London marathon demonstrates positive impact of taking cars off the road

London marathon demonstrates positive impact of taking cars off the road

We recently wrote about the London Marathon’s commitment to sustainability by issuing runners electrolyte water contained in edible seaweed pouches. But avoiding plastic pollution wasn’t the only environmental achievement from the marathon’s organizers, it turns out air pollution along the marathon route dropped significantly and almost instantly during the event after vehicles were temporarily taken off the roads.

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Ford and GM to Add Jobs In MI to Build EVs

Ford and GM to Add Jobs In MI to Build EVs

Last week, both Ford and General Motors (GM), the largest American car manufacturers, announced plans to add jobs in Michigan to build electric vehicles, as both companies plan to substantially expand their lineup of electric vehicles to meet expected growing demand in the U.S. and in an effort to chip away at Tesla’s market share of EVs. 

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Volkswagen all in on EVs

Volkswagen all in on EVs

After its 2015 scandal where Volkswagen admitted to US regulators that it cheated on emissions tests, the German automaker has unveiled its new plan to invest heavily in electric vehicles and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. According to VW’s recent press release, the company plans to release 70 new electric models in the next ten […]

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Electric Vehicle Experiments Abound – Not Just For the Wealthy

Electric Vehicle Experiments Abound – Not Just For the Wealthy

After admitting in 2016 to lying about excessive diesel emissions, Volkswagen (VW) agreed to pay $14.7b in penalties of which $2b will be invested by a VW subsidiary called Electrify America to boost electric vehicle use. Of that, $800m goes to California where the state is requiring nearly $300m be spent to help low-income and disadvantaged communities gain access to electric vehicles, according to The New York Times. As a result, Sacramento is a hub for numerous electric vehicle pilot programs and the only controversy is whether more areas of California should get to have similar pilots.

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Reaching Paris Accord Emissions Cuts – There Is a Realistic Path Forward

Reaching Paris Accord Emissions Cuts – There Is a Realistic Path Forward

A study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications provides a glimmer of hope on meeting the Paris Agreement’s greenhouse gas emissions targets globally.  According to the study, if we begin right now, and “carbon-intensive infrastructure is phased out at the end of its design lifetime from the end of 2018, there is a 64% chance that peak global mean temperature rise remains below 1.5 °C.” 

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EVs for Show at the Auto Show in Detroit

EVs for Show at the Auto Show in Detroit

The major U.S. and foreign auto companies are racing to catch up to Tesla in the EV market, and are using this year’s auto show in Detroit to make the PR point, but there are few vehicles ready for market yet.   According to the AP, one of the reasons is that SUVs and trucks make up 72% of the new vehicles sold in the U.S. last month, compared to 49% in December 2012.  Thus, these new EVs will need to be SUVs, according to Axios.  But only two of the vehicles scheduled to be “rolled out” at the Detroit auto show are electrified, AP notes, and neither is available for sale yet. 

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