Alternative Power | Power Systems Research

2025-08-16

Vietnam Shifts To EV Motorcycles

Vietnam, a country known for its large number of motorcycles, is experiencing controversy over its electric vehicle policy. The policy bans gasoline-powered motorcycles in certain areas of Hanoi, the capital, and has caused a stir. Honda, which holds an 80% share of the local motorcycle market, must rethink its strategy because most of its models run on gasoline. This sudden policy change could also disrupt daily life for residents.

In July, the Vietnamese government outlined bold measures to regulate gasoline-powered motorcycles in “Prime Ministerial Directive No. 20.” Starting in July 2026, operating gasoline-powered motorcycles within the Inner Ring Road in Hanoi will be banned. The Inner Ring Road spans over seven kilometers and includes the city center, home to government offices, the Japanese embassy, and the historic Old Quarter, a popular tourist destination.

Categories: Alternative Power, Electrification, Emissions, Legislation, Motorcycles, Vietnam

Office: Japan Office

Goiânia at Forefront of BEV Bus Transportation

Fabio Ferraresi

Goiânia (GO) will become the first city in the world to operate a regular fleet of 100%-electric bi-articulated buses, as a result of a partnership between Volvo and GreenMob Capital. The fleet includes 21 Volvo BZRT buses—16 articulated (with a capacity of approximately 180 passengers) and 5 bi-articulated (with a capacity of about 250 passengers). These zero-emission, ultra-quiet vehicles are slated to serve the BRT Leste‑Oeste corridor within the RMTC system, with initial operations scheduled to begin by late August 2025.

Categories: Alternative Power, Commercial Vehicles, Electrification, Fuel Cells, South America/Brazil

Office: Brazil Office

GWM Tests Hydrogen Truck in Brazil

Fabio Ferraresi

GWM has brought its Hydrogen powered by FTXT truck prototype to Brazil for tests at its Iracemápolis (SP) plant, coinciding with the factory’s inauguration Aug. 15, 2025. The vehicle combines a 105 kWh battery with 40 kg of hydrogen in onboard tanks feeding a fuel cell, producing only water vapor. Tests will begin in September, assessing safety, performance, consumption, and adaptation to Brazilian roads, first unloaded and later with simulated cargo.

Categories: Alternative Power, Commercial Vehicles, Fuel Cells, Hydrogen, Production, South America/Brazil

Office: Brazil Office

BP Drops Hydrogen Plan in Australia

Guy Youngs

BP first bought a 40.5% operating stake in the Australian Renewable Energy Hub project in 2022, and its share in the joint venture grew to 63.57% in recent years. The project would include the installation of up to 26 GW of solar and wind generation, much of which would have been used to produce green hydrogen and ammonia.

British energy major BP has informed its partners that it intends to exit the $55 billion (USD 36.14 billion) green energy hub planned for Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Source: PV Magazine: Read The Article

PSR Analysis: BP’s decision (which reflects BP’s recent strategy reset) comes after energy and mining giant Fortescue formally announced it has abandoned plans for a green hydrogen project in Queensland and is another blow to hydrogen in Australia. PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research

Categories: Alternative Power, AltPwr, Hydrogen, Production

Office: United States Offices

Restructured Water Boosts Electrolysis Efficiency

Guy Youngs

In a paper published in August 2025 in JACS Au (American Chemical Society), Chinese researchers showed that by steering the hydrogen-bond network of interfacial water via a steady magnetic field, they sliced off about 50 millivolts of overpotential for the hydrogen evolution reaction and cranked current density up by 15.4% under industrial alkaline electrolysis conditions.

Water molecules near the electrode reshuffle into more asymmetrical clusters. These lopsided water gangs hand off protons and electrons much faster, slicing the energy penalty for hydrogen evolution.

Source: Hydrogen Fuel News: Read The Article

PSR Analysis: Saving a few tens of millivolts might sound small, but when you scale it up to an industrial scale it translates to serious energy savings. For green hydrogen producers, that could mean lower operating costs, ramped-up throughput, and a sharper edge in the market, all of which can encourage hydrogen production and make it cheaper and hence more readily available for those industries and vehicles that could use it. PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research

Categories: Alternative Power, AltPwr, Hydrogen, Production

Office: United States Offices

Tesla Sales in Europe Are in Free-fall

Guy Youngs

Tesla sales in Europe are continuing to decline rapidly, and it appears the pain is just beginning for the automaker. The numbers for July are coming in from Europe and Tesla registrations are down 41.6% despite EV sales surging across the continent.

The data shows that the free-fall decline in sales that we saw in the first half of 2025 is continuing into the second half, despite Tesla falsely claiming that the issue in the first quarter was the Model Y changeover limiting supply.

Categories: Alternative Power, AltPwr, Passenger Cars, Minivans, and SUVs, Sales

Office: United States Offices

Fortescue Cancels Flagship Hydrogen Projects

Guy Youngs

Fortescue’s recent decision to abandon two major hydrogen-for-energy projects after reaching a Final Investment Decision (FID) serves as an important signal for policymakers around the world, particularly in the UK, which is still pretending its autumn hydrogen strategy update will be evidence led.

These cancellations, one located in Gladstone, Australia, and another in Arizona, represent more than just isolated setbacks. Hydrogen as an energy source, as opposed to its use as an industrial feedstock, is increasingly failing under scrutiny across the globe

US energy policy under the Trump administration, particularly the removal of certain hydrogen-related subsidies, has led to uncertainty which has in turn quickly revealed the true economics of hydrogen production. With the incentives removed, the project’s already tenuous financial viability vanished, prompting Fortescue to write off approximately $150 million in pre-tax losses.

Categories: Alternative Power, AltPwr, Hydrogen, Passenger Cars, Minivans, and SUVs, Production

Office: United States Offices

2025-07-27

Repsol Cancels 200MW Green Hydrogen Project

Guy Youngs

Repsol has hit the brakes on its ambitious 200MW green hydrogen project in Puertollano, Spain, pulling the plug due to a mix of economic and technical hurdles. While the project passed the environmental test, the company says it just doesn’t add up financially or practically.

The decision, however, throws a spotlight on the bigger picture: scaling up hydrogen production in Europe is proving trickier than expected. Between sky-high upfront costs, immature tech, murky policy frameworks, and a shaky market, the road to a sustainable energy economy is anything but smooth.

Categories: Alternative Power, Hydrogen, Production

Office: United States Offices

Rare-Earth Metal that Increases Battery Energy Density Identified

Guy Youngs

Researchers at McGill University in Canada have increased a battery’s energy density by adding a rare-earth metal to an anode.

The scientists added a small amount of neodymium (Nd) to the anode in a bid to increase its energy density without compromising safety. This resulted in a 19% increase in energy density.

Categories: Alternative Power, Batteries, Production

Office: United States Offices

Ethiopia Updates ICE Vehicle Import Ban

Guy Youngs

Over a year ago, Ethiopia became effectively the first country in the world to ban the import of internal combustion engine vehicles. This was an immediate ban on the import of all ICE cars. The motivation wasn’t environmental, but economic: A high fossil fuel import bill of over US$5 billion a year, was taking a huge chunk of the country’s scarce foreign currency resources. Energy security and self-sufficiency were other major drivers.

Ethiopia’s ban covered fully built units and left out semi-knocked down (SKD) and completely knocked down (CKD) ICE vehicle kits. That meant companies importing SKD and CKD kits for local assembly could still do so.

Categories: Alternative Power, Legislation, Passenger Cars, Minivans, and SUVs

Office: United States Offices

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