🌎 Overheated EVs

Heat waves increase risk of overheated EV batteries

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Acclimate Editor
July 25, 2023

Welcome back, climate leaders.

In today’s edition:

  • 🚎 Heat waves increase risk of overheated EV batteries

  • 📝 Isometric gets $25m for carbon removal registry platform

  • ⚡️ Small-town GOP leaders see benefits of Biden’s clean energy initiatives

Read time: 4 minutes

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HOT TOPICS

Source: Unsplash

As more people in hot states like Arizona and Texas adopt electric vehicles (EVs), they're discovering that extreme heat can harm their EV battery's health. EVs in hot climates have to work harder to keep the battery and passengers cool.

Although high temperatures won't completely disable an EV, they can negatively impact the battery's performance. The heat causes ions in the battery to speed up, leading to issues with attachment and cracks, resulting in reduced battery life and range.

This problem is exacerbated on scorching days, even when the car is idle. To prevent damage, experts advise keeping EVs plugged in to utilize charging power for maintaining battery coolness.

While cold weather affects EV batteries as well, the negative impact is temporary compared to the enduring decrease in maximum range caused by extreme heat.

Rhodium Group presents its ninth annual Taking Stock report, offering projections of US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on current policies, economic growth, fossil fuel prices, and clean energy trends.

For the first time, the report incorporates the major federal climate legislation known as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Under the current policy baseline, US emissions will decrease by 32-51% below 2005 levels by 2035. By 2030, there will be a 29-42% reduction in GHGs, which falls short of the US's Paris Agreement commitment of 50-52% below 2005 levels.

With the IRA, the power and transportation sectors experience significant reductions in GHG emissions. By 2035, zero- and low-emitting power plants will make up 63-87% of all generation, compared to around 40% in 2022. The growth of electric vehicles further contributes to decarbonization, leading to an average reduction of household energy bills by $2,200-$2,400 per year in 2035.

However, challenges lie ahead, particularly in the massive expansion of new infrastructure. Consistent addition of 32-92 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar annually is necessary for the power sector until 2035. This level of deployment faces various obstacles such as supply chain constraints, transmission and interconnection issues, siting challenges, and the need for a skilled workforce.

Global renewables adoption aligns with ambitious net-zero scenarios, according to a report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).

RMI, in collaboration with the Bezos Earth Fund, expects the tripling of global renewables capacity by 2030 to be achievable through exponential growth in renewable energy additions. Fossil fuel demand in electricity has peaked and is projected to decline by up to 30% by the end of the decade.

While success in meeting the International Energy Agency's net-zero emissions goal for 2050 is anticipated, limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius may not be feasible without faster change. The exponential growth in renewables will eventually slow down after 2030 but remains robust for now.

To ensure successful renewables expansion, improvements in electrical grids, permitting, and regulatory systems are required. In the US, interconnection backlogs have increased significantly, hampering progress. A recent IEA report also emphasized the urgency of faster change across the energy system for achieving net zero by 2050.

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DEBRIEF

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📈 Business & Markets

  • Nestlé is abandoning carbon offsets and opting for in-house efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Tesla's solar installations drop 37% YoY due to high interest rates, but its energy deployments thrive. Q2 2023 saw a decline of 1 MW compared to Q1 and 40 MW compared to Q2 2022.

  • Poorer nations, hit by extreme weather events, face a mounting debt crisis compounded by rising borrowing costs.

🏛 Policy & Politics

  • Small-town GOP officials are divided on Biden's clean energy funding, despite the clear economic benefits, including job creation, real funding, and increased tax revenue.

  • Taliban and Chinese firms eye Afghanistan's lithium reserves, dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of lithium" by the Pentagon. Rising EV demand intensifies the scramble for minerals, benefiting China's EV supply chain dominance while posing geopolitical risks.

  • EU proposes a new car recycling rule that mandates that automakers provide dismantlers with instructions for component replacement.

🚀 Startups & Tech

  • Lilium secures $192M. They're developing an all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet and have raised $292M this year.

  • Isometric secures $25M in funding for its carbon removal registry and science platform. The company aims to add structure to the carbon removal industry, which gained attention after major players like Stripe, Shopify, and Alphabet invested $1 billion in removal startups.

  • Scientists fear that investigating methods to dim the sun's heat could lead to deploying solar radiation management without comprehending the potential dangers.

🌎 Society & Impact

  • A $6 billion Chinese-built railway connects Laos to Southeast Asia to create a booming city offering cheap labor and easy exporting.

  • Colorado's famous 14,000-foot mountains are off-limits due to liability concerns. The closure has triggered a legal battle and disappointed adventurers eager to conquer all fourteeners.

  • A new program aims to prevent heat injuries caused by rising temperatures, providing patients with the necessary information and resources to stay safe during hot weather.

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The EPA aims to reduce tailpipe emissions by implementing new rules and increasing the percentage of light-duty EV sales to 67% by 2032.

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