Volvo announced it will completely phase out internal combustion engines and make only electric vehicles by 2030. The automaker plans for half of its global sales to be all-electric by 2025 and will transition to selling its electric cars only online. As part of the announcement, Volvo will unveil its second electric vehicle. The move follows General Motors’ announcement to go fully electric by 2035. (AP)
Aptera, a California auto company, is bringing the world’s first mass-produced solar car to market this year. The “three-wheeled, ultra-aerodynamic” car is described as looking like a cross between the Batmobile and a beetle. It’s covered with solar cells that could power the car for about 40 miles, a distance that covers the average American’s commute two times over. Aptera’s founders set out to create a car that would run much more efficiently than gas-powered cars, which waste most of their energy through heat and other losses. The vehicle will go through safety tests later this year before entering distribution. (Washington Post $)
“We’re seeing now that there’s almost a critical mass of states that have started to adopt these standards, and so it is going to provide a strong market signal that that’s the direction we need to go in order to reduce air pollution and to meet our state as well as national climate targets,” said Matthew Goetz, a senior associate at the Georgetown Climate Center, on nationwide movement toward adopting stronger vehicle emissions standards.
