electric vehicles Balanced News

How Green Are Electric Vehicles?

tourism,travel and commuting

Very green. But plug-in cars still have environmental effects. Here’s a guide to the main issues and how they might be addressed.
New York Times     Mar 02, 2021

Volvo to sell only all-electric vehicles by 2030

Tech

“The key to sustainability is electrification, said Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson during a presentation Tuesday. “Together with investments in charging infrastructure that is the right way to go and the course we have chosen at Volvo.”
Tech Crunch     Mar 02, 2021

: Tesla’s market share in Europe keeps crumbling, as China reclaims top spot in global EV race

Business

Tesla’s share of the critical European battery-electric-vehicle market crumbled in the first month of 2021, and China has taken the top spot from Europe in the EV race, according to new research.
Market Watch     Mar 01, 2021

The Electric-Vehicle Campaign Comes to Minnesota

politics

Consumers don't want electric vehicles, but that won't stop bureaucrats from pushing them onto the public.
National Review     Mar 01, 2021

Cities are starting to ban gas stations

1k 🔥       environment, weather and energy

Petaluma, California, has voted to outlaw new gas stations, the first of what climate activists hope will be numerous cities and counties to do so.Why it matters: Expect more such ordinances, particularly in liberal towns. Grassroots groups are popping up with the mission of spreading this type of ban and forcing pollution cleanups at existing gas stations.The movement aims to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles."This is not a ban on the existing gas stations, which are providing all the gas currently needed," Matt Krogh, U.S. oil and gas campaign director for the environmental group Stand.earth, tells Axios."The problem with allowing new gas stations is we don't really need them and they’re putting existing gas stations out of business."Driving the news: In Petaluma — where neighborhood opposition to a new Safeway gas station prompted years of litigation —the council voted unanimously last week to move forward with a permanent ban on new stations; a final vote will happen Monday.Existing stations won't be allowed to add new gas pumps, though they're encouraged to build electric charging bays. "The city of roughly 60,000 people is host to 16 operational gas stations, and cit...
Axios     Mar 01, 2021

How Europe Became the World’s Biggest Electric-Car Market—and Why It Might Not Last

tourism,travel and commuting

The boom is so strong that Europe passed China as the world’s largest electric-vehicle market last year. Its share of new electric-car sales nearly doubled to 43%, while China and the U.S. lost market share.
The Wall Street Journal     Feb 28, 2021

Lucid takes on Tesla as electric vehicle competition hots up

Spac deal injects new funds into Saudi-backed start-up but production delay suggests long road ahead
Financial Times     Feb 25, 2021

This $4,500 electric car is reportedly outselling Tesla's Model 3 in China by almost two to one

tourism,travel and commuting

China, which is the world's largest car market and accounts for more than a fifth of Tesla's revenue, is ramping up its efforts to boost electric vehicle sales as it tackles the country's pollution problem.
Yahoo     Feb 25, 2021

'Next-gen' USPS vehicles can use gas or electric motors

1k 🔥       Tech

The US Postal Service plans to have a new mail van on American roads by 2023. A new contract will see Oshkosh Defense manufacture between 50,000 and 165,000 "Next Generation Delivery Vehicles" for the agency over the next 10 years. The vehicle will come in both combustion and electric powertrain variants. According to the Postal Service, the latter will be able to accommodate new EV technologies as they become available. They'll also include features like 360-degree cameras, front- and rear-collision avoidance and traction control, in addition to creature comforts like heating and air conditioning and more carrying capacity for packages. USPS The postal service’s current fleet is made up of approximately 230,000 vehicles, with about 190,000 dedicated solely to transporting mail and parcels to people. Some of those vans and trucks, such as the iconic Grumman Long Life Vehicle (LLV), have been in service for decades. The US Postal Service maintains approximately 140,000 LLVs across the US. The majority of those vans include GM’s infamous 4-cylinder “Iron Duke” engine and on a given day, its fuel economy plunges to the single digits. In recent years, they’ve also started to catch fir...
Engadget     Feb 23, 2021

2022-Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV bows with knife-edged look, two-way charging

Meet the first member of Hyundai's new Ioniq electric vehicle subbrand, the Ioniq 5 compact crossover. Making its debut Monday, this sharply creased EV has a surprisingly roomy and lounge-like cabin, a variety of battery and powertrain configurations and both familiar and new charging technologies. Believe it or not, this a production car.
CNET     Feb 23, 2021

Bill Gates: Forget the climate policy tweaks and go for the big stuff

Politics

Forget unrealistic notions about abolishing fossil fuels in a decade, or modest efforts to make electric vehicles a little cheaper. Bill Gates says President Joe Biden needs to go big on climate change — by fostering the major technological changes that can eliminate greenhouses throughout the economy by the middle of the century.
Politico     Feb 16, 2021

On an electric car road trip around NSW, we found range anxiety (and the need for more chargers) is real

Tech

Author providedReplacing cars that run on fossil fuels with electric cars will be important in meeting climate goals – road transport produces more than 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But there are obstacles to wider uptake, particularly in Australia. Too much of the debate about these vehicles revolves around abstract, technical calculations and assumptions about cost and benefit. Tariffs, taxes and incentives are important in shaping decisions, but the user experience is often overlooked. To better understand this we took a Tesla on a road trip from Sydney through some regional towns in New South Wales. We soon found “range anxiety” is real. That’s the worry that the battery will run out of power before reaching the destination or a charging point. It’s often cited as the most important reason for reluctance to buy an electric vehicle. Even as prices come down and hire and share options become more widespread, range anxiety about electric vehicles is hindering their wider uptake. We found it can largely be overcome through a range of strategies readily available now. Lessons from our road trip The first is simply to accumulate driving experience with a particular veh...
The Conversation     Feb 07, 2021

Ford Makes $29B Commitment to Electric and Self-Driving Cars

tourism,travel and commuting

Ford announced during its fourth-quarter earnings report that it will invest $22 billion in electric vehicles and $7 billion in autonomous vehicles through 2025. The electric-vehicle stake is an increase over the $10 billion already pledged to help Ford compete in the race to bring electric vehicles into the mainstream.
caranddriver.com     Feb 07, 2021

Shell to acquire UK's largest electric vehicle charging network

1k 🔥      

Electric vehicle sales are set to continue to soar in 2021, industry analysts and car distributors have said, as more models are brought to the market and governments push for use of cleaner energy to achieve climate goals.
Reuters     Jan 25, 2021

Electric Vehicles Don’t Save Money

Politics

An oil/filter change generally costs about $50 ($10 for a filter, $5 per quart of oil times 5 to 6 quarts, plus the labor, if you pay someone else to do it). Most non-electric cars need their oil and filter changed about once every 6,000 miles or so — about twice a year given the average 10,000 to 12,000 miles most people drive each year.
American Spectator     Jan 22, 2021

DeLorean considering all-electric reboot

economy and finances

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has completed a regulation permitting low volume motor vehicle manufacturers to begin selling replica cars that resemble vehicles produced at least 25 years ago. Congress enacted a DeLorean Motor Company-backed bill backed by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) DeLorean Motor Company, and others into law in 2015, which streamlined requirements for small automakers, but implementation was delayed while awaiting the NHTSA regulations. Companies like DeLorean will now be able to apply for authorization to produce and sell vehicles under this program.
newdelorean.com     Jan 21, 2021

Inexpensive battery charges rapidly for electric vehicles, reduces range anxiety

Science

"We developed a pretty clever battery for mass-market electric vehicles with cost parity with combustion engine vehicles," said Chao-Yang Wang, William E. Diefenderfer Chair of mechanical engineering,
Science Daily     Jan 18, 2021