News

2023-10-23

Tesla Breaks Ground for Diner with Theater and Supercharger

Guy Youngs
Guy Youngs

Tesla has broken ground on the site of its planned futuristic diner with a drive-in theater and Supercharger station. This project has been in the works for several years. In 2018, Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to open an “old school drive-in, (with) roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles.”

A few months later, Tesla applied for building permits for “a restaurant and Supercharger station” at a location in Santa Monica. However, the project stalled for a long time, apparently due to local regulations. Nevertheless, Tesla still moved forward with a Supercharger at the location, but it had to move the diner project to Hollywood. Last year, Tesla filed the construction plans with the city, giving us the first look at what the automaker intends to build.

Source: Electrek: Read The Article

Read More»

Lithium Deposit In Nevada Could Be World’s Largest

The Chinese were way ahead of the rest of the world when it came to recognizing the value of lithium. While most nations slept, China was busy identifying lithium deposits around the world and either buying them or negotiating deals with those who may not have fully appreciated lithium’s value.

It incentivized others to seek alternatives. New companies sprang up to extract lithium from salt brine, especially in the Salton Sea area of California. But these are years away from being able to supply America’s and the world’s needs.

Read More»

Both Battery and Hydrogen Fuel Cars Needed

When discussions take place about Alternative power systems, (hydrogen fuel cells or battery electric engines), experts often fall into one camp or the other.

Proponents of each technology have been vocal in spotlighting the benefits they have to provide. Often, they will compare battery electric to hydrogen fuel cell performances, particularly when it comes to vehicles. However, experts are now coming to the conclusion that it’s not really a matter of deciding which technology will win out and which will disappear. Instead, each form of clean power will find its place, as each has strengths in specific areas. The main points of debate are Efficiency, Infrastructure and Environmental impact.

Read More»

EU May Impose Tariffs on Chinese EVs

In her annual State of The EU address on Sept. 13, 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested that Chinese manufacturers are dumping Chinese EVs on EU customers that are priced below what domestic manufacturers charge.

She suggested that the root cause of the problem is the heavy subsidies provided to Chinese automakers by the central government — subsidies that allow them to sell Chinese EVs at artificially low prices to the detriment of domestic companies. If so, she warned the EU would consider imposing new tariffs on Chinese cars to level the playing field.

Read More»

2023-10-14

DataPoint: North America Production of Scooters              

DataPoint Scooters – Oct 2023Download

197,500 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Scooters expected to be produced in North America in 2023.

Scooters are motorized 2-wheeled vehicles used primarily for recreational.

Production climbed sharply in 2022, increasing by 24,686 units, or 14.6%, from 2021. We expect production to climb in 2023 as well, growing by about 3,725 units or 2%.

Read More»

2023-09-21

Two New Approaches To Wind-Powered Ships

Ships haven’t had sails for generations, but the idea is gaining new supporters as shipping companies work to lower their carbon emissions.

Globalization has spawned a tremendous increase in the number of ships crossing the world’s oceans. Ships the size of small cities haul thousands of containers and tankers as large as aircraft carriers transport millions of gallons of oil from one continent to another. Many of them run on bunker oil — a gelatinous mass of whatever is left over after the refining process is over. The stuff is so thick, it needs to be heated in order to flow and when it is burned, it leaves behind sulfurous clouds of carbon dioxide so thick they can be tracked by satellites.

Read More»

The Hydrogen Stream: Hydrogen Buses Less Efficient than Battery Models

Eurac Research scientists have analyzed data from 21 fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) and battery electric buses (BEB) in Italy, comparing efficiency, consumption, temperature sensitivity, distances, and cost, and they discovered that Hydrogen buses’ tank-to-wheel (TTW) efficiency is lower than battery electric buses, indicating higher consumption variation for BEBs.

Read More»

Daimler’s RIZON Electric Truck Feels like Driving a Car

Daimler recently launched a class 4-5 medium-duty electric truck brand, RIZON, and Electrek got a chance to kick the tires and drive one around. They were impressed at how well it drives (for an 18k GVWR vehicle) and how comfortable it feels like it would be on long shifts.

Rizon is a new brand from Daimler Trucks focusing entirely on zero-emissions in the class 4-5 space. Trucks of this size don’t require commercial driver’s licenses, and you’re more likely to see them around your neighborhood, doing local delivery tasks, equipment rentals, moving businesses, and the like. So, it’s nice to have clean, quiet operation instead of noisy and stinky diesel vehicles.

Read More»