Tuesday, November 5

Tag: electric

Electric Planes Are Coming: Short-Hop Regional Flights Could Be Running On Batteries In A Few Years
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TECHNOLOGY, VIDEO REELS

Electric Planes Are Coming: Short-Hop Regional Flights Could Be Running On Batteries In A Few Years

Electric planes might seem futuristic, but they aren’t that far off, at least for short hops. Two-seater Velis Electros are already quietly buzzing around Europe, electric sea planes are being tested in British Columbia, and larger planes are coming. Air Canada announced on Sept. 15, 2022, that it would buy 30 electric-hybrid regional aircraft from Sweden’s Heart Aerospace, which expects to have its 30-seat plane in service by 2028. Analysts at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab note that the first hybrid electric 50- to 70-seat commuter plane could be ready not long after that. In the 2030s, they say, electric aviation could really take off. That matters for managing climate change. About 3% of global emissions come from aviation today, and with more passengers and flights expecte...
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If Done Right, IPCC Says Revolutionary Changes In Transportation, From Electric Vehicles To Ride Sharing, Could Slow Global Warming
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BUSINESS

If Done Right, IPCC Says Revolutionary Changes In Transportation, From Electric Vehicles To Ride Sharing, Could Slow Global Warming

Around the world, revolutionary changes are under way in transportation. More electric vehicles are on the road, people are taking advantage of sharing mobility services such as Uber and Lyft, and the rise in telework during the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way people think about commuting. Transportation is a growing source of the global greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change, accounting for 23% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions worldwide in 2019 and 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. The systemic changes under way in the transportation sector could begin lowering that emissions footprint. But will they reduce emissions enough? In a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released April 4, 2022, scientists examined the ...
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Powering My House With My Electric Car – Vehicle-To-Home Charging Is Coming
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IN OTHER NEWS, VIDEO REELS

Powering My House With My Electric Car – Vehicle-To-Home Charging Is Coming

As manufacturers introduce new models of electric vehicles, demand for them is growing steadily. New EV sales in the U.S. roughly doubled in 2021 and could double again in 2022, from 600,000 to 1.2 million. Auto industry leaders expect that EVs could account for at least half of all new U.S. car sales by the end of the decade. EVs appeal to different customers in different ways. Many buyers want to help protect the environment; others want to save money on gasoline or try out the latest, coolest technology. In areas like California and Texas that have suffered large weather-related power failures in recent years, consumers are starting to consider EVs in a new way: as a potential electricity source when the lights go out. Ford has made backup power a selling point of its electric F-150 L...
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Moms Are Driving A Push To Get More Electric School Buses On The Streets
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IN OTHER NEWS

Moms Are Driving A Push To Get More Electric School Buses On The Streets

When the Cartwright School District purchased the first 84-seat electric school bus in Arizona, it was a satisfying day for moms like Erika Cortez, who spent months volunteering time to make that dream a reality. “It was very exciting to be part of this first electric school bus in our district,” said Cortez, who, along with her eldest daughter, logged hundreds of phone calls in 2020 to help pass a school bond that would fund some of the infrastructure needed for the electric school bus. Other organizers knocked on doors and put up flyers, and Cortez gave presentations to parents explaining the dangers of air pollution — particularly how it impacted the Phoenix neighborhood of Maryvale, where Cortez lived before relocating. Cortez, a mother of four, had been working with Chispa — the Lat...
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The Latest Electric Entry In The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series
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BOOKS

The Latest Electric Entry In The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series

Don Bentley - Tom Clancy Target Acquired (Unabridged) Jack Ryan, Jr., will do anything for a friend, but this favor will be paid for in blood in the latest electric entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Jack Ryan, Jr. would do anything for Ding Chavez. That's why Jack is currently sitting in an open-air market in Israel, helping a CIA team with a simple job. The man running the mission, Peter Beltz, is an old friend from Ding's Army days. Ding hadn't seen his friend since Peter's transfer to the CIA eighteen months prior, and intended to use the assignment to reconnect. Unfortunately, Ding had to cancel at the last minute and asked Jack to take his place. It's a cushy assignment--a trip to Israel in exchange for a couple hours of easy work, but Jack could use the downtime af...
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Increasing Fuel Efficiency Matters More Than Selling Electric Vehicles, To Make The US Auto Fleet Greener
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BUSINESS, VIDEO REELS

Increasing Fuel Efficiency Matters More Than Selling Electric Vehicles, To Make The US Auto Fleet Greener

President Biden has proposed ambitious goals for curbing climate change and investing in a cleaner U.S. economy. One critical sector is transportation, which generates 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions – more than either electric power production or industry. Shifting from cars that run on gasoline and diesel to electric vehicles, or EVs, is a key strategy to address transportation’s contribution to global warming. Industry watchers expect big federal investments in charging stations and tax credits for electric cars. But as Biden’s Day One executive order on climate and the environment recognized, an even greater priority is making gasoline vehicles more fuel-efficient. My research focuses on energy problems, including transportation and climate change. I believe though EVs are impor...
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Who Will Pay Them? Delinquent Electric Bills From The Pandemic Are Coming Due
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VIDEO REELS

Who Will Pay Them? Delinquent Electric Bills From The Pandemic Are Coming Due

The shutdowns and restrictions that governments have imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 have made it hard for many households to afford basic needs. Thousands of Americans are struggling to pay monthly utility bills. Utilities and policymakers recognized that services like water and electricity are essential to people’s health, safety and comfort. Since mid-March they have taken steps to keep those services coming. The most popular approach has been for them to impose moratoria on late fees and disconnections for nonpayment of bills. Every state in the U.S. has enacted some version of this policy, from formal declarations to voluntary programs offered by utilities. Map of disconnection moratoria as of Nov. 3, 2020. NARUC But now these moratoria are starting to expire. Consumers are ...
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The road to electric vehicles with lower sticker prices than gas cars – battery costs explained
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TECHNOLOGY

The road to electric vehicles with lower sticker prices than gas cars – battery costs explained

Electric vehicle sales have grown exponentially in recent years, accompanied by dropping prices. However, adoption of EVs remains limited by their higher sticker price relative to comparable gas vehicles, even though overall cost of ownership for EVs is lower. EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles are likely to reach sticker price parity sometime in the next decade. The timing hinges on one crucial factor: battery cost. An EV’s battery pack accounts for about a quarter of total vehicle cost, making it the most important factor in the sales price. Battery pack prices have been falling fast. A typical EV battery pack stores 10-100 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. For example, the Mitsubishi i-MIEV has a battery capacity of 16 kWh and a range of 62 miles, and the Tesla model S has...
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