Upgrader

Sen. Elissa Slotkin says she has been hearing rumors that President Donald Trump may allow Chinese cars, including EVs, to be sold in the United States as part of a broader deal with China tied to negotiations with President Xi Jinping.

The timing is significant. Trump and Xi are expected to meet in Washington on September 24, 2026, as the two countries continue talks over tariffs, trade, and other economic issues.👀

Australia’s biggest car dealership says people who switch to EVs aren’t coming back to gas-powered cars.

Keith Thornton, CEO of Eagers Automotive, says the company isn’t seeing many customers who buy electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles later trade them in for traditional internal combustion cars.

“We’re not seeing them coming back to internal combustion cars,” Thornton said.

He described the shift as a “one-way street,” suggesting that once many customers make the switch to EVs or plug-in hybrids, they tend to stick with them rather than return to traditional gas-powered vehicles.🚗⚡

These numbers are based on new-car registration data compiled by E-Mobility Europe, New AutoMotive, and Fier Automotive, covering 16 major European markets that account for more than 90% of new-car sales across the EU and European Free Trade Association.

In July 2026, 224,266 fully electric vehicles were registered across these markets, up 13.6% from the same month last year. Fully electric vehicles made up 25.7% of all new-car registrations.

In other words, roughly one out of every four new cars registered in these markets was fully electric.

France and Germany were among the biggest contributors to the growth, while EVs reached an impressive 80.1% share in Denmark.📊

Ford is investing nearly $2 billion to upgrade its Louisville, Kentucky, plant for production of its new Fathom electric pickup.

The midsize, four-door EV is expected to start at around $30,000 when it launches in the U.S. in 2027.

The revamped plant will use a new production system designed to simplify assembly, improve efficiency, and speed up manufacturing. The Fathom will also be the first vehicle built on Ford’s new Universal EV Platform, with seating for five, a frunk, and bidirectional power capability.

The investment is part of Ford’s broader $5 billion push to expand affordable EV and battery production in the U.S.

National Highways has launched a £228 million ($309 million) programme to expand the electrical capacity needed for ultra-rapid EV charging at motorway service areas in England.

The focus is not simply on installing more chargers. A major part of the programme is upgrading grid connections so service areas can handle much greater electricity demand.

Some sites could require connections of up to 50 MVA, creating the capacity needed for larger numbers of high-powered chargers.

National Highways defines ultra-rapid charging as 150kW or more, with some systems capable of adding 250+ miles of range in around 30 minutes, depending on the vehicle and charger.

The move is designed to reduce “charge anxiety” and make long-distance EV travel easier as electric vehicle adoption continues to grow.

National Highways is also already using energy-storage systems at motorway service areas to supplement the grid supply and enable ultra-rapid charging. One site is operational, with seven more being commissioned and another in the design and planning stage.

Deep inside a mountain in North Wales is a power station that works a lot like a giant rechargeable battery, except its “battery” is water.

Dinorwig Power Station stores energy by pumping water uphill into a massive upper reservoir. When electricity demand suddenly spikes, that stored water is released and races through a network of underground tunnels, spinning powerful turbines and generating electricity for the grid.

The response is incredibly fast. Dinorwig can ramp up to as much as 1,728 megawatts of power in roughly 12 seconds, making it valuable when the grid needs a huge burst of electricity almost immediately.

And most of the machinery is hidden underground inside the mountain. The system can then pump the water back uphill when demand is lower, ready to be used again.

For years, Flock Safety cameras have been promoted as a way to help police recover stolen cars, find missing people, and investigate crimes.

But now, the technology is facing a growing backlash across the United States.

More than 150 U.S. communities have pushed back against ALPR systems, with some canceling contracts, removing cameras, or demanding stricter limits on how the data can be collected and shared.

Flock cameras can capture license plates along with the time, location, and characteristics of passing vehicles, creating records that can later be searched by law enforcement.

A HOMEMADE YACHT PROVED THAT LONG-DISTANCE SEA TRAVEL CAN BE DONE WITHOUT RELYING ON TRADITIONAL FUEL.⛽🚫

Finnish inventor Lukas Sjöman built the Helios 11, an 11-meter yacht designed around solar power. Solar panels across the roof generate around 6 kW of electricity, which is stored in a 48-volt battery system and used to power the electric motor.

Using this setup, the yacht traveled more than 3,500 miles (5,700 km) from Finland to Ibiza, Spain, without refueling with conventional fuel.

The system is designed for efficiency, combining the electric motor with a small auxiliary sail that can help reduce battery use when wind conditions are favorable.⚡🌞

One of the busiest ports on the U.S. East Coast is making a major move away from diesel.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, working with clean transportation nonprofit CALSTART, has launched two new programs worth a combined $45 million to accelerate the use of zero-emission trucks and the charging infrastructure they need.

The biggest piece is a $39 million Clean Truck Incentive Program, which will provide point-of-sale vouchers toward zero-emission drayage trucks, yard tractors, and supporting charging equipment.

Then there is another $5 million program designed to help create up to five electric truck charging hubs within 10 miles of the port's marine terminals.

Why does this matter?

Port trucks are constantly moving containers between terminals, warehouses, distribution centers, and businesses across the region. Replacing diesel trucks with zero-emission models could cut pollution in communities surrounding one of the country's largest freight hubs while helping modernize the regional supply chain.

And this isn't just about the trucks.

The broader federal Clean Ports funding behind the port's clean-energy efforts is also supporting electric cargo-handling equipment and shore power, allowing ships at berth to connect to electricity instead of running their auxiliary engines.

The Port Authority has set a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The new programs are expected to begin rolling out this fall, with CALSTART also tracking vehicle deployment, performance, and charger use as the transition gets underway.🚛⚡

A PARKING LOT IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, IS NOW DOING MUCH MORE THAN PARKING CARS.

With 1,650 solar panels covering 210 parking spaces, the solar canopy turns an existing parking area into a large clean-energy system.

The installation generates approximately 901,710 kWh of electricity every year, helping supply nearly 60% of the facility’s daily energy needs and costs.

It also prevents an estimated 1.4 million pounds of CO₂ emissions annually, while providing shade for vehicles underneath.