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Jo Borrás

volvojo1

I’ve been in and around the auto industry since the ’90s, and have written for a number of well-known outlets like CleanTechnica, the Truth About Cars, Popular Mechanics, and more. You can catch me at Electrek Daily Quick Charge, The Heavy Equipment Podcast with Mike Switzer, or chasing my kids around Oak Park, IL.

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Home solar in rural America: how much battery do you need in a winter storm?

home solar in the winter - extreme cold

There’s no shortage of advice on how to size a home solar and battery system, but most of it assumes a suburban home with city services and outages measured in hours, not days. Rural homes play by different rules, especially during major winter storms. When ice and snow take down lines and your utility prioritizes restoring power to urban neighborhoods, having a home battery isn’t about convenience — it’s about damage control.

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FSD is for chumps: SC01 is an EV that BEGS to be driven – and it’s coming to Europe

China's Stratos confirmed for Europe with 429bhp

Weighing in at just 1,356 kg and packing a 320 kW (~430 hp) electric motor, the Xiaomi-backed JMEV SC01 ditches the extras and keeps the essentials – so if you’re the kind of person that dreams of a self-driving future that lets you pay more attention to your Twitter X feed than the road ahead, this one’s not for you.

But if it is for you, I have fantastic news: this electric roadster is being sold in Europe (and it won’t stop there).

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It’s time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives [update]

What options are there beyond Tesla Powerwall for home batteries?

NOTE: since most of the US is currently getting hit with a huge winter storm, I’m republishing this list of home batteries as a reminder to be prepared for the next one – particularly for folks who are looking at hours or days without power.

For years, Tesla Powerwall has been the go-to recommendation for homeowners looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first home solar and battery backup solutions. But with a recent recall on more than 10,000 home batteries over fire safety concerns following a year (or more) of CEO Elon Musk’s political antics, more and more people are beginning to look for alternatives to the trailblazing Tesla tech. The good news: there are plenty of other great home solar battery solutions are there!

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Humanoid robots build a new excavator every 6 minutes, RIGHT NOW

Zoomlion’s AI robots help produce an excavator every six minutes

Chinese heavy equipment giant Zoomlion isn’t planning to deploy an army of humanoid robots on its factory floors in the future – they’ve got robots on the job right now. The company is already using these ‘bots to power its “third growth curve,” and they’ve been churning out a new excavator every six minutes for years.

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Even in extreme cold, EVs outperform diesel AND save drivers money

Alaska Study Proves EVs Save Money Even in Frigid, Rural Areas

Fleet managers don’t get paid to argue on Facebook. They get paid to look at the numbers, and make decisions in the best financial interests of their companies. According to studies that follow real-world fleets in the most extreme, cold-weather conditions in America, EVs don’t just survive — they thrive, beating out diesel on the balance sheet.

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Home solar in rural America: how much battery do you need to run a well pump?

How big a battery and solar system does a rural home need just to run a well pump?

There’s no shortage of advice on how to size a home solar system, but most of it assumes a suburban house with city water and a long list of optional loads. Rural homes play by different rules, and when your water comes from a well, keeping the lights on is optional — but keeping the well’s pump running isn’t.

Here’s what it really takes, in solar and battery terms, to keep your home’s water flowing even when its electrons aren’t.

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