Surging Photo voltaic Energy, Booming EV Gross sales, & Robotaxi Security — High 12 Tales of the Week

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It’s been a busy week! Beneath are 12 high tales (or teams of tales) from the week. Examine them out and share with associates.

1. Sadly, CO2 surged globally in 2024and it’s not even clear why — apart from the lengthy understood proven fact that burning fossil fuels results in extra CO2 emissions, nevertheless it’s unclear what precisely prompted such a giant surge in 2024.
2. Uber is rolling out robotaxis increasingly with quite a lot of companions, together with with Waymo, with WeRideand with Volkswagen and its ID. Buzz electrical minivans.
3. On that matter of robotaxis, Waymo has been exhibiting how the one massive good thing about its robotaxis is safer roads — a lot safer roads.
4. Solar energy continues to develop at a speedy clip around the globe — even (or particularly) in “Trump states” within the USA. For extra enjoyable, this previous week, we took a have a look at the high 5 solar energy states within the USA.
5. On that observe, a brand new report out from EnergySage tells us that residential photo voltaic system pricing and solar-plus-storage pricing declined to file lows within the second half of 2024. Prices simply proceed to drop.
6. AcePower has simply launched a brand new 50 kW air-cooled high-efficiency module to speed up Europe’s fast-charging community growth which sounds fairly … cool.
7. In order for you amusing, and a cry, Michael Barnard’s takedown of a ridiculous, absurd hydrogen carsharing program is price a learn.
8. In the meantime, a brand new research is out of Germany sharing that electrical automobiles are proving to be extra dependable than fossil-powered automobiles.
9. EV gross sales are booming in varied markets, however as a few highlights, Sweden’s plugin automobile share is now at 63% whereas its BEV share of the auto market is at 35%, and Norway leads the world with greater than 97% of auto gross sales being plugins and 97% even being BEVs! Moreover, Costa Rica is a really fascinating market and is main South and Central America for share of its auto gross sales which might be electrics.
10. However for the largest, broadest take, see our two new world EV gross sales experiences — one centered on fashions and one centered on manufacturers & OEMs.
11. Highlighting just a few standout manufacturers (from China after all), NIO gross sales had been up 53% in April, XPENG gross sales had been up 313% in January–Apriland BYD full-electric passenger automobile gross sales had been up 46% in April whereas the corporate’s electrical truck gross sales had been up 1,249%.
12. Let’s finish with one tremendous enjoyable one. Michael Barnard writes that, “Seventy p.c of ferries presently on order globally now characteristic electrical drivetrains.” Wow — 70% of ferry orders! Spectacular. “There are about 15,400 ferries in operation around the globe, new ones are overwhelmingly being bought with electrical drivetrains, and most operators have electrical retrofit plans for present vessels.”

That’s it for this week, however I’m certain I omitted another massive, sizzling tales. Chime in down within the feedback when you’ve got extra so as to add.

Be aware: That is additionally despatched out as a publication on high cleantech tales of the week. You’ll be able to join the publication right here.