Category: Environment (Page 2 of 5)

Automakers are backing California in challenge to set emissions standards

2023-02-16 / Robert Vinet

The federal court case — Ohio v. EPA — is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. 17 US states petitioned the court to revoke California’s Clean Air Act waiver, which allows the California to set emissions standards higher than federal standards.

The 17 petitioners opposing California and the Environmental Protection Agency are the US states of Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

Meanwhile, today New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that the state will initiate the process to adopt California’s Advanced Clean Cars II.

The automakers — BMW, Ford, Honda, Lucid, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo — essentially argue that California’s emissions standards are in line with market forces, noting in the brief that demand for EVs has drastically increased.

Read Stephen Edelstein’s article in Green Car Reports to learn more.

Is the dominance of fossil fuels across the global economy finally starting to wane?

2023-02-16 / Robert Vinet

Michael Holder, Business Green ::

Such a prospect may be difficult to imagine right now, given the record profits being funnelled into the pockets of companies such as ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, and Centrica. A cursory look at your energy bill or the latest global greenhouse gas emissions stats is enough to make one wince at the firm grip fossil fuels still appear to have on all aspects of the global economy.

But growing numbers of respected energy policy wonks have been taking a peek under the bonnet of the global energy system, and finding cause for cautious optimism that – even if it is not happening at the speed global climate goals require – the decarbonisation of the global economy may start far sooner than many realise.

The city of Hamburg, Germany bans new ICE taxis starting in 2025

2023-02-16 / Robert Vinet

The Driven ::

“We hope that this decision in Hamburg will have a signalling effect – for Germany and the whole of Europe,” said Hamburg’s Green transport senator Anjes Tjarks.

Electrifying the entire taxi fleet will save 25,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, he added. The city started to support the switch to emission-free taxis in 2021.

At present, more than 350 of the city’s taxis are electrified — a share of 12 percent, the highest share in Germany —25 of which are powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

This is part of a growing trend. NYC recently announced that Uber, Lyft must only operate EVs in the city by 2030

Elsewhere :: CleanTechnica

EU Parliament votes to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035

2023-02-14 / Robert Vinet

The European Parliament has given a green light to a plan to stop the sale of petrol and disel cars starting in 2035.

This is a crucial part of the European Union’s plan to become a “climate neutral” economy by 2050.

New sodium aluminum battery uses Earth-abundant materials

2023-02-10 / Robert Vinet

US scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a new sodium battery technology:

“We showed that this new molten salt battery design has the potential to charge and discharge much faster than other conventional high-temperature sodium batteries, operate at a lower temperature, and maintain an excellent energy storage capacity,” said Guosheng Li, a materials scientist at PNNL and the principal investigator of the research. “We are getting similar performance with this new sodium-based chemistry at over 100 °C [212 °F] lower temperatures than commercially available high-temperature sodium battery technologies, while using a more Earth-abundant material.”

Source: PNNL Media Release

Elsewhere » PV Magazine / Science Daily

The EV transition isn’t just about cars – the broader goal should be access to clean mobility for everyone

2023-02-01 / Robert Vinet

EV chargers in Corte Madera, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Sita M. Syal, University of Michigan

The race to decarbonize passenger cars and light-duty trucks in the U.S. is accelerating. Battery electric vehicles accounted for almost 6% of all new vehicle sales in 2022, up from close to 3% in 2021, and demand is outstripping supply, even as manufacturers roll out new models and designs. The Biden administration is spending billions of dollars to build out EV charging networks and providing incentives for purchasing new and used EVs.

This shift offers big economic and environmental benefits, but they’re not spread equitably. People who bear the most burdens in our current transportation systems often receive the fewest benefits, and are least able to change their situations.

I study the future of clean transportation and energy, and my research analyzes equity considerations in the design of these systems. As my colleagues and I see it, an equitable transition will require thinking broadly about all transportation users and their needs – especially those who are currently being left behind.

Consumer Reports asks how much winter weather affects an EVs driving range

2021-12-19 / Robert Vinet

EV Winter Driving

Consumer Reports »

Running the cabin heater, seat heaters, defroster, and other accessories that combat the cold weather inside the car all sap range. For cold temperatures, what we have found is that 20 degrees Fahrenheit and colder is when the range really drops.

We’ve done some testing on how the cold weather affects range, and one of the biggest takeaways is that a buyer needs to consider how many miles they drive in a typical day and double that number to determine the driving range that’s right for their needs. If you drive 50 miles a day, you’ll want an EV that has at least a 100-mile range. The good news is that many electric cars are getting 200-plus miles of battery range nowadays, and that number is generally improving from model year to model year. (Where this is a greater concern is with an older EV that may have lost some range due to the ravages of time.)

A key reason to choose added range is not only the energy demands but also the unpredictability of weather. You don’t want the stress of being caught in a winter storm not knowing how long the drive will take.

To reduce the impact of cold, park the car in a garage where it can remain on a charger. “It takes less energy to maintain a temperature than to raise it, so this can make a significant difference in range,” says Sam Abuelsamid, senior analyst at the automotive research and consulting firm Navigant.