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Jo Borrás

volvojo1

I’ve been involved in the electric vehicle transition in one way or another since 1997, and have covered the industry as a journalist since 2008. You can catch more of my work on Quick Charge and The Heavy Equipment Podcast with Mike Switzer.

NOTE: any opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal government, the State of Illinois, Electrek, or anyone else. Nothing here should be interpreted as a statement of official policy, legal guidance, or an endorsement unless expressly labeled as such.

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Shore power dramatically cuts emissions at ports – but will anyone use it?

Portsmouth warns high electricity costs could undermine shore power

Portsmouth International Port has taken a huge step towards reducing the air pollution caused by idling marine engines with the launch of the UK’s first high-voltage, multi-berth shore power system that allows docked ships to connect to grid power and shut off their on-board generators. In theory, shore power reduces emissions and slashes fuel costs.

The reality is somewhat different.

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Port of Helsingborg scores two new electric reach stackers from Kalmar

Kalmar secures new orders for electric reachstackers from customers across China

The world’s ports operators work in confined spaces, moving massively heavy loads with incredible precision in perilous conditions with razor-thin margins. It’s no wonder, then, that they’re moving to electric equipment – and the Port of Helsingborg is just the latest to do so, thanks to its latest order for two new Kalmar reach stackers.

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E-quipment highlight: AMT’s hot-swapping battery electric rail excavator

Electric Rail Road excavator

Rarely seen by the general public, rail road excavators are a critical piece of the infrastructure puzzle – one that can travel directly on the tracks while digging, lifting, and clearing obstacles from the track, working on everything from track maintenance and renewal to utility and civil construction projects. This one’s electric.

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Not sold on Tesla Powerwall? There are great battery alternatives out there [update]

The US has had a massive power outage every single month this year. At what point is this just the new normal?

Between increasingly extreme weather, rising electricity demands, and the rapid expansion of data centers, energy independence is starting to look less like a talking point for doomsday preppers and more like sound planning. That shift in thinking is driving more homeowners than ever towards solar-plus-battery energy solutions like the industry-leading Tesla Powerwall – but Powerwall isn’t the only game in town, anymore.

UPDATE 05OCT26: added the EcoFlow DELTA Pro.

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Tough times for Audi, VW, and Porsche could make October a great time to buy

Best New Electric Car Rebates & Incentives

Volkswagen Group is going through some tough times these days. Labor disputes, increased competition in China, and a few market misses on big swings are all playing a part, but that doesn’t mean the EVs themselves aren’t great – and with all the big rebates and incentive offers on Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen EVs this month, they’re definitely worth a look.

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Autonomous Orange: YMX adds self-driving tech to its electric yard trucks

YMX Logistics and Outrider Establish Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Autonomous Yard Operations

The logistics experts at 3PL provider YMX know a thing or three about running an efficient fleet, but even they are feeling the nationwide shortage of qualified yard operators. To help keep the goods moving and the wheels turning, the company is turning to self-driving, zero-emission yard trucks at customer sites as part of a new pilot with AI startup Outrider.

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Hasta la vista, baby – Figure F.02 humanoid robots decommissioned, T2-style

Humanoid robot fleet decommissioned in wild Terminator-style leap into molten steel

Decommissioning humanoid robots that are packed with proprietary tech is a tricky thing – you want to make sure none of the expensive raw material goes to waste, but you also need to make sure no one else gets a hold of your tech. The solution? Have your robots hurl themselves into a vat of molten steel, Terminator 2-style.

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E-quipment highlight: 16-tonne Hyundai 160B-X battery-electric forklift

Hyundai Material Handling Completes 4-18 Tonne High-Voltage Electric Forklift Range

A fresh batch of battery-electric forklift reveals from Hyundai completes the brand’s heavy forklift range, allowing Hyundai dealers to confidently offer a high-voltage electric counterbalance forklift in 4-to-18 tonne capacities, extending electric forklift availability into applications traditionally reserved for big, diesel-powered trucks.

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Tesla’s two week notice, Volvo’s autonomous milestone, and fun with LEGO

On today’s completely predictable episode of Quick Charge, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the weather looks like it’ll be too rough to show off his new “flying” Roadster 2.0 on October 1st, so he’s pushing the reveal back another two weeks – but after 9 years of moving goal posts and broken promises, what’s a few more weeks?

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Charge up your Christmas tree with this Hallmark Keepsake Daytona Scat Pack

Hallmark Turns The Charger Daytona Into A Christmas Ornament

The all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona may not have been a stunning sales success with either EV fans or the Mopar faithful, but that didn’t change the fact that it’s one of the most competent straight-line performance cars ever built – and now, Hallmark is making it easier than ever to park one under a Christmas tree.

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