Opinion:
¶ “Can Tesla’s Price War Accelerate Electrification?” • Tesla’s price reductions in the first quarter of the year have sent some waves through the auto industry. As legacy automakers and startups both try to catch up to Tesla’s EV dominance, some wonder whether the automaker’s price cuts could actually spur on a quicker transition to EVs. [CleanTechnica]
Badly parked Tesla Model 3 (Stefan Lehner, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Bangladesh And Myanmar Brace For The Worst As Cyclone Mocha Intensifies” • Aid agencies in Bangladesh and Myanmar say they are bracing for disaster and have launched a massive emergency plan as a powerful cyclone barrels toward millions of vulnerable people. Tropical Cyclone Mocha is the equivalent of a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane. [CNN]
¶ “New Cheapest Electric Car In South Africa: Ora Good Cat (Funky Cat) Starting At R716,900 ($37,000)” • Battery EVs such as the Ora Good Cat (also known as the Funky Cat) are now being offered in several markets around the world, including in the UK and Thailand. Along with other hatchbacks, it is in one of the most popular vehicle segments. [CleanTechnica]
Ora Funky Cat (Ora image)
¶ “Italy’s EV Market Kept Afloat By High Tesla Sales” • Italy’s shift to electric mobility is experiencing an uncertain path, following what was a very promising exponential growth rate that lasted until 2021. As 2022 proved to be a lost opportunity, much in contrast with other major European countries, 2023 is moving along with rather mixed signals. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “VW Brings Back Its Iconic Race Support Vans, This Time As EVs” • The iconic dark red VW buses that supported Porsche’s racing team in the 1950s to 1970s are making a comeback. Porsche Deutschland and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have revived the tradition with the fully electric ID. Buzz to serve as the base for race support vans. [CleanTechnica]
Porsche race car, VW support van (Porsche image)
¶ “Poland’s Renewables Capacity Is Growing But Coal Still Dominates” • Poland’s renewable energy capacity is increasing but the country’s power and heat production is still dominated by coal and forms the biggest contribution to its emissions, says a report by Polish think tank Forum Energii, based on data from 2021 and 2022. [EURACTIV.com]
¶ “Winds Of Change: Which European Countries Are Generating The Most Energy From Wind?” • Since the 1980s, wind energy is increasingly important in Europe’s power production. From the first wind farms being built in the late 20th century, wind power provided 17% of Europe’s total electricity consumption in 2022. Here is a look at leading countries. [Euronews]
Wind turbines, Montenegro (Appolinary Kalashnikova, Unsplash)
¶ “Climate Crisis Deniers Target Scientists For Vicious Abuse On Musk’s Twitter” • Some of the UK’s top scientists are struggling to deal with what they describe as a huge rise in abuse from climate crisis deniers on Twitter since the social media platform was taken over by Elon Musk last year. Twitter’s sustainability arm has vanished since then. [The Guardian]
¶ “OQ Alternative Energy Plans 2 GW Of Renewable Projects In Oman” • OQ Alternative Energy says it has plans to develop a portfolio of renewable energy projects with a total capacity of around 2 GW to support the clean energy needs of Oil & Gas companies, as well as industrial zones, operating in the Sultanate of Oman. [ZAWYA]
Muscat, Oman (Pixy.org, CC0)
¶ “UK Neglecting Climate Crisis Effects On New Nuclear Power Stations” • UK explain that nuclear power stations will generate of low-carbon forms of electricity to fight the climate crisis, but they forget to consider the effects of the climate crisis on the nuclear power stations. The nuclear plants will be built along the sea, but the sea level is rising. [Al Mayadeen English]
US:
¶ “US Treasury Announces New Solar Tax Credit Guidance – Who’s Happy?” • The federal government wants to speed up the installation of solar power plants, but it also wants to encourage domestic production and protect American manufacturers. New rules have come out from the US Treasury Department. They are not intended to make everyone happy. [CleanTechnica]
First Solar plant (First Solar image)
¶ “Tesla Model 3 Service And Maintenance Costs After 3.75 Years And 37,000 Miles” • My Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus is three months shy of four years old, approaching 37,000 miles. I had the air filter changed today, so it’s time for another update on costs of operation and maintenance. It’s up to $1,989.10, with most of that being a set of tires. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Federal Delays Cost Wyoming More Than 6,000 Oil And Gas Wells” • Wyoming oil and gas production could be much higher were it not for projects involving more than 6,000 wells being canceled after lengthy waits for permits. One Wyoming project had 5,161 planned wells canceled after waiting eight years for approval. [Cowboy State Daily]
Have a charmingly unprofessional day.
geoharvey 