EDITOR'S CHOICE

The World's Largest Wind-Powered Cargo Ship Just Made Its First Delivery Across The Atlantic

06 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"When a new cargo ship set sail from France to New York last month, loaded with hundreds of pallets of champagne, wine, and cognac...French startup that designed the ship...argues that sailing cargo ships can viably compete with container ships running on fossil fuels.

"At around 265 feet long, the vessel is a little bigger than the Cutty Sark...Around 95% of the time...the ship can rely entirely on sails.

"After they deliver wine and spirits from France to the U.S., the ships will travel to South America to pick up coffee to take back to Europe."

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Why Public EV Chargers Almost Never Work as Fast as Promised

06 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"At US public stations promising charging speeds of 100 kW or higher, the average delivered charge was only 52 kW in 2022...disconnect - largely a reflection of battery power's idiosyncrasies - is leaving many US drivers guessing as to when, why and by how much their charge is being throttled...

"For starters, an EV itself can only suck up electrons so quickly. Of the 55 electric models now available in the US, half charge above 200 kW and only five can charge at 350 kW."

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Nimble Electric Minivan Goes Big On Cargo Hauling

06 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Elm Mobility is a new last-mile delivery initiative launched by Prodrive Advanced Technology and Astheimer Design to bring an electric minivan – currently dubbed Evolv – to market. The collaboration has already designed and built a working demonstrator in just 12 months, and is now eyeing 2028 for the start of production.

"The Evolv vehicle is destined to roll within the L7e category in Europe (roughly the equivalent of a NEV in the US)."

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EV Charging Stations Boost Spending At Nearby Businesses

06 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Charging stations for electric vehicles are essential for cleaning up the transportation sector. A new study by MIT researchers suggests they're good for business, too...The spending bump amounts to thousands of extra dollars annually for nearby businesses, with the increase particularly pronounced for businesses in underresourced areas.

"The study's authors hope the research paints a more holistic picture of the benefits of EV charging stations, beyond environmental factors."

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VW Considers Historic German Plant Closures; Has "0ne, Maybe Two" Years To Turn Around

06 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Volkswagen is considering its first ever plant closures in Germany, with the brand's chief financial officer Arno Antlitz saying during a meeting with plant workers that the brand has 'one, maybe two' years to turn its fortunes around...Volkswagen is reportedly facing a loss of demand of around 500,000 cars – a figure Antlitz says is equivalent to around two factories-worth of output.

"Volkswagen AG CEO, Oliver Blume, added that 'there are no more cheques coming from China."

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Lucid Air GT Drives Way Over 500 Miles In Highway Range Test

03 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"...Kyle Conner managed to drive the 2025 Lucid Air Grand Touring well over 500 miles, making it the longest-range EV the channel has ever tested....By the end of the highway range test, Conner was using only dim parking lights to save a bit of the 12-volt battery, already having surpassed 520 miles and still going.

"Lucid is majority-owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which holds a 59.4 percent stake in the U.S. company..."

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Electric Vehicle Interest Hits Record In New US Study Thanks To Discounts, 28% Say Next Car Will Be EV

03 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"New discounts on EVs are helping to bring the price of an EV closer to gas-powered vehicles...28% of new-vehicle shoppers saying they are 'very likely' to consider a battery electric vehicle for their next purchase...battery-powered electric vehicle monthly retail sales were 9.2% for June and July.

"Mass market and premium BEVs are at and above parity with gas-powered alternatives - from a cost of ownership standpoint..."

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Norway's Electric Car Sales Set New World Record

03 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Electric car sales in Norway took a 94% share of the market in August - a new world record...Boosted by the Tesla Model Y, which accounted for 18.8% of sales...Norwegians bought 10,480 new EVs in August, bringing the total to 68,435 since the start of the year.

"By comparison, electric cars represented 12.1% of new car sales in the EU in July, behind petrol cars at 33.4%... If this trend continues, we will soon be on our way to achieving our goal of 100% zero-emission cars by 2025."

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Hydrogen Or Battery? World-First Train Glides Along On Either

03 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

'Stadler Rail has developed a fleet of train cars that can run on either hydrogen or battery power for branch rail services...

Stadler's "Flirt H2 train zipped along for 46 hours, traveling 2,803 km (1741.7 miles) on a single tank of hydrogen....a single hydrogen-powered car can travel 700 km (435 miles), while the dual set-up will make it 1,000 km (621 miles).

The RS Zero is a particularly lightweight vehicle that enables emission-free operation on secondary routes."

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Replacing EV Battery Is Expensive, But Would You Ever Need To?

03 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"EV batteries can last more than 100,000 miles these days.

"Are electric vehicles really a better deal, especially with a replacement battery factored into the lifetime cost...A new EV battery can cost between $10,000 and $20,000 depending on the make and model...today's technology means longer warranties of 150,000 miles or more are possible in the near future...$1,355 per kilowatt-hour in 2008 to $153 per kilowatt-hour in 2022..."

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Renewables Generated 40% of Global Electricity for First Time Ever in 2023

30 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"...the global clean energy transition has reached significant milestones and is poised to continue at its current pace. Last year for the first time more than 40 percent of the planet's electricity was generated by zero-carbon sources - 14 percent from solar and wind.

"Renewables made up almost a third of power generation worldwide in 2023, up five percent year-on-year...China continued to dominate new renewables investments..."

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Pay-Per-Mile Car Tax Changes Are The 'Way Forward' And Needed 'As Soon As Possible'

30 Aug 2024 | Synopsis

"As more and more EVs come on to the roads the [British] Government will need to tax drivers differently...Under the current tax measures, petrol and diesel drivers are charged based on the emissions output of their vehicles...The proposed tax scheme would charge motorists for every mile they drive instead of based on the emissions output of their cars..point raised by drivers was the cost disparity between rural motorists and urban ones..."

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