EDITOR'S CHOICE

Solar-Powered Boats Are Silently Sailing Through Ecuador's Amazon Rainforest

15 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"Five boats, each boat topped with a sleek solar-panelled roof, are being used by 12 indigenous Achuar communities across a stretch of eastern Ecuador bordering Peru...The idea of (solar) boats at first was kind of a joke...Each boat varies in size, the biggest with capacity for up to 20 passengers. They travel at up to 12 miles (19 kilometers) per hour with a range of up to 60 miles...have completed over 3,000 trips in total, carrying over 1,000 passengers and collectively traveling over 450 kilometers per month."

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Why Almost Nobody Is Buying Green Hydrogen

15 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

The gas can be produced cleanly by using wind- or solar-powered electricity...There's only one problem: The vast majority of those projects don't have a single customer stepping up to buy the fuel...fuel purchase agreement...have vague, nonbinding arrangements that can be quietly discarded if the potential buyers back out...Hydrogen produced using clean energy costs four times as much as hydrogen made from natural gas..."

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The Third Rail of Miles-Driven Road Fees

15 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"Pay-per-mile fees have emerged as the most likely solution to dropping gas revenues linked to electric vehicles

"The gas tax system that prevents crumbling roads and bridges is evaporating...Charging drivers for the miles they traverse could easily replace the roughly $80 billion in revenue that state and federal gas taxes produce annually...The shift to electric vehicles has been faster in Democratic states."

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Gotion's Revised Fling, Which Cites Beijing Subsidies, Spurs New Wave Of US Opposition

15 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"Republican lawmakers accused Gotion of dishonesty and called for an investigation to halt the company's proposed US$2.4 billion factory project in Michigan.

"Gotion is a publicly traded multinational company, with Germany's Volkswagen its majority shareholder... we must not welcome companies that are controlled by people who see us as the enemy...Gotion had obtained federal clearance and state subsidies totalling US$175 million..."

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Elon Musk's 'Interview' With Donald Trump Was An Embarrassing Disaster

13 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"...it was also something neither man would ever admit to...even worse than lying or amplifying crazy conspiracy theories or cozying up with white supremacists.

"It was boring.

"It was also nuts. And frankly embarrassing. It wasn't even a conversation, really, more of a meeting of the two most enthusiastic members of the Donald Trump Appreciation Society. Musk was a fawning lackey."

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There's Something Special About That Motorcycle Tom Cruise Rode At The Olympics

13 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"...the motorcycle he affixed it to and rode through the stadium and out onto the streets wasn’t one of the classics we’ve long seen him ride. Instead, it was a LiveWire Del Mar, an American-made electric motorcycle produced by Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off company LiveWire... e-motos have become a growing trend finding favor at live performances due to their lower noise and lack of emissions."

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Ford Tackles EV Power Grid Concerns With Free Off-Peak Charging Program

13 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"Drivers in Texas can juice up at home for free between 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. through a partnership with TXU Energy that seeks to boost EV adoption and spread out grid demand."

"...one MIT study found that charging during off-peak hours could avoid overloading the system...Around 80% of all EV charging occurs at home, so the program could cover nearly all the charging costs for drivers of Ford's plug-in cars..."

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Pando Electric Slashes EV Charging Cost To Large Multi-Family Complex

13 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"Pando Electric provides a universal, socket-based solution that streamlines set-up and utilises existing 240-volt power. While installation costs are greatly reduced, EV owners experience high-speed Level-2 charging...

"The Woodland Creek installation is being implemented in collaboration with Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE). The project covers three buildings and 90 condominium units..."

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Mercedes-Benz Korea Reveals Battery Supplier List To Calm Anger, Fears Over EV Fire

13 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"The company said the [MB] EQE 350 that exploded into flames and damaged hundreds of vehicles had a battery from China's Farasis Energy"

"...ranked 15th among the global battery makers...The fire has sparked a public demand for mandatory disclosure of battery suppliers by EV manufacturers...One proposal being considered is banning EVs from underground parking areas when their charge exceeds 90 per cent."

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German Volocopter Restricted To Short Demonstration Flight Outside of Paris

12 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"The German air taxi startup Volocopter actually wanted to offer a commercial service during the Olympic Games in Paris. However, the ambitious plan failed for various reasons. Instead, a Volocopter took off for a demonstration flight near Paris" as 2024 Olympics draws to close."

"...due to protests, Volocopter had to switch to this airfield on the outskirts of the French capital, which is around 25 kilometres from the city centre."

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