EDITOR'S CHOICE

Amazon's Zoox Robotaxis Will Start Driving Faster, Farther And At Night In Las Vegas

19 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"Zoox...will free up its specially designed vehicles to drive at speeds up to 45 miles per hour (72 kph), from 35 mph. It also expanded the Las Vegas area in which the cars can travel to five miles from one mile.

"Amazon bought Zoox in 2020 for more than $1 billion, leading to speculation it could eventually use the cars as delivery vehicles, sparing it the cost of paying for drivers. Zoox has not made any announcements about its plans beyond

Read Full Story

How - and Why - To Start a Neighborhood E-Bike Library

19 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"The model provides a neighborly alternative to sometimes-costly traditional bike share rentals that only offer limited models, too-short test-rides at bike shops that can be alienating for some shoppers, and even to traditional libraries that allow patrons to check out bikes alongside books...They've had to navigate the challenges of guarding against bike theft - tracking tags, tutorials on how to safely lock up in public..."

Read Full Story

NASA Wants To Know If Air Taxis Will Annoy You

19 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"The agency published on Friday a federal register notice requesting public feedback on the study, including ways it can be improved or whether it is practical or necessary...the human response to noise from these vehicles needs to be better understood to help minimize the noise impact...Aircraft sound stimuli will be played to test subjects over their computer speakers, and they will listen and respond on how annoyed they are."

Read Full Story

U.S. Taxpayers Have Subsidized Fossil Fuels For 111 Years, And Counting

17 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

Biden "new budget proposal calls for the elimination of $35 billion in tax breaks that would otherwise be provided to the industry over the next decade...In Washington, it seems, oil and gas subsidies are the zombies of the tax code: impossible to kill.

"The oil and gas industry enjoys nearly a dozen tax breaks, including incentives for domestic production and write-offs tied to foreign production.

Read Full Story

How The Ford Supercharger/NACS Deal Went Down

17 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"Ford knew that there wasn't a good chance of a successful EV transition relying on existing CCS networks...Farley said the moment he realized he had to do this was when he took a trip to Lake Tahoe with his kids in an F-150 Lightning...the whole family was experiencing anxiety and the truck almost didn’t make it back to Monterey...the data kept looking worse and worse for CCS networks.."

Read Full Story

A Sustainable Journey: The Power of Closed-Loop Battery Recycling

17 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"It is estimated that by 2030, a staggering 49 million electric cars will be produced annually, each equipped with a lithium-ion battery that has an average lifespan of 10-15 years.

"The Earth's limited resources cannot keep up with the need for raw materials like cobalt, nickel, and manganese, which are essential for battery production.

"The power of closed-loop battery recycling lies not only in its ability to reduce waste and environmental impact but also in its potential to shape a more sustainable future."

Read Full Story

Volkswagen & Skoda Are Moving Forward With Plans For Less Expensive Electric Cars

17 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"Volkswagen Group is charting its own course toward less expensive electric cars....work on the ID.1...is progressing and the car is expected to debut in 2027 at a starting price of €20,000...can only be achieved if the vehicle is manufactured in substantial quantities.

"...Skoda Epiq [pictured], a small SUV that will be based on the Volkswagen ID.2. The design study for the car is 4.10 meters long and will likely be on sale in 2025..."

Read Full Story

City of Ottawa Transpo's Electric Buses Performing As Well As Diesel Buses After 2 Years: Report

17 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"City of Ottawa's Transit Commission says that OC Transpo's electric buses are performing as well as the existing diesel fleet...The report notes that the four buses put into service in February 2022 are nearing 500,000 kilometres of total service on the roads and have been performing successfully on revenue service routes longer than 10 hours and driving distances exceeding 200 kilometres on a regular basis."

Read Full Story

Biden's Climate Agenda Is Actually Popular

15 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"In an exclusive Heatmap poll of 1,000 Americans conducted by Benenson Strategy Group late last year, most respondents backed the core ideas behind Biden’s climate policies.

"Nearly 90% of Americans, for instance, support encouraging domestic manufacturing. They also support using tax incentives to make homes more energy efficient (85%)...

"The rub is that public support descends to more Earthly levels once you start asking about concrete costs..."

Read Full Story

Aerospace Experts Design Liquid Hydrogen-Powered Jet That Can Travel Halfway Around World With No Layover: 'A Pivotal Moment'

15 Mar 2024 | Synopsis

"...the project would be twice the size of a huge Boeing 737 and powered by extremely cold liquid hydrogen, which will be stored onboard in tanks at minus-418 degrees Fahrenheit. The plane will seat 279 passengers...the massive plane would have an operational range of 5,250 nautical miles...This would provide more than enough range for the flight of roughly 11 hours and 4,664 miles...Aviation accounts for 2.5% of all carbon pollution..."

Read Full Story