GM venture to invest additional $275M at Tennessee plant

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A joint venture between General Motors and South Korean battery company LG Energy Solution announced Friday that it will invest an additional $275 million to expand a Tennessee battery cell factory for electric vehicles.Officials with the companies had already pledged to spend $2.3 billion to build a battery plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The additional investment is anticipated to result in 40% more battery cell output when the plant is fully operational. Production at the 2.8-million-square-foot facility is expected to begin in late 2023.The Tennessee plant is one of three lithium-ion battery factories being built by the joint venture, Ultium Cells LLC. The other two are in Michigan and Ohio. A fourth is also expected, but the site has not yet been named.“We're...

Published on 12/8/2022 (104 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Competitors chip away at Tesla's US electric vehicle share

DETROIT (AP) — New electric vehicle models from multiple automakers are starting to chip away at Tesla's dominance of the U.S. EV market, according to national vehicle registration data.But numbers collected by S&P Global Mobility show that Tesla still controlled about 65% of the growing electric vehicle market during the first nine months of this year. And the competitors made gains in the sticker price range below $50,000, where Tesla barely competes.From 2018 through 2020, Tesla had about 80% of the EV market. Its share dropped to 71% in 2021 and has continued to decline, said Stephanie Brinley, an S&P associate director.“Tesla's position is changing as new, more affordable options arrive, offering equal or better technology and production build,” S&P Global Mobility said in a statement...

Published on 11/30/2022 (112 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

How a rare plant species could hinder a proposed lithium mine

The rare Tiehm's buckwheat grows in just one place, and it's the site of a proposed mine.Skyrocketing demand for domestically sourced lithium to meet federal goals for zero-emission technologies has developers planning for the next great mining boon in the Silver State, but a rare wildflower may stymie one proposed project.The site of a proposed lithium mine in western Nevada's Silver Peak Range also happens to be the only known place on Earth where a rare wildflower grows in the wild. Environmentalists say the plant is on the verge of extinction, and it's being considered by the Fish and Wildlife Service for protection under the Endangered Species Act.Tiehm’s buckwheat faces multiple threats to its survival, including grazing, invasive species and the effects of climate change, but the...

Published on 11/30/2022 (112 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

States test electrifying idea: Roads that can recharge your EV

On two short stretches of road near downtown Detroit, Michigan transportation officials hope to make history.Over the next two years, they plan to embed technology in the pavement that can charge electric vehicles while they’re being driven. The wireless system will be the first U.S. test of so-called inductive charging on public roadways, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.“We’re the auto capital. We continue to push technology advancements,” said Michele Mueller, a senior project manager at the agency.In some other states, including Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Utah, officials also plan to test inductive charging on public roads in the next several years.“This is a great solution to a problem we have today of how to get to zero emissions,” said Tallis Blalack,...

Published on 11/30/2022 (112 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Electric bike explodes

Videos of electric bikes exploding.  ...

Published on 11/17/2022 (125 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

GM warns some Bolt EV owners: Don’t park them inside or charge them unattended overnight

CNBCGeneral Motors is telling owners of 2017-2019 Bolt EVs that were part of a recent recall not to park their vehicles inside or charge them unattended overnight after two of the vehicles caught fire.The two Bolt EVs were repaired as part of a recall of nearly 69,000 of the vehicles that were flagged for fire risks. The recall was initially announced in November by GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.One of the fires occurred while the vehicle was charging at the home of a Vermont state lawmaker earlier this month. The other fire happened in New Jersey, a spokesman for GM said, adding that it was notified about it earlier this week.FULL ARTICLE...

Published on 11/17/2022 (125 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

The wind turbines on his Colorado farm are 20 years old. Who’s going to take them down?

PEETZ — It was the spring of 2000 when two wind company representatives came to Tom Fehringer’s farm near the Nebraska border. They told him about a coming wind project and pressed him to sign a contract on the spot to lease his land for turbines. Fehringer consulted an attorney in Sterling who said the contract was vague but fairly similar to what an oil and gas company might present. The agreement was signed within a few weeks. Fehringer soon had nine of the Peetz Table wind project’s 33 turbines turning on his Logan County land.Fehringer, 71, had long been intrigued by renewable energy. He’d considered erecting a wind turbine for his own use and has solar panels outside his house. He calls himself a “firm believer in science” and global warming. READ FULL ARTICLE...

Published on 11/2/2022 (140 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Feds unveil plan to grow wind power while sparing rare whale

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The federal government has outlined a strategy to try to protect an endangered species of whale while also developing offshore wind power off the East Coast.President Joe Biden's administration has made a priority of encouraging offshore wind along the Atlantic coast as the U.S. pursues greater energy independence. Those waters are also home to the declining North Atlantic right whale, which numbers about 340 in the world.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a draft plan this month to conserve the whales while allowing for the building of wind projects. The agencies said the ongoing efforts to save the whales and create more renewable energy can coexist.READ FULL ARTICLE...

Published on 11/2/2022 (140 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Portland General Electric buys into Montana wind farm

Billings GazettePortland General Electric is buying a share of Montana’s largest wind farm, the company said Tuesday, announcing a deal that will keep the utility generating electricity in Montana beyond the closure of Colstrip Power Plant.The Oregon utility is acquiring a 208-megawatt ownership share in Clearwater Wind, a 750 MW wind farm developed by Florida-based NextEra. The project is located about 33 miles northwest of Miles City. Portland General Electric will also buy 103 MW from the wind farm under a purchase power agreement with NextEra. The utility expects to begin drawing power from Clearwater at the end of 2023. In an earnings call, Portland General Electric CEO Maria Pope called the Clearwater acquisition a $415 million investment, one that would help position PGE for a state...

Published on 10/26/2022 (147 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's

Florida official: EVs starting fires in hurricane aftermath

  (NewsNation) — Firefighters in western Florida are responding to numerous calls concerning electric vehicle fires after they’ve been stuck in the flood waters caused by Hurricane Ian, according to a state official.On Twitter, Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s state fire marshal and chief financial officer, shared videos of fire crews putting out electric vehicle fires. He said when the batteries corrode after contacting salt water, they can start fires that can be difficult to put out.“It was a natural disaster,” Patronis told NewsNation. “And we learn something from every single natural disaster. We truly do. And what we are learning from this one is EVs are not compatible with salt water. When they become inoperable, when they have shorts, when they have corrosion and they are in your garage,...

Published on 10/18/2022 (155 days ago) Solar, Wind & EV's