EDITOR'S CHOICE

Why Extreme Heat Causes Amtrak Delays

23 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"Extreme heat can affect Amtrak infrastructure...if tracks get too hot, they can develop a kink; or if overhead power wires - called a catenary system - get too hot, they can sag...Amtrak requires that locomotive engineers operate trains at slower speeds than usual, in order to spot potential hazards..when the rail temperature reaches 131 degrees, the maximum speed the train can travel at is 100 mph...140 degrees, the maximum speed for the train is 80 mph."

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4 In 5 People Want More Climate Action, UN Global Survey Finds

23 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"The survey by the UN Development Program, Oxford University and GeoPoll posed 15 questions by randomized telephone calls to people in 77 countries representing 87 percent of the world's population. The key finding was that 80 percent of respondents want their governments to increase efforts to fight against global warming...Poorer countries beat this drum the loudest, with 89 percent...A majority of respondents in 62 of the 77 countries surveyed said they supported a quick transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy."

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China Invested More Than $230B Over Last Decade To Develop Its EV Industry, Study Finds

23 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

" The Chinese government's financial backing accounts for nearly 19% of the total electric car sales from 2009 to 2023, as per the findings by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. This represents a significant decline from over 40% in the years leading up to 2017 to just above 11% in 2023.

"U.S. has also been ramping up its efforts to support its own electric car industry [to the tune of $370 billion].

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Watt Electric Vehicle Company Lays Blueprint For Future EVs

21 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard (PACES)... enables new models to be tailored precisely to customer specifications while still complying with the latest industry safety standards...a modular EV architecture that is flexible, scalable, lightweight, and cost-effective...The platform supports FWD, RWD, and AWD powertrain configurations and utilizes an assembly technique called FlexTech that interlocks and bonds flat, laser-cut pieces together..."

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NREL's EVI-X Suite Is Premier Resource for EV Charging Infrastructure Analysis at Regional, State, & National Levels

21 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"Leveraging its decades of EV charging infrastructure expertise, the laboratory developed the EVI-X Modeling Suite of EV Charging Infrastructure Analysis Tools...In addition to identifying the necessary number and type of EV chargers—ranging from fast, high-power public charging stations to slower, Level 1...the EVI-X suite enables researchers, partners, and others to pinpoint locations best suited for EV charging station installation, estimate associated costs and charging loads, and develop optimal solutions for effective integration..."

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Polyphase Wireless Power Transfer System Achieves 270-kilowatt Charge, Sets Another World Record for Electric Light-Duty Vehicles

21 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"The achievement surpasses ORNL's recent 100-kW wireless charging demonstration and is another breakthrough for fast wireless charging.

"The receiver coil designed for the Porsche Taycan research vehicle can achieve 8 to 10 times higher power density compared to existing systems...ORNL's system can achieve a 50% increase in state of charge within 10 minutes with more than 95% efficiency...The power transfer was conducted over a 4.75-inch gap..."

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Liquid-Hydrogen-Powered eVTOL Makes A Dazzling World Debut

21 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"...upcoming CEO Jet [is] a winged eVTOL with 28 ducted fans that's powered by hydrogen fuel cells for a range of 1,150 miles per trip...Each fan is driven by its own motor, and the expected cruise speed is reported to be 320 mph (515 km/h)...company's attention has been focused on the development of its hydrogen-electric powertrain, with Popov confirming to us that it's 70% ready and tested...The aircraft will also sport a booster battery pack that's "functional for just 90 seconds per flight cycle" and recharges during flight."

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Construction Begins on USA's Largest Renewable Energy Bus Depot

21 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operations Center will host the country's largest transit depot microgrid. It will also be the first on the East Coast to produce green hydrogen on-site.

"[Montgomery] County's transit fleet, the second-largest in the Washington, DC region, is set to include 200 zero-emission buses by 2035...goal of a 100% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035..."

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China Has An Electric Vehicle Advantage But Can It Maintain Its Edge?

19 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"...speculation is rising that Chinese EV brands will eventually flood the global market...Electric Vehicle Consumer Sentiment Survey indicates China's EV market, by far the largest in the world, is poised to flourish. Some 97% of 1,000 China-based respondents to our study said their next vehicle purchase is likely to be an EV, compared to 35% in the US and 43% in Europe.

"...a key factor fueling Chinese EV demand is the confidence consumers have when it comes to how quickly and aggressively these challenges..."

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Are Electric Cars Reliable? It's A Mixed Bag

19 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"...Per Consumer Reports...electric vehicles have 79 percent more reliability problems than a gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle, on average. Plug-in hybrids fared even worse...Some of the most common problems electric car owners report are issues with electric drive motors, charging, and batteries.

"Tesla leads the pack and others are playing catch up, but in the years to come, it seems likely that EVs will become more reliable than gas and hybrid vehicles, especially when some of the automakers known for reliability, like Toyota, enter the EV segment in a meaningful way."

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