Decoding Draghi
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All posts tagged: electric cars
G7 leaders set their sights on migration on final day of summit
The Group of Seven leading industrialized nations turned their attention to migration, artificial intelligence, economic security and the Indo-Pacific region on Friday, the second and final day of their summit in Italy. The G7 leaders stressed their determination to meet global challenges “at a crucial moment in history.” The gathering in a luxury resort in Italy’s southern Puglia region also discussed other major topics, such as financial support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, climate change, Iran, the situation in the Red Sea, gender equality and China’s industrial policy and economic security. “We are working together and with others to address the pressing challenges of our time,” the G7 leaders said in a final communique, noting their solidarity with Ukraine, support for a deal that would lead to an immediate cease-fire and release of hostages in Gaza, investment in sustainable infrastructure in Africa and commitments to address climate change and migration. Divisions did emerge during the summit, however, notably over the lack of a reference to abortion in the summit’s final declaration. 04:45 Business © …
Two emperors on the edge of two wars – POLITICO
Xi has repeatedly called Putin his best friend. He has also repeatedly refused to do anything to stop Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and supplied dual-use military technologies, weapon-building components and satellite imagery, warns the U.S., to Russia. In a recent interview with POLITICO, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith highlighted Beijing’s support for Moscow, saying that China could not proclaim to be neutral in the conflict any more. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also described Chinese assistance as “[helping] Moscow to inflict more death and destruction on Ukraine.” Talking, not talking In Paris, Macron will provide Xi with his “analysis of developments in the conflict, and [will] convey Ukrainian positions,” the same Elysée official said. The French president “will also raise concerns about the activities of certain Chinese companies that could be directly involved in or contribute significantly to the Russian war effort.” There’s plenty of room for the two leaders to talk past each other. “It’s going to be a mismatch of expectations,” said Abigaël Vasselier, head of foreign relations at MERICS, a …
![777 hp electric overland concept from Italdesign [video]](https://www.skepticsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/italdesign-overland.jpg "777 hp electric overland concept from Italdesign [video]")
777 hp electric overland concept from Italdesign [video]
The all-new, all-electric Italdesign Quintessenza concept is a high-tech Italian take on the Porsche Dakar concept that’s just begging to be put into production. Making its debut at the Beijing Auto Show, the Italdesign Quintessenza concept embodies both the dynamic prowess of a GT and the versatile adaptability of a pick-up truck. At least, that’s what its makers say. And, if your idea of a pickup truck leans more towards “Subaru Brat” than “Ford F-150 Lightning,” that’s probably right! The rear section of the Quintessenza converts from a “hatchback” to an open “pickup” bed in true Brat fashion. The rear seats are designed to flip 180-degrees backwards, providing a rear-facing, panoramic “stargazing” mode that promises, “(the) experience and feeling of connection with nature and the outside world.” Stargazing mode In its more conventional GT “mode,” the Quintessenza is arguably the best-looking Italdesign concept to come out in years, with vertical lighting elements up front and aggressively-sculpted rear haunches that this writer thinks would be a natural for Audi. Those design elements aren’t just aesthetic – they’re …
Electric cars save us billions — even people who don’t drive them
ABB electric vehicle charging station; via ABB. A new study shows that drivers of electric cars are saving everyone billions of dollars on their monthly electricity bills — even the people who don’t drive EVs! A recent report by a group called Synapse Energy Economics examined how much electric car owners paid for electricity and compared that with the cost for utilities to build, generate, and distribute that electricity. What it found was that, in aggregate, EV drivers provided more than $3 billion in net revenue to the grid between 2011 and 2021. Rapid growth in electric vehicle (EV) adoption has raised the question of how EVs affect the electricity rates paid by all households, including those that do not own EVs. To answer this question, Synapse compared the electric utility revenues from EV charging with utility costs associated with serving EV load, including the costs of utility EV programs. The results of our analysis indicate that, since 2011, EVs have contributed much more in utility revenues than costs. Because of this, EVs have helped …
The economic goals in Chinese leaders’ coded language
China’s “Two Sessions” congress that began this week is the country’s most important political event of the year. To understand what’s at stake, it helps to have some fluency in Chinese Communist Party (CCP) parlance. Terms such as “new productive forces” and “new three” appear vague, but they speak volumes about the party’s agenda during the 10-day congress. China’s annual political extravaganza has attained cruising speed. The “Two Sessions” congress of two of the country’s most important political bodies has already touched on economic recovery, the modernisation of the army, foreign relations and the question of Taiwan. During the event, nearly 3,000 members of the National People’s Congress (NPC) – China’s parliament – meet to set the legislative agenda for the coming year. The 2023 session set the roadmap for more than 2,000 measures that were adopted, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Alongside the NPC meeting, the congress also hosts the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a body meant to give its opinion on the political priorities for the year. Some 2,000 members of …
Biden’s candy-bar crusade – The Atlantic
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. In his State of the Union address last night, President Joe Biden took on a new symbolic foe: shrinkflation. In attacking the practice, he’s trying to signal that he’s aligned with the common American against corporate greed—even if it’s not clear what he can actually do about the problem. First, here are three new stories from The Atlantic: Snack-Food Foes Sesame Street characters have had their fuzzy fingers on the pulse of American life lately. First, Elmo triggered an avalanche of despair when he asked on X how everyone was doing. Then his castmate the Cookie Monster proclaimed earlier this week, “Me hate shrinkflation!” In his punchy, confrontational State of the Union speech last night, Biden conveyed a similar feeling. After outlining his accomplishments and his plans for the economy, the president denounced the way snack-food makers have been …
Chemical injection brings dying batteries back to life
New research aims to revive old batteries instead of discarding or recycling them Alyssa Pointer A chemical injection can restore spent lithium-ion batteries to working order again. The one-step process could reduce waste and boost the supply of batteries needed for fleets of electric vehicles. As batteries age, they lose some of the charged particles that let them store energy, which reduces their power-holding capacity. Injecting certain chemicals can reverse this type of degradation – although it does not fix structurally damaged batteries – according to researchers affiliated with the automotive giant Toyota… Source link
America’s Lost Year for Electric Cars
The Chevrolet Bolt was the little electric car that could. Never the fastest or the fanciest EV, the Bolt and its sticker price of roughly $30,000 made it cheaper than lots of gas cars, all while delivering a respectable 259 miles of range. With its legion of fans, the Bolt outsold every non-Tesla EV in America last year. But if you want to buy a new one, you’d better hurry: Chevy’s parent company, General Motors, stopped making the Bolt at the end of 2023. The demise of the Bolt was supposed to mark the end of the beginning. In place of the Bolt—GM’s first mass-market EV—the company had planned to unleash a fleet of more advanced EVs early this year. It hasn’t gone as anticipated: Software bugs, battery problems, and factory delays have plagued the cars. The battery-powered Equinox SUV has yet to go on sale, and its larger sibling, the Blazer, was released before GM suspended sales. You can buy the fully electric version of the Silverado pickup truck—but demand has been so lukewarm …
Chinese EVs have entered center stage in US-China tensions
Last Thursday, the Biden administration announced it would investigate the security risks posed by Chinese-made smart cars, which could “collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People’s Republic of China,” the statement from White House claims. While many other technologies from China have been scrutinized because of security concerns, EVs have largely avoided that sort of attention until now. After all, they represent a technology that will greatly help the world transition to clean and renewable energy, and people have greeted its rapid growth in China with praise. But US-China relations have been at a low point since the Trump years and the pandemic, and it seems like only a matter of time before any trade or interaction between the two countries falls under security scrutiny. Now it’s EVs’ turn. The White House has made clear that there are two motivations behind the investigation: the economy and security. Even though the statement didn’t explicitly mention EVs, it’s undeniable that they are the only reason Chinese automakers …