Tesla makes big change to encourage Full Self-Driving purchases
Tesla is bringing back the Model 3’s turn signal stalk in China after removing the part with the refresh of the all-electric sedan early last year. However, it is going to cost you. In 2024, Tesla launched the Model 3 “Highland,” a refreshed version of the vehicle that included several large-scale changes. One of the most noticeable was the lack of a turn signal stalk, something the company chose to remove and instead implement turn signal buttons on the steering wheel. The buttons were met with mixed reviews, as some drivers complained that it was too difficult to get used to them. Others had no problem with the change, noting that it was slightly more convenient for them or that they enjoyed the minimalistic look. Now, Tesla is offering Model 3 owners in China the opportunity to replace the stalk for a price of ¥ 2,499, or about $350: “Modify your Model 3 by replacing the turn signal buttons on your steering wheel with turn signal stalks. This modification is included in the purchase price and is installed by a Tesla Service Center.” Tesla notes on its website that the service is available for Model 3 vehicles without stalks manufactured after February 7, 2025. Any car without a stalk that was manufactured before that date will have the service available to them in the future. Installation can be performed at a Service Center or by the owner. However, Tesla notes that it is not responsible for any damages resulting from self-installation and recommends that the part be put in by an employee. The cockpit of the Tesla lineup has been under intense scrutiny by the company in recent years. After a few changes to things like the stalk, steering wheel shape, and others, Tesla has usually given drivers the chance to have things reverted back to their preferences if they want. They did this for the Model S and Model X a few years ago after implementing the yoke steering wheel. Tesla Steering Wheel Retrofits have started, and it’s easy to get rid of your yoke The stalk was not supposed to be removed from the Model 3 and Model Y, but Tesla chose to do so with the refresh last year. It seems the minimalization of the cockpit, overall, is a move that prepares drivers for autonomy, as eventually, Teslas will be void of pedals, steering wheels, and any other apparatus that are used to control the car.
U.S. Energy Department Supports Critical Minerals & Materials Supply Chain
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) made enormous progress supporting the growth of critical mineral and material supply chains under President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. After some delays and uncertainty with regard to support of this industry, the Trump administration is now continuing the support. The DOE has just issued “notices of funding opportunities (NOFO) totaling nearly $1 billion to advance and scale mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies across key stages of the critical minerals and materials supply chains.” Presumably, enough people in the industry had ties to Trump and Republicans that they determined this industry was not actually “too woke” to support. Heck, maybe someone even convinced them that this is a critical industry for the future of technology and the economy and that it would make sense to follow Biden’s lead (while giving him no credit) and continue support for companies in the industry. Here’s more info on the proposed NOFOs announced yesterday: Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office expects to release a NOFO of up to $50 million early this fall through the Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM) Accelerator program. The CMM Accelerator promotes technology maturation that can unlock capital investments and facilitate domestic commercialization. The proposed NOFO addresses several areas of interest, including processes in the rare-earth magnet supply chain; processes to refine and alloy gallium, gallium nitride, germanium, and silicon carbide for use in semiconductors; cost-competitive technologies for direct lithium extraction and separation; and critical-material separation technologies that allow for the co-production of useful products from byproducts and scrap. Mines & Metals Capacity Expansion — Piloting Byproduct Critical Minerals and Materials Recovery at Domestic Industrial Facilities The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management is announcing its intent to issue a NOFO to support approximately $250 million of financial assistance for American industrial facilities that have the potential to produce valuable mineral byproducts from existing industrial processes. To derisk the technical uncertainty and financial risk for commercial deployment, many technologies must be piloted at an industrial scale in an industrial facility where material feedstocks can be processed. The proposed NOFO addresses topic areas pertaining to both industry at large and the coal-based industry. Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) is announcing its intent to issue a NOFO of up to $135 million to enhance domestic supply chains for rare earth elements (REEs). The goal of this initiative is to reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of REEs by demonstrating the commercial viability of methods for domestically refining and recovering REEs from mine tailings, deleterious material, and waste streams. An academic partner is required as a part of the project team and an award requires a cost-share of at least 50% by the recipient. Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program MESC is announcing its intent to issue a NOFO of up to $500 million to expand U.S. critical mineral and materials processing and derivative battery manufacturing and recycling. The proposed funding opportunity supports demonstration and/or commercial facilities processing, recycling, or utilizing for manufacturing critical materials which may include traditional battery minerals such as lithium, graphite, nickel, copper, aluminum, as well as other minerals that are contained within commercially available batteries, such as rare earth elements. An award requires a cost-share of at least 50% by the recipient. Recover Critical Minerals from Industrial Wastewater The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is planning to announce project selections for its $40 million program to develop technologies to recover critical minerals from industrial wastewater early this fall. ARPA-E’s Realize Energy-rich Compound Opportunities Valorizing Extraction from Refuse waters (RECOVER) program aims to enable the U.S. to reduce its dependence on critical mineral imports and replace them with secure, domestic sources. Significant amounts of critical minerals exist in domestic wastewater systems, untreated and discarded. RECOVER technologies complement more traditional mining operations to access these materials and potentially meet a significant portion of America’s needs using supplies that might otherwise go to waste. It’s nice to see a rare story that shows the Trump administration doing something that helps the USA’s footing in cleantech industries of the future, but here we are. Sign up for CleanTechnica's Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott's in-depth analyses and high level summaries, sign up for our daily newsletter, and follow us on Google News! Advertisement Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here. Sign up for our daily newsletter for 15 new cleantech stories a day. Or sign up for our weekly one on top stories of the week if daily is too frequent. CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy
Western Power commissions five new community batteries in WA
Western Power commissions five new community batteries in WA - Energy-Storage.News Skip to content
Tesla is bringing back something it took from the Model 3...for a price
Tesla is bringing back the Model 3’s turn signal stalk in China after removing the part with the refresh of the all-electric sedan early last year. However, it is going to cost you. In 2024, Tesla launched the Model 3 “Highland,” a refreshed version of the vehicle that included several large-scale changes. One of the most noticeable was the lack of a turn signal stalk, something the company chose to remove and instead implement turn signal buttons on the steering wheel. The buttons were met with mixed reviews, as some drivers complained that it was too difficult to get used to them. Others had no problem with the change, noting that it was slightly more convenient for them or that they enjoyed the minimalistic look. Now, Tesla is offering Model 3 owners in China the opportunity to replace the stalk for a price of ¥ 2,499, or about $350: “Modify your Model 3 by replacing the turn signal buttons on your steering wheel with turn signal stalks. This modification is included in the purchase price and is installed by a Tesla Service Center.” Tesla notes on its website that the service is available for Model 3 vehicles without stalks manufactured after February 7, 2025. Any car without a stalk that was manufactured before that date will have the service available to them in the future. Installation can be performed at a Service Center or by the owner. However, Tesla notes that it is not responsible for any damages resulting from self-installation and recommends that the part be put in by an employee. The cockpit of the Tesla lineup has been under intense scrutiny by the company in recent years. After a few changes to things like the stalk, steering wheel shape, and others, Tesla has usually given drivers the chance to have things reverted back to their preferences if they want. They did this for the Model S and Model X a few years ago after implementing the yoke steering wheel. Tesla Steering Wheel Retrofits have started, and it’s easy to get rid of your yoke The stalk was not supposed to be removed from the Model 3 and Model Y, but Tesla chose to do so with the refresh last year. It seems the minimalization of the cockpit, overall, is a move that prepares drivers for autonomy, as eventually, Teslas will be void of pedals, steering wheels, and any other apparatus that are used to control the car.
Aiming to Build Battery Ecosystem, Toyota & Mazda Start Tests of Energy Storage System Using Electrified Vehicle Batteries
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Mazda Motor Corporation (Mazda) have started field tests of Toyota’s Sweep Energy Storage System* at Mazda’s Hiroshima Plant in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. For the tests, the power system at Mazda’s headquarters campus―the only power generation system operated by an automaker in Japan―and Toyota’s system that utilizes batteries from electrified vehicles will be connected through their respective energy management systems. This will enable the verification of stable, high-quality, and efficient charging and discharging. In the future, the storage system will be used to regulate power supply and demand from renewable energy, which fluctuates depending on weather and time of day, contributing to carbon neutrality. The tests are aimed to contribute to building a battery ecosystem, which is part of the seven mobility industry issues that the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association is addressing across the industry. In support of stable procurement of critical resources and building a resilient supply chain, the battery ecosystem is aimed to sustainably reuse batteries in Japan, including electrified vehicle batteries. Going forward, both companies will continue to take on challenges across the industry, focusing on a multipathway approach to achieve carbon neutrality and strengthen industry competitiveness. *The system rapidly switches each battery’s power flow on and off, even when new batteries are connected to degraded or different capacity batteries. Sign up for CleanTechnica's Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott's in-depth analyses and high level summaries, sign up for our daily newsletter, and follow us on Google News! Advertisement Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here. Sign up for our daily newsletter for 15 new cleantech stories a day. Or sign up for our weekly one on top stories of the week if daily is too frequent. CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy
Iberdrola hires Ingeteam for 100MW/200MWh BESS hybridisation of PV plants in Spain
Iberdrola hires Ingeteam for 100MW/200MWh BESS hybridisation of PV plants in Spain - Energy-Storage.News Skip to content
Tesla launches new loaner program that owners will love
Elon Musk tends to use social media platform X as his personal platform to express himself, so much so that critics tend to allege that the CEO is no longer serious about his numerous companies. As per Musk, he is still very much in wartime CEO mode, despite all the jokes and fun posts about Ani on X. Elon Musk leads several prolific companies, much more than the average CEO. And while Tesla is the only publicly traded entity that he currently leads, Musk is so visible that everyone across the internet pretty much has a strong opinion of him one way or another. For his longtime supporters and followers, however, what truly matters is if Musk is locked in. It’s all part of broader vision/strategy 😂 Starship 10 is launching on Sunday. Grok 5 begins training next month. Tesla Autopilot V14 also next month. Long-term strategy is compelling.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 21, 2025 Considering that Elon Musk’s feed on X has recently been filled with AI imagery, a good portion of which involve AI-rendered women, some X users have expressed concerns that the CEO may be losing focus once more. Musk responded to one such user by highlighting his very busy schedule and his numerous active projects. Needless to say, Elon Musk is still locked in. He is still in “wartime CEO” mode. As per the CEO, even his recent AI posts about AI are “part of a broader vision and strategy.” He also highlighted that SpaceX’s Starship Flight 10 is launching in a few days, xAI’s Grok 5 is starting its training next month, and Tesla’s Autopilot V14 is also coming next month. As per Musk, “long-term strategy is compelling.” Elon Musk’s comments are quite accurate. While he may seem to spend all his time on X, after all, he is very much still neck-deep in all his companies’ projects. There is a reason why Musk became known as a visionary, and a lot of it is because he really is intimately involved in all of his companies’ projects.
Home Batteries = Energy Independence Day
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. Last Updated on: 23rd August 2025, 01:20 am Australia leads the world in household rooftop solar installations. Over 4 million households have solar panels. In the last 20 years, installations have become bigger and cheaper. My solar array was only 1.9 kWh and cost about AU$6000. For much less, you can now get an array 3 times the size. However, at the same time as arrays have gotten bigger and cheaper, the feed-in tariff (FIT) for solar power has become miniscule. Whereas two decades ago the FIT was around 50¢ a kWh, now you are lucky to get 8¢. What to do with all that power in the middle of the day? The answer is a home battery. Prices on these have fallen, and there has been an increasing number of solar panels + batteries installed — but not nearly as fast as necessary to create high demand. The Australian federal government offers its Cheaper Home Batteries subsidy. 30% off — what a bargain! AU$2.3 billion is on offer to subsidize the installation of small-scale battery systems (5 kWh–100 kWh) for households, businesses, and community organisations. Come and get it! Tesla Powerwall 3, image courtesy of Tesla. And have they ever. There have been 11,500 applications for the scheme in its first 3 weeks of operation. No wonder Tesla is sending me an email every second day advertising the Powerwall. Sadly, I bought a home battery several years ago and paid twice the price for out-of-date tech. The subsidy will be reviewed at least annually and “will gradually decrease until 2030, in line with reducing battery prices.” As it should. Many households with an existing solar array are putting in batteries. According to the Melbourne Age, small-scale battery systems equivalent to South Australia’s Tesla Big Battery are being added to the grid every 8.7 days. The scheme has been in operation for about 2 months now, with Australians installing 15 MWh worth of batteries a day. A thousand batteries a day! This is five times the average in 2024. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) had predicted that this would not have been achieved even by 2035. Once again, the market is showing up professional crystal ball gazers. Is this a second revolution in home electricity? The government expects that participating households, businesses, and community organisations will be able to “reduce electricity bills by making the most of cheap and clean solar power by storing it for when it is needed.” Not only will Australians be able to use solar to power their homes during peak hours, they may even have some excess to sell back onto the grid when the prices are high. Some are predicting a return on investment in about four years. Does this mean the end of the solar duck, or at least reduction of the solar duck? It should mean that there will be much less need for expensive gas (methane) turbines in the evening peak. Tristan Edis, director of Green Energy Markets, makes this salient point: “You don’t need swarms of lawyers, merchant bankers, accountants, environmental planning, people, community consultation, all the things that go into building large-scale renewables. You don’t need any approvals. You don’t need any engineers; you just need your local sparky.” At the current rate of installation, within five years, Tristan hypotheses’ that there would be 10,000MW of battery capacity installed. “That’s a big deal when you think we have 20,000MW of coal capacity [in Australia],” he adds. “[D]emand for batteries has gone nuts.” The Australian government is reviewing its emission reduction targets out to 2035. The massive uptake of home batteries and the implications it has for the grid mean that these targets could be more “ambitious.” “With existing state and territory action expected to deliver emissions cuts of between 66 per cent and 71 per cent by 2035, these findings show the Albanese government should be striving for a science-aligned target of 80 per cent [reductions] by 2035,” Australian Conservation Foundation CEO Kelly O’Shanassy said. The managing director of solar consultancy SunWiz, Warwick Johnston, said that prior to the Cheaper Home Batteries scheme, four rooftop solar arrays were being installed for each battery. Now it is one for one. The Clean Energy Regulator data show that the majority of installations (40%) are in New South Wales. Queensland has 20%, South Australia 17%, and Victoria 12%. Homeowners in NSW can also claim an extra subsidy if they connect to a virtual power plant (VPP). What about encouraging all applicants for the subsidy to be part of a VPP? That would make sense. Looks like it’s covered…. “To qualify for the battery rebate, an on-grid battery system — including its inverter — must have the technical capability to participate in a VPP, giving the consumer the option to join a VPP either at installation or in the future … consumers who choose to participate will need an ongoing internet connection. Depending on the inverter model and site conditions, additional hardware or software and permissions for site controllers to access multiple battery systems may be required, and battery retailers must inform consumers about any such requirements.” The Hon Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Committee (left), Chris Williams CEO & Founder Natural Solar (right) in front of the southern hemisphere’s first Tesla Powerwall 3 installation. Credit: Chris Pavlich Photography. Many of my Facebook friends are installing the maximum numbers of Powerwalls allowable. I hope to bring you their stories in future articles. Like many others, they are hungry for solutions to high energy costs, and maybe they will make a little hay while the sun shines. And you never know when the next flood will come and wash away the power lines, or the next fire will burn the power poles down, or the next cyclone will blow down the high-tension towers. This is Australia, and we are in the middle of the climate crisis. It never hurts to
China drives global BESS deployments in July, technology nears pumped hydro GW capacity
China drives global BESS deployments in July, technology nears pumped hydro GW capacity - Energy-Storage.News Skip to content
Elon Musk takes aim at Bill Gates' Microsoft with new AI venture "Macrohard"
Tesla’s new Model Y L might not come to the U.S., CEO Elon Musk said this morning. It’s a missed opportunity, and I’m not the only one who feels this way. In the past, I have personally written a handful of articles about what Tesla owners have been wanting in the United States: a full-sized SUV, or at least a vehicle that is larger than the Model Y but less of a crossover than the Model X. Tesla is missing one type of vehicle in its lineup and fans want it fast The only thing that Tesla has announced that even slightly matches this sort of idea is the Robovan, which is, optimistically, several years off because it lacks a steering wheel and pedals and will require Full Self-Driving to be fully autonomous. Even if Tesla launches FSD next year, it will take a year or two to figure out manufacturing, go through regulatory hurdles with the EPA, and eventually enter mass production for customers. The Model Y L has a variety of big changes that would be advantageous for the U.S. market, including a longer wheelbase, more comfortable seats, a third row that appears to be more spacious than Tesla’s six-seat Model Y that it previously offered, B-Pillar vents for rear passengers, and more. However, Musk said it won’t come to the U.S. until next year, and that it “might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America.” This variant of the Model Y doesn’t start production in the US until the end of next year. Might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2025 To be blunt, I’m not sure if I truly believe that Musk thinks the Model Y L won’t come to the U.S. Some believe he said this to not Osborne Effect Model Y sales here, which seems more likely than anything. Tesla Model Y L gets disappointingly far production date in the United States People have been buying the Model Y for two years more than any other car in the world. To act as if many families would not appreciate the extra space seems very strange; a big complaint with the Model Y is that it simply does not fit larger families. If you have four kids, you’re forced into the Model X, which might be too expensive for some families, as it starts at $79,990. While Tesla’s focus is undoubtedly on autonomy, it is important to remember that some people still really enjoy the act of driving their cars. Tesla has worked very hard to create a fun and sporty driving experience, especially in the new Model Y. Many consumers, including myself, like to take advantage of that. Autonomy might eventually take over human driving completely, but in the near term, it does not seem as if that is the case. Even if someone were interested in never driving again, this longer and more spacious Model Y L would be an ideal option for American families that need the room for at least six passengers. Quite a few big names in the Tesla community share this sentiment: I’m a little surprised by this. I think the Model Y L would sell extremely well in North America, even with the advent of self-driving. Americans love their larger SUVs. Bigger families here want the Model Y L. There is a need in North America for larger all-electric SUVs at a… — Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 20, 2025 More than likely, Musk does not want to announce a more attractive option than the current Model Y, as many consumers would likely wait a year or two for the L in an effort to have more space. In all honesty, I see the Model Y L coming to the United States, as it truly fits the bill as an ideal car for the modern American family.
Anker SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station - CleanTechnica Tested
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. Anker has built its reputation as a reliable supplier of all things consumer electronics. Over the last few years the company has moved into compact USB power packs to keep all your goodies charged up. More recently, it has pushed into the larger multi-kilowatt-hour units that can power anything from an electric car, a welder, or even an entire household. As Anker continues to fill out its portfolio of portable power stations, it has introduced the SOLIX F3000. This unit is roughly the same size as a traditional Coleman cooler, but instead of being packed with your favorite cold beverages, it’s loaded up with some of the best iron phosphate batteries around. The Anker SOLIX F3000 sits in a stable landscape orientation. Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica As the name implies, the Anker SOLIX F3000 has a capacity of 3,072 watt-hours or just over 3 kWhs. Just like your favorite cooler, it comes with a pair of wheels and a handle that can be deployed when it’s time to move it around. It sits in landscape mode which gives it a much lower, more stable profile than Anker’s F3800 products. With an MSRP of $2,599, the Anker SOLIX F3000 comes in at under $1,000 per kilowatt hour. If you’re looking for more storage capacity, you can add one of Anker’s BP3000 expansion batteries for an additional 3,072 watt-hours of storage capacity. Ports for charging live underneath weather resistant covers on the side of the unit. Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica Anker is pushing the SOLIX F3000 beyond the traditional residential space with a wide range of optional charging cables. You can get an optional NEMA TT-30 or a J1772 EV charging adapter for $99 each. Those are fantastic options if you’re looking to use it as a house battery for an RV or van life setup, whether you’re traveling with a combustion engine or an electric vehicle. In addition, the Anker SOLIX F3000 is well equipped to serve as a backup battery for the home. Anker offers optional accessories like the Double Voltage Hub, Smart Meter, and its Bi-Directional Inlet Box that make wiring it into your home a straightforward process. Testing Anker managed to pack over 3 KW hours of storage capacity into the compact Solex F3000, and that’s a huge accomplishment. Thanks to its LFP chemistry, Anker expects it to support 4,000 charge cycles. When it comes to use all that stored energy, the Anker SOLIX F3000 is ready to put in some serious work. On the front of the unit, Anker parked four NEMA 5-20R outlets which it can push up to 2,400 watts combined. Anker has also intelligently added a T-30R outlet to the front of the SOLIX F3000, which is the gold standard for recreation vehicle charging. Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica You’ll see these at lots of RV parks, though they only operate at 120 volts. This makes the Anker SOLIX F3000 a great option as the home battery for an RV setup. To see what it was capable of, we ran it through all the tests in our stable and it supported everything from our high power Vitamix blender which even pops 20A circuit breakers in our home, all the way on up to an EV car charger. Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica Charging our Cybertruck from the Anker SOLIX F3000 was not successful as it’s not grounded, and while it can be overridden with a ground bonding plug, it’s not a safe option. Of course the Anker SOLIX F3000 is still limited to the 2,400 watt max output from the AC plug, though it can support surges up to 7,200 w for short periods of time. It can push out 3,600 watts continuously from the TT-30R outlet, but that’s unfortunately still only at 120 volts. If you buy two of these units, they can theoretically be bridged to push out 240 volts, though we were not able to test this with our unit. When it comes time to recharge the SOLIX F3000, it can pull up to 1,800 watts from a standard AC outlet, though this should only be done on 20 amp circuits. Pulling the maximum capacity of standard 120v outlets (15 amps) for extended periods of time can cause issues. I’m not an electrician, so seek advice from a professional if you’re unsure of your setup before charging. In our testing, the SOLIX F3000 pulled just under 1,700 watts from a wall outlet, which is extremely fast and translates to a full charge in just under 2 hours. Overall Overall, the Anker SOLIX F3000 is a well-positioned addition to the company’s lineup of portable power stations. It can serve equally well as the house battery for an RV, power your camping expedition in an off-road electric vehicle, keep your house powered up when the grid fails, and can even be upgraded with additional battery packs if you want more storage capacity. The Anker SOLIX F3000 is the ultimate jack of all trades in the portable power station space and if you keep an eye out for sales, I’m sure you can pick one up for less than its MSRP of $2,599. At the time of this writing, Anker has it on sale on its website via one-time purchase for $1,699, and so does Amazon, which is a screaming deal. For more information about the Anker SOLIX F3000, head over to the official website. Disclaimer: Anker provided the Solix F3000 to the author for the purposes of this review. Sign up for CleanTechnica's Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott's in-depth analyses and high level summaries, sign up for our daily newsletter, and follow us on Google News! Advertisement Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here. Sign up for our daily newsletter for 15 new cleantech stories a day. Or sign up for our weekly one
US ROUNDUP: Energy Vault, Richardson and Fluence
US ROUNDUP: Energy Vault, Richardson and Fluence - Energy-Storage.News Skip to content
Tesla Model Y L has two distinct features for luxurious comfort
Tesla’s new Model Y L has two distinct features that are geared toward giving occupants a taste of luxury with guaranteed comfort. These two features should definitely be part of the company’s future lineup, and they could prove to be massive upgrades to the Model Y’s interior, which is certainly premium but is missing some things that truly tailor to a “luxury” feel of an automobile. This is not to say the other interior additions are not factors in the Model Y becoming a more luxurious and premium vehicle, but the two mentioned in this article are particularly pertinent in that conversation. Tesla Model Y L might not come to the U.S., and it’s a missed opportunity Power-Adjustable Thigh Supports In the front seats of the Model Y L, there are power-adjustable thigh supports that will enable some additional comfort on the legs: Advertisement Perdigão Na Brasa esquenta a transmissão do Brasileirão e traz mais sabor e emoção para a rodada Most might think that these thigh supports are simply a feature that makes the ride more comfortable, which is true. However, they have benefits for the ride and after you exit the car. Providing proper lift on the legs and thighs can be beneficial for people with back problems or posture issues. The lower back takes an increased amount of stress during long car rides, especially as the legs are fixed in the chosen seating position. Tesla Model Y L officially launched: price, features, and more Adding some support to the thighs can help reduce pressure on the lower back and hips, and distribute weight more evenly, taking stress off pressure points. It can also contribute to better spinal alignment. They also have safety benefits, as some riders could have an improved seatbelt position thanks to the thighs being in this position. Second-Row Mechanical Armrest Tesla also added mechanical, one-touch armrests to the Model Y L’s second row, a nice and premium touch for the riders in the middle of the vehicle: Add the additional space the Model Y L provides to riders, and it already gets more comfortable. However, the addition of the mechanical armrests gives a good option of comfort for those who are seated in the second row. They can also be retracted with the touch of a button, allowing for those in the third row to exit the vehicle easily. One con to the mechanical portion of these armrests is that it is another moving part, and, of course, that puts it at risk of having issues. However, it is certainly more premium than a manual armrest, and the flashy carbuyers will appreciate this small but mighty addition.
When Will Battery Prices Fall, & By How Much?
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. Writing for Electrive, Christoph Schwarzer reports on a recent conversation he had with Ines Miller of consultancy P3 Group, a company whose motto is “business as unusual.” Miller, who is an expert in all aspects of traction batteries for electric vehicles, writes that the automotive industry is currently paying about €54 per kilowatt-hour for LFP battery cells and €58 per kilowatt-hour for NMC battery cells. Three years ago, when the price of battery-grade lithium was soaring into the stratosphere and supply chain interruptions were affecting industries all around the globe, LFP batteries were costing manufacturers €127 per kilowatt-hour, with NMC batteries costing then €140 per kilowatt-hour — both more than double their cost today. Schwarzer writes that as cell prices continuing to fall, the global ramp-up of electric vehicle production is “not only ecologically inevitable but also economically. Therefore the success of electric cars is inevitable if the economic advantage becomes clear across more and more markets and scenarios…..which is roughly the situation today.” At today’s prices, the 81 kWh battery for a Kia EV3 costs the manufacturer €4,700. “We expect prices to fall by a further 10 to 15 per cent by 2030, ” Miller says. “Further price reductions will come partly from capacity expansions at factories and partly from production process improvements as well as modifications in cell chemistry.” That is wonderful news for companies like CATL and BYD which can build batteries in China and import them to European customers, but it is not such good news for European cell factories. According to P3, the prices quoted refer to cells imported from China, including all export costs and the mandatory battery passport. These batteries are more than 20% cheaper than cells manufactured in Europe, regardless of whether the production site is operated by a Chinese or a European company. P3 expects demand from batteries to increase from around 0.3 TWh per year today to roughly 1.6 TWh by 2035 — a fivefold increase. Approximately 70% of batteries will be devoted to powering electric vehicles, and 10% commercial vehicles, and the remainder to grid and home storage. A Battery For The Volkswagen ID.1 Schwartzer notes that as Volkswagen designs its small ID.1 model starting at €20,000, the cost of the battery will be a prime consideration. The company may decide to offer the car with a 30 kWh battery to meet its price target, with larger batteries available at higher price points. The basic car would meet the needs of drivers who need a car for commuting or driving to the local grocery store, while the higher priced models would suit the needs of those who regularly drive longer distances. Increasing the battery size to 55 kWh would increase the cost of the battery to the manufacturer by €1,250, but the additional range might mean buyers would be willing to spend an extra €3,000 to €4,000, which would go a long way toward making the car profitable for the manufacturer — Volkswagen, in the case of the ID.1. The automotive industry is now making money on every electric car sold, Schwartzer claims. CleanTechnica readers, who know a thing or two about the EV revolution, may choose not to accept his assertion at face value, but the question remains whether the margins for electric cars are as high as they are for infernal combustion cars. Volkswagen intends to achieve the same profit margins with its MEB Small platform as with its comparable combustion engine vehicles, which means the margins on the VW ID.2 and ID.2X are expected to match those of the Polo and T-Cross. Schwartzer speculates that with smart marketing, the margins on premium EV models — those with dual motors, larger batteries, and longer range — may actually exceed those on comparable gas-powered models. The jury is still out on that subject. Reaching Price Parity To buttress his argument, he points out that a premium conventional car today “comes with mechanical all-wheel drive, an automatic gearbox with eight or more speeds, a combustion engine with numerous cylinders and variable valve timing, turbochargers and/or superchargers, plus a multi-stage exhaust after-treatment system that in diesel models even requires an additional tank. A comparably powerful electric drive system is far simpler — and consequently likely to be more profitable.” Assuming battery prices continue to decline, that is. “Sadly, parts of the automotive industry still indulge in self-pity over supposedly low EV profitability. This is an attitude that should be reconsidered,” he writes. The higher costs for battery cells produced in Europe — even when they come from CATL or BYD — cement China’s dominance, Schwartzer notes. “This has already led to strategic dependence. What happens if the Chinese government decides to invade Taiwan? As a countermeasure, the automotive industry is still called upon to diversify supply chains. Canada, for example, has a lot of potential. “Nevertheless, the realization remains — it is not that battery cell prices might one day fall significantly. That has already happened and will continue. Prices can fluctuate up or down in the short term, but that changes little in the big picture. Combustion engine cars, on the other hand, are losing competitiveness every single day.” We like how Schwartzer thinks. He is a true hero of the EV revolution! CATL Claims Sodium Batteries Cost $10 Per kWh Dan Allard sent me a link last week to a story in Undecided, an online publication whose tag line is “Exploring how technology impacts our lives.” I am not familiar with this publication, so I am a little skeptical about its authenticity or accuracy. Nevertheless, the story says CATL is now claiming its sodium ion batteries — called Naxtra — will eventually cost as little as $10 per kWh. Not only that, the company says they will operate just fine in temperatures as low as -40º C to 70º C ( -40º F to 158º F). But wait, there’s more! CATL goes on to say its sodium
FlexGen acquires Powin, Glencore acquires Li-cycle
FlexGen acquires Powin, Glencore acquires Li-cycle - Energy-Storage.News Skip to content
Tesla rolls out minor but significant improvement to Robotaxi service
Tesla analyst Jed Dorsheimer of Wall Street firm William Blair compared the company’s Robotaxi platform to Waymo’s driverless ride-sharing program, and had a clear-cut consensus over which option was better in terms of rider experience. Dorsheimer visited Austin recently to ride in both Tesla’s Robotaxi ride-sharing program and Waymo, which has operated slightly longer than Tesla has in the city. Tesla started rides on June 22, while Waymo opened its vehicles to the public in March. A Tesla Model Y L Robotaxi is a legitimate $47k Waymo killer The analyst gave both platforms the opportunity to present themselves, and by the end of it, one was better than the other in terms of rider experience. However, he noted that both platforms gave safe and smooth rides. Overall, there was a tremendous difference in the feel and environment of each option. Tesla Robotaxi vs. Waymo Dorsheimer said that Tesla’s first big advantage was vehicle appearance. Robotaxi uses no external equipment or hardware to operate; just its exterior cameras. Meanwhile, Zoox and Waymo vehicles utilize LiDAR rigs on their vehicles, which made them “stick out like a sore thumb.” “In contrast, the robotaxis blended in with other Teslas on the road; we felt inconspicuous flowing with the traffic,” he added. The next big victory went in the way of Robotaxi once again, and it concerned perhaps the most important metric in the ridesharing experience: price. He continued in the note: “Confirming our thesis, robotaxi was half the price of Uber, showing its ability to win market share by weaponizing price.” In terms of overall performance, Dorsheimer noted that both platforms provided safe and “top-notch” experiences. However, there was one distinction between the two and it provided a clear consensus on which was better. He said: “In Austin, we took multiple robotaxi and Waymo rides; the contrast was clear. Aside from the visual difference between each pulling up to the curb, the robotaxi was comfortable and familiar, and it felt as though a friendly ghost chauffeur was driving our personal car. Driving was smooth and human-like, recognizing and patiently waiting for pedestrians, switching into less crowded lanes, patiently waiting to execute a safe unprotected turn, and yet, discerning and confident enough to drive through a light that just turned yellow, so as not to slam on the brakes. Waymo also provided a top-notch service, and we did not encounter any safety concerns, but if we were to be overly critical, it felt more … robotic. In the cabin, you have to listen to an airline-esque preamble on Waymo and safety protocols, and during the ride, you can hear all the various spinning lidar sensors spooling up and down with electronic whizzing sounds.” Tesla Robotaxi provides an experience that seems to be more catered toward a realistic ride experience. You can control the music, the cabin temperature, and transitioning your travel from one vehicle to the next during a trip will continue your entertainment experience. If your first trip ends in the middle of a song, your next trip will pick up the music where it left off. Meanwhile, Waymo’s experience sounds as if it is more focused on rider expectations, and not necessarily providing a ride that felt catered to the occupants. Still, what’s important is that both platforms provided safe rides. Dorsheimer ended the note with one last tidbit: “In short, robotaxi felt like a more luxurious service for half the cost and the driving felt more human-like.”
Wärtsilä To Deliver 68 MW Energy Storage System In Shetland
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. Wärtsilä will provide a 68 MW energy storage system under contract to Zenobē in Lerwick, Shetland. (The Shetland Islands, or Shetland, are located about 110 miles from mainland Scotland.) The new system will improve energy security, reduce emissions, and help with moving toward a cleaner, more resilient power system. In the United Kingdom, Zenobe is the leading operator of grid-scale battery storage. Wärtsilä is an innovative technology leader in the energy and marine markets. Christopher Wolf, Director at Wärtsilä Energy Storage, answered some questions about the Shetland Standby Project. For the 68 MW battery energy storage system, what is the duration? 2 hours, using Wärtsilä’s first deployment of Quantum2 in the UK. What is the battery chemistry? Wärtsilä Energy Storage uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which have a higher flash point and a slower rate of self-heating during thermal runaway. This makes them less prone to fire risk. What is the battery system cost and what will it be used for? The system will primarily provide Infrastructure services to ensure grid backup and restoration capabilities if the interconnector with mainland Scotland goes down. Commenting, Zenobē Founder Director James Basden said: “…maintain security of supply, ensuring homes and businesses continue to receive the power they need in the event of a transmission system outage, while reducing emissions and utilising more renewables in Shetland…” Commenting, SSEN Distribution’s Project Manager Nathan Coote said: “… to decarbonise Shetland’s grid while maintaining security of supply… reassurance that during a planned outage, or in the event of there being a temporary issue with Shetland’s connection to mainland Scotland, power to homes and businesses will be maintained seamlessly, with the battery providing supply while Lerwick Power Station is safely brought out of standby.” How many jobs will be created for the installation? Exact figures are not available. However, there is an agreement in place to ensure on-island maintenance services provisions. Will it be paired with any renewable electricity? The battery energy storage system is not directly paired with a renewable generation facility. What are advanced grid-forming inverters and the GEMS Digital Energy Platform? Advanced grid-forming inverters allow battery energy storage systems and other renewable sources to deliver essential grid services traditionally provided by fossil fuel-based generators. Unlike conventional “grid-following” inverters, which require a functioning grid to operate, grid-forming inverters can independently establish and maintain voltage and frequency. This enables them to stabilise the grid during disturbances and support the integration of more renewables. The GEMS Digital Energy Platform is Wärtsilä Energy Storage’s industry-leading controls and optimisation software. Designed and engineered in the United States, GEMS offers enhanced cybersecurity, system integrity, and operational resilience. Built on a fully integrated platform and designed with flexible architecture, it provides unmatched visibility and control from battery cell to fleet—helping project owners unlock maximum capacity, improve efficiency, and exceed investment goals. For the Shetland Standby Project, GEMS will manage the battery system’s real-time performance, ensuring fast, intelligent responses to fluctuations in supply and demand. Which emissions will be reduced by using the battery storage system and by how much? The battery facility will allow the diesel-fired Lerwick Power Station to move into a standby role, significantly reducing its usage. This will result in 2.2 m tonnes of carbon saved in the 10-year period. What is the electricity source or sources for the islands? As of 1 June 2025, 80% of annual demand is met by Lerwick Power Station with the remaining 20% from small, independent, and community-based renewable generators. The battery system will help increase the share of renewable energy on the islands, primarily from abundant wind resources. How many people live on islands? The Shetland Islands have an approximate population of 22,920. Sign up for CleanTechnica's Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott's in-depth analyses and high level summaries, sign up for our daily newsletter, and follow us on Google News! Advertisement Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here. Sign up for our daily newsletter for 15 new cleantech stories a day. Or sign up for our weekly one on top stories of the week if daily is too frequent. CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy
New Mexico solar-plus-storage project for Jicarilla Apache Nation begins operations
New Mexico solar-plus-storage project for Jicarilla Apache Nation begins operations - Energy-Storage.News Skip to content
