Volkswagen announces five-year $193 billion investment plan as electrification gathers pace

The German automaker announced a plan to accelerate its transition to battery-powered vehicles and bolster operations in China and North America. Victoria Waldersee writes on the Reuters website about the car maker’s plans.   Volkswagen invests in batteries, raw materials in race for affordable EV Volkswagen plans to invest 180 billion euros ($193 billion) over … Continue reading Volkswagen announces five-year $193 billion investment plan as electrification gathers pace

Global energy-related CO2 emissions edged up to record high in 2022 – IEA

Despite the rise, emissions were still below pre-pandemic levels. The IEA said global energy-related emissions were offset by the use of wind and solar energy, as well as electric vehicles. A news item on the Deutsche Welle website discusses the recent IEA report.   CO2 emissions reached record high in 2022, says IEA Energy-related emissions … Continue reading Global energy-related CO2 emissions edged up to record high in 2022 – IEA

The transition to lithium battery-powered electric vehicles by 2050 will deepen global environmental and social inequalities linked to mining

By 2050 electric vehicles could require huge amounts of lithium for their batteries, causing damaging expansions of mining. Nina Lakhani discusses the implications in an article on The Guardian website.   Revealed: how US transition to electric cars threatens environmental havoc The US’s transition to electric vehicles could require three times as much lithium as … Continue reading The transition to lithium battery-powered electric vehicles by 2050 will deepen global environmental and social inequalities linked to mining

The demand for electric tuk-tuks is growing in Thailand

Thailand suffers from serious air pollution problems in its big cities like Bangkok. Mobility is dominated by cars and there are efforts to increase the number of electric vehicles. In cities tuk-tuks play a major role and traditional ones are highly polluting. Now, as Rebecca Root explains in an article on The Guardian website, electric … Continue reading The demand for electric tuk-tuks is growing in Thailand

India’s energy transition: there are now roughly 1.75 million e-rickshaws

The country’s electric push is fuelled by sales of two- and three-wheelers. Salimah Shivji discusses the trend to both e-rickshaws and electric vehicles in an article on the CBC News website.   How India's electric rickshaw revolution is forging a low-carbon future A faded battery-powered rickshaw weaves in and out of traffic in New Delhi's … Continue reading India’s energy transition: there are now roughly 1.75 million e-rickshaws

NASA comes up with new technology to massively reduce the time it takes to charge EV batteries

New charging technology is capable of delivering 4.6 times the current of the fastest electric car chargers on the market. Anthony Cuthbertson discusses the new technology in an article on the Independent website.   Electric car charging in just 5 minutes achieved with ‘unprecedented’ Nasa tech An experimental cooling technique developed by Nasa engineers for … Continue reading NASA comes up with new technology to massively reduce the time it takes to charge EV batteries

New EEA data shows that CO2 emissions from new cars dropped by 12% in 2020

Average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new cars dropped by 12% in 2020 compared to the year before, according to final figures published this week by the European Environment Agency. The main reason for the sharp decrease of emissions was a surge in the share of electric vehicle registrations.   Average carbon dioxide emissions from … Continue reading New EEA data shows that CO2 emissions from new cars dropped by 12% in 2020

Researchers have made significant progress towards creating a new type of battery charging technology – quantum batteries

Scientists hope discovery will usher in a new era of ultra-efficient batteries. Anthony Cuthbertson discusses in an article on The Independent website.   Quantum battery breakthrough paves way for instant recharging Researchers have made significant progress towards creating a new type of battery charging technology, which could hold the potential to revolutionise energy storage. Quantum batteries use … Continue reading Researchers have made significant progress towards creating a new type of battery charging technology – quantum batteries

US government researchers have found a way to charge electric car batteries up to 90 percent in just 10 minutes

Once perfected, a new method could charge an electric vehicle’s battery 90 percent within ten minutes, solving an issue sceptics have long had about electric vehicles. Will Pavia discusses latest developments in an article on The Times website.   Fully charge your electric car in less than ten minutes Electric cars could be recharged almost … Continue reading US government researchers have found a way to charge electric car batteries up to 90 percent in just 10 minutes

Move to electric vehicles in California hailed as ‘monumental’

Dani Angulano writes The Guardian about new plans in California to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. For years, as California has moved ahead with ambitious clean-air regulations, the state has had to prod the auto industry to go along. Now, in the push to electrify the nation’s car fleet, it is … Continue reading Move to electric vehicles in California hailed as ‘monumental’