EDITOR'S CHOICE

40% Of US Electricity Is Now Emissions-Free

28 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"...wind and solar are likely to be in a dead heat with coal, and all carbon-emissions-free sources combined will account for roughly 40 percent of US electricity production.

"...wind is largely unchanged since 2022, accounting for about 10 percent of total generation...Solar has seen a significant change, going from five to six percent of the total electricity production...If we combine nuclear and renewables under the umbrella of carbon-free, then that's up by nearly 1 percent since 2022 and is likely to surpass 40 percent for the first time."

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Elon Musk Trolled His Way Through 2023. He's Still Ending The Year $100 Billion Up.

28 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"The controversial billionaire has gone from crisis to crisis this year. He has driven X, the site he paid $44 billion for, into the ground...Tesla is about to lose its crown as the biggest EV maker globally to China's BYD...And yet Musk has somehow managed to end up almost $100 billion richer this year...SpaceX is now reportedly valued at $175 billion... Tesla has seen its share price rise by more than 100% year-to-date..."

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Volkswagen-Backed EV Maker Rolls Out First Sodium-Ion Battery Powered Electric Car

28 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"JAC introduced the Yiwei 3, the first EV powered by a sodium-ion battery, at the Shanghai Auto Show...the sodium-ion-battery-powered Sehol E10X, featuring 25 kWh of capacity and 120 Wh/kg of energy density. With 3C to 4C charging, the electric hatchback could recharge from 10% to 80% in 20 minutes. Although sodium-ion batteries have a lower energy density than lithium-ion ones, they do offer several advantages."

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Tired: Buying an EV. Wired: Leasing One for Six Months or Less

28 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

Subscriptions and flexible, short-term leases are popping up to cater to the battery-curious and those waiting on electric cars that have yet to be made.

"Let's put it this way: It's an extended test drive...short-term setups may not be cheaper than car ownership in the long run, they are helping drivers dodge hefty upfront payments...the US market now boasts 55 distinct electric models, that number is expected to grow another 20% to 30% next year."

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Inside Saudi Arabia's $3 Trillion Plan to Move Past Oil

28 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"The world's largest oil exporter has a plan to transform its economy....as a high-tech hub and destination for global business and leisure, preparing for the end of the fossil fuel era.

"The core of the makeover is "Vision 2030"...The changes are transforming Saudi's economy...the Islamic ''morality police'' have been sidelined. Women are now on the roads and able to socialize without a male guardian..A new entrepreneurial spirit is also percolating..."

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Chevy Issues Stop Sale Order For Blazer EV To Address Software Issues

27 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"...stop-sale order applies to both in-transit and on-lot vehicles, though the automaker did not specify the exact number of affected units.

"...engineers are working on a solution for the electric vehicle's software issues, which include faults with the Blazer EV's infotainment system and public DC fast charging functionality in some cases.... Edmunds recently noted that it had experienced 23 separate issues with the Blazer EV..."

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Electric Vehicles: 22 EVs Will Charge at Tesla Superchargers Starting in 2024

27 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"According to PCMag, 22 EV brands have committed to switching over to NACS ports....Older Superchargers (pre-2019) won't work with non-Tesla vehicles, which use Combined Charging System ports (CCS). But 12,000 of Tesla’s network of over 17,000 V3 Supercharger charging stations will be open to non-Tesla EVs with adapters.

"Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid EVs use the incompatible plug standard CHAdeMO."

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UK Installed Record 16,000 Public Electric Car Chargers In 2023

27 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Almost 16,000 public chargers were installed in the year to 12 December, pushing the total above 53,200...represented a 43% increase on 2022...The increase in UK chargers during 2023 has almost certainly outstripped the growth of electric car sales, which were up by 28% in the year to November...The number of the fastest “ultra-rapid” chargers doubled during 2023 to more than 4,600."

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EHang Begins Delivering Air Taxi to Customers Following Airworthiness Certification

27 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Chinese manufacturer's EH216-S air taxi was the first in the world to receive type certification from a national regulator.

"The firm...delivered its first air taxi to a customer: Eton, an intelligent aviation technology subsidiary of Guangzhou Development District Communications Investment Group Co....The EH216-S—which has a 22 sm (19 nm) range, 80 mph (about 70 knots) cruise speed, and 485-pound payload..."

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Big Oil Is Greeenwashing the Planet

27 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Companies like ExxonMobil and countries like Saudi Arabia have tried since the 1990s to gaslight the public into thinking climate change was either a total fantasy or that the burning of coal, natural gas, and petroleum wasn't causing it.

"...fossil-fuel lobbyists have now fallen back on Plan B. They want to convince you that Big Oil is itself swinging into action in a major way to transition to - yes! - green energy."

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