EDITOR'S PICK

Should You Get A Bigger Solar Panel System If You Plan To Get An EV?

29 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"Experts say you should think ahead and 'future-proof' your system as much as possible.

"According to data from Cox Automotive, EV sales grew by 11.3% during the second quarter of 2024...Adding an EV on top of your home//s existing power consumption may be too much for your solar system...In an ideal scenario, someone sizing up their options for a solar system would already have an EV..."

"For a new Model Y owner, assuming 10,000 miles driven annually, you'd need to add roughly 2,801 kWh a year in solar capacity."

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Sick 0f Heavy Electric SUVs And Crossovers? Ariel Debuts The E-Nomad.

29 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

UK-based "Ariel says the E-Nomad can match the more than respectable acceleration of its gas-powered car, which means 0–60 mph (98 km/h) in 3.4 seconds despite wearing nobbly all-terrain tires....the battery pack weighs less than 660 lbs (300 kg) and can send up to 281 hp (210 kW) to the drive unit at the rear...so range is just a quoted 150 miles (240 km).

"Since a goal for the E-Nomad project was to explore more sustainable methods of low-volume car manufacturing..."

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Why Other EV Drivers Still Can't Access Tesla Superchargers

29 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"...car companies have struggled to meet the demand for adapters - and software snags are preventing other cars from accessing Tesla's charging network..."

"So far, only two automakers have completed that step to even access Superchargers: Ford and Rivian

"Ford and Rivian are the only EV makers with the right software, but most of those drivers still don't have Supercharger access because the automakers haven't received enough adapters."

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Hydrogen Cars Are Turning Out To Be A Flop. Why?

29 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"Sales of hydrogen-powered cars are sluggish all over the world, mainly due to an impoverished product selection and scant charging infrastructure. Only 5,621 hydrogen-powered vehicles were sold worldwide in the first half of 2024, according to SNE Research, a drop of over 34% compared to the same period last year.

The most spectacular drop was in the USA, with just 322 sales in 6 months, compared with 1,825 a year earlier."

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Restored 1917 Rauch & Lang JX7 Electric Is A Remarkable Homage To The Origins of Electric Cars

29 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"In the early 1900s, electric cars were quite popular, accounting for around a third of all vehicles on US roads, and many manufacturers at that time thought electric vehicles were superior technology....This early pioneer in green energy is powered by a DC electric motor delivering five forward speeds to the rear wheels via a shaft drive and worm-drive axle.

"This rare and seldom-seen example is a valuable piece of automotive history hat paved the way for the electric revolution we're witnessing today. It will go under the hammer with Worldwide Auctioneers in late August."

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Crash: Electric Vehicles Involved In The Most Accidents Revealed

27 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

A new study has researched the most popular electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. in order to identify which are the most accident-prone ones. This reveals that the Lucid Air leads the list with 51.95 crashes per 10,000 cars.

"In contrast, the safest EV is the Porsche Taycan, with a crash rate of 0.06 per 10,000 vehicles.

"The Tesla Model 3, while having the highest number of total fatal accidents totalling 147, has a crash rate of 4.87..."

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China To Launch World's First Thorium Molten Salt Nuclear Power Station In 2025

27 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"The innovative facility, which China claims will start operating by 2025, intends to reshape global energy with its high-end technology and prospects for a safer and greener nuclear power industry...Its reactor does not need water for cooling because it utilizes liquid salt or carbon dioxide to transfer heat and make electricity...thorium reactors generating less toxic and short-lived radioactive waste than uranium-fueled ones..."

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Over 50 Rivian EVs Damaged In Factory Parking Lot Fire. Here’s What Happened

27 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"A fire that broke out in the parking lot of Rivian's electric vehicle factory in Normal, Illinois damaged over 50 R1S and R1T models that were reportedly waiting to be shipped out to customers...The cause is still unknown. NFD spokesperson Swaney said an investigation has been started to find out what started the blaze...

Editor's Note: Rivian experienced a fire that damaged three of its Amazon delivery vehicles in Houston, but noted it did not involve the vehicles high voltage traction battery."

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Tesla's 'Cortex' Supercomputer Is What Its Robotaxi Hopes Ride On

27 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"Tesla's solution for staying ahead in the future is to focus on autonomous vehicles...It involves gathering colossal amounts of video footage from millions of its electric cars worldwide...with the goal of making Teslas drive like humans.

"The system at this complex is called Cortex, a "supercomputer cluster"...for video training of the Optimus humanoid robots and the Full-Self Driving (FSD) system...the Texas supercomputer will apparently require 500 megawatts of power in the future."

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France's Arrest Of Telegram's CEO Feels Like A Warm-Up For A Much Bigger Target: Elon Musk

27 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"...France took the billionaire into custody in response to widespread criminality that was enabled via his encrypted messaging app..free speech advocates on the other side...have blasted [the] move as an attempt to enjoy some measure of control over a digital bastion of free speech...the First Amendment didn't create the freedom of speech; it simply promises that the government will stay out of your way"

EDITOR'S NOTE: "Observers have noted that due to the lack of a modern battlefield management system, Russian troops have come to rely heavily on Telegram to coordinate their activities."

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Why Some Car Companies Expected A Faster Switch To EVs

25 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"To a Super Bowl TV audience of over 100 million, the auto industry appeared to be saying: Electric vehicles are here

"Making exclusively electric vehicles, Tesla turned its first profit in 2020, and that profit margin shot up in 2021. Other automakers found themselves playing catch-up.

"...pandemic relief money in hand...government tax credits for EVs. All of that made the electric vehicle market's trajectory look bright..."

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Air Pollution Stripes: Making The Invisible Visible

25 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

A coalition [of UK and US universities] has devised a graphical representation of historic air quality for every capital city in the World. The illustrations…reveal the steady improvement of air quality across Europe and North America, in stark contrast with the obvious deterioration in parts of Africa and Central Asia

”…it’’s all about that lightbulb moment when someone understands it; that sudden 'oh yeah now I get it'.

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