The Sustainable Aviation Challenge has identified 16 innovative firms that can accelerate the development and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel and other propulsion solutions. Aviation accounts for 2% of global emissions and, so long as lightweight compact clean aviation fuels are unavailable, this number is likely to increase along with air travel projections. Gianluca Gygax at the World Economic Forum lists the 16 firms, who will now be … [Read more...]
The E-bike revolution is already underway (in developing countries): 280m micro-vehicles on the road and rising
While weâre all still waiting for the tipping point for EVs, it might have already happened for e-bikes â just not in rich countries. Car-owning nations will always struggle to switch to micro-mobility. But in China and other developing nations, owning a moped or bicycle is very common, so the switch is much easier, explain Muhammad Rizwan Azhar and Waqas Uzair at Edith Cowan University. Itâs why, globally by 2022, there were over 280m electric … [Read more...]
How practical is an E-bike compared to a Car: time, cost, energy
As e-bikes proliferate in cities around the world, there is a growing need to measure how practical an e-bike is compared to a car, and why. Julia Thomas at NREL describes research there that evaluates usefulness using the Mobility Energy Productivity (MEP) metric. The MEP quantifies the ability of an area's transportation infrastructure â given any specific travel mode â to connect individuals to goods, services, employment opportunities, and … [Read more...]
China is still playing the long game with its ânew threeâ: solar cells, lithium batteries, EVs
Chinaâs ânew threeâ â or xin san yang â are solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, and EVs. The term harks back to the concept of its âold threeâ that were once the pillars of its exports: clothing, home appliances and furniture. Chinaâs success is seen in the numbers: it accounts globally for 80%+ of solar cell exports, 50%+ of lithium-ion batteries and 20%+ of EVs. You Xiaoying, writing for China Dialogue, interviews experts and quotes reports … [Read more...]
Formula 1âs energy efficiency innovations for road transport are being wasted
Formula 1 racing is infamously emissions intensive. But the pressure to win is a pressure to innovate and raise energy efficiency, supported by an extravagant budget. Maximilian Auffhammer at the Energy Institute at Haas looks at what has been achieved over decades, and what has â and has sadly not â been translated onto our roads. The earliest cars had 4.5L engines that produced 400 horsepower, refuelled during the race. Todayâs cars have 1.6L … [Read more...]
Affordable âŹ25k EVs by 2025: Europeâs carmakers can do it. Instead theyâre making more profitable SUVs
T&E present a summary of their study which shows that European carmakers can produce affordable EVs (40 kWh LFP battery, 250-300 km range) priced at âŹ25k by 2025 with a reasonable 4% profit margin. Priced for the mass market, this would add a million extra EV sales annually, accelerate the removal of combustion engines, and counter Chinaâs dominance of the EV market. The obstacle is the insistence by Europeâs leading manufacturers - BMW, … [Read more...]
The final hurdle for 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel? Turning Lignin biomass into the âaromaticâ component
Making 100% sustainable aviation fuel seems a long way away. Aircraft need energy-dense power, as delivered by fossil fuels, and sustainable alternatives are being developed. But a big challenge is that 10% - 25% of the fuel must be âaromaticâ which neither thickens nor freezes at cold altitudes. Also, aromatics get absorbed by the plastic seals, make them swell, and ensure those seals between various components in the aircraftâs fuel system are … [Read more...]
Draft EU rules on Battery lifecycle decarbonisation: close the loopholes!
Draft rules mean battery manufacturers selling into Europe will have to report the productâs entire carbon footprint, from mining to production to recycling, as early as July 2024. That data will then be used to set a maximum CO2 limit for batteries to apply from the end of 2027. This is a big step forward, says T&E, addressing concerns over battery carbon footprint and recycling, and it also covers environment and human rights. But T&E … [Read more...]
âBook and Claimâ: how end consumers can pay distant producers for low carbon products
In long logistical chains (found in steel, concrete, aviation, shipping and others) end consumers that want to pay a premium to cut their emissions (for example to comply with corporate decarbonisation promises) often have no way to pay the first link in that chain to go low-carbon. âBook and Claimâ creates a market to do that. Consumers buy certificates, and producers get the money to fulfil the commitment. And a working system will bring to … [Read more...]
France plans the social leasing of EVs at âŹ100/month. Can it jump start affordable electric cars?
Social leasing of EVs could become the breakthrough example of climate action done right, explains William Todts at T&E. And Franceâs president Macron has promised to do it, aimed at low-income households to counter criticism that even with subsidies EVs are still out of reach for many. Todts quotes T&E analysis that shows that between 2024 and 2030 around 900,000 low-income households could benefit from monthly leasing costs of âŹ70 to … [Read more...]
Decarbonising Shipping: âbook and claimâ pilot uses clean fuel tokens that move from cargo through to fuel producers
Switching to clean alternative fuels is the key component of the decarbonisation of shipping. But it faces the classic âchicken and eggâ problem of who moves first: the fuel producers, the refuelling ports or their customers the ship and cargo owners. Aparajit Pandey and Oscar Hernandez at RMI explain how a âbook and claimâ system can be the answer. Itâs already proven itself in electricity markets and the aviation sector. Digital tokens are … [Read more...]
Global âexplosiveâ growth means 1 in 3 new cars will be electric by 2030. But SUV emissions could wipe out those gains
More than a third of all new vehicles sold globally in 2030 will be electric, according to the IEA. Thatâs a doubling of its prediction made only two years ago. Josh Gabbatiss at Carbon Brief summarises the report. The IEA describes the growth as âexplosiveâ: from just 1% of global car sales in 2017, to 14% last year, and now 18% expected by the end of 2023. China has consistently dominated those sales while new policies in the U.S. and EU are … [Read more...]
How can Europe stop U.S. and China dominance of cars and batteries without being protectionist?
European and Chinese car and battery makers are making plans to set up plants in the U.S. to take advantage of their big new âmade in the USAâ subsidies. They can then ship their vehicles to Europe to sell into its very large and generously subsidised company car market. This puts electric vehicle production in Europe at a serious disadvantage. As William Todts at T&E explains, the EU must respond, instead of effectively assisting the U.S. … [Read more...]
Poorly defined âefficiencyâ incentives birthed the SUV. Beware the same mistake with âclean energyâ jobs, âdomesticâ batteries + more
Financial support for the transition needs clear and carefully chosen definitions of what qualifies for that support. Getting it wrong leads to unintended consequences, some which may not reduce emissions, explains James Sallee at the Energy Institute at Haas. Ever wondered why SUVs and big cars proliferated after the 1970s in the U.S. (and are on roads all over the world now)? The 1970s oil crisis triggered new rules that penalised fuel … [Read more...]
EU: no CO2-emitting car sales from 2035. But beware of the small exemption for e-fuels
At the end of March, EU countries gave final approval to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035. It came after Germany argued for and won an exemption for cars running on e-fuels. William Todts at T&E celebrates the landmark decision, but warns that this lifeline for e-fuels will be used by its supporters and the oil lobby to obstruct the rapid transition to EVs. He quotes T&E research that shows e-fuels are far less efficient than … [Read more...]
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