EDITOR'S CHOICE

Ampaire's Hybrid-Electric Caravan Runs On SAF

04 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"The Eco Caravan replaces the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan’s Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop with Ampaire's AMP-H570 AMP Drive hybrid-electric propulsion unit...The Eco Caravan uses a 550-horsepower compression-ignition engine and electric motor in an integrated parallel hybrid, which means both the engine and motor provide torque to the propeller directly...a hybrid-electric system cuts fuel burn by 50 to 70 percent, and using a fuel that?s carbon neutral or carbon negative."

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Scientists Make Breakthrough In Recycling Lithium Batteries Using Fruit Peels

04 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"...scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, may have led to the most environmentally friendly method of recycling these batteries yet. The new method uses fruit peels to extract precious metals from spent batteries, which can then be reused in new batteries.

"NTU team was able to achieve the same results as industrial recycling processes using just orange peels and citric acid, a weak organic acid found in citrus fruits, with no extreme temperatures required."

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Electric Vehicles Outperformed Diesel In This Winter's Extreme Cold

04 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"In Colorado's West Grand School District, electric school buses didn’t perform as well as their diesel counterparts. They performed better.

"Even though it's true that EV experience reduced range in extreme weather conditions, gas and diesel vehicles do, too. And, in the case of diesel, the vehicles might not start at all in Colorado's bitter winter cold...When it's up to 20 below that's good day, and (the electric school bus) has performed extremely well."

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Tesla Superchargers Cost More For Other EVs, Unless You Buy A Membership

03 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"Tesla is charging owners of other EVs roughly 35% more per kilowatt-hour (kWh), according to rates listed on the company's app.

"At some locations, [Tesla charges a] premium of closer to 37%, while at others it was as low as 23% during off-peak hours

"However, Tesla is also offering a $12.99-per-month membership that grants other EV owners the same pricing that Tesla drivers get."

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Toyota Reveals It Would Rather Buy Emission Credits Than "Waste" Money Building Electric Vehicles

03 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"Toyota has revealed its strategic decision to prioritize the purchase of credits over investing in the manufacturing of electric vehicles...This statement was made by the CEO of Toyota N.A., who believes that EVs will only make up 30% of the US new-vehicle market in 2030, half of the target the EPA sought last year.

"The question that arises from this discussion is: How can automakers strike a balance between economic viability and environmental sustainability?"

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Aptera 3-Wheeler Closer To Production Thanks To Successful Crowfunding

03 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"2,040 reservations brought in nearly $34 million

"The sum gets the company into pre-production and validation testing, and it unlocks a $21.9 million grant from California's Solar Mobility Manufacturing Project...The grant is contingent upon Aptera buying $21.9 million in production equipment to build the car in the state...If Aptera can show a production-intent vehicle that's can do what's been claimed, the outfit's staying power and 46,000 reservations would indicate nothing is out of the question..."

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What To Do If You've Just Rented An Electric Car

03 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"The biggest thing to know is that you'll need to think a bit harder about refueling than you're used to...EV charging requires some more planning ahead.

"Note that EV chargers are often finicky and may spit out errors a couple of times before successfully accepting your payment...Fundamentally, charging an electric car comes down to locating a station that suits your needs (slow or fast) and your car (Tesla or not)."

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California Hits Another EV Milestone: 100,000 Public Chargers

03 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"100,000 public or shared private electric vehicle chargers have been installed throughout California, which is on top of over 500,000 at-home chargers. This comes just weeks after the approval of a $1.9 billion plan to build a bigger, better charging network.

"The plan details how the money will be spent with at least 50% dedicated to benefiting communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. With this funding, the state expects to reach its goal of 250,000 public chargers in the next few years."

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Rivian, GM, Volvo And Polestar To Get Access To Tesla's Supercharger Network This Spring

01 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"New and existing customers of Ford EVs can get a fast-charging adapter at no cost through June 30, 2024, to charge on Tesla superchargers. The adapter will cost $230 after the offer expires.

"While initially charging on the network will require an adapter provided by the respective automakers, they would no longer be needed once vehicles integrate Tesla's charging standard."

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'Climate Time Bomb': Infrastructure Law Funds Highways Over Public Transit

01 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"...the next transportation bill needs to offer clean mobility options, like transit, car share, active modes, and electrification..

"Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), gave state transportation officials discretion over how to spend money distributed by the $1.2 trillion package... Transportation for America warned in a new analysis of 57,000 projects that the law has revealed itself to be a "climate time bomb"...more than half of the funds - about $70 billion - so far spent on resurfacing and expanding highways."

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