BASF To Build A Battery Factory In Germany

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Batteries

Published on December 10th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

BASF To Build A Battery Factory In Germany

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December 10th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

German news outlet Bild reports that BASF will build a battery factory in Brandenburg for 500 million euros ($555 million). The factory will center around producing cathodes, and the news comes four weeks after Tesla’s surprise for Germany.

Five German companies will profit from this battery factory, which had recently been approved for a €3.2 billion package by the European Commission. Christine Haupt, a BASF spokesperson, says that they want to produce cathode materials for 300,000 electric cars per year from primary products with their factory in Finland and that the executive board will decide on the German production site. “Social, environmental and economic factors play a role here.” Those three factors are vital for any economy and for any business to do well.

In the article, Tesla is recognized as a world market leader. Germany will surely see a major growth in the economy once these two plants are actually built and start producing.

The article also points out another advantage of Schwarzheide. The largest chemical plant in Brandenburg has around 3,000 workers and those workers are paid lower wages than in the West German BASF factories. Not only will BASF most likely pay higher wages, but it will bring competition to the job market and this will give workers more options and ways to grow.

For some previous BASF stories on CleanTechnica, see:

BASF And Norilsk Nickel Partner On New Battery Production In Finland

Exciting Developments In NMC 811 Lithium Battery Technology

BASF + Volkswagen Award Dr Vanessa Wood With “Science Award Electrochemistry” For Li-Ion Battery Work

Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance Improved Via New Cathode Stabilization Strategy

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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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Tesla Could Make A Splash Or Take A Dive If It Builds A Submarine

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Boats

Published on December 10th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Tesla Could Make A Splash Or Take A Dive If It Builds A Submarine

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December 10th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

Tesla could make a major splash with its own submarine. CarAndDriver published an article back in June that just showed up in my Twitter feed. Could Tesla be planning to go for a swim by creating an all-electric submarine? CarAndDriver mentioned that at the Tesla shareholder meeting Elon Musk talked about Tesla having a design for a personal submarine. This was a response to a shareholder wanting to know if Tesla was working on a car that was capable of both land and sea travel.

The idea of one’s own personal submarine sounds kind of out there, but at the same time, it brings to mind the possibilities of diving from a different perspective. Elon Musk has certainly had the idea in his head for a long time, having bought the old James Bond submarine car at an auction for a million dollars several years ago. The submarine car was on display at the recent Cybertruck reveal event (photos below by Kyle Field for CleanTechnica).

Also, it reminds us of the submarine Elon and SpaceX built to help with the Thai rescue — an operation Elon Musk was asked to help with. Even though the boys were saved without any help from Elon or SpaceX, the idea of a smaller sub leads into other ideas — for example, evacuations from areas that are heavily flooded.

CarAndDriver thinks that Tesla should forgo the electric submarine idea and focus on its core business: “that of building automobiles.” Even though Elon had the same opinion and dismissed the idea as a distraction, it’s still there, a flicker of creativity beckoning for its creator to bring it into being. What I am saying is that it can be done. Perhaps CarAndDriver is right — now is not the right time for Tesla to take a dive into the ocean. But maybe in the future? After all, there is a time and place for everything, yes?

Tesla Opinion created a poll on Twitter. Do you think a Tesla Submarine would sell?

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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

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93 MWh Tesla Megapack Coming To Alaska To Save Customers Cash 

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Batteries

Published on December 10th, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

93 MWh Tesla Megapack Coming To Alaska To Save Customers Cash

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December 10th, 2019 by Kyle Field

Alaskan Electricity Cooperative Installing 93 MWh Tesla Battery On Financials Alone
A new 93 MWh Tesla Megapack system installed in Alaska by the Homer Electric Association, Inc., will be used to directly offset electricity that would have otherwise required a peaker plant to fire up. The new battery pack will be installed at the Soldotna Power Plant (map), adjacent to the existing natural gas-fired GE LM 6000 turbine currently used to provide electricity to cover peak usage in the area.

The Tesla Energy installation at the Hornsdale wind farm in Australia. Image courtesy: Tesla

The new Tesla batteries will demonstrate that not only can batteries directly replace gas-fired peaker plants, they can do so even in the frigid temperatures of Alaska, where temperatures typically stay below freezing for months at a time in the winter.

The battery pack is being installed by the Homer Electric Association specifically to “increase grid stability, electric power reliability and system efficiency for its members.” The Tesla Megapack installation will be able to fully discharge its 93 MWh of stored energy to the grid at a rate of 46.5 MW, so a full discharge takes 2 hours.

Banks of Tesla Powerpacks are linked together to store massive amounts of electricity in a compact area. Image courtesy: Tesla

Adding the energy storage system to its local grid allows Homer Electric Association to meet the mandated grid reliability requirements without having to rely on the gas turbine for power. Utilizing the battery instead of the turbine means less gas being burned, lower emissions, and a more reliable grid.

Notably, the local electricity cooperative opted to install the new Tesla Energy system as a way of creating a more flexible grid to accommodate more intermittent renewable assets on the grid in the future. Batteries not only serve as peaker units for a grid operator, they are a source of flexibility, one of the most valuable metrics for any grid operator when it comes to keeping everything humming along reliably.

A Tesla Powerpack being installed. Image courtesy: Tesla

The newly inked deal will see the new Tesla Megapack system in Soldotna come online in the fall of 2021. Unfortunately, while the deal has already been locked in, financials for the cost per kWh are not being shared.

Source: Homer Electric
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Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.

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The Tesla CyberRoadster Needs To Exist

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Clean Transport

Published on December 10th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

The Tesla CyberRoadster Needs To Exist

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December 10th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

Tesmanian founder Vincent last week shared a really cool concept of a Tesla CyberRoadster on Twitter, and it needs to be real. Imagine the new Tesla Roadster crossed with the Cybertruck. It’s a nice blend of two trendsetting vehicles that also result in zero emissions when driving around town or through the countryside.

The concept even has the cracked windows from the actual Cybertruck reveal, which have become a fan favorite since they really add to that dystopian flair.

The CyberRoadster, if it actually became reality, looks like it would have the Cybertruck’s “eyes” and “nose and design theme while having the Roadster’s “body.” In other words, it has the angular features and the exoskeleton of the Cybertruck but with the Roadster’s lower stance and wider bodywork.

The CyberRoadster would combine the sleekness of the Roadster with the artistry of the Cybertruck into one unique electric vehicle that would not just be made for speed, but also a tough beast to reckon with. Yes, we need the CyberRoadster to become reality.

Some think that this is similar to a Lamborghini of some sort or another with a better roof, and that it would be the ultimate supercar.

In general, Tesla exceeds at standing out with its uniqueness, but I am really feeling this concept. (Editor’s note: I want this. Santa?)

Someone else mentioned that if the CyberRoadster existed, it could be determined too strong during a collision with other cars. This opened up a dialogue about emergency brakes in which Twitter user Johnny says, “The goal is to make emergency brake better and to make self-driving good by the time the Cybertruck comes out so that most accidents would be avoided and that it wouldn’t be the Cybertruck’s fault if someone hits it.” One thing we all know from Tesla’s nice collection of safety awards is that Tesla prioritizes safety first and foremost.

The CyberRoadster may not be as useful during a zombie apocalypse as the Cybertruck, but as with other sports cars, it does smooth out some of those sharper edges and have an extremely appealing design compared to the truck/SUV — and it would be faster. As for the broken windows?

“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
—Bob Ross.

Franz breaking those windows has not only made Tesla an even more popular subject to talk about, but many of the Cybertruck renders include the broken windows. A happy little accident, indeed — one that had Tesla fans cracking up laughing while going “OMG!” simultaneously. The most important question is: will Tesla add shattered window decals to its online store?

While stock analysts and car enthusiasts alike discuss Tesla, the Cybertruck, and other concepts, Tesla is still doing what it set out to do: it’s mission.

Note: It is unclear who created the CyberRoadster render. If it was you please let us know so that we can give you credit.
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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

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Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood Talks Tesla Cybertruck

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Published on December 10th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood Talks Tesla Cybertruck

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December 10th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

Cathie Wood, founder of Ark Invest, yesterday sat down with CNBC’s SqawkTalk to talk about the Tesla Cybertruck. Tesla, which is the top holding in several of Ark’s funds, has Elon Musk as its CEO, and it’s natural the anchor wanted to know about what Wood’s thoughts were on the Cybertruck, as well as on other matters such as the defamation trial where Elon was found not guilty.

Cathie Wood dives right into her thoughts on the Cybertruck. She says that she has looked at it from many different angles and that it far surpasses other trucks. When it comes to comparing the Cybertruck to the Ford F-150, Cathie says, “There’s just no comparison.” The anchor asked what I thought was a good question: “Do you think it is for people who would have bought a brand new Ford F-150 or is this a brand new market?”

Cathie Wood explains that Ark Invest performed a Google Trends analysis about the excitement of the Tesla Cybertruck compared to the early days of the Model 3 and what Ark has seen is that the excitement is in the areas you would want it to be — in the Midwest and rural areas. Cathie also says that she thinks that the Cybertruck will be a significant competitor to the Ford F-150. Further, other electric vehicle makers will have to sell their vehicles either at a loss or a higher price since Tesla is able to produce its own batteries and is lowering its overall cost in making electric vehicles.

When it comes to the geographic areas where people were the most excited about the Cybertruck, this is a good thing for Tesla. The Midwest and rural areas often have a much higher number of pickup drivers, and seeing these areas get excited about Tesla’s Cybertruck tell us that, like the rest of the auto industry, Tesla will be a game changer for the pickup industry.
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Senator Markey Off The Mark On Tesla Autopilot (Again)

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Autonomous Vehicles

Published on December 10th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Senator Markey Off The Mark On Tesla Autopilot (Again)

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December 10th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

Last month, Senator Ed Markey said that Autopilot should be disabled. Now he is saying that Autopilot is causing harm. This tweet he shared was in reference to another accident that was caused by a driver not paying attention despite the fact that Autopilot was enabled:

If one actually watches the video the Senator shared, the anchor states that the man was checking on the dog in the back seat when he ran into a police cruiser. Yes, Autopilot was enabled, but Tesla also tells drivers that they need to be ready to take over at any time. This “any time” happened while the driver was not looking directly in front of him.

Apparently, the Senator thinks this is Tesla’s own fault and states that, “This tech will continue causing harm until Tesla takes action to fix its flawed system and make sure drivers are paying attention.”

If Tesla ever finds a way to actually force people to pay attention, I truly hope that they market and sell this for a really low price. I don’t own a car and have almost been hit while crossing the street many times. People run red lights, people drive while not even looking at the street. One time, I was crossing in front of a Mercedes-Benz driver who wasn’t even looking at the road and he had accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. I was crossing and had the right of way. His car hit my hip — fortunately, it was a gentle tap. I fell on his hood, got up, and walked away.

Senator Markey, from his statement, seems to think that only people who drive Tesla vehicles are not paying attention, and that it’s Tesla’s responsibility to make them do so. This line of thinking is not only outrageous, but it places the blame on Tesla for things it is not responsible for. It is not the fault of Tesla that some drivers do not pay attention at all times. How many times a day does a non-Tesla driver cause an accident because they weren’t paying attention? Many. But there is no hype about the type of cars they are driving. In fact, Autopilot has surely saved many more lives than it has taken, but those saved lives and prevented accidents don’t make headlines.

Perhaps, instead of blaming Tesla, we should find actual solutions that would encourage more drivers to pay attention. Tesla isn’t responsible for every person who gets into one of its vehicles, and Tesla isn’t the only car company where people abuse its safety features. Volkswagen owners can easily turn their cars into “self-driving” cars by tricking the active lane assist with a bottle of water, yet we don’t hear government officials bemoaning Volkswagen over these nag hacks.

In the third quarter of 2019, Tesla registered one accident for every 4.34 million miles driven when drivers had Autopilot engaged. In other words, for every 4.34 million miles driven with Autopilot on, there was one accident.

Is Autopilot really at fault in this case above or is it the driver? Is Tesla really to blame for people misusing its tech? If so, then perhaps gunmakers should be blamed for every school shooting. Or maybe you should blame the floor if you trip and fall.

Perhaps we should ban knives and scissors until people stop getting accidentally cut by them. Sound good? Or maybe he should blame every bar, restaurant, and company that sells alcoholic beverages for every death caused by drunk driving. Logical?

When a solution is hard to find, we often look to blame others instead. It’s easier to point fingers and say, “it’s your fault,” instead of coming together for solutions. Senator Markey should stop blaming Tesla for those who drive on Autopilot and don’t pay attention. Autopilot isn’t designed for such use and that’s made clear to owners.

Related:

Big Oil’s & Big Short’s Tesla Smears Reach Far & Wide

U.S. Senator Ed Markey Thinks Autopilot Should Be Disabled

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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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Tesla Getting Into The Mining Business Makes Sense

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Batteries

Published on December 9th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Tesla Getting Into The Mining Business Makes Sense

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December 9th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

Sean Mitchell has published his thoughts on YouTube as to why Tesla getting into the mining business makes sense. When Elon Musk first talked about Tesla going into the mining business, I got really excited, but my mind went off in another direction. I immediately envisioned a Tesla booth at a gem show with minerals in every color shaped like little Teslas. I am sure that’s not what Elon had in mind.

For Tesla as a company to make money, it needs to make sure it’s not spending too much, and one way of doing this is scaling up battery production and managing parts of the supply chain that need its leadership.

How are batteries made? What minerals are needed to make Tesla batteries, and would taking some of the elements of the batteries’ creation into Tesla’s own hands be cost-effective? This could make a lot of sense. Sean explains what Tesla already has down in this regard.

Sean believes that Tesla acquired Maxwell and Hibar so that it could control two-thirds of the production process. The last part it doesn’t have control over is the sourcing of raw materials such as copper, lithium, etc. Sean tells us that in his opinion, this is fundamental to Tesla reducing its cost in creating the battery packs. I agree.

In 2017, Kurt Kelty, former Tesla Senior Director of Battery Tech, gave a presentation in which he talked about how important it was to reduce the cost of making the batteries. How far into the battery supplies Tesla goes to make that happen is the question. Another thing we learn from Sean’s video is that nickel, not lithium, is the largest single raw material cost in high-energy-density Li-ion batteries. Nickel, cobalt, and lithium are all minerals that the cathode materials are made with.

His thought is that if Tesla is going to move toward becoming its own mining company, it will most likely do so around nickel, not cobalt or lithium. Also, when it comes to sourcing these minerals, Tesla is sourcing them ethically. It’s committed to sourcing responsibly produced materials, and it makes sure its suppliers provide a certification of origin as well as a description of risk mitigation practices. Tesla also performs onsite visits to try to ensure that no illegally mined or artisanal material enters Tesla’s supply chain. For more on the concerns in that regard, see this article.

My Thoughts On Sean’s Video
I fully agree with Sean and I wanted to provide some insight as well. I am a gem and mineral collector — I have a small collection (I even have a rare opal with trace amounts of uranium in it!) and got into this from my wire art. In fact, I tweeted some random minerals to Elon Musk before I seriously got back into writing. It was fun. He even told me once that his favorite mineral is iron pyrite, which is fool’s gold and oddly an actual ore of gold.

From my perspective, I can see other ways Tesla could bring in profits from the mines. It depends on what the mines actually produce, but there are cases where mines produce more than one mineral. This isn’t an idea just for Tesla, but also The Boring Company, which could make bricks of all the dirt from the tunnels to help with housing. Our planet is rich with minerals, and minerals are all popular collectors’ items.

People buy crystals, minerals, and gems for various reasons. If Tesla gets into the mining industry and ends up with minerals besides what it needs, it could sell them to wholesalers across the world that specialize in the sale of minerals or need them for other purposes.

When I had my store in 2016, I met a representative of a mine in Nigeria who brought me a variety of emeralds and tourmalines. He explained to me that many mines produce many minerals and that even though the owner of that mine solely wanted to focus on emeralds, he realized that the profits from other minerals were vast and started selling those as well.

All in all, if Tesla gets into the mining industry, it could not only save the company some money, but when you consider that Elon Musk is well known for revolutionizing industries he gets into, it would be interesting to see how Tesla influenced this one.
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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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The #1 Thing I Love About Our Tesla Model 3 That No One Talks About

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Cars

Published on December 8th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

The #1 Thing I Love About Our Tesla Model 3 That No One Talks About

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December 8th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

We spend a lot of time in our Tesla Model 3. Aside from driving approximately the US average, we generally spend about an hour a day sitting in a student pickup line (45 minutes some days, up to an hour and a half others). And then there are various times when I might be working in the car for a while — for example, while the girls enjoy the beach and I have to get articles published on CleanTechnica. 😛

The point is: we spend a lot of time in the car, and a lot of that time involves actually doing stuff, not just driving. That leads into the thing I love about our Tesla Model 3 that gets very little attention — and when it does get attention, often gets negative attention!

The Model 3 has a supremely minimalist — yet premium-feeling — design. With out white & black interior, it feels like what a car interior designed by Apple would look and feel like. The open, clutter-free space is the perfect balance to a life with two young monsters and hectic traffic. Sitting on the comfy white seat, resting my arm on the smooth, black center armrest, and gazing across the empty dash in front of me feels almost like coming home and plopping myself down on the couch to watch tennis. (If I had free time, I think that’s what I’d enjoy doing.)

Everything I need for the car is on the touchscreen, which I can let slip out of my direct view but then can easily check or use as needed. Aside from my phone sitting under the touchscreen and a bottle of water or coffee, my vicinity is clean, clear, and ideal for a peaceful ride. I couldn’t ask for more.

Some people criticize the interior of the Model 3 as basic, simple, or bare. I honestly can’t imagine wanting it to be different, as anything more would be adding clutter. The vegan leather is so smooth and premium. I recall renting a Mercedes a couple of times that had a somewhat similar center console. It was an enjoyable “little thing” that I appreciated at the time. The Model 3’s smooth black center console fits into its surroundings much better (and it feels slightly better as well). The space in front and to the other sides of me fit the elegant and thick right armrest. I don’t have all the clutter the Mercedes swarmed me with.

The car is even more minimalist when it’s driving itself.

This all may seem like a little aspect of the Model 3, and perhaps I’m overdoing it. To the contrary, though, I think this is one of the biggest daily benefits of a truly magical car. Minimalism is often, ironically, under-appreciated. Minimalism done well is difficult, but then so complete and fulfilling.

The drive quality, the interior feel of the car, and the look of the model from the outside as you walk up to it — these are three aspects of a car that an owner regularly notices. Each of them is critical in its own right to a fully enjoyable ownership experience. Everyone should know by now that Tesla nails #1 and is highly regarded for #3, but the superb implementation of #2 is equally if not more important. It is one reason it’d be so hard to switch to any other vehicle.

I will bring up one issue I have on this topic, though. If I sit in the passenger seat, it’s comfortable to move the seat back a bit and work on my laptop. If I have to sit in the driver’s seat and do this, I have to put the seat much further back due to the steering wheel, and I then lose a comfortable position for my elbows. I don’t have anywhere to rest them and I’m too squeezed in to have them hang in space. Now, I don’t expect Tesla to design a solution for such an edge case! However, this review wouldn’t be complete without noting that that’s the one place in which I could see the interior design being much better for my personal use case.

Oh yeah, there’s also the glossy black console between the armrest and touchscreen. I don’t know if it’s Franz, Elon, or both of them who love that glossy black plastic, but I’m yet to meet an owner who loves it and I’ve met several who hate it. I don’t understand the rationale for putting it in a Tesla. I imagine I’ll get mine turned into a matte trim eventually. (Aftermarket suppliers and detailers must appreciate it, since they must make a lot of money hiding the gloss for Tesla owners.)

Have any other thoughts on the wonderful, smooth, elegant Tesla Model 3 interior? Think I’m fully off my rocker? Your comments are welcome … but I’ll spam them if you don’t agree with me! (jk, ofc)

If you’d like to buy a Tesla Model 3, Model S, or Model X and get some free Supercharging miles, feel free to use my special, magical, unicorn-blessed referral code: https://ts.la/zachary63404. You can also get a $100 discount on Tesla solar with that code. There is currently no use for a referral code when putting down a reservation for a Cybertruck or Model Y.
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About the Author

Zachary Shahan is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the CEO of Important Media. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao.

Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA] — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in this company and feels like it is a good cleantech company to invest in. But he offers no investment advice and does not recommend investing in Tesla or any other company.

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EV Boom — Roger & Zach Chat Lithium, EV Forecasts, Ford Mustang Mach-E

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Batteries

Published on December 9th, 2019 |

by Winter Wilson

EV Boom — Roger & Zach Chat Lithium, EV Forecasts, Ford Mustang Mach-E

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December 9th, 2019 by Winter Wilson

In our first ever episode of a new “EV Boom” podcast interview series, Zach Shahan sits down with Roger Atkins, founder of Electric Vehicles Outlook Ltd and self-described “jack of all trades, master of none,” to discuss Roger’s insights into lithium-ion batteries and the electric vehicle industry. You can listen to the full conversation in the embedded player below. Below that embedded SoundCloud player is a brief summary of the topics covered, but tune into the podcast to follow the full discussion.

You can listen to this podcast and other CleanTech Talk podcasts on: Anchor, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket, Podbean, Radio Public, SoundCloud, Spotify, or Stitcher.

As Roger explained early in the podcast, “necessity is the mother of invention.” Have an issue that needs to be resolved? Creative people will come up with a solution. That is why electric vehicles have become a primary focus in the wake of increasing global challenges with city congestion and pollution, Roger said.

But while electric vehicles have proven to be promising solutions to these clear and immediate challenges, Roger worries about the lithium mining supply chain. He believes that due to a limited supply of automotive-grade lithium, the most electric vehicle share possible by 2025 would be only 7% of the global automotive market. This is what Roger picked up recently at a Benchmark Materials conference from a top lithium expert (“Lithium Joe,” who is reportedly the world’s leading authority on lithium supply), and it goes against Roger’s previous viewpoint on the topic. Even though there is currently an overflow in lithium, Roger explains that the future will prove difficult. It is not about whether or not we have lithium, he said — it is about whether that lithium is high enough quality for safe batteries.

Keeping in mind the challenge of lithium-ion batteries, Zach and Roger move on to discuss current industry players who are making big steps into the electric vehicle sector. They talk briefly about Ford’s investment in Rivian and Ford’s efforts to jump into the electric vehicle world through the Ford Electric Mach-E. But the foray into electric vehicles is no easy feat for established automotive companies. There is a huge challenge to profitability, Roger explains, as sunk costs and investment for research and development to transition into electric vehicles can combine to be crippling to a company. He believes, however, that working together with new electric vehicle companies, as Ford has done with Rivian, can give more established industry players a leg up.

Zach and Roger discuss how current politics and social media influence have driven the demand for climate action and, consequently, electric vehicle production. But Roger believes that looking beyond battery supply to other ways to maximize battery capacity is important. One critical piece of this dialogue, he said, is shifting from a linear economy to a circular one. He explains that the narrative should focus on maximizing efficiency and utilization. Roger proposes an increased use of carsharing, multimodal transportation development, and improvement of public transportation. Zach and Roger also briefly touch on automatic wireless charging in place of cable charging.

Roger expresses his desire to see strong leaders leverage the momentum behind the transition into electric vehicles to push exponential development of more efficient and sustainable transportation. His advice? “You better get on with it, because before too long you’ll be left with the people you won’t really want to dance with!”

To hear more on these topics, as well as hear Roger’s advice for how to be an innovative leader, listen to the show!
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About the Author

Winter Wilson Winter Wilson is a Cutler Scholar and undergraduate student double majoring in Environmental Studies and Journalism at Ohio University's Honors Tutorial College, with a minor in French. Her academic interests include environmental communication, technology and social innovation, especially as they relate to international climate change mitigation and adaptation. Though Winter attends school in her hometown of Athens, Ohio, she takes advantage of her breaks to explore the world beyond. She spent her most recent break undertaking self-driven research on climate change and environmental justice in Southeast Asia. This year, she will be completing her dual thesis and supplementary documentary series on climate change communication. Winter is excited to contribute to and work with the team at CleanTechnica as a Summer Editorial Intern.

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23 Awards Tesla Cybertruck Is Sure To Win

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Cars

Published on November 29th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

23 Awards Tesla Cybertruck Is Sure To Win

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November 29th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

I’m not sure all of these awards actually exist. It’s possible some of them (ahem, #9) should have never been imagined. Nonetheless, this is what some Thanksgiving-night brain juice has dreamt up after reading about the Tesla Model 3 winning Car of the Year in Denmark.

1. Car of the Year (from almost every major auto media outlet or jury that considers the Cybertruck a “car,” including CleanTechnica for our “Car of the Year” award)

2. Truck of the Year (from every major truck media outlet)

3. SUV of the Year

4. Machine of the Year

5. Robot of the Year

6. Police Vehicle of the Year

7. Camping Vehicle of the Year

8. Robocop Vehicle of the Year

9. Barbie & Ken Shagging Location of the Year

10. Star Wars Vehicle of the Year

11. Ugly Duckling of the Year

12. Video Game Vehicle that Comes to Life Vehicle of the Year

13. Hypercaffeinated CEO Vehicle of the Year

14. Pro Sports Star Vehicle of the Year

15. Tech Innovation of the Year

16. Ruff Ryders Vehicle of the Year

17. Mafia Vehicle of the Year

18. Hold My Beer, Bruh Vehicle of the Year

19. High Times Product of the Year

20. Engineering Product of the Year

21. Elon Musk is Crazy Product of the Year

22. MacArthur Genius Grant (first time going to a non-human)

23. Smackdown of the Year
Follow CleanTechnica on Google News.
It will make you happy & help you live in peace for the rest of your life.

About the Author

Zachary Shahan is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the CEO of Important Media. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao.

Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA] — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in this company and feels like it is a good cleantech company to invest in. But he offers no investment advice and does not recommend investing in Tesla or any other company.

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Read & share our free report on EV safety, “The EV Safety Advantage.”
EV Charging Guidelines for Cities

Share our free report on EV charging guidelines for cities, “Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: Guidelines For Cities.”

30 Electric Car Benefits

Our Electric Vehicle Reviews

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38 Anti-Cleantech Myths

© 2019 Sustainable Enterprises Media, Inc.

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