French automaker Renault announced its plan for the next 5 years and it includes 7 new electric cars to hit the market.
One of them should be based on this new Renault 5 electric prototype.
Renaulution
Renault is a leader in electrification in Europe thanks to its very popular Zoe electric car.
However, they need to add new electric models to their lineup as the competition is lining up new…
EGEB: Spicy chili pepper chemical boosts solar panel efficiency
January 15, 2021
In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):
Capsaicin, which makes chilli peppers hot, has an energy-boosting effect on solar panels.
Coal-dependent Poland passes an Offshore Wind Act.
UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in…
GM is teasing the Cadillac Celestiq, a new electric car presented as a flagship model, with a few images and the announcement of an interesting “smart glass” roof.
Cadillac Celestiq
GM is starting to position Cadillac as its leading electric brand, starting with the…
BMW was the first car manufacturer to adopt Apple’s Car Key feature – enabling an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock your car – and has now announced an enhanced version known as Digital Key Plus.
Digital Key Plus uses the ultra-wideband tech found in the U1 chip in the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and Apple Watch Series 6 …
Car Key lets you store a digital version of your car key in Apple’s…
Joe Biden expands his climate team with six policy experts
January 15, 2021
In December, Electrek reported that President-elect Joe Biden named the NRDC’s Gina McCarthy domestic climate czar. McCarthy and her deputy, Ali Zaidi, will coordinate action across multiple federal agencies and Congress. Here’s a brief background on six of Biden’s…
Lucid Motors (CCIV) and Proterra (ACTC) are the latest electric vehicle companies looking to go public as there’s currently a gold rush in the space.
SPAC frenzy in the EV market
Over the last year, we have seen a surge in the number of companies in the electric vehicle…
The NTSB warns that emergency responders require better resources for fighting EV fires
January 15, 2021
A report released on Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) states that emergency responders have access to inadequate tools and training for fighting electric vehicle fires that occur. The NTSB arrived at this conclusion after investigating four separate EV fires involving lithium-ion batteries.
When EVs are involved in high-speed crashes, similar to one that took place in…
Sodium Cycles shows off 50 mph light electric motorcycle headed for sodium-ion batteries
January 14, 2021
French motorbike company Sodium Cycles took to CES 2021 to show off the latest version of their light electric motorcycle known as the Xubaka.
Sodium Cycles Xubaka
The Xubaka electric motorcycle has been in development since 2018 and looks quite different from most mini…
Tesla explains how it achieves top safety rating on Model Y and ‘lowest rollover risk of any SUV’
January 14, 2021
Tesla released more information on how it achieved a top safety rating on Model Y with NHTSA, including the “lowest rollover risk of any SUV” ever tested.
Tesla Model Y crash test results
Earlier this week, we reported on Tesla Model Y acing its safety test with…
Tesla files to use new ‘millimeter-wave radar’ on its ‘full self-driving’ electric cars
January 14, 2021
Tesla has applied with the FCC for the use of a new “millimeter-wave radar” for Autopilot and Full Self-Driving in its electric cars.
New Tesla Radar
Tesla uses a front-facing radar sensor hidden inside the front fascia of its vehicles as part of its Autopilot/Full Self-Driving (FSD) sensor suite.
Electrek has found a new FCC filing from Tesla in which the automaker applied to get a new…