Why did the world use leaded gas—and why did it take so long to phase out?

gas pumpThe UN reported this week that the world recently reached a major milestone: by ending use of leaded gasoline, which has been a major threat to the environment and public heath. But why were countries using it the in first place, and why did it take so long to phase out? Tetraethyl lead was added to gasoline beginning in 1922 to help engines run…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

CAKE releases ‘traffic crushing’ electric mopeds as brand’s lowest-cost motorbikes yet

CAKE has just unveiled two interesting electric mopeds (or electric scooters, for the pedants among us) designed for extreme utility and customization. The new Makka electric moped line is innovative for more than just its features. The new models also debut as CAKE’s lowest-priced bikes yet.

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Source: Charge Forward

Autonomous electric cargo ship with 7 MWh battery capacity sets sail in Norway

Norwegian chemical firm Yara International has developed an autonomous electric cargo ship, which is scheduled to make its maiden voyage with no crew members aboard later this year.

Yara, a major shipper of bulk cargoes, created a subsidiary, Yara Marine Technologies, to address toxic emissions from marine diesel engines. In 2017, it began working on an autonomous, fully electric ship that could eliminate emissions altogether.

CNN reports that the Yara Birkeland will make its first autonomous voyage, between the Norwegian towns Herøya and Brevik, later this year. There will be no human crew aboard, but the ship will be closely monitored from three onshore control centers.

Loading and unloading the ship will require humans for now. However, according to Plant Manager Yara Jon Sletten, these operations will eventually be turned over to autonomous technology. This will require autonomous cranes and straddle carriers to help move containers on and off the ship.

The Yara Birkeland features 7 MWh of battery capacity, which powers two 900 kW Azipull pods and two 700 kW tunnel thrusters, delivering a top speed of 13 knots. The current cargo capacity is 120 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU) or sixty 40-foot shipping containers.

Sletten says the electric cargo ship will be charged at the quayside “before sailing to container harbors along the coast and then back again, replacing 40,000 truck journeys a year.”

StoreDot unveils Tesla-like 4680 battery cells they claim can charge in 10 minutes

StoreDot, an Israel-based battery startup, announced today that it produced the first 4680 cylindrical cell, like the ones unveiled by Tesla at Battery Day last year, that can charge in just 10 minutes.

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Source: Charge Forward