Steve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Rhode Island and anywhere else the Singularity may take him. His muse is Charles Kuralt -- "I see the road ahead is turning. I wonder what's around the bend?" You can follow him on Google + and on Twitter.
June 18th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Tesla built a brand new assembly line for the dual-motor high-performance version of the Model 3 in 3 weeks. There was no room at the factory, so the new line is housed outside the factory inside a large tent.
June 18th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
A Tesla Model S burst into flames in West Hollywood, California recently. It made the front page but was are battery fires really news?
June 17th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
The Jaguar I-Pace offers extraordinary power and decent range at an affordable price. In the premium SUV segment, it is truly a compelling electric car.
June 16th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
A new report by 84 climate scientists around the world warns that the pace of melting of the Antarctica ice sheet is accelerating. Sea level rise of 4 feet or more by the end of this century could be the result.
June 15th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Prosecutors in Germany have whacked Volkswagen with a 1 billion Euro fine while a court has ruled a VW dealer must buy back a 2012 Passat TDI even though the statute of limitations has expired.
June 14th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Oil Change International is asking the G20 countries to reject plans to invest up to $1.6 trillion in new natural gas development, claiming that doing so will make it impossible to meet the goals agreed to in the Paris climate accords.
June 12th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
A federal judge in Michigan has ruled in favor of a request by Tesla asking for the release of communications between a lobbyist for the state's auto dealers and state legislatures pertaining to a law prohibiting direct sales to Michigan residents.
June 11th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
A power purchase agreement signed June 7 in Arizona locks in the lowest solar energy prices yet in the US. The agreement is part of the plan to decommission the enormous Navajo Generating Station.
June 11th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Voices have been raised in the past few days about the urgent need to address fossil fuel use and climate change by Bill McKibben, the Poor People's Campaign, and Pope Francis. Their message is clear and strong. But is anyone listening?
June 11th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Researchers at MIT have come up with a new way to capture the moisture in cooling towers and turn it into fresh water. The process is said to cost far less than conventional desalinization.
June 11th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Research at Texas A&M is making magnetic gears for wind turbines and wave power machines possible, lowering initial costs and improving long term reliability.
June 11th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
"Reinventing Power" is a new documentary from the Sierra Club. It focuses on how renewable energy is bringing new economic opportunities to people and communities all across America.
June 10th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Elon Musk has tweeted new details about the SpaceX options package for the new Tesla Roadster. He calls it "crazy." It may be even more than that.
June 9th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
The Nobe 100 from Estonia is terminally cute in a retro sort of way. It features three-wheel drive and a removable battery pack for easy indoor charging.
June 8th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
The NTSB has issued a preliminary report about the fatal crash of a Tesla Model X in California earlier this year. Its final report may not be completed until a year or more from now
June 8th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Porsche recently brought the Cross Turismo electric SUV to California for journalists to drive. They came away highly impressed with the car, which might go into production as soon as 2020.
June 7th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
GM and Honda have teamed up to create the next generation lithium ion battery with a focus specifically on the North American market. What kinds of cars might those batteries be used in?
June 7th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
The Hinckley Dasher is the first all electric luxury yacht. It is smooth, svelte and 'spensive and comes with batteries supplied by BMW.
June 7th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
A well researched analysis of the economics behind Canada's decision this month to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion suggests the pipeline is intended to provide China with a reliable source of petroleum for its future needs and questions whether, with China's increasing reliance on renewable energy, those needs will ever materialize
June 6th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
GM says it will have 20 plug-in hybrid or battery electric models for sale to Chinese customers by 2023. Meanwhile in the US, it rails against fuel economy standards and continues to push pickups. Can you say "two faced," boys and girls?
June 6th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
A new reports says 75,000 German auto workers could lose their jobs if sales of electric cars hit 25% by 2030. Finding new work for them to do will be a challenge.
June 5th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Hawaii has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2045 -- an ambitious goal given how dependent the islands are on supplies delivered by ships and airplanes.
June 5th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Researchers now say the transition to a low carbon economy has passed the point of no return and that countries that continue to invest in fossil fuels will suffer financially in coming years.
June 5th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Europeans are in a quandary about whether to build battery factories now or wait for the next generation of solid state batteries to arrive. The decision is not an easy one to make.
June 5th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
288 of the world's largest investors have written a letter to the G7 leaders, urging them to stop using coal to generate electricity and speed up their actions agreed to in Paris in 2015. A study this week says the world's nations are still subsidizing fossil fuels to the tune of $100 billion a year.
