EDITOR'S CHOICE

World's First Hydrogen-Powered Tug Launched in Antwerp

15 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"The Hydrotug 1 is powered by two BeHydro V12 dual fuel medium speed engines that can burn hydrogen in combination with traditional fuel, resulting in an overall 65% reduction in fuel consumption and associated emissions...Hydrotug 1 can store 415kg of compressed hydrogen in 6 stillages installed on deck and eliminates the emission's equivalent of 350 cars per year...big step towards zero-carbon shipping and proves that there is a vibrant energy transition industry in Antwerp, Belgium and Europe."

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White-Hot Thermal Grid Battery Aims To Decimate Lithium On Price

15 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Fourth Power says its ultra-high temperature 'sun in a box' energy storage tech is more than 10X cheaper than lithium-ion batteries, and vastly more powerful and efficient than any other thermal battery...compete with big lithium battery arrays in the short-duration 5-10 hour range - basically storing excess solar energy during the heat of the day for use in the evening and at night...pipes become white-hot and emit intense light, which is harvested through thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell."

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Tesla "Recalls" Auto Pilot Software in Two Million Cars

14 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Tesla cars still require the driver's input. The feature is primarily helpful in specific conditions, like driving on highways...recall has been issued on almost all Tesla models sold in the United States since 2015

Musk tweeted "The word 'recall' for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and just flat wrong!"

Tesla has agreed to implement new car controls that will limit the capability of the autopilot feature...You don't need to turn your car in for this recall. According to the company, there will be an automatic update to your car's software, making this an easy fix."

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Why Science Backs a Fossil Fuel Phaseout

14 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"...we now know with absolute certainty that rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are leading directly to rising average global temperatures... the obvious alternative to reaching net-zero by 2050: the complete phasing out of fossil fuel burning.

"The only thing in the way of phasing out fossil fuels and saving the planet from climate catastrophe is the belief that this is somehow not possible."

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Carbon Capture Needs Enough Pipelines to Circle Earth Four Times

14 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"The US goal to cut carbon dioxide hinges on transporting and burying more than a billion tons per year.

"...historic pact at COP28 climate talks this week [formalized] move away from using fossil fuels. But it also endorsed a key technology that could give them a lifeline: carbon capture and storage. The challenge starts with actually capturing the carbon dioxide..it's not enough to capture carbon. It will also need to be stored somewhere -- often in locations far from where it's trapped."

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Raytheon To Create DARPA's Airborne "Wireless Internet For Energy"

14 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"DARPA wants to be able to power anything from nearly anywhere...Under a two-year, US$10 million DARPA contract, Raytheon will create a Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) system, using a series of high altitude unmanned aircraft equipped with laser-based power receiving and transmitting capabilities. Energy will be beamed up to high altitude, then relayed across however many jumps are necessary to reach the target area."

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Ampaire's EEL Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Achieves Continuous 12-Hour Hybrid-Electric Flight

14 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"The flight was conducted on December 10, 2023, in Camarillo, California with the company’s EEL aircraft and lasted for 12 hours exactly, with more than two hours of fuel and battery reserves remaining.

"Ampaire...flew its Electric EEL technology testbed aircraft for the first time in 2019, and also claims the longest flight for a hybrid electric aircraft of 1,135 miles en route from Los Angeles to Oshkosh, Wisconsin."

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Dubai Summit Adopts World-First 'Transition' From Fossil Fuels

13 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"Nearly 200 nations meeting in Dubai...approved a first-ever call for the world to transition away from fossil fuels...the agreement calls for 'transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade'...For the first time in 30 years, we might now reach the beginning of the end of fossil fuels...Environmentalists virtually all saw the new text as an improvement.."

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Hundreds of EV Charging Companies In America Are All Fighting Over the Best Spots: Report

13 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"There are more than 900 EV charging companies around the world, and they all want prime locations for fast public chargers... the sector is attracting a ton of players and investors, drawing in more than $12 billion in venture capital funding since 2012..with the number of fast charging networks expected to double to 54 in 2030 from 25 in 2022...An EV charging station placed in a prime location can take about four years before it becomes profitable 'once utilization hits around 15%...'"

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New Survey: Americans Are Increasingly Concerned About Electric Vehicle Battery Disposal, Despite Growth of EV Battery Recycling

13 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"A new study commissioned by engineered battery materials company Ascend Elements found that 71% of U.S. adults say they are concerned about disposal of used EV batteries, up from 54% in 2022. Nearly 40% of survey respondents think lithium-ion EV batteries are not recyclable, down from 47% in 2022...Only 21% of survey respondents say lithium-ion batteries can be recycled in the household recycling bin, down from 33% in 2022."

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Everything My Wife Learned From Her First 100 Miles E-Biking To Work

13 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"She just started a new position as an elementary school principal this year, and we live just over 2 miles (3.5 km) from her school, which is in the center of our city here in Tel Aviv...bus trip there had been relatively short at 6-8 minutes (at 7AM)..with her new e-bike, the trip takes just 10 minutes in each direction...she can use bike lanes for around 90% of the route...Originally fearing that riding a bike to work might be stressful, she actually found it to be the exact opposite."

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How Practical Is An E-Bike Compared To A Car: Time, Cost, Energy

13 Dec 2023 | Synopsis

"...there is a growing need to measure how practical an e-bike is compared to a car, and why. NREL...research...evaluates usefulness using the Mobility Energy Productivity (MEP) metric...e-bikes come close to matching cars in densely populated areas...driving has an in-built (literally!) advantage over bikes, given virtually all cities are car-centric by design.

"E-bikes, of course, have their own advantages: they are among the smallest electric vehicles anyone can own, are much cheaper and more energy efficient, and have much lower emissions."

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