hydrogen and nitrogen...acts as a carrier fuel for hydrogen. It allows for safer and more efficient storage of hydrogen...Its production can emit three times more greenhouse gases than diesel, and two-and-a-half times more than coal or natural gas...This high number mainly comes from methane leakage in the production process."

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The World Finally Agrees to Cut Emissions the Easy Way: Limit Methane Emssions

02 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Today day is Methane Day at COP28 in Dubai...Biden administration finalized the strongest-ever federal regulations in the U.S. covering the methane that leaks from existing oil and gas wells...Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan...joined a global pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30%...Nearly 50 oil and gas companies signed onto a 'decarbonization charter"...China also recently released a methane action plan..."

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A California Lake Has Enough Lithium To Power 375 Million EVs

02 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Researchers from the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory say the reserve can support the production of 3,400 kilotons of lithium...California Energy Commission...gave a $6 million grant to Berkshire Hathaway Energy, as well as a $1.46 million grant to Controlled Thermal Resources a few years back to develop extraction techniques...Companies are working toward a direct lithium extraction technology that can extract the brine and separate lithium from other metals."

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