Polar vortex tests viability of renewable power

Honda wind farm in BrazilThere's nothing like a good polar vortex to put the power system to the test—unless maybe it's a summer heat wave. Energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie used the opportunity of this event as a chance to measure demand on the power grid. In a detailed study of power demand during the severest week of this 2019 Polar Vortex, from Jan. 27 to...

Rumor: GM electric pickup could come from Tesla

2019 GMC SierraLast month, the president of General Motors' GMC truck division said the brand was considering building an electric pickup. Now, according to a CleanTechnica report, that pickup could come from Tesla. Even the CleanTechnica reporter says to file this in the category of an enticing rumor, rather than fact, because there are no pictures, and a...

One-step Plug&Charge coming to Greenlots stations

2018 Nissan Leaf with Greenlots fast charger by Dumpster at I-87 Modena travel plaza, Feb 2018No more RFID tags! A new "interoperability" standard is sweeping across the electric-car charging landscape in the U.S. After reaching the largest ChargePoint network last month, Hubject's Plug&Charge is now coming to Greenlots chargers, the companies announced last week. The technology will rely on a new standard, ISO 15118, that will store...

Purdue scientists test flow battery for EVs, claim 300-mile range

Purdue University IFBattery flow battery runs electric and fuel-cell golf cartAccording to scientists at Purdue University, the best way to charge electric car batteries may be to take them to a gas station, and have them serviced at an instant oil-change shop. The two scientists have been testing a new type of flow battery in golf carts, and say the battery now develops enough energy density and power to be viable in a...

California to transition to 100 percent electric buses by 2040

Proterra Catalyst electric busCalifornia adopted a plan to convert all city buses in the state to electric power by 2040, and hopes to beat that deadline by five years. In terms of cleaning up air quality and improving health, buses can deliver a lot quicker bang for the buck than electric cars. The California Air Resources Board says converting the state's 12,000 buses to...