EDITOR'S PICK

Can Leapmotor Save Stellantis In The Shift To Electric Vehicles?

16 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"...the company's profits fell 70% in 2024, and its outspoken CEO Carlos Tavares quit at the end of the year...Leapmotor joins the other 14 members of the Stellantis group (although only eight are active in Europe)

"Leapmotor potentially plugs a gap like nothing else in its portfolio. When the current battery-electric (BEV) transition started around 2020, Stellantis appeared to have mostly one drivetrain on offer..they were platforms shared with internal combustion engine (ICE) versions..."

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Northvolt Bankruptcy: Europe's Chances Of Beating China In The EV Race Just Got Slimmer

16 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"...Swedish battery company owned in part by Volkswagen and Goldman Sachs has filed for bankruptcy in its own country...deathblow for the battery maker, established in 2016, following its American interest in filing for bankruptcy in November last year."

"The big hope was that Nothvolt could go up against Chinese bands like CATL and BYD...Plans to build EV batteries in Europe have been bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles, production problems and slower EV demand than expected."

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Geothermal Is Having A Moment In The Sun, But Black Swans Are Casting Shade

16 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"Geothermal energy is once again capturing attention, hailed by some as the stable, reliable renewable resource that can balance the intermittency of wind and solar power...enthusiasm often overlooks historical realities, especially when measured against criteria I consistently use to assess energy solutions

"Recent advances in battery storage, demand response technologies, and grid flexibility are increasingly undermining geothermal's claim of unique baseload capability."

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Owner Discovers Hidden Tesla Warranty Issue That Started With Replacement of a 12V Battery

16 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"A battery replacement became a five-figure nightmare for one Tesla owner after the company classified the vehicle as "salvage" without warning.

"According to Tesla's official guidelines, any vehicle deemed a total loss by an insurance company, often due to significant damage from accidents, floods, fires, or other hazards, is classified as a salvage vehicle.... Tesla must conduct tests before potentially reinstating supercharging...costing at least $1,600 upfront."

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China's High-Speed Rail Linked To Boosted EV Adoption

14 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"Fears of getting stranded in EVs seem to dissipate when high-speed rail is near."

"University of Pennsylvania recently analyzed China's decade-long push for electric vehicle (EV) adoption and found that it coincided with the country's expansion of high-speed rail. Regions with the fastest and most accessible rail networks also saw the highest increases in EV adoption."

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VW's Next-Gen EV Batteries Arrive Soon: How They'll Cut Costs, Boost Range

14 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"...simplification is the keyword...plans to focus on a single EV battery cell format...the next-generation battery arriving as soon as late this year for Europe will have the cells directly mounted into the battery housing...EV batteries still account for more than a third of EV cost - so the cells represent competitiveness not just on cost but on performance versus vehicle weight...The unified cell format aims to reduce the complexity"

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The X Games Just Banned Electric Motorcycles For Being Too Good

14 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"X Games riders and fans are going to be seeing a lot fewer electric motorcycles in the air this year. That's after a new rule change has quietly banned electric motorcycles from competing. And the reasoning? It's not fair to the gassers who are trying to keep up.

"...riders have discovered that the new technology has opened the door to trick innovation and stunt riding at a level not previously possible with... (ICE) dirt bikes."

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Hacker Group Anonymous Claims 'Real Reason' Behind Trump's Tesla Press Conference

14 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla..."

"However, Anonymous has now claimed that the strange press conference came after Musk broke down over the state of his business during a previous meeting with Trump.

"Following Trump's White House press conference, Tesla’s stock price increased nearly 4% after dropping almost 48%..."

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EPA Announces Action to Implement POTUS's Termination of Biden-Harris Electric Vehicle Mandate

13 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

"...administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency will reconsider...Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles regulation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles, [stating:] "The American auto industry has been hamstrung by the crushing regulatory regime of the last administration.

"...these announcements represent the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in the history of the United States."

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ZeroAvia Flexible Fuel Cell Test Shows Expanded UAV & VTOL Capabilities

13 Mar 2025 | Synopsis

SuperStack Flex highly-customizable LTPEM fuel cell architecture has achieved over 1.0kW/kg specific net power at a full system level...reduced from over 200 parts to less than 100, with ~50% weight and volume reductions...can be scaled up or down between 100kW and 600kW net total continuous power applications... The lightweight, aviation optimized balance-of-plant, has been developed as a best-fit approach for many Unmanned Air Vehicles."

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