Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

Hi again,
Welcome to a new edition of the State of Charge newsletter — a concise monthly overview of the renewable energy and e-mobility transition. Today, we read about a contested lithium mining project in Nevada and go over the Global EV Outlook for 2021. Also, don’t miss the bite-sized podcast on coastal airports that could soon be underwater!

Photo by Deborath Ramos on Unsplash

As EV sales leap, so will the demand for critical minerals. China is currently the go-to for lithium batteries. But to ease the dependency on foreign material, the US is investing in local lithium production. The NYT published a report on rolling discussions about the Salton Sea mine. Here, local tribes and small entrepreneurs are trying to block a project by Lithium Americas, which hopes to start mining in 2022. Click the button below to read more. 
 

These statistics only include 100% Electric Vehicles, no hybrids. Statistics are provided by our partner
 ev-volumes.com. The Electric Vehicle World Sales Database.

Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

The value of cryptocurrencies have nosedived since TechCrunch published an article about blockchain’s footprint. Nevertheless, sustainability concerns remain. While 76% of hashers claim they use renewable energy to power their activities, only 39% of hashing’s total energy consumption comes from renewables. To learn more, check the complete article below.
 

SoC Good Reads

Yale Climate Connections compiled a list of articles on various initiatives that cities around the world are taking to reduce emissions. The author included large and small projects, from cities like Copenhagen, Miami and Mexico City.

Yale Environment 360 interviewed Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. He pressed the urgency to phase out coal in China, India and Indonesia, and slash emissions in the US. Nevertheless, Birol was hopeful regarding world leaders and corporate promises of a clean future.

The pandemic has shuttered opera houses for almost a year, and their slow reopening heralds other good news. The NYT enumerates actions that opera houses across the globe have taken to decrease emissions. Examples include the iconic Sydney Opera House, which went carbon neutral three years ago, and the Gothenburg and Tunis Operas, who are both studying ways to apply circular economy principles. 

Photo by Adrian N on Unsplash

The International Energy Agency (IEA) issued its 2021 edition of the Global EV Outlook. The publication analyzes electric mobility worldwide, considering regulatory framework, OEM initiatives, sales, and infrastructure development. According to the IEA, policymakers expect a surge in heavy-duty EVs, while the rollout of high-power fast chargers for logistics is picking up. 
 

SoC Other News

The Ford F150 Lightning met a mixed reaction from the press. Mashable is very excited about it, predicting that “Ford is poised to sell a lot of them”. The Verge is also impressed (check out their cool pictures!). But Vox isn’t as enthusiastic, due to the truck’s price tag. And while Wood Mackenzie doesn’t say too much, they forecast moderate success. 
 

In 2020, the renewable energy industry grew its fastest since 1999. Wind power capacity doubled, while solar power grew by almost 50%, exceeding pre-pandemic growth.

Polestar is allowing consumers to follow the journey of its risk materials thanks to a new supply chain project. The company will disclose more information on their website and in Polestar Spaces.
 

• World's first EV battery 3D printer
• 5 facts about the progress of electric vehicles
• Why the hell do test cars have those weird-looking wraps?
• Hawaii becomes first U.S. state to declare climate emergency
• Tesla and partners install Europe’s most powerful EV chargers in Oxford

Photo by Bao Menglong on Unsplash

SoC Listen to This

This month, we listen to a 90-second podcast called Climate Connections. The episode summarizes research by Professor Aaron N. Yesudian and Richard J. Dawson from Newcastle University. They found that 350 coastal airports risk flooding before the end of the century. And if climate change continues unchecked, almost 600 airports are at risk— including those on small islands, which often are the only way locals can move around.
 

State of Charge is brought to you by Chargetrip, the smart navigation provider for electric mobility.

You are receiving this email because you and Chargetrip crossed paths at some point. If you don't want to receive subsequent newsletters you can unsubscribe here.