Fires becoming deadlier as firefighter recruitment wanes

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fires feeding off modern materials found in people’s homes are burning faster and becoming deadlier at the same time that fire departments across the country are struggling to retain and recruit firefighters, officials said Thursday.Officials with various firefighting-related agencies were in Washington to call attention to fire-related problems roughly a year after two deadly fires days apart in 2022 — one in Philadelphia and one in New York — killed 29 people. They’re also recommending a number of ways to deal with the problem.Last year nearly 2,500 people died as a result of fires, including 96 firefighters, according to U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell. More than 1 million structures caught fire and more than 7.5 million acres burned in wildfires last...

Published on 1/20/2023 (61 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

E-bike batteries raise safety concerns amid rise in fires: 'Very hard to examine'

The growing popularity of e-bikes in the United States in recent years has led to a rise in fires and other hazards, local and federal officials are warning.At least 19 people died in the United States in 2022 because of fires or overheating incidents related to battery-powered products such as e-bikes, scooters and hoverboards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said this week.In New York City alone, fires caused by lithium-ion batteries powering these micro-mobility devices, also known as light electric vehicles (LEVs), have been responsible for at least 208 fires this year, resulting in 142 injuries and six deaths, a spokesperson for the New York Fire Department said.In 2021, there were 104 fires caused by these batteries, 79 injuries and 4 deaths, according to city data. In...

Published on 1/20/2023 (61 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Groups seek probe of NY-NJ whale deaths amid wind power prep

Environmental groups and opponents of offshore wind energy want a federal investigation into the deaths of six whales that have washed ashore in New Jersey and New York in little over a month.ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — As the stench of a dead whale hung in the air, environmentalists and opponents of offshore wind stood on a beach where the marine mammal lay buried Monday and called for a federal probe into a spate of whale deaths in New Jersey and New York.Groups from the two states wrote President Joe Biden requesting a probe of the deaths of six whales that washed ashore over the last 33 days in areas being prepared for large-scale offshore wind farms. They also are asking for a halt to site work until the causes are determined.Cindy Zipf, executive director of New Jersey-based Clean...

Published on 1/20/2023 (61 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Feds reviewing Musk tweet about disabling driver monitoring

DETROIT — A tweet from Elon Musk indicating that Tesla might allow some owners who are testing a “Full Self-Driving” system to disable an alert that reminds them to keep their hands on the steering wheel has drawn attention from US safety regulators.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it asked Tesla for more information about the tweet. Last week, the agency said the issue is now part of a broader investigation into at least 14 Teslas that have crashed into emergency vehicles while using the Autopilot driver assist system.Since 2021, Tesla has been beta-testing “Full Self-Driving” using owners who haven’t been trained on the system but are actively monitored by the company. Earlier this year, Tesla said 160,000, roughly 15 percent of Teslas now on US roads, were...

Published on 1/20/2023 (61 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Rising EV battery costs are delaying affordable electric cars — and it'll get worse before it gets better

After a decade of decline, the price of electric car batteries jumped seven percent this year, BloombergNEF reported last week.The about-face threatens the future of more affordable EVs and intensifies the industry's race to find a cheaper way to electrify. It also raises the question of whether, in making this shift, automakers are entering a new era of uncertainty — and bringing car-buyers with them.This year, the high cost of battery materials — especially lithium, nickel, and cobalt — sent shock waves through the auto industry. As automakers competed to ramp up EV offerings, lithium alone skyrocketed 500%, according to McKinsey.Those costs are largely to blame for the fact that electric cars aren't affordable for the masses yet. The average new EV cost a whopping $65,041 in November,...

Published on 1/11/2023 (70 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

The race to make electric cars cheaper is making electric cars more expensive

The auto industry's scramble to make more affordable electric cars has actually driven the price of these vehicles up — at least in the short term. The industry is desperate to build less expensive electric vehicles for the masses because (alongside concerns around range and charging availability) price is one of the biggest barriers to mass EV adoption. The new EVs cost an average of $65,041 in November, according to Kelley Blue Book, while gas cars averaged $48,681 that month.Automakers say they are doing all they can to introduce cheaper EVs. For instance, the Chevrolet Equinox SUV EV, to launch in 2023, should start around $30,000. Many have long been targeting that number, though Tesla somewhat tapped out of the race this year. Elon Musk told investors earlier this year his company...

Published on 1/11/2023 (70 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

They Don't Work In The Cold... - YouTube

youtube - Kyle finds out that the new Electrify America chargers that they co-developed with BTC don't work in cold temperatures. He also heads to ChargePoint, EVgo, and other EA chargers to see if they have similar issues in this cold snap. We would really appreciate it if you subscribe to our channel! The more subscribers we have, the more awesome opportunities we will be able to bring to you! ...

Published on 1/11/2023 (70 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's, Video

Tesla offers rare year-end discounts on 2 top-selling models

DETROIT -- Tesla Inc. is offering rare discounts through year's end on its two top-selling models, an indication that demand is slowing for its electric vehicles.The Austin, Texas, company started offering a $3,750 incentive on its Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV on its website earlier this month, but on Wednesday doubled the discount to $7,500 for those who take delivery between now and Dec. 31.The move comes ahead of a new federal tax credit of up to $7,500 that's scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. Teslas weren't eligible for a previous federal tax credit program because the company had reached a limit of 200,000 vehicles sold. Next year's credits don't have such a limit.“This is a sign of demand cracks and not a good sign for Tesla heading into the December year-end,” Wedbush analyst Dan...

Published on 1/11/2023 (70 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

US probing automated driving system use in 2 Tesla crashes

The U.S. government's highway safety agency said Thursday it will send teams to investigate two November crashes in California and Ohio involving Teslas that may have been operating on automated driving systems.The probes bring to 35 the number of crashes investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since 2016 in which either Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" or "Autopilot" systems likely were in use. Nineteen people were killed in the crashes.The California crash occurred on Thanksgiving Day involving eight vehicles on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The driver told authorities that the Tesla Model S was using the company's "Full Self-Driving" software, according to Highway Patrol report obtained by CNN.The Ohio crash happened Nov. 18 near Toledo, when a Tesla Model...

Published on 1/11/2023 (70 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Rule Delay Makes Big EV Tax Credit Possible Early Next Year

People who want to buy an electric vehicle could get a bigger-than-expected tax credit come Jan. 1 because of a delay by the Treasury Department in drawing up rules for the tax breaks.WASHINGTON (AP) — People who want to buy an electric vehicle could get a bigger-than-expected tax credit come Jan. 1 because of a delay by the Treasury Department in drawing up rules for the tax breaks.The department said late Monday it won't finish the rules that govern where battery minerals and parts have to be sourced until sometime in March.As a result, it appears that buyers of EVs assembled in North America with batteries made in the U.S., Canada or Mexico will be eligible for a full $7,500 tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. The act calls for the batteries' minerals and parts to also come...

Published on 1/11/2023 (70 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's