Sat.Mar 05, 2022 - Fri.Mar 11, 2022

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DOE researchers suggest solid-state batteries may not be a safety slam-dunk; thermodynamic models evaluate solid-state and Li-ion safety

Green Car Congress

Recent battery fires have renewed investigation of the safety of Li-ion batteries. One possible path to battery safety is a solid-state battery that replaces the volatile and flammable liquid electrolyte with a non-flammable solid electrolyte. While the safety benefits of this solid electrolyte replacement are widely acknowledged, the broader safety of Li-metal anode solid-state batteries with high energy density has not been critically examined.

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Police departments want to electrify their fleets but have few options

Green Car Reports

Police departments looking to add electric cars to their fleets have few suitable choices, as one report recently highlighted. The police department in Spokane, Washington, is looking to go electric, and recently tested two Tesla Model Y crossovers, according to the Spokane Spokesman-Review. They received "scathing reviews" from cops, according to.

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Tesla wins Kelley Blue Book’s “Best Overall Luxury Brand” award for 3rd year in a row

Teslarati

Tesla was recently listed by vehicle valuation and automotive research company Kelley Blue Book (KBB) as the “Best Overall Luxury Brand” in its 2022 Brand Image Awards. The awards are designed to recognize automakers whose vehicle lineups create enthusiasm among car shoppers. As noted by KBB, brand image is not just about consumers being aware that a brand exists.

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Tesla is tripling your Model Y delivery time if you don’t add on the $12,000 FSD option

Electrek

A recent update to Tesla’s website configurator reveals that it is prioritizing reservations that include the $12,000 full self-driving (FSD) option, at least for the Model Y and Model 3. For reservations of the Tesla Model Y in particular, delivery estimates change from six months from today (September), to two months (May), simply by choosing the FSD add-on. more….

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How serious is Norway about climate change? So much that its streetlights self-dim

emissions global warming Norway climate change carbon dioxide youtube lighting

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DOE: cobalt is the most expensive material used in lithium-ion battery cathodes

Green Car Congress

With the accelerating transition to electric vehicles (EVs), demand for the materials used to produce batteries will increase significantly and rapidly. Aside from the lithium needed to produce modern lithium-ion batteries, much attention is focused on the cost of the materials used for EV battery cathode production. Cobalt is an important ingredient in lithium-ion battery cathode production, accounting for about a quarter of the cost of the battery.

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GM wants future EVs to be home power banks—and it starts with a California pilot program

Green Car Reports

Electric vehicles have the potential to be more than just transportation—by using their battery packs for supplemental home energy and grid stabilization. That’s what a collaboration between GM and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), announced Tuesday morning, aims to explore—with the eventual hope of making every GM vehicle.

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Tesla confirms deliveries of German-built Model Ys are starting on March 22

Electrek

Tesla has confirmed that deliveries of Model Y vehicles built at Gigafactory Berlin in Germany are starting on March 22. more…. The post Tesla confirms deliveries of German-built Model Ys are starting on March 22 appeared first on Electrek.

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Austrian bus company signs framework agreement for up to 106 Solaris battery-electric and hydrogen buses

Green Car Congress

Austrian bus company Österreichische Postbus AG (ÖBB Postbus) has signed another framework agreement with Solaris for the delivery of up to 106 battery-electric and hydrogen buses that would be deployed throughout Austria. The models offered include Urbino 9 LE electric and Urbino 12 hydrogen buses. ÖBB Postbus is the largest bus company in Austria and a leader in regional public bus transport.

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Rivian plans LFP cells, heat pump, 800V upgrade; 2022 production plan halved to 25,000

Green Car Reports

Rivian revealed updates on R1T, R1S, and EDV van production; information on preorders; and what amounted to its most significant product update in months, as part of a letter to shareholders and Q&A held Thursday. The company is ramping up production, gradually and with plenty of supply-chain-related fits and starts. As of March 8, Rivian.

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SpaceX’s first 33-engine Super Heavy booster reaches full height

Teslarati

Approximately 11 weeks after the process began, SpaceX has finished stacking its newest Super Heavy booster prototype – the first of its kind intended to host 33 new Raptor V2 engines. Designed to launch Starship’s massive, namesake upper stage part of the way to orbit, Super Heavy is in many ways simpler than Starship but just as complex and unprecedented in others.

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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Kawasaki’s Robot Ibex: Can It Be Tamed?

Cars That Think

This is Bex. It is, as near as I can tell, a robotic ibex , designed by Kawasaki and inspired by the fiercely horny species of goat native to many mountainous regions of Africa and Eurasia. Bex made its first appearance at iREX this week in Japan , and we should talk about why a Kawasaki robot ibex now exists, besides, of course, the simple fact that it's just so darn fun to say out loud.

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MIT, Brookhaven team develops simple method for stabilizing interfaces in solid-state lithium-ion batteries

Green Car Congress

Solid-state batteries could potentially not only deliver twice as much energy for their size, they also could virtually eliminate the fire hazard associated with today’s lithium-ion batteries. However, instabilities at the boundary between the solid electrolyte layer and the two electrodes on either side can dramatically shorten the lifetime of such batteries.

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More EVs likely means less pollution from utilities, not more: Here's why

Green Car Reports

There are some ill-informed opinion pieces suggesting that the more EVs that are put to use, the more we'll need to tap into dirtier power sources in order to meet demand. But as a recent RMI report suggests, that's not true—because relatively simple tech like smart charging and time-of-use rates will help smooth loads and help utilities.

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Tesla is experiencing order rate increases in the U.S. because of soaring gas prices: report

Teslarati

Tesla is reportedly seeing increased order rates in the United States this week after soaring gas prices have helped some drivers transition to electric vehicles to avoid paying astronomical amounts at the pump. A new report from Electrek says sources familiar with Tesla’s order rate have seen surges “in several parts of the U.S. this week.” The report also states that Tesla saw the order rate increase by 100 percent this week in portions of the country that have been affected

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ExxonMobil announces 6th oil discovery offshore Guyana with Ranger-1; Guyana may move from non-producer to regional powerhouse

Oil

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No Need to be Freightened of Electric Trucks

CleanTechnica EVs

Even though only 10% of vehicles on US roads are medium- and heavy-duty trucks, they are responsible for the majority of hazardous air pollutants and nearly 25% of the greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. This pollution disproportionately burdens low-income communities and communities of color and leads to deadly diseases such as asthma, cardiac impairments, and cancer.

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Northvolt to build 100 GWh/year cathode material plant in Sweden; reusing shuttered pulp and paper mill

Green Car Congress

Northvolt and Stora Enso recently signed a letter of intent on a purchase of the Kvarnsveden Mill and the surrounding industrial area in Borlänge, Sweden. Northvolt will develop the site into a manufacturing plant for active material and battery cells, reusing and refurbishing much of the existing facilities and site infrastructure. The factory is expected to start the first part of its operations in late 2024 and will employ up to 1,000 people, utilizing 100% clean energy from the region.

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Analysts: Raw material price surge will put EV battery affordability gains on hold until 2024

Green Car Reports

A surge in raw material prices could cause EV battery prices to rise, according to a recent Reuters report. Battery prices have declined consistently over the past few years, but rising prices of nickel, lithium, and other materials—exasperated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine—could halt or even reverse that trend, according to the.

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Tesla free Supercharging program extended to all stations across Poland and Slovakia

Teslarati

As gas prices across the globe continue to rise, Tesla has extended its free Supercharging program for customers who are currently affected by the situation in Ukraine. As per a recent message from the company, free charging services have now been activated at all Superchargers across Poland and Slovakia. . Following is Tesla’s message: “We are temporarily enabling free Supercharging in areas impacted by the recent situation in Ukraine.

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Is Tesla Going To Outpace Luxury Automakers Lexus & BMW? Probably

CleanTechnica EVs

For much of the auto industry’s recent history, luxury auto sales have been dominated by Lexus and BMW. However, Tesla’s push toward the emergence of the electric vehicle is expected to change that in the years to come. Tesla is on track to outpace luxury automaker sales from Lexus and BMW, amidst a major shift […].

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Uhnder bringing 4D digital imaging radar-on-chip to mass production

Green Car Congress

Uhnder , a developer of digital imaging radar technology for automotive and next-generation mobility applications, will soon become the first company to mass-produce a fully automotive qualified, 4D digital imaging radar-on-chip. The S80 is a fully integrated 77 GHz, 4D Imaging Radar-on-Chip (RoC) with Digital Code Modulation (DCM) certified for use in automotive safety applications, such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot detection, a

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Toyota Teammate driver-assistance system hikes price of Mirai fuel-cell car to $72,195

Green Car Reports

The 2022 Toyota Mirai is now available with Toyota's Teammate driver-assistance system, but only as a $5,170 option on the top Limited trim level. Toyota confirmed to Green Car Reports that while the 2022 Mirai has been available for months, the Teammate option hasn't been available until March. Unveiled last year, Toyota Teammate has been billed.

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SpaceX upgrading Starship noses and domes for easier assembly

Teslarati

While a separate team closes in on the completion of a new and improved Starship nosecone, SpaceX also appears to have begun assembling upgraded ‘tank domes’ that feature a similar underlying design change. On the nose front, SpaceX has been working on a new and improved version of Starship’s nosecone for at least a year and assembling pathfinders and prototypes of varying fidelity since mid-2020 – around the same time when Starship SN15 became the first (and only) protot

Gore 145
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Rule change now allows deliveries of self-driving vehicles without steering wheels or pedals

Electrek

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has officially changed a long-standing rule that is now creating a path for automakers to deliver self-driving vehicles without steering wheels or pedals. more…. The post Rule change now allows deliveries of self-driving vehicles without steering wheels or pedals appeared first on Electrek.

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ARPA-E selects SwRI to create more effective burner to reduce methane emissions

Green Car Congress

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will collaborate with the University of Michigan (UM) to use additive manufacturing and machine learning to create an advanced burner that will eliminate 99.5% of the methane encountered during oil production. SwRI’s Metering Research Facility (MRF) will serve as a test bed for a new ARPA-E project collaboration among SwRI, University of Michigan to create an advanced burner that will eliminate 99.5% of the methane in gas flares used by the oil and gas industr

Emissions 434
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Ford and PG&E study how F-150 Lightning might support the grid, not just the home

Green Car Reports

While bidirectional charging remains at the hypothetical or developmental stages for some automakers, it’s almost here for Ford and its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. A new partnership between Ford and California utility PG&E is aiming to take that functionality to the next stage: the electrical grid. Ford plans the first.

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SpaceX on track for fourth Starlink launch in two weeks

Teslarati

Update: SpaceX may have delayed its Starlink 4-10 launch from March 8th to March 9th. Continuing its relentless cadence, SpaceX appears to be on track to launch its fourth batch of Starlink satellites in just over two weeks. Know as Starlink 4-10 and scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 9:06 am EST (14:06 UTC) on Tuesday, March 8th, the mission will also be SpaceX’s 10th launch of 2022 – an average of one launch every 6.6 days.

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OLA S1 Electric Scooter Ownership Blog

Plug In India

By Kamlesh I'm Kamlesh and i got my OLA S1 electric scooter here in Pune. I hope to document my findings here as i use this ground breaking electric scooter from OLA Electric. I used an electric car for 8 years from 2013 to 2021. My blog unearthed a lot of the inner workings on that vehicle. Let's hope we can understand the OLA too! My ramblings on the 2022 EV scene I have an electric cycle, which is an eAdicct conversion kit added to a Schnell 26 inch cycle.

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EPA proposes new heavy-duty truck emissions rules

Green Car Congress

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new, stronger standards to promote clean air and reduce pollution from heavy-duty vehicles and engines starting in model year (MY) 2027. The proposed multi-pollutant rule would further reduce air pollution from heavy-duty engines and vehicles across the United States, including ozone and particulate matter (PM).

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Affordable electric Chevy Blazer due in 2023—sporty SS version too

Green Car Reports

General Motors on Wednesday teased that its Chevrolet Blazer electric crossover, due to arrive starting in spring 2023 and debut later this year, will be the first from the brand to be offered in an “SS” performance model. The SS badge, for Super Sport, has been a Chevy mainstay since the leading edge of the muscle-car era, typically.

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SEC asks to disburse $40M to investors four years after Musk settlement

Teslarati

The Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, asked a judge for permission to disburse $40 million in funds to investors that were collected as part of a 2018 settlement with Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk. The SEC said in a filing on Tuesday night that it was ready for a “fair and reasonable” means to distribute the funds to investors who were potentially harmed by Musk’s “funding secured” Tweet in 2018, according to Reuters.

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Geographic Hints Help a Simple Robot Navigate for Kilometers

Cars That Think

The way most robots navigate is very different from the way most humans navigate. Robots are happiest when they have total environmental understanding, with some sort of full geometric reconstruction of everything around them plus exact knowledge of their own position and orientation. Lidars, preexisting maps, powerful computers, and even a motion-capture system if you can afford it—the demands of autonomous robots never end.

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Ford, U Mich study finds greater greenhouse gas reductions for pickup truck electrification than for other light-duty vehicles

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company have conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle GHG assessment of model year 2020 ICEV, HEV, and BEV sedans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and pickup trucks in the United States. Light-duty vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks, are currently responsible for 58% of US transportation sector emissions.

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Research suggests solid-state EV battery cells aren't always safer than conventional lithium-ion

Green Car Reports

One of the touted benefits of solid-state batteries is increased safety owing to a more stable solid electrolyte, but new research casts doubt on that claim. Solid-state batteries get their name from their solid electrolyte, which proponents claim is less prone to damage and overheating than the liquid electrolyte used in conventional lithium-ion.

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Tesla battery partner Panasonic shares insights on 4680 cell development

Teslarati

Kazuo Tadanobu, the CEO of Panasonic’s energy division, recently shared some insights about the company’s upcoming 4680 batteries, which would be sold to longtime partner Tesla. Tadanobu mentioned a number of key observations about the upcoming batteries, particularly on how the 4680 cells could effectively initiate change in the transportation sector.

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