EDITOR'S PICK
Electric Cars Set Records At Pikes Peak
25 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"For the first time in history (which began in 1916), an electric car was also used as a pace car...but mainly capturing the attention of the public and enthusiasts were the Rivian R1T Ascend Quad Max, Ioniq 5N and Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck.
"The R1T used in this 2024...finished the climb with a time of 10'53"883. The record lasted as long as a round of applause. The car that started next, the Ioniq 5N, was in fact 4 seconds faster..."
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Increasing Micromobility Vehicle Lifespan Has Greatest Reduction On CO2, Study Finds
25 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"Shared e-scooters and shared e-bikes have reduced greenhouse gas emissions per kilometre by more than 40% since 2020, and more than 50% for shared bicycles...Increased vehicle lifetime enables more rides per vehicle resulting in less emissions per ride
"ITF recommends that micromobility operators continue to extend vehicle and component lifespan and design for modularity and repairability."
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EV Rebates Are Nice. This Is Better
25 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"One could argue, then, that declining curiosity about EVs is a reflection of waning interest...However, the numbers tell a different story. The Canadian market share of new battery electric vehicle sales...increased to 8.1 per cent last year, up from 6.5 per cent in 2022...Globally, there were more than 500 EV models in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency, more than double the number since 2018.
"...there were likely other factors boosting sales. Like word-of-mouth, new models, an expanding charging infrastructure and resignation to the fact that the world appears to be going electric."
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“Any Battery Above 2 KWh Of Capacity Will Need A Battery Passport”
25 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"...Circulor...uses blockchain technology to map supply chains for companies...just designed the world's first EV battery passport with Swedish automaker Volvo for its flagship EX90 SUV.
"Every battery above 2-kilowatt-hours will need a battery passport so this includes some of the big e-bikes that have batteries, microcars, marine batteries...Battery passports will also have big implications for safety and product recalls."
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Report: Cities are Undermining Sustainable Mobility with Fees and Taxes
25 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"...researchers at Portland and Sonoma state universities - and, full disclosure, Lime, the scooter company - the average trip on a shared micromobility mode, such as a scooter, includes about $.70 per mile in fees and taxes levied by municipalities.
"Shared micromobility fee and tax rates are 'high relative to most other modes of travel, notably personal vehicle travel (23 times more per mile) and ride-hail trips (over five times more per mile),"
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Community Tesla Interview Shows That EV Education Still Has A Long Way To Go
23 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"Tesla owner from Australia...recently conducted an interview [that found] most respondents were not aware that the Tesla Model Y was 2023's best-selling car in the world...Some were also quick to claim that Tesla sales are down and that the company's inventory is piling up. Others echoed persistent anti-EV talking points...Such points have long been debunked, but as could be seen in the Tesla owner's community interviews, they are still prevalent."
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AI Develops 'Ground-Breaking' New Magnet Free Of Rare Earth Metals
23 Jun 2024 | Synopsis

"Materials Nexus, together with researchers at the Henry Royce Institute and the University of Sheffield, have developed MagNex...a permanent magnet that is free of rare earth elements...produced with materials that cost one-fifth of regular permanent magnets
"The AI system identifies and analyzes the composition of over 100 million potential alloys that would have the right properties to be a permanent magnet."
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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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